SHINE Curriculum Information 

At Northway Infant School, our SHINE curriculum aims to provide a high-quality education for all our children, including the most vulnerable, that not only ensures that they are prepared with the knowledge and skills required for their future, but one that inspires them to want to get better and learn more through rich and varied learning opportunities that are exciting, stimulating and meaningful for them. By the time they leave us we want each and every child to have experienced success, have a love of learning, have knowledge, skills and problem solving skills that will help them as they move forwards in their learning and for life.   

At the foundation of all we do are positive values such as resilience, responsibility and compassion alongside the Fundamental British Values of democracy, law, liberty, respect and tolerance.  Accompanied by Personal, Social and Health Education, and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education, the children will develop the knowledge, skills and qualities they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepare them for their lives in modern Britain.

 The exploration of these in context, and what this means for us will facilitate a safe, secure and welcoming learning environment where positive attitudes to gender, equality, cultural diversity and individual needs are valued and celebrated. It will help our children learn about the choices they will make and what will happen when they make them, developing sensitivity and teaching the children to be responsible and take responsibility.

Through our SHINE curriculum we also want to support our children’s understanding of being safe, being happy, developing independence, never giving up and excelling to be the best they can be.

We actively promote physical development and responsibility for their own well-being and health, and enable them to be active.  We want them to respectful of themselves, others and the world in which they are living. It will help them discover who they are, build self-esteem and the confidence they need to explore, take risks and follow their own lines of enquiry; key ingredients for thriving, problem solving and a vital skill for life-long learning.

We recognise and promote the key importance of basic key skills such as communication, reading, phonics, writing and maths and that these form the foundation for achieving progress in all subject areas and improve skills that can lead to success. These are a central part of our SHINE curriculum and embedded in all aspects of learning, both indoors and outdoors.

We provide ample opportunities across the National Curriculum and wider school curriculum for children to transfer these skills and apply them in realistic and meaningful ways, becoming more fluent and confident in their use. Through a wide range of opportunities they will develop an understanding of new and some unfamiliar scenarios and develop the skills and knowledge to adapt and respond from a position of strength.

Our children will be exposed to learning opportunities of the highest quality, learn through a broad range of topics where they will ask and answer questions and develop curiosity building on previous learning where they are given the right balance of challenge and support tailored to their individual needs. They will be given opportunities to apply their learning in meaningful problems solving and reasoning.  

By the time they leave Northway Infant School they will have an individual toolkit of knowledge, skills, understanding and strategies with sufficient cultural experiences which will help prepare them for the next phase of the learning. We hope that they will confidently carry this with them and be able to use this to continue to learn and grow independently and responsibly so that they may continue lifelong learning. One where they can choose and use what they need in context appropriately and with resilience, being able to pick themselves up when they face an obstacle.

Queries regarding our curriculum can be directed to Curriculum Lead Mrs Morley. Email: head@northway.gloucs.sch.uk

 The National Curriculum

 Pease click on individual subjects to find out more

We deliver programmes of study that meet the National Curriculum requirements issued by the DfE or the EYFS Curriculum framework depending on their current year group. 

English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Design and Technology, Art, Music, Physical Education (PE), Computing, and Religious Education;

The teaching of Religious Education is statutory in all schools. It is taught as a subject outside the National Curriculum but following the Gloucestershire Agreed Syllabus 2017.

The school also provides a programme of Core Values, SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural) education, PSHE (personal,  social and health education) using Jigsaw from September 2020.  

https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum/overview

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2

To ensure coverage of these programmes, staff at Northway Infant School have devised planning based upon themes to give the children’s learning context and relevance. We try to start each theme with what we describe as a hook which is designed to drawn them in and engage their interest and enthusiasm. 

We believe this approach ensures balance, continuity and progression throughout the school. A variety of teaching methods are used in school, this means children can be taught as a whole class, in small groups or individually depending upon the activity.

Each year group cover between 3-6  topics per year with between two or three focus curriculum areas. All curriculum areas will be covered over the academic year. Each focus curriculum area has knowledge, key skills and understanding to be taught and these progress throughout the school. These are used to inform planning, assess and track progress.

Helping SEND pupils to SHINE    

At Northway Infant School we believe that all pupils should have the support they need to SHINE. Some children with Special Educational needs and Disabilities might need additional scaffolding or curriculum adaptations in order to be the best that they can be. The documents below will give you a flavour of how learning might be adapted to ensure that it is inclusive and can be accessed by all.