A good education is the springboard for lifelong learning and an understanding and appreciation of others. It also facilitates the development of skills and knowledge that allows young adults to cope with whatever life throws at them. We recognise that learning is not just confined to the classroom; learning can occur anywhere! What is important for learning to occur is the resources, experiences and people that make it happen. Remember not everything we learn can be recorded in copy books or expressed as a grade.
In all of our primary schools we interleave the development of a child’s cultural capital at the heart of our bespoke thematic curriculum. Cultural capital can be defined as the accumulation of essential knowledge needed to be educated citizens to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement. It is through this understanding that we have developed a non-negotiable list of experiences to empower pupils’ learning and deepen their knowledge of both curriculum and non-curriculum content. In short, the development of additional experiences for our pupils will strengthen the fabric of their learning and allow them to navigate through school with a deepened sense of security and happiness.
Each primary school in our Trust has carefully selected the experiences that will be contextually important to the children in their care. These chosen experiences and activities have been incorporated into our curriculum to enrich learning and enhance the children’s understanding of the world that we live in. Below is a small selection of activities that pupils across all of our schools will encounter.
EYFS
- Make a trail for others to follow
- Make a daisy chain
- Make a mud pie
- Visit a farm
- Build something as part of a team
- Hunt for bugs
- Bring up a butterfly
- Look after a live animal
- Be visited by Birds of Prey/Owls
KS1
- Fly a kite
- Make a home for a wild animal
- Have a picnic in the park
- Find their way with a map and compass
- Go bird watching
- Adopt a grandparent
- Cook and share a meal
- Perform on a stage
- Hold a scary beast
Lower KS2
- Visit a local sporting event
- Watch the sunrise and sunset
- Become a chocolatier
- Learn to play a musical instrument
- Camp out
- Go pond dipping/rock pooling
- Plant it, grow it, eat it
- Hunt for fossils and bones
- Try rock climbing
- Jump over the waves
Upper KS2
- See a live performance
- Join and visit the library
- Go star gazing
- See a person in their place of work
- Travel on a range of different transport
- Learn to swim
- Dissect a heart
Year 6
- Visit the Houses of Parliament
- Visit the theatre
- Make and sell a product
- Go bowling
At some point during their time at De Lacy they will also:
- Record a CD
- Watch an artist at work
- Work with an artist
- Learn sign language
- Communicate with children in a different language
- Perform on a stage
- Take part in time travel (Visit a historical location/museum)
- Visit different places of worship
- Meet an author
- Visit a local restaurant
- Visit the cinema
Young people need to be able to experience learning in multiple contexts, locations and formats – this is how resilience and creativity are nurtured.