At Gastrells Primary School we believe in a ‘Flying Start to a Life of Learning’. We teach the skills, knowledge and values that children need to handle the complexity and diversity of today’s world. As the children grow, we expect that they will gain respect for themselves, for each other and for the world in which we live. We believe in fostering an environment where every child can genuinely “have a flying start to a life of learning”. We provide enriching opportunities and experiences that set the foundation for lifelong learning and success.
Our ethos is built around the core values of P.R.I.D.E.
- Positivity: We approach every day with a positive mindset, encouraging children to embrace challenges and celebrate their successes.
- Respect: We show respect for ourselves, others, and our environment, creating a safe and supportive community for all.
- Inclusivity: We welcome and value diversity, ensuring that everyone feels a sense of belonging and has equal opportunities to succeed.
- Determination and Challenge: We are committed to helping students develop resilience and a growth mindset, empowering them to overcome obstacles and reach their full potential.
- Excellence: We strive for excellence in all aspects of school life, from academic achievements to personal development, inspiring students to aim high and achieve their best.
These values underpin all aspects of our curriculum, both academic and social and emotional. They create a strong learning environment that enhances academic achievement and develops students’ social and relationship skills that last throughout their lives.
Events and Experiences
We think these are fundamental to learning and pride ourselves on the range of memorable academic, social, cultural and sporting experiences and opportunities children will experience within and beyond our school grounds. These drive the design of our curriculum and inspire all our children to succeed in reflecting our values of Positivity, Respect, Inclusivity, Determination and Excellence. Learning beyond the classroom also provides the chance to build social confidence so important to their future lives, through collective celebration, public speaking and experiencing winning and losing.
Our school is located in a unique setting which gives us the opportunity for extensive outdoor learning exploring both the natural and historic built environment.
In each subject area and class yearly plan you will be able to find out how these experiences underpin our curriculum and bring learning to life.
In each subject you will find out:
- How we integrate our vision and values
- A snapshot intent summary of what a child can expect to see, do and experience within each subject
- The knowledge and skills pupils will be taught (the intent), what they need to remember (sticky knowledge) and what they will have learnt (the impact).
Learning Principles
RETRIEVAL PRACTICE
“Retrieval practice promotes the acquisition of knowledge that can be flexibly retrieved and transferred to different contexts”
(Henry L. Roediger, The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention, 2011)
In all subjects, pupils will be given the chance to practice short and long-term memory retrieval of what they have learnt. This will take different forms within the classroom.
PLAN – DO – REVIEW
When embarking on a creative process, pupils will also follow the “Plan-Do-Review” cycle. This provides children with a chance to plan, improve, exhibit/use and evaluate what they have done, whether a piece of writing, an art project or a scientific experiment. We believe in the importance of celebrating our achievements, for example through class assemblies, a class play every year, exhibitions and participating in national competitions.
gastrellsprimaryschool.co.uk 