OUR CURRICULUM 

School Curriculum Statement of Intent

At Huntley Church of England School, we aim to work in partnership with parents, governors, the Church and the community. With our emphasis on strong pastoral care, we provide a nurturing, personalised education for all our children to promote positive self-esteem.

We provide a purposeful, progressive curriculum to help create a happy and inspiring environment to promote success. As well as academic success, as a small school, we ensure that our children leave us with the confidence, self- assurance and social skills needed to continue their journey on to secondary education. 

Our core curriculum, reading, writing, maths and science is developed following the statutory National curriculum objectives. Reading is central to our teaching to ensure that the children can access all other areas of the curriculum. This has a positive impact on the development of writing, inspiring children to write for different purposes.

The development of numeracy skills throughout the school prepares the children for future learning and provides essential life skills.  Science forms a key part of learning with a focus on the real-life application of science in the world around us.

We provide the children with a broad and balanced curriculum. It is important that the children have an opportunity to experience a range of other subjects and skill sets and can experience success in other areas. This also ensures the early development of musical, creative and sporting skills and enjoyment. 

We offer a wide range of experiences and opportunities to help develop the ‘whole child’. Through these experiences, children can make their own choices about aspects they want to develop further. We also utilise our beautiful rural setting to enhance our curriculum.

As a small, rural school, with a narrow cultural range, we recognise the need for our children to gain experience and understanding of the wider world and this is a common thread throughout our curriculum.

We want our children to experience a vocabulary-rich environment and we help them to develop the tools to communicate their knowledge, ideas and understanding. The development of oracy skills is embedded throughout our curriculum and we want children to be confident and capable in their communication.

Our core values of respect, perseverance and courage permeate all areas of school life. Respect for each other and God’s creation, the ability to persevere to achieve and the courage to try new things.  These are all important life skills we want the children to learn and live out.

The education at Huntley is built on a firm Christian foundation and provides the children with the values, skills, opportunities and knowledge required for them to live successful, healthy, fulfilled lives in the future.  The curriculum comprises of all the planned activities which promote learning and personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also any other activity, for example, extra-curricular clubs, Forest schools and other opportunities to enrich their learning experience. 

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH IF YOU REQUIRE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT OUR CURRICULUM. admin@huntley.gloucs.sch.uk or head @huntley.gloucs.sch.uk  

Link to the National Curriculum Overview for Years 1-6

We are immensely proud to have received this letter from Damian Hinds, Minister for Schools in January 2024.

The following documents show our school’s Intent for each subject and an accompanying progression map of skills. 

In addition, we have 12 core values which permeate throughout our school life. Staff have high behavioural expectations and act as positive role models for the children. We are passionate about developing our children’s ‘transferable’ life skills such as verbal communication and team work, as well as ‘subject specific’ skills to ensure that they are prepared for the future and have the skills needed for continued learning. 

EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE 

There are seven areas of learning and development. All areas of learning and development are important and interconnected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive.

The three prime areas are:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development

Additionally, there are four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied.

The specific areas are:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world; and expressive arts and design.

Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum 

WHOLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENT

This is really seen as a VITAL part of school life and compliments and expands the taught curriculum. The curriculum is enhanced by using visits and speakers whenever possible. We aim that each class should have at least one of these enhanced opportunities each half-term.

Forest School
We are very proud of our Forest School program and are very lucky to be in such a beautiful setting. Each term all children have a Forest School afternoon in their year groups. The children carry out all sorts of activities such as blackberry smoothie making, gardening, forest walks and den building. For more information please visit our Forest School page and Photo Gallery.

School trips
These are usually topic dependent, although we do take advantage of many opportunities offered to our children. In addition to class or whole school trips, every year there is the opportunity for the children to enjoy some form of theatre experience, either a pantomime or theatre performance.

Topic Days
Some aspects of the curriculum are delivered through topic weeks or days. The timetable is suspended and activities are focused on a key theme. This may be related to any curriculum area, special festival or event.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

The school offers a variety of clubs for children to participate in during and after school. These include football, netball, cricket, choir, drama and science clubs. In addition, a peripatetic music teacher delivers guitar lessons during school.

Other opportunities
There are opportunities for the children to take responsibilities within their class and the whole school. In year six, children have monitor roles around school, there are nominated house captains and they become Buddies’ supporting the new reception children. In Key Stage 2 children can be also elected onto the School Council

In years 5 and 6, the children carry out ‘peer mediation’ training and have the opportunity to become ‘Argue Busters’ They are a point of contact in the playground and help solve minor disputes. 

We have regular ‘Experience’ events in the neighbouring church, organised by the church community. These events involve the children looking at key Christian events and exploring the values associated with them through a range of practical activities.