Curriculum Statement

Hermitage Primary School has a responsibility to provide a curriculum which will inspire and motivate all learners and prepare them for the future.

It should enable all young people to become:

Successful learners, who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
Confident individuals who are able to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
Responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society
Outcomes for learners

For the school curriculum in Hermitage to "provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and achieve" (National Curriculum aims and values), it should:

be based on the needs of all learners;
provide learners with stimulating and engaging learning experiences;;
enable learners to see learning as an enjoyable lifelong process;
enable learners to make constructive choices throughout their lives in order to
achieve economically and personally as responsible citizens.

The principles that underpin these outcomes are as follows:

1. The curriculum is about the development of the whole person.

Opportunities for learners to develop values and attitudes are as important as the development of skills and factual knowledge, so that all learners can:

show success in a variety of ways;
develop and maintain a positive self-esteem;
follow a healthy lifestyle;
show courtesy, consideration and good humour to others;
be responsible, honest, caring and confident;
be a constructive member of society;
communicate effectively about themselves: articulate their own opinions and

2. All learners are given equality of opportunity in learning.

This will involve countering disadvantage by providing a relevant curriculum, and day-to-day learning tasks that are accessible to and meet the needs of, all learners, so that all learners can:

feel valued;
understand that learning is relevant for them;
enjoy learning;
take an active part in their own learning in school and want to be lifelong learners;
use technology efficiently as a tool for thinking, making or doing;
cope effectively with change and diversity.

3. The school curriculum builds on learners' strengths, interests and experiences both inside and outside school, including those developed by their first educators – their parents and carers, so that they can:

understand that all learning is valuable, wherever or whenever it happens;
be confident to make decisions about their own learning in school and their priorities as lifelong learners;
enjoy learning and achieve as highly as they can, especially if they have a special subject or skill which they love.

4. Important skills are embedded in the curriculum for all subjects, using a wide range of practical, theoretical and creative learning opportunities.

This will engage learners in communication, analysis, problem solving, enquiry and logical and creative thinking in many different contexts, enabling them to become adaptable, responsive and innovative, so that they can:

think creatively, analytically and critically;
understand that learning skills are transferable;
communicate effectively about their learning;
understand how to bring these skills to bear in different contexts throughout their lives.

5. The curriculum presents learners with new challenges and opportunities.

Through experiencing challenge, opportunity and risk in a range of safe contexts, including opportunities to prepare for the next stage of their education and their role in society, learners learn to take risks and rise to challenges, so that they can:

be flexible, resourceful and able to adapt to new situations in a rapidly changing world;
show initiative, resilience and confidence;
take risks, responsibly and creatively;
understand and work towards the needs of their community;
be innovative and enterprising;
use technology as a tool for innovation;
make a positive contribution to their locality, their country and global society.

6. The curriculum provides opportunities for projects which cross subject boundaries

learners are provided with practical situations involving collaborative learning in order to solve problems by thinking both creatively and critically, so that they can:

be creative;
work independently and collaboratively;
understand how working together can result in more new ideas, greater creativity and better problem-solving;
engage in purposeful, sustained shared thinking with others.

7. The curriculum reflects the learners' place in their local community.

It gives them opportunities to learn about the place, people and values in which they are growing up. It enables them to develop their sense of belonging, appreciate the diversity of their community and feel empowered to make a difference for the better, so that learners can:

contribute to the community both in school and outside;
value and respect themselves, their families and others around them;
value the diversity in our society;
value the environment in which we live;
participate in decision making and contribute to the community.

8. The curriculum reflects the learners' place in the national and global communities.

It allows them to develop their sense of identity beyond their personal experience, to develop a sense of belonging and empowerment to make a difference for the better in the wider world, so that they can:

be flexible, resourceful and able to adapt to new situations in a rapidly changing world;
enjoy and flourish when at key transition points in their lives;
understand the relationship between their community and the national and global communities;
use national and global resources wisely and contribute to environmental sustainability;
recognise their role and responsibilities as members of the national and global community by understanding their own values and attitudes.

Hermitage Primary school believes these principles are the foundation for the curriculum for all learners.