Welcome to Belle Vale Community Primary School. We are a friendly, ambitious, and inclusive school where children come first. We are striving to achieve the highest possible standards in all aspects of learning in a supportive environment where all are inspired to be their best.
The new curriculum at Belle Vale has been developed and updated for compliance with the statutory National Curriculum in September 2014.
The long term aim is to have an inclusive and stimulating curriculum that has been personalized to:
- Encourage a positive attitude to learn
- Develop confident learners and promote self-esteem
- Provide a variety of enriched experiences
- Develop language and subject-specific vocabulary
- Encourage the children to make connections in their learning
- Explore differences in other cultures and communities
- Achieve potential in all areas of the curriculum
- Prepare for the next stage of education
This will be achieved through a breadth of enjoyable, progressive, and high-quality learning experiences. English and Maths lessons are taught every day and pupils are provided with opportunities to develop and practice reading, writing, maths, and ICT skills in a purposeful context across all subjects.
At Belle Vale, the Early Years department is made up of Pre-School, Nursery, and Reception classes. We have a dedicated team of experienced and caring adults who work very hard to ensure that all children get the very best start to their education- academically, personally, and socially.
In the Early Years, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage framework (EYFS). This curriculum is based upon four themes and principles.
Unique Child - Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.
Positive Relationships - Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.
Enabling Environments - Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents, and carers.
Learning and Development - Children develop and learn in different ways. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.
There are 3 prime areas and 4 specific areas of learning in the Foundation Stage framework curriculum:
- Personal, Social, and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Physical Development
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
In the Prime Areas, children will learn to share, take turns and develop respect for each other. Make friends and become confident independent learners. Behave appropriately when playing with others. Listen to others and understand spoken language. Learn new words rapidly and use them in conversations. Join in conversations with adults and children. Develop control of their bodies using both large-scale movements such as running and jumping and small-scale movements such as holding pencils and using scissors.
In the Specific Areas, children will enjoy sharing books and stories with adults and friends. Read words and simple sentences (Reception children) Draw, make marks, and write letters and words. Count accurately groups of objects and recognize numerals. Add, subtract and problem solves during practical activities. Use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, distance, time, and money. Look closely at how things work, why things happen, living things, and the natural world. Use ICT equipment, e.g. programmable toys and computers. Be imaginative, sing songs, dance, and create fantastic models, drawings, and paintings.
Forest School is an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning in a woodland environment.
The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences over an extended period. The main goals in primary age children include encouraging curiosity and exploration with all senses, empowering children in the natural environment, and encouraging spatial awareness and motor development.
At Belle Vale, we are committed to Inclusion. We aim to provide an environment that will not only support children academically but also with their behavior and emotional health. We work closely with parents and other agencies to ensure that our children can access all areas of the curriculum.
There may be times when children need additional support to enable them to fully access their learning and we offer a range of support and intervention to ensure our children reach their full potential.
