The Curriculum

Your Child’s learning....

The broad, balanced and creative curriculum will stimulate your child to acquire knowledge and develop individual skills.

Children’s achievements are celebrated and everyone enjoys success and praise regularly during their time in school. We encourage children to become independent and confident in both their work and social development.

The children are taught by their own class teacher in mixed ability vertically grouped classes (for example YR/Y1/Y2, Y3/4, Y5/6). In our schools today we recognize that learning consists of:

  • Acquiring knowledge

  • Understanding ideas

  • Perfecting skills

  • Developing good attitudes

In order for this to take place the children must:

  • Become involved with things that interest them

  • Be active in their learning

  • Be encouraged to work with each other

  • Make progress and be challenged in each area of learning

  • Be encouraged to think and act for themselves and become independent

The National Curriculum Programmes of Study are divided into Keystages:

The Early Years Foundation Stage

The Foundation Stage makes a crucial contribution to children’s early development and learning.

We provide children with a rich variety of teaching and learning experiences that are appropriate to their needs. The Foundation Stage is about developing key learning skills such as listening, speaking, concentrating, persistence and learning to work and co-operate with others.

The four areas of learning that make up the Foundation Stage curriculum are:-


A Unique Child

Positive Relationships

Enabling Envronments

Learning and Development


The outdoor environment is also a very special part of the Foundation Stage curriculum. As such it is carefully planned for and available each day. There is a specially equipped area to provide learning opportunities for these children.

The teaching to achieve these early learning goals will be through first hand experience and structured play. The areas of experience will be linked to the National Curriculum.

Key Stage 1 and 2


Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7) and 2 (ages 8-11)

The core curriculum at Keystages 1 and 2 comprises:-

English

Mathematics

Science

Information Communication Technology (ICT)

Children also study the subjects below as part of the National Curriculum. These are called foundation subjects.

Art and Design

Design Technology (DT)

History

Geography

Music

Physical Education

Children are also taught Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education.

Religious Education

As we are a Voluntary Aided Primary School we teach Religious Education according to the Trust Deed, Practices and Beliefs of the Church of England supplied by the St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocesan Guidelines.


The aim of Religious Education at the school is to enable pupils to;


  • Develop a knowledge and understanding of the nature of religion, religious beliefs, practice and experience.

  • Explore the way that religious beliefs and experience shape life and conduct.

  • Consider and engage with the Spiritual Dimension of life.

  • Realise that there are many different religious beliefs held by different people and to respect people’s rights to hold them.


We work closely with the Parish Church, St. Bartholomew’s.  A school service is held regularly in the church, as well as events that celebrate the major Christian festivals. The children are encouraged to behave in a caring fashion towards each other and to extend that friendship into the wider community and parish.

Parents do have the right to withdraw their children from Religious Education and Acts of Worship; however, it is not possible to isolate children from the strong Christian ethos of the school.


School Council

We have a School Council with boy and girl representatives elected from each class.  The council meets fortnightly to discuss a whole range of issues which reflect the needs of the children in their classes.  The children are encouraged to view themselves as active citizens who can share ideas and inform the change process in their school.

Teaching Methods

We use a wide variety of teaching methods according to the needs of the children and the nature of the activity. They include whole class, small group and individual teaching. Children will usually be grouped according to ability and experience. The groups may be different according to the task and will be flexible to reflect individual strengths.

Home learning

Orford has a policy of providing home learning opportunities that are enjoyable, manageable and interesting. Children throughout the school are encouraged to read at home for at least 10 minutes on a daily basis. This should increase to 20 minutes in Year 5 and 6. It is also expected that parents and staff will write comments in their reading diary when the child is heard read.