Curriculum
At St. Michael's, we follow the National Curriculum and teach all the different subjects in it.
Whenever we can, we try to make links between subjects so that learning becomes more meaningful for the children. We like to call this our 'Connected Curriculum'. It is not a truly cross-curricular approach nor is it a completely separate subject approach.
Wherever possible, we try to link learning to local issues, current affairs and our school values. We believe that children benefit greatly from the skills and disciplines involved in performing arts so our curriculum ensures that there is plenty of time for these as well. Regular trips out, whether using local amenities or further afield feature in every year group’s curriculum.
An example of a connected curriculum study could be: a class studying WW2 might: re-enact being evacuated and then, in their English lessons write about their experiences, in History they might look at the way male and female roles changed and how society has changed as a result. They might, as the picture shows, invite a local 95 year old ex-land girl to talk about her experiences as a land girl (History) and take advice from her about as to the where and how to plant potatoes so that they get exactly the right conditions to thrive (Science). In preparing for her visit, they might learn how to shake hands, speak clearly and show interest in somebody else by asking open-ended questions (Personal Development).
We may also take advantage of the opportunities with the wealth of knowledge of our staff! For example, Mrs Ahmed kindly visits classes to speak about her faith and beliefs, Mr Papakyriakou is a keen musician and Mr Floyd, as a scout leader, knows an impressive amount about survival and adventurous activities.
For further details about various subjects connect together, please click on the 'Curriculum Maps' tab to the left.
For further details about what is taught in each subject across the years, please click on one of the subject tabs to the left.