The Wider Curriculum and Enrichment

At Coldfall Primary School, we believe in providing a broad and balanced PSHE (Personal, social, health and economic) curriculum for our pupils. This includes a comprehensive scheme of work related to relationships and health.

PSHE and RSE guidance for parents

Our aims:

• For children to develop a clear understanding of what is right and wrong – a moral compass – and be able to make good choices
• To develop good citizens
• To develop the whole person and see each other as human beings not just as learners, teachers, staff
• To develop considerate, reflective, open-minded children and staff
• To develop and enhance the sense of community, unity and whole school ethos
• To empower and develop the self-worth and confidence of each individual
• To enable deeper learning through raising awareness, reflection, discussion, and an ethical language

We have 33 values over a 3 year period – ie one value per month, excluding August, so the children will revisit the values twice in their time at Coldfall

Our 33 values are:

LOVE, FUN, FRIENDSHIP, KINDNESS, RESPECT, HONESTY, TEAMWORK, PEACE, TRUST, CREATIVITY, HARD WORK, COURTESY, EMPATHY, EXCELLENCE, FORGIVENESS, GENEROSITY, HUMILITY, LOYALTY, PATIENCE, POSITIVITY, RESILIENCE, THOUGHTFULNESS, COURAGE, FREEDOM, SELF BELIEF, EQUALITY, FAIRNESS, ENTHUSIASM, RESPONSIBILITY, PERSEVERANCE, CITIZENSHIP, WISDOM, THANKFULNESS

These values were chosen by the school community – consulting parents, staff and pupils.

Some key aspects of Values Education:

• Role of staff – staff act as role models for pupils, ‘what children see, children do!’ The relationships between staff and children are most significant. Having ‘smiling eyes’ and ‘unconditional positive regard’ for others, treating them with care and respect, trusting and valuing each other are essential. Staff also need to provide security through very clear and explicit high expectations and boundaries.
• Reflection – taking time to be still, to ‘pause to be’ is part of Values Education.  It leads to greater self-awareness, allows a few moments of calm to enable one to refocus and thereby build capacity to learn, and it increases creativity, self-control and self-confidence. It should become part of daily classroom and assembly practice.
• An ethical vocabulary – this creates consciousness and awareness, enables the values learning to be made explicit and enables better understanding of values. A shared language creates a trans-formative culture and lifts the community.

In July 2016 we were awarded our VbE Values Quality Mark.  The full report is HERE for you to read.

Watch this video of some of our lovely Year Threes discussing values here at Coldfall.

Pupils may also learn about government and law especially in Year 6. Visits to the Houses of Parliament and to local councillors have been arranged for pupils and MPs have been invited into school.

The school is aware of the need to be vigilant when it comes to any extremist attitudes or behaviour and appropriate actions will be taken accordingly. All staff are aware of the need to alert the Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body if they have any concerns of this nature.

Our overriding aim is to teach children to be resilient to extremism. This involves pupils being taught how to ask probing questions and make sound judgements for themselves about what is right and wrong. Our Global Curriculum enables pupils to learn that there are many differing views and experiences in the world outside of their own. Our Values Education and PHSE learning also promote the development of self-confidence, self-worth and a sense of identity. They allow pupils opportunities to reflect on and discuss different lifestyles and facets of identity, as well as being able to ask questions, to challenge inappropriate and harmful ideologies, and stand up for what they believe is right.

The principles of good teaching in which pupils reflect and question are the foundations on which we base successful building of resilience.

By participating in engaging, motivating and achievable tasks and activities in a woodland environment, each participant has an opportunity to develop intrinsic motivation and sound emotional and social skills. The Forest Schools Programme has demonstrated success with children of all ages who visit the same local woodlands on a regular basis and, through play, learn how to handle risks and most importantly to use their own initiative to solve problems and co-operate with others. Different groups will be going to the woods in all weathers (except for high winds) throughout the year. Children use full-sized tools, play, learn boundaries of behaviour, both physical and social, and grow in confidence and self-esteem.