Curriculum Introduction

Underpinning all our work are our core values: 
Love, Integrity, Respect, Service, Perseverance and Appreciation.
 

Our definition of learning:  a lasting change in capability or understanding.
Our definition of progress: knowing and remembering more

We follow the National Curriculum. In Yr.R / Reception (Rabbits Class), children are taught the development and life skills identified in the Early Years Curriculum which will support their learning and integration into school life.

All other years are taught the core National Curriculum subjects: English, Maths and Science. As a Church of England School, RE is another key subject area in our curriculum. We also teach:
 

- Art

- Computing & IT

- Design & Technology

- Forest School

- French

- Geography

- History

- Music

- PE (inc. weekly swimming lessons);

- PSHE (Physical, Social and Health Education)

- SMSC (Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education) is embedded throughout the
  curriculum as well as through discrete teaching.

- We are also in the process of designing a "Beach School" programme.

In all subject areas, we build on the knowledge children acquire in each year group, ensuring our implementation is systematic and coherent. More information on the intent and implementation of all subject areas can be found by clicking on the links below.

Curriculum Drivers

At St. Michael’s we believe that our children deserve and need us to provide more than just the National Curriculum; they need to be taught life skills, to be shown broader horizons and given experiences above and beyond the National Curriculum. Our unique and beautiful context here in West Somerset reminds us that life has so much more to offer and our children have so much more to learn and experience. Likewise, our Christian Vision taken from John 10:10 “I have come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness” drives our aim for all our children to live their lives to the fullest – regardless of background or starting points – we want all children, staff and the wider community to flourish.

With this in mind we prioritise the things we want our children to experience during their time with us. We use these ' Curriculum Drivers', these themes, to underpin the development work we undertake in all areas of school life and to ensure our curriculum offer is enriched and personalised to our children and their families. These drivers determine the direction and development of the work that we undertake in all areas of school life, ensuring that we offer a curriculum that it is enriched and personalised in order to meet the interests and ambitions of our children.

The Curriculum Drivers, together with our school values (Love, Integrity, Respect, Service, Perseverance, Appreciation) which underpin our Vision, help us to create a school and curriculum we are proud of, where the children enjoy learning and are motivated by the opportunities we provide for them. These Curriculum Drivers are fundamental to our whole school curriculum and all subjects are planned with these in mind; they give focus to our teaching and learning outcomes. These key drivers are personal to our school and reflect the social and educational needs of our local area. And the heart of everything we do are our children.

Our Curriculum Drivers are:

Communication: to become articulate orators demonstrating a wide vocabulary, active listening skills, high level of literacy and confident readers and writers; to communicate in a variety of ways both powerfully and politely.

Independent Learners: to show personal responsibility, initiative, organisation, creativity and enterprise; to develop self-help skills, to self-manage, to problem solve and to engage in activities with increasing independence.

Linking Learning: to make links, to build not only on learning that has taken place previously, but also use learning from other areas of the curriculum to make sense of new concepts.

Location & Context: to be aware of the local surroundings and appreciate the local environment; to know and understand about the Minehead area as well as having a high level of knowledge and interest in the world beyond West Somerset.