At Bishop Ridley we believe that children deserve a balanced curriculum, rich in knowledge, skills and meaningful experience. Cornerstones help us to achieve this by providing our school with the necessary materials and resources we need to build a curriculum with significant impact.
The Cornerstones Curriculum is a creative and thematic approach to learning that is mapped to the 2014 Primary National Curriculum to ensure comprehensive coverage of national expectations. It’s delivered through Imaginative Learning Projects (ILPs) which provide a rich menu of exciting and motivating learning activities to make creative links between all aspects of our children’s learning.
We strongly believe that children learn better when they are encouraged to use their imagination and apply their learning challenges throughout the academic year that will require them to solve problems, apply themselves creatively and express their knowledge and understanding effectively across curriculum. Cornerstones also provide a rigorous skills framework that outlines the end of year expectations in all subjects.
What do the Four Cornerstones look like?
During the Engage stage children will :
• have memorable first-hand experiences - for example going on a visit outside the classroom or inviting a specialist visitor into the classroom
• have WOW experiences - Investigate and Discover
• be introduced in exciting ways to the new topic or theme
• begin initial research and set enquiry questions
• have lots of opportunity to make observations
• develop spoken language skills
• take part in sensory activities
• have a great deal of fun, allowing them to fully 'engage' with their new topic.
During the Develop stage children will :
• dig much deeper to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of a topic across the curriculum
• practise their newfound skills
• compose, make, do, build, investigate, explore, write for different purposes, read across the curriculum
• research their own questions and those posed by others
• follow new pathways of enquiry based on their own interests
• complete homework activities that support their learning in school.
During the Innovate stage children will :
• apply previous skills, knowledge and understanding in real life contexts
• be challenged with real or imagined problems and situations to solve using knowledge and skills from the earlier stages
• be inspired with imaginative and creative opportunities
• have time to re-visit skills, knowledge and understanding not grasped during the develop stage
• have the opportunity to take on different roles.
During the Express stage children will :-
• become the performers, the experts, the informers
• share their achievements with others in many different ways (parents, class mates and the community)
• evaluate finished products/processes
• tie learning back to the beginning
• celebrate.
At Bishop Ridley Primary school, we strive to educate the ‘whole child’. We wish to provide them with an education that not only equips them with the skills to achieve academically but one that provides them with developments in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural beliefs. Through ensuring our pupils’ SMSC development, we can also demonstrate we are promoting fundamental British values. At Bishop Ridley, we establish a strong school ethos supported by effective relationships throughout the school, and provide a range of activities beyond the classroom to ensure we provide opportunities to develop pupils’ SMSC development. We actively encourage our pupils to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance. At Bishop Ridley, we strive to promote an understanding amongst our pupils that they understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.
At Bishop Ridley, we ensure that the Cornerstones Curriculum is taught by all staff at our school. We work hard to ensure that our Topic-based Curriculum is taught in an engaging and comprehensive way. Please click on the individual class areas to see what the children will be learning in each year group throughout the year. For further information on the curriculum content for your child, please speak to your child's class teacher or make an appointment with our office to speak to Mrs Gorin who is our Curriculum Leader.
Anna Gorin
Curriculum Leader