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A THEMATIC APPROACH TO THE CURRICULUM

At CEJS we firmly believe that the well being of the child should be placed at the heart of our curriculum. We not only value the extension of pupil’s knowledge, skills and understanding across the curriculum, but also the development of children’s personal attributes. For this reason, as from September 2010, we have developed a thematic approach to learning.

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What is a ‘thematic approach’ and how will it benefit my child’s learning?

Throughout the academic year, the six SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) themes provide building blocks on which our curriculum is built. These themes allow genuine and natural connections to be made between subjects.

There has been a move away from all subjects being taught in separate slots in a weekly timetable, to one where some subjects will be linked together within a half term theme. All subjects continue to be taught, but natural and meaningful links are made where possible with opportunities being provided to develop stimulating, challenging and rich learning experiences. This deepens children’s understanding by providing opportunities to enhance their learning:

It mirrors the way we learn ‘naturally’, outside school – our learning environment is often holistic, for example, going shopping might involve Literacy, Maths and Geography.
It supports children in using higher order thinking skills such as reasoning and problem solving.
It provides opportunities for practising skills – so, skills taught in one curriculum area (e.g. skimming, scanning and analyzing information in Literacy) can be purposefully developed in other areas such as History or Science.
It helps children retain their learning through the repetition of information, actions and skills in different contexts.
It makes learning enjoyable – cross-curricular learning often feels more meaningful and more fun, so motivation and engagement can be enhanced.

During each half term, there is also an ‘ Innovation Week’ - a one off event that will bring together a year group or the whole school to collaborate in learning These one off events enable the children to consolidate and apply the skills they have developed in a new context. Schools adopting this approach have found it to be highly motivating and effective in building learners’ self-confidence and self-esteem.

Why develop a thematic approach?

A thematic approach enables us to cover the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum in a holistic manner; developing pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding while motivating them to learn through stimulating topics. P upils are actively engaged in their learning, making learning a more relevant, enjoyable and motivational experience.

At CEJS, we believe a stimulating and effective curriculum lays an important foundation for a successful education. Pupils who enjoy what and how they are learning are likely to become active, responsible and eager learners. We believe the use of themes helps to develop an exciting curriculum in CEJS; one that will build on the philosophies of the Foundation Phase, develop pupils' learning skills and foster an enthusiasm for learning in all pupils.

If you wish to receive further information, or if you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in contact with school.