Page 19 - Thorns Primary Prospectus 2017

Our definition of outstanding teaching
Passionate and inspirational teaching challenges all pupils to achieve high levels of progress
through the setting of high expectations and flexibly adapting in depth subject knowledge to
each pupil’s learning

“Pupils are taught about diversity, other cultures and religions and are being well
prepared for life in modern Britain” - Ofsted report March 2017

The Thorns Primary School Curriculum Philosophy

The fundamental aim of any curriculum is to help children learn. What sets our curriculum

apart is that it’s based on our four-stage philosophy: Engage, Develop, Innovate, Express.
Bring lessons to life

We believe that successful curriculums are built on inspirational learning activities and high-
quality teaching. It’s about creating a classroom environment that allows children to learn in

a way that motivates and interest them.

As teachers ourselves, we know that can be easier said than done. It’s also why our
curriculum is designed to give teachers the chance to plan and structure lessons around their

children.

Four-stage philosophy
Our curriculum features more than 42 Imaginative Learning Projects. Each project is split into

sections, which see children progress through four stages of learning: Engage, Develop,
Innovate, Express.

Engage
At the ‘Engage’ stage, children:

• gain memorable first-hand experiences, such as going on a visit or inviting a special visitor

into school
• enjoy ‘WOW’ experiences

• get an exciting introduction to a topic or theme
• begin researching and setting enquiry questions

• get lots of opportunities to make observations

• develop spoken language skills
• take part in sensory activities

• have lots of fun to fully 'engage' with their new topic.
Develop

At the ‘Develop’ stage, children:

• improve their knowledge and understanding of the topic
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