Wider Curriculum Opportunities & Cultural Capital

Our curriculum extends beyond the National Curriculum and includes a wide range of enriching experiences and opportunities both within and beyond the school day. This includes an extensive programme of after-school clubs, that support the core curriculum offer, as well as those which develop specialist skills, whilst also extending the range of children’s experiences (Cultural Capital).  A primary focus of our curriculum is to raise aspirations, engender a sense of personal pride in achievement, and provide a purpose and relevance for learning.

The school takes pride in providing a highly inclusive environment, where learners demonstrate high levels of enjoyment in their education and make very good progress across the curriculum. Children at all levels are helped to achieve their potential. Those who are most able are challenged and supported through being offered tasks which provide opportunities for greater depth and those who can struggle are encouraged and given targeted support to embed skills, to develop at their own pace or simply to learn in a style that best suits their individual needs.

In addition to our exciting and stimulating cross-curricular themes, we also provide further opportunities to enhance children’s learning wherever possible. These include:

Whole School Theme Days/Weeks
Throughout the year, themed days/weeks are woven into the curriculum to extend the breadth and balance of opportunities we offer our pupils. These include, Anti-bullying Week and Safety Day, Creative Arts Week, World Book Day, Black History Month, Sport & Health Week, Mini-enterprise Week, Fair Trade Fortnight, Science Day, Cultural Day, Community Day, European Day of Languages, National Museum Day, RE Days and others. 

Educational Visits and Residential Trips

School trips and visits are an integral part of the education of children at Graven Hill Primary School.  We value the opportunities such visits offer our pupils and the commitment of staff and adults undertaking them.  Trips include class visits aimed at bringing learning alive and providing first-hand experience and bringing learning alive; extra-curricular outings such as activities with the school choir or sporting events; and attending or taking part in performances or competitions.  

Children in Years 4 and 6 take part in residential visits. These are planned to provide new and exciting experiences.  Pupils in Year take part in a three day residential taking part in series of outdoor and adventurous activities and team building games.  Our Year 6 young people take part in a challenge week at where they experience orienteering, climbing, abseiling, raft building, archery and lots more.

Visitors into School
Visitors have a valuable role to play and can contribute to many aspects of the life and work of the school.  They deliver talks, workshops and full day activities across a wide range of subjects, giving pupils access to outside experiences and expertise. Visitors provide a link with the wider community – children have the opportunity to work alongside artists, musicians, authors, health professions and others.

PE & Sport
At Graven Hill Primary School we are using our PE & Sport Premium to part-fund a qualified sports coach who runs a number of lunchtime sports clubs including dodgeball, basketball and curling. Our coach also runs a number of after school sports clubs including girls football and gymnastics.  

Music, Art & Drama
Graven Hill Primary School provides opportunities for children to take part in a wide range of musical activities and performances where they are encouraged to sing, compose and work creatively with sound. Through active listening, pupils’ awareness, understanding and appreciation of a wide variety of music are developed. A range of opportunities are provided within and beyond the curriculum for children to showcase their musical skills and talents.  Visits to the theatre further enriches pupils’ cultural development.

As a school we appreciate and understand the importance of drama within our curriculum. Research reveals that drama had a positive impact on children’s physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. Drama is developed across the whole school in a variety of ways including story-telling.

Opportunities to Volunteer
Volunteering is an activity that everyone can get involved in and benefit from.  At Graven Hill Primary we promote and encourage pupils’ active citizenship and positive contribution to the school and wider community. We offer lots of opportunities for pupils to take on new responsibilities and be involved in successfully supporting the life and work of the school. These include elected representatives on our Children’s School Council, Eco Committee and PE & Sport Committee. 

Assemblies
A rounded programme of daily assemblies helps to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and provide clear guidance on what is right and what is wrong.