OPEN DOORS CURRICULUM
(opening doors for all our children into better learning and a better life for all)
At Seven Stars we want to open doors for our children to provide them with the knowledge, understanding and skills for them to become successful learners who can aspire to a life of flourishing and be positive contributors to society.
Our intention is to ‘Open Doors’ for all our children with a knowledge-rich, engaging and sequenced curriculum.
Each subject in each year group will give access through these doors for all of our children as we deliver and continue to develop our ‘Open Doors’ approach. Our curriculum is being fully reviewed and developed over this year in the light of our Open Doors intent and we are excited about the journey we are taking all of our children on.
Our Open Doors Curriculum
Door 1
Key Skills
Provide a curriculum that embeds the essential knowledge and skills in Reading, Writing and Maths to succeed in life and contribute to the flourishing of themselves and those around them.
Why?
We believe that an effective curriculum for Reading, Writing, and Maths is a door for all pupils to enter into a more fulfilling and hopeful life where they can flourish and aspire to reach their full potential having a positive impact on the flourishing of those around them.
Door 2
The world
Provide a curriculum that enables all children to develop a growing knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the world (local and global; people and place).
Why?
We want our children to
- build a knowledge of and love for the world in which we live
- know about their local areas and the wider world. For our children to know where places are, when events took place and why they happened
- grow in an appreciation of and respect for other cultures, beliefs, customs, ways of life
- understand the responsibility they share to care for the environment and consider ways in which to ensure the future flourishing of the planet for generations to come.
Door 3
Healthy Lives
Provide a curriculum that enables our children to be strong, fit and active.
To participate in sport and enjoy all it has to offer. To learn, through sport, how to win graciously, lose with courage and never give up. We want our children to be healthy; to have a healthy image of themselves as individuals, for our children to recognise the uniqueness of every individual.
Why?
Our children face many challenges in life including adverse childhood experiences. We want them to be:
- healthy in body knowing the habits and practices that help them stay fit and strong including:
- regular exercise (be active)
- rest
- good nutrition
- where to go for support
- positive respectful relationships
- healthy in mind knowing the key strategies that will help them stay mentally strong including how to:
- recognise and manage stress and anxiety in themselves and others
- apply growth mind-set principles
- improve emotional literacy and vocabulary so they can express their feelings
- develop and maintain a good self-image in the face of social media, peer pressure and negative influences (and contribute to the good self-image of others)
- healthy finances securing a future that they can flourish in and give to others with an aspiration for careers and prepared to make a positive contribution to society
- healthy in their relationships knowing how to:
- connect meaningfully (valuing, talking and listening to those around you and in particular with friends and with those who are family to you)
- participate in acts of kindness and giving in social and community life
- resolve conflicts and overcome challenging relational breakdowns to find resolutions knowing how to compromise and embed values of empathy, respect, kindness and tolerance
- develop relationships in which you respect yourself, respect others and are respected by others
Door 4
Creativity
For our children to enjoy a strong practical creative curriculum
A curriculum where children will anticipate problems, imagine solutions, evaluate, adjust and problem solve as they go.
To develop the children’s skills and imagination within music, art and other means of expression so that we open the door to the world of possibilities that creativity and creative responses can offer children both now and later in their lives.
Why?
We want our children to:
acquire and develop a range of practical skills in an increasingly technological society.
Experience a strong practical rounded and balanced education that allowing all children an opportunity to shine in as many ways as possible.
- innovate and problem solve in as many ways as possible learning independence of thought and freedom to explore alternative ways of looking at and mastering challenges.
- apply knowledge creatively in real life contexts
- embrace the creative heritage of our local area and have the opportunities to create, grow and bring innovation to the community
- Experience and share the therapeutic and social benefits of artistic expression in all its forms
- Appreciate the beauty, impact, power and influence of current and historic artists, musicians, poets, dancers, sculptors, actors, designers and all those in the creative industries bringing joy to others and having the ability through art to shape ideas and contribute to society in a positive way
Door 5
Communication and Language
Provide a curriculum that gives all pupils the opportunity to develop their communication and language skills acquiring rich, varied and essential vocabulary alongside increasingly sophisticated and mature ways of engaging socially in conversation, presentation and writing appropriate to the audience and context.
Why?
We want our children to:
- Acquire a wealth of words and phrases that will help them interact purposefully and positively with their world and support them in accessing knowledge and understanding at the highest possible level in all subjects (reducing the word gap that many of our children struggle with on entry to school)
- Understand how to express themselves socially to resolve conflicts and make themselves understood to others
- Appreciate the joy of language and understand how it can influence, persuade, heal and sooth and is the key to finding solutions to the toughest of challenges
- Be full participants and contributors to society and to see that language and communication skills enable them to make a positive difference to those around them and helps them to achieve their aspirations (e.g. interviews, applications, speeches, debate and all other means of social engagement)