The Bispham DRIVE Curriculum – A Journey and a Destination
Key Principles
Our curriculum is based around the experiences of Bispham children to give them DRIVE as it will:
- Instil motivation and enthusiasm for learning
- Take them on a journey that, by the end of year 6, will have prepared them for their next steps in life and education
Children at our school understand how DRIVE will help them in their role as a future global citizen. They will see themselves as:
Determined to make themselves and the world around them a better place
Resilient in dealing with setbacks
Innovative, creative and original in their thinking
Valuing and understanding of the cultures and beliefs of others
Empathetic, actively understanding people, their issues and how to influence change
The curriculum at Bispham Drive Junior School is based on the National Curriculum and is structured so that learning progresses across the school. It provides a solid grounding in all subjects and continues, as has always been the school’s ethos, to ensure that all children participate in a broad curriculum from years 3 – 6. It gives children the knowledge they need to achieve and the skills (resilience, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and flexibility to name but a few) to make the most of the ever evolving innovations and challenges they will encounter as they grow to adulthood.
As our children represent the global citizens of the future we look to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to support what we teach.
Planning and teaching takes into account key pedagogical research such as the pedagogy of poverty, working memory and the notion of ‘botheredness’. The intent is to ensure that continuing curriculum development in school enables all pupils to access learning and inspires them to extend their learning, independently, both in school and at home.
Organisation and Experience
The curriculum contains 3 topics per year group, which as the children progress through school will cover all key learning whilst simultaneously developing DRIVE in our pupils.
| Autumn | Spring | Summer | |
| Year 3 | Blue Planet | Walk like an Egyptian | Effervescent Earth |
| Year 4 | Ancient Greece | Viva España | Romans |
| Year 5 | Anglo Saxons & Vikings | Ay Up Me Duck | Space |
| Year 6 | World War II | Ad Esse Optimum | Marvellous Maya |
Further details of each topic can be found on the curriculum maps for each year group and subject
We provide opportunities to inspire and extend learning through a variety of in and out of school visits, visitors and residentials. A wide range of activities both celebrate children’s skills and expose them to new experiences, such as Philosophy (P4C)and Mandarin. To build confidence, all children are given the opportunity to participate in performances each year. Pupils try out a wide range of sports to maximise their engagement with physical activities and to promote long term health. During their time in school children visit a range of religious and cultural centres to help them value the cultures and beliefs of others. They participate in both democratic and enterprise activities to gain experience of what it means to be an active and positive citizen.
We are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of the children as they seek to make sense of the multimedia, fast changing world in which they are growing up. We use P4C and PSHE work based on the new statutory expectations and continue to expand our work on emotional literacy using ‘Feeling of the Week’ assemblies, to ensure children are well equipped to discuss how they feel and know that this is a healthy thing to do.
In this way we will ensure that children leave us well equipped academically to make the most of the next stage of their education. Further, we give them transferable skills such as debate and discussion, creative thinking and problem resolution, to enable them to adapt and make the most of opportunities that will be presented to them as the global citizens of the future.
At Bispham we give the children DRIVE – A journey as well as a destination
