Curricular Themed Days

Rationale

To ensure that all foundation subjects receive dedicated, high quality teaching time, several subjects will now be taught in discrete themed days. Each half term, teachers will plan and deliver a dedicated Art / Design day, a Geography themed day and a Religious Education themed day. These themed days will be given an overarching focus linked to the National Curriculum. The emphasis will be on developing children's skills within these subjects rather than their knowledge of specific content. It is essential that we are able to demonstrate a progression in the skills children develop as they move through the school.

Key considerations for the Ofsted 'Quality of Education' judgement

  • Curriculum design should support children to make connections between the different things they have learnt
  • Skills-based learning opportunities
  • Opportunities for enquiry and critical thinking
  • Use of digital tools
  • Importance of vocabulary
  • How can we make the curriculum content relevant to pupils?

Expected outcomes

Assembly

Each subject theme day will begin with an assembly, prepared and circulated by the Curriculum Team. This will then be delivered either in key stage assemblies or as an in-class assembly. This will share the theme for the day with the children, enthuse them about the topic, encourage them to reflect on their existing knowledge and skills and give them an opportunity to think critically.

Display

Classes will be asked to create a hall or corridor display to showcase their learning from these themed days. The displays will be allocated on rotation, so that some display boards are changed after each themed day. Teachers will only be asked to complete one hall or corridor display per term.

Project book evidence

The children's learning should be evidenced in their topic books during themed days. This could take a variety of forms, including written pieces, investigations, photos, speech bubbles, drawings or diagrams.

Evaluations

Classes will be provided with an evaluation form for each child to complete, encouraging them to reflect on how their skills have developed as a result of their learning on each day.

Subject themed days will include:

Geography, Religious Education, Music, Modern Foreign Languages, Mental Fitness and Art and Design