Orchard Park Community Primary School

A place where children are empowered to reach their full potential, with the highest possible aspirations and passion for learning. With values and respect, our children are confident to move from our nurturing environment to explore and succeed in the wider world.

Curriculum Intent

Our curriculum has been designed to realise our mission statement for each and every pupil.  

 

Orchard Park Community Primary School is a place where children are empowered to reach their full potential, with the highest possible aspirations and passion for learning. With values and respect, our children are confident to move from our nurturing environment to explore and succeed in the wider world.

 

Orchard Park we are committed to delivering a broad and balanced curriculum which will empower our pupils to achieve their full potential and allow them to discover and develop their personal interests. It is underpinned by core values that fosters strong emotional literacy​

We understand the vital importance of the core subjects of reading, writing and maths and embed opportunities for children to develop these key skills across the curriculum.

Children’s literature is at the heart of our curriculum, with half termly topics based around a high quality text. From this starting point, wide-ranging learning opportunities are woven together to bring sense and meaning across all subjects. Real life experiences, educational visits and visitors engage and inspire children, developing their cultural capital whilst developing the necessary knowledge and skills needed for the next stage of education. 

We are proud to deliver a curriculum that is representative of our rich, diverse community; a curriculum that opens children’s eyes to the world around them, and makes each and every one feel like a valued member of our school. 

Curriculum in Context

The long term plans for each subject can be found on the subject page of this website.

​These long term plans have been carefully woven together to enable pupils to master the knowledge and skills specified for each year group.   

Our half termly topics start with an emersion day (WOW day) that spring boards all children into their new learning context. These events usually happen within the first week of the half term.  At the end of half term, a second emersion day enables an 'exciting end' that pulls together all of the children's learning.

 

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Spring 1

Spring 2

Summer 1

Summer 2

Nursery

Marvellous Me!

Celebrations

People Who Help Us

Traditional Tales

Growing Plants, Animals and their babies and Mini Beasts

At The Seaside, Under the Sea and Transport

Reception

Super Me!

Magical Monsters

Once Upon a Time

 Far and Distant Lands

Nature Detectives

Down otThe Farm

Year 1

Brilliant Babies

Island Adventures

Toy Story

Wonderful Wildlife

Magical moon

Big Blue Sea

Year 2

What a Wonderful World

Tale as Old as Time

 

Fire! Fire!

 

The Circle of Life

All Aboard

Dungeons and Dragons

Year 3

Globe Trotters

Stonking Stone Age

Revolting Roald Dahl

Rotten Romans

Captivating Cambridge

The Human Machine

Year 4

Our Unique UK

Savage Saxons

Raging Rivers

Somewhere to Settle

Mountain High, Valley Low

Britain Needs You!

Year 5

Defying Gravity

Ancient Greece

Beast Creators

Terrific Tudors

Stargazers

The Big Smoke

Year 6

Extreme Earth

Marvellous Mayans

Darwin’s Delights

Extraordinary Egypt

The Renaissance

 

Curriculum enrichment

Educational visits and visitors are of substantial benefit to the education and development of pupils. A well placed educational visit is an inspiring and positive experience that not only enhances learning and understanding, but also pupils’ social and personal development. School trips provide the opportunity for pupils to immerse themselves in new, different and exciting environments where learning is powerful.

We have an annual school visit to the Arts theatre where we enjoy the pantomime

The table below provides an overview of some of the

Year group

Educational Visits

Reception - Ladybirds

Wimpole Farm

 

Year 1 - Butterflies

Ely Toy Museum

Wells next the Sea

 

Year 2 - Bumblebees

Woburn Safari Park

Hedingham/Rockingham Castle

 

Year 3 - Grasshoppers

Wandlebury

Punting and walking tour of Cambridge

Olympic Park – London

 

Year 4 - Beetles

Burwell House Residential (three days)

West Stowe Anglo Saxon Village

Wicken Fen

Duxford Air Museum

 

Year 5 - Fireflies

Sedgewick Museum

Cambridge Maths Challenge

Houses of Parliament – London

 

Year 6 - Dragonflies

Scott Polar Museum

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Museum of Zoology

Fitzwilliam Museum

Norfolk Coast Residential - 3 days

National Gallery – London