Curriculum Statement

The Curriculum at Chapel Break

At Chapel Break the National Curriculum (2014) is woven into our own curriculum:

‘The Curiosity Curriculum and the Six Hives of Creative Learning’

Our curiosity Curriculum encompasses all the requirement of the 2014 National Curriculum and extends this to provide a rich, stimulating and creative curriculum, which supports and enhances pupil’s skills and understanding

As a school we strive to develop children’s curiosity, thinking, enquiry and creativity. We believe that it is necessary to develop in children a level of engagement, which will develop their personal skills and approach to learning that enables them to communicate, apply, select, manipulate, present, and question the knowledge that they have acquired.

The 21st Century will demand learners who have a creative response to problems, can ask questions, are imaginative and self-motivated and tenacious.  With this in mind, we have designed our curriculum by integrating the knowledge content and programmes of study within the National Curriculum and underpinned this with six sets of skills and attributes which will prepare children well for not only for their next stage in education but for life.  Our curriculum is designed to promote the British Values of mutual respect and tolerance.

Teachers  plan and prepare 3 main Curiosity Units per year in the form of a Project Based  Learning Inquiry; each unit is supported by a stimulating or immersive classroom environment. Concepts and content are set out in our Project Timelines. Mini – inquiries maybe planned and taught alongside to enhance understanding further in other subjects for example in RE, Computing or PE.

Chapel Break’s Curiosity Curriculum also incorporates  “The BIG Idea Themes’

The Big Idea Curriculum provides pupils opportunity to explore themes, which cut across subject boundaries yet offer a chance to think critically;

The aim of this aspect of our Curriculum is that every child develops an awareness and understanding of their place in the world, socially, morally, culturally and spiritually. It has four strands, which put this personal development at its core:

• Social and Emotional Understanding
• The Safety Curriculum
• Learning Themes
• Thinking Themes

Our Curiosity Curriculum is further enhanced by the use of our Linked Literature strand. This provides a literature focus for our learning which aims to inspire and develop pupils into confident and successful readers and writers.  Similarly a “Real Life Maths’ element enhances the teaching and learning of Mathematical understanding through practical and meaningful experiences.

In addition and beyond our curriculum we have developed an innovative learning approach using a dedicated space, The TARDIS (Thinking, Arts, Reflection, Dialogue, & Imagination Studio). Here children work alongside ‘teacher as facilitator’ in developing personal learning experiences, which build individual and collaborative creative responses to thinking activities.  This draws on Curiosity Units and Six Hives within classrooms and supports the culture of enquiry and creative learning across school.

Chapel Break's Curiosity Curriculum Overview | Click each Title of Our Six Hives of Creative Learning to view in more detail;

 Be Creative          Be Independent       Communicate           Be a Thinker     Solve Problems         Be Reflective