Our School

Introduction

At Dorney School, we define the 'curriculum' as the daily lived experiences of pupils throughout their time at the school. We intend to provide experiences which ensure that they are enabled to see the wider world and provide them with the confidence and knowledge to progress to the next stage of their educational journey.

Curriculum Intent

Dorney School recognises that each individual pupil attending our school is unique and we provide a curriculum which allows all pupils to see their place in the world and be inspired to future successes.

Our school curriculum has been designed to fully deliver the content of the National Curriculum and structured to ensure that pupils are taught the right content at the right stage in their development.

Our curriculum is underpinned by our core values of respect, collaborate and grow.

Through a range of activities embedded into school life, it will teach our pupils to:

Respect – value themselves and others

Collaborate – contribute positively to society

Grow – Find their place in the world

Our curriculum has been designed with the following principles: it is personalised to match the needs of our pupils; it will reflect and enhance the life experiences of pupils living in our local area; it will enable pupils to see opportunities for themselves in the wider world; it will be inclusive and celebrate diversity and create a strong community atmosphere within which all cultures, faiths and backgrounds are valued, all successes are celebrated and everyone is proud to be a member of the Dorney community. Our ambition is to further enhance  the curriculum so that learning is set in local and global contexts where possible.

The key aims of our curriculum are for pupils to:

• Learn to read and develop a love of reading, experiencing a wide range of different books by diverse authors
• Be confident writers, able to express themselves clearly in their written work in a range of situations
• Express themselves verbally and with confidence
• Become confident mathematicians with the skills which prepare them for the next stage of their education
• Understand the wider world in which they live now and the world from the past
• Learn how to understand themselves and manage their emotions, developing the ability to empathise with others
• Appreciate, enjoy and immerse in the creative arts to develop an appreciation for each other and how we are all unique in our own way.
• Be active, compete in competitions and work with others in a team, learning how to be a humble winner and resilient loser;
• Understand that we are part of a wider, global community, valuing other cultures, beliefs and languages
• Learn about sustainable living, understanding global environmental issues.

Our curriculum is organised and delivered through:

• Discrete teaching of subjects
• A focus on personal, social and emotional wellbeing
• Enrichment opportunities including sports clubs, sewing club, school choir, board games, computing clubs, residential trips and schools visits