Curriculum & Enrichment
We have worked hard to make the Low Ash curriculum exciting and engaging – a curriculum in which all pupils can ‘be the best that they can be’. We believe all stakeholders (pupils, parents, staff and governors) have an important part to play in the shaping of our curriculum, so changes have been made in light of feedback. Residentials are now on offer from years 4 to 6; pupils can enjoy peripatetic music lessons; a bigger emphasis is based on art and design, including cooking and nutrition; enrichment activities (non National Curriculum) are offered in our ‘Fantastic Friday’ enrichment afternoons and a wider variety of after school extra- curricular activities take place for pupils of all ages.
Our carefully planned and sequenced Learning Journey begins in Nursery with a relentless focus on the prime areas of learning. We strongly believe that it is these key skills which enable our children to flourish and develop into eager learners with a thirst for knowledge.
As our learners move through Nursery and Reception, they experience the full breadth of the EYFS curriculum through well-crafted units of work which are topic based to support learners in beginning to make links between different areas of learning.
Within KS1, learners are supported in transitioning from a wholly topic based curriculum to a curriculum which provides specialist, focussed teaching in specific subject areas, such as Music. The knowledge, skills and understanding which our children develop during their time in KS1 is carefully mapped out within our Curriculum Learning Guides to ensure that our learners are fully prepared for the challenge of KS2.
KS2 provides the opportunity for our learners to increase their knowledge, improve their skills and deepen their understanding within each curriculum area. Some specialist teaching in subjects such as Music, PE and French is introduced at different points within the key stage and ensures that our learners are well-prepared for KS3 and beyond.
Early Reading lies at the heart of our EYFS and KS1 learning journey and, through the effective implementation of our synthetic phonics programme, Read, Write, Inc, we are able to support our learners in becoming skilled and enthusiastic readers who are ready for the challenge of KS2 and beyond. As learners move through into KS2, we continue to provide them with a rich and varied literary diet, which is well-matched to the reading ability of each individual.
We provide our learners with a variety of rich cultural experiences. Our curriculum provides equality for all and addresses disadvantage by ensuring that all learners acquire the knowledge and cultural capital needed to succeed in life. We ensure children learn beyond the four walls of the classroom to gain first hand experiences of the world around them, undertaking frequent visits to support and reinforce learning. Our two school mini buses are in regular use!
Our exemplary extra-curricular programme (please see the clubs page for further information) which encompasses curriculum areas such as PE, Music and Art provides opportunities for all, including those children with special educational needs, or disabilities.
Further details of each subject can be found on the individual subject pages on the school website.
