Here at the academy we will be providing a broad and balanced curriculum based around the Cornerstones Curriculum, a nationally recognised approach for delivering outstanding learning opportunities for children.
What is the Cornerstones Curriculum?
The Cornerstones Curriculum is a creative and thematic approach to learning that is mapped to the 2014 primary national curriculum to ensure comprehensive coverage of national expectations. It is based on a child-centred pedagogy called The Four Cornerstones and is delivered through Imaginative Learning Projects (ILPs) and Knowledge Rich Projects (KRPs), which provide a rich menu of exciting and motivating learning activities that make creative links between all aspects of children’s learning. We believe children learn better when they are encouraged to use their imagination and apply their learning to engaging contexts. Our curriculum provides many learning challenges throughout the academic year that require children to solve problems, apply themselves creatively and express their knowledge and understanding effectively. Cornerstones also provide a rigorous skills and knowledge framework that outlines the end of year expectations in all subjects. These skills and knowledge are tied to activities and are age-related so that staff can track children’s progress and identify their individual learning needs.
These are the following ILPs/KLPs that each Year group will be covering, each one will start with a ‘memorable experience’.
Summer Term:
Nursery: Can I have a dog?
Children will begin to gain knowledge of how to care for animals
Reception: Do cows drink milk?
This topic will be an opportunity for children to learn about farm animals
Year 1: Childhood Experiences & Family Life
Children will spend the term exploring childhood experiences, and compare their own to those of children from the 1950’s.
Year 2: The Scented Garden
For this topic, we have planned some amazing activities linked to gardening, and will be creating a herb garden for everyone to enjoy.
Year 3: Rocks, Relics and Rumbles
Children will be learning about different types of rocks, volcanoes and earthquakes, and we will be looking at world maps, locating where volcanoes are around the world.
Year 4: Traders and Raiders
Year 4 will be looking at the collapse of the Roman Empire in Britain, and how the Anglo-Saxons stood up against the Vikings. Children will also be using their geographical knowledge to help them with locating famous Saxon sites around the UK.
Year 5: Sow, Grow & Farm
During the term, children will become gardeners with a passion for growing and encouraging the environment, and will learn about sustainability and the way in which all different manner of food is grown and harvested.
Year 6: Victorians & The Revolution
Pupils will explore and sample life in the Victorian times and much more!
