At Buckingham Park Church of England Primary School it is important that every member of the school community feels valued and respected, and that each person is treated fairly and well. We are a caring community, built on a clear Christian foundation and rooted in Christian values. We aim to provide the highest quality all round education, for each and every child, in partnership with parents, within the context of a Christian community. In short, ‘Excellence, through God who strengthens us’.
All school policies are therefore designed to support the way in which all members of the school can live and work together in a supportive way. It aims to promote an environment where everyone feels happy, safe and secure. The school has a set of values that are based on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. These are a means of promoting good relationships, so that people can work together with the common purpose of helping everyone to learn. These values are displayed below and permeate everything we do:
We are kind, helpful and polite We do our best We are honest We share We are peacemakers We forgive others We take care of everything, and everyone
Curriculum Intent
At Buckingham Park Church of England Primary school, it is our aim to provide opportunities for children, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and / or disabilities (SEND), to develop as independent, confident and successful lifelong learners. We aim to foster children’s ability to grow and develop their confidence, to have a voice and be heard, and to learn as they develop to ‘disagree well’ – building the foundation skills in being successful adults. By developing their love of learning, we begin to create curiosity about the world they live in. We actively provide all children with a range of learning opportunities in school, supplemented by trips and visits to enrich their life experiences.
We are a child centered school with a philosophy of growth for all members of the school community. Our vision, captured above and encapsulated in the strap-line, ‘Excellence, through God who strengthens us’ are central to our curriculum design and aims to enable children to work within a culture where all children are supported to thrive. We ensure children are provided with a wide range of learning opportunities through a curriculum which is designed to be ambitious, rich, engaging and experiential to meet the needs of all children regardless of their own starting points. Children’s knowledge, skills and concepts are clearly developed in an age-appropriate and progressive way from EYFS to Year 6, in all subjects, so that their understanding is extended and built upon with a clearly defined end point.
Our school ethos and an integral part of our offer is to nurture our children holistically, considering mental well-being and physical health so all children are equipped with the necessary life skills to thrive in all areas of their lives. In order to truly appreciate the intended vision for our curriculum, you must come in, to immerse and experience this for yourselves.
Curriculum Implementation
Our curriculum has been designed using a range of supporting schemes and materials to build upon prior learning. All design begins with the national curriculum to ensure adequate coverage and progression across each subject and each year group.
Teachers use curriculum materials to deliver, due to their expert knowledge, high quality lessons focused on inclusivity, Quality First Teaching and within the context of the needs of their own classes. Subject leaders provide a structure for this learning; overseeing progression and implementation in classrooms and supporting teacher’s subject knowledge and confidence. The aim is to use this high-quality teaching to ensure concepts are taught in a way where children are able to transfer information from their short term, to long term memory.
All staff have a clear understanding of the Intent, Implementation and Impact statements for all subjects across the entire curriculum by understanding the learning journey of the children they teach by considering the following questions – what have they already learnt, how can I ensure the best quality of learning right now, and how will this support the next stages of the children’s learning? This covers progression from the moment children join our EYFS to the end of their primary journey in Year 6.
Lessons are delivered in a systematic and robust way so that expectations are clear and consistently transferable from lesson to lesson, subject to subject. We believe that when adult expectations are clear, children learn best and are able to challenge, risk take and learn to the best of their abilities. Ongoing assessment within lessons and supported in some subjects by standardised assessments, support teacher’s ability to make robust judgement about pupil attainment. For teachers at Buckingham Park, understanding pupil achievement is crucial, but understanding gaps in learning is equally important to allow us to ensure a solid foundation for next stages of a child’s learning. Reading, Writing, Phonics, RE and Maths are core to the learning experience of our children. They are taught discreetly within their own lessons and key concepts are revisited through other subjects in the wider curriculum. We value the importance of a broad and balanced curriculum, rich in opportunities for children to experience a wide range of learning. We recognise that a wide range of learning will increase engagement and provide opportunities for all children to be successful, irrespective of their own personal strengths.
Due to the diverse nature of our school, we believe that our Curriculum offer should extend way beyond the core subjects which encompass the National Curriculum. Information can be found on the website around our ‘Enhanced Curriculum Offer’. This cover, amongst other things, Therapeutic support, Wellbeing, Spirituality, Wider Trips and experiences, Collective Worship and Pupil Advocacy, all of which form an integral part of what we are aiming to achieve as a school. Our vision mentions the word ‘Excellence’ which is used widely in school when talking to our children. Buckingham Park creates excellent learners and excellent young people, prepared with the knowledge, skills and experiences to take their learning and let this flourish
Curriculum Impact
Children at Buckingham Park School are excited to come to school each day. They engage positively with learning opportunities provided to them and through their time at our school, learn the skills and knowledge needed to be a success and to proceed to the next phase of their own learning journey.
We foster a sense of inquisitiveness and curiosity, beginning with their time in early years. This ensures all children make positive and sustained progress, building a wide repertoire of skills on this journey. Through our focus on PSHE and spirituality, out children understand their place in the world and are given doors and windows to experience the wider world from the safety and security of their school. Our vision and the associated values support children to be tolerant, accepting young people with a view to celebrate the differences we all inherently have within our own selves. Children achieve well academically, emotionally, socially, physically and spiritually.
Our Curriculum for Special Educational Needs
At Buckingham Park School, we value, nurture and celebrate the skills and talents of every child.
Our curriculum is aspirational, vibrant, engaging and inclusive. We strive to enable all children to do their best and optimise their potential through quality first teaching, careful planning- in line with developmental stage and interests of cohorts, removal of barriers in accessing the curriculum e.g., writing frames, visual prompts, adapted resources and alternative methods of recording.
The careful planning and learning opportunities are designed to reduce, and ultimately remove, gaps between disadvantaged and vulnerable learners and their peers. Our commitment to engaging, inspiring and equipping all learners is at the heart of our curriculum intent and fosters the implementation of our curriculum and the development of skills, in both academic and non-academic subjects equally, ensuring equality of opportunity and a broad and balanced provision- for all learners- in a holistic and personalised way.
Careful consideration is afforded to the broad and diverse offer interwoven throughout our curriculum to reflect our multi-cultural multi faith school community and so that quality, first-hand experiences are presented in a multitude of ways enabling full participation and maximum engagement. All educational visits are risk assessed and planned, so that every child may access and enjoy these educational opportunities, capitalising on enriching and memorable experiences.
At Buckingham Park School we endeavour to instil a love of learning for life.
Policies at Buckingham Park
Click on a button below for further information on some of our policies.