Curriculum

At Flora Gardens, we have combined the content of the DfE curriculum into an individualised values-led, creatively integrated approach for each year group. Our 6 values of Trust, Fulfilment, Respect, Personal Wellbeing, Choosing your Attitude and Adventure lead each creative topic whilst ensuring that all statutory content is covered for depth and engagement. Underlying all topics are the fundamental British values of Democracy, the Rule of Law, Respecting Others and Individual Liberty.

Each values-based curriculum starts with a ‘hook’ to engage the children and excite them in their new topic. Some examples of these hooks are:

  • A fairy visit in Year 1.
  • A letter from the King inviting Year 2 to the Tower of London.
  • Adopting an Orang-utan in Year 2.
  • A ’mummy’ visiting the Year 4 classroom in the middle of the night and leaving clues.
  • A visitor to Year 5 from the Thames Waterworks project asking the children to research how best to save water.
  • A visit from the author/illustrator William Grill where he taught the children the painting techniques he used in his book-‘Shackleton’s Journey’ which was Year 6’s class text.

The following half term is then focused on that topic integrating Foundation Subjects, where possible, through a meaningful, creative approach. Discrete Foundation Subjects are also taught alongside the thematic approach, ensuring the key knowledge and skills of each subject are not diluted or ‘pigeon-holed’ into these half termly topics. 

Each learning opportunity has the 6 values at the heart of it, with a focus value each half term across the school. This ensures that the children have opportunities to extend these values and build on their skills and personal development within them. Additionally, each class has high quality English texts every half term that underpin Reading and Writing

During the half term, each class has the opportunity to extend their learning outside of the classroom and expand their cultural capital, with an educational visit or workshop. Such visits have included:

  • Year 1’s trip to Fulham Palace Toy Exhibition as part of the Toys and Games topic.
  • Year 2’s visit to St Paul’s Cathedral as part of the ‘Fire! Fire!’ topic.
  • Year 3’s trip to the British Museum to look at Stone Age and Iron Age artefacts.
  • Year 4’s trip to Barnes Wetland Centre to look at local animals habitats.
  • Year 5’s to Sky Studios to create their own news reports.
  • Year 6’s visit to London Zoo to further develop their living things, Scientific learning.

Culminating events are also an integral part of our curriculum as an opportunity for children to share their learning with parents and to communicate with a purpose e.g. having an audience.  Some such events that close each values-led topic have included:

  • Year 2’s Art Exhibition that encouraged parents to get creative too
  • Year 3’s ‘McFlora Café’ that sold healthy options
  • Year 5’s Victorian-themed performance to parents from a workhouse.
  • Year 6’s Enterprise Fayre where they were responsible for the budgeting and innovation of products and profit.

We aim for each child to leave Flora Gardens Primary School with the experiences, skills, knowledge and personal achievements that make a holistic learner. Academic results matter, but equally so do the attributes and qualities that make each child an individual; and our personalised curriculum develops all of these in unison.

 

If you have any questions about our curriculum, please speak to Mr Carter or Miss Horne, Assistant Heads.