At Long Itchington Church of England Academy, we aim to offer an imaginative, exciting and active curriculum which contributes positively to the learning experiences and personal development of all of our pupils.

The purpose of our curriculum is to ensure that pupils leave our school as independent young people with the skills, knowledge and attitudes which prepare them well for their future lives. We know that when children feel safe and secure, learning will be more successful, so our dedicated team of professionals work hard to ensure that every child feels valued.

Our curriculum is enriched through visits and visitors linked to our topics, residential visits and themed learning days/weeks such as World Book Day and National Science Week. We provide a range of drama, music and sporting opportunities and we are proud that we have achieved the Gold Primary Science Award and Gold School Games Award in recognition of the high standard of teaching and learning in these areas.

Personal and Social Development

As a Church school, it is important to us that children have an understanding of Christian Values. We also teach our pupils about the importance of British Values as we prepare them to lead fulfilling lives in modern-day Britain.

Throughout the year, children follow a programme of personal, social and health education. These lessons include learning about British Values; personal, protective behaviours (Taking Care Project); relationships education (Scarf) and learning how to stay safe online.

The development of children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is integral to our school curriculum and opportunities to enhance their knowledge and understanding of these aspects are embedded through day to day classroom activities and daily Collective Worship as well as through Religious Education and Personal, Social and Health Education lessons. We have an expectation of good manners and behaviour and this is evident in the relationships established between the children themselves and between children and adults in school.

We do our utmost to boost self-esteem and self-confidence by recognising and praising children's effort and personal qualities, such as kindness and good manners, as well as celebrating success.

Our Curriculum for the Early Years Foundation Stage

In our Reception Class, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.  This curriculum is mapped out into topics where possible as we believe that children learn better when they can make links with other areas of learning.

We believe that a good early education is the foundation for later success. Daily phonics, reading and number skills are, therefore, at the heart of our Early Years curriculum. Through opportunities to engage in a range of traditional stories and high quality modern fiction and non-fiction texts, children enhance their vocabulary and imagination as well as develop their reading comprehension skills and their understanding of the world. We use the 'Letters and Sounds' scheme as a basis for teaching phonics. This is supplemented by a variety of teaching materials including online resources and phonics games. We also use the 'Oxford Reading Tree' reading scheme plus other supplementary materials to support the teaching of reading.  These include books for children to read at home and guided reading books for use in school.

We use a range of practical equipment to develop understanding of number, calculations, shape and measure and children have lots of opportunities to practise and consolidate their understanding of mathematical concepts through role-play, adult-supported and independent activities. 

Throughout the Early Years, the children benefit from direct teaching time and frequent opportunities to consolidate and apply their learning through adult-supported activities and play-based learning.

Our Curriculum for Key Stage 1 (Years 1 - 2) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3 – 6)

The National Curriculum, together with the Locally Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, form the foundation of our curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2. Learning is planned around themed topics with cross-curricular links built in, wherever possible, to make learning relevant and to give children the opportunity to apply their maths and English skills across different subject areas. Details of topics can be found on the relevant class page on our website.

A variety of teaching strategies are employed, with an emphasis on creativity, to motivate and inspire a life-long love of learning. Where appropriate, we encourage children to take responsibility for their own learning, and involve their parents and carers, by completing home learning projects linked to their topic theme.

English and maths skills are taught daily to ensure our children become competent and proficient learners. Our children are also taught a range of computing skills including opportunities to develop their programming skills as well as using technology to enhance their learning in creative ways.

Some subjects, such as PE, music and French, are taught by specialist teachers, teaching assistants or sports coaches and we provide opportunities for children to participate in competitive sports, drama productions and music events. These are important in developing self-esteem and confidence and give children the opportunity to shine in a variety of ways.