At Eaton Park Academy, providing pupils with stimulating and wide-ranging learning experiences across all subject areas is at the heart of our aims. Our curriculum places great importance on the development of the whole child, supported by our purpose statement:
‘Carving pathways to success for all regardless of social and academic background’
Underpinned by the objectives of the National Curriculum, all pupils are provided with a broad and ambitious curriculum in each subject that will enable them to know more, remember more and do more whilst developing a life-long love of learning and preparing them for life now and in the future. Objectives are mapped out in a progressive manner to ensure that knowledge and skills are developed and built upon as pupils move through the school, ensuring they are equipped and ready for the next stages in their learning journey. The needs of our curriculum are supported by the key drivers that are specific to the needs of our pupils and the community we serve; these are strengthened further by our core MASTER values, which are embedded into what we do on a daily basis and underpin our ethos.
Within our curriculum, the large majority of subjects are delivered on a weekly basis as discrete subjects although, where possible, relevant cross-curricular links will be made. Art and DT are delivered for one-half term during each term. All subjects have a bespoke curriculum written and adapted by leaders in the academy which have been mapped out to clearly allow knowledge and skills to build across outlined units of learning, with clear end points. Content, objectives and vocabulary are mapped out within long and medium term plans to ensure coherent coverage and progression. Recall opportunities are provided throughout each and every lesson to monitor and assess pupil knowledge and understanding as well as giving ample opportunity to embed key concepts. Within subjects, there are also highlighted recap weeks to revisit learning taught previously within a unit of learning.
Our curriculum provides opportunities within and outside of school, through extensive enrichment opportunities, to support our delivery of the curriculum, including a wide ranging extra-curricular activity offer during and after school hours to nurture and develop pupils’ talents, skills and interests.
A subject leader, who is skilled and passionate in the identified curriculum subject, leads each subject within our curriculum. Curriculum subjects have been well matched to leads areas of expertise and interest, meaning curriculum subjects are well led across the academy. We take a collaborative approach to subject leadership, ensuring there is equal importance and emphasis on each curriculum subject.
Each subject lead has a subject coach – a trusted college whose role is to offer support and appropriate challenge to ensure high standards of subject leadership. We also make best use of our collaboration with other Trust primaries through termly subject network meetings, enabling subject leaders to collaborate regularly, sharing and supporting best practice.
All subject leaders have been central to the design of our curriculum and the design of individual subjects, playing a key role in identifying and designing the content, progression and coverage of their subject. They carefully organise the curriculum to ensure children have opportunities to revisit, practise and repeat learning, which is essential to deep learning by monitoring key progression and skills.
Our ambitious curriculum is implemented through high quality teaching and learning for all, well-equipped and skilful staff with secure subject knowledge, successful subject leadership and clear rationale.
We implement a curriculum which is pupil learning aligned and staff learning aligned; we ensure our curriculum is implemented high effectively because our staff receive quality continued professional development at whole school level, phase level and individual level to ensure they are equipped to expertly implement our curriculum.
Our curriculum is progressive throughout the whole school, so year on year pupils are developing and deepening their knowledge and skills across all curriculum subjects, making relevant interrelated connections across units of learning and having opportunity to recall and revisit previous learning concepts.
A consistent lesson structure in subjects incorporate the following stages to ensure consistency, learning for all and to deepen knowledge and skills:
Lessons are adapted by teachers to the learning needs and requirements of all of their pupils to ensure that they are all able to access and maximise their learning within each individual lesson.2
Retrieval practice, blocked practice and interleaved learning are all prominent features within our curriculum implementation to support our children’s understanding and their ability to know more and remember more.
Where appropriate, enrichment opportunities are provided to further supplement and enhance delivery through additional memorable learning experiences beyond the realms of everyday classroom teaching.
Music and PE are delivered by high-quality specialists while additional opportunities to work with secondary subjects specialists with the Alpha Academies Trust are available throughout the academic year. In addition, our curriculum is well-resourced in terms of learning materials, technology, books, physical apparatus, learning spaces and texts.
Through our curriculum, we are achieving our overarching purpose statement: pupils who secure and experience success regardless their social and academic background and pupils who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, character and experiences to support the next stages in their education and personal development. This is reflected in our outcomes at the end of each phase, with the large majority of pupils meeting and exceeding National expectations. It is also reflected in our pupils’ personal development, through their character.
Reading for Pleasure
At Eaton Park, we aim to foster a life-long love for reading! We value the importance of reading and how this can impact children’s lives in the most positive ways. Each classroom houses an inspiring reading area with a range of exciting texts. Our weekly DEAR (Drop everything and read) and Book Club sessions offer a chance to explore these books and share our recommendations with our peers.
Each child from Nursery to Year 6 takes home a reading book for pleasure each week which is selected from their class reading areas.
Library
All Children have opportunities to visit the school Library throughout the week. Library sessions operate during playtimes with our class Librarians leading the way and supporting children in selecting books. The Librarians meet regularly with the reading leader to discuss reading for pleasure and how this can be improved further across the academy. Furthermore, Eaton Park collaborates with the local library and invites them in to speak to both children and parents as well as our trips included within the Character Development programme. The sessions begin as early as Nursery where reading for enjoyment is promoted through the use of the library and the many events that it runs. An initiative that is welcomed by children from the EYFS is the ‘Little Library Van’ that pays the children an annual visit to encourage positive reading habits; and again parents are invited to share this experience also. As an academy, we are always involved in the ‘Summer Reading Challenge’ – library staff come into school to encourage children to read over the summer, and we celebrate this at the start of the new academic year. At different points throughout the year, we are invited to attend a variety of workshops which are both reading and writing based; an example being a fantasy writing workshop led by an author.
Home Reading and the Bookworm:
Home reading
At Eaton Park, we set ambitious reading expectations at home as well as in school. It is the expectation, as part of our homework policy, that the children read at least four times per week (this includes the use of Bug Club online). Children are also encouraged to read their book for pleasure at home. Reading diaries are an important part of the school day – teaching staff (with the help of class librarians) regularly check consistency of reading at home and liaise with parents/carers as necessary.
Home reading books in Reception and KS1 are in line with the Little Wandle phonics scheme and the books are closely matched to the children’s ongoing phonics ability. Most children from Year 3 to Year 6 follow the Bug Club reading book scheme and are assigned books in line with their reading ability to promote fluency.
Book Worm
Book worm is an aspirational challenge that we set the children involving home reading. To promote consistent, positive attitudes towards reading for pleasure and to help children develop the habit of reading widely and often, we encourage our children to read 5 times per week. The children who read 5 times per week consistently over a half term all receive a prize. All children are then entered into a prize draw which is drawn by staff for each class – winners get to receive a golden coin to spend at the vending machine where they choose their own book to take home and keep!
As part of our enrichment offer here at Eaton Park and across Alpha Academies Trust, every year band will have at least nine amazing experiences across the year, which will link to their learning and provide experiences to enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. This programme has been carefully selected by staff to ensure that children get the very best from their learning, and each experience will be planned in for Autumn, Spring or Summer term, depending on when it is most appropriate. We are fortunate enough that The Trust have ensured that no child will miss out on any enrichment experience by donating £100 per child towards this programme.
As well as their experiences across the year, the children will have the opportunity to join in with ‘Alpha Days’ in various activities with other schools from The Trust, which may be focused around storytelling, teambuilding or survival skills to name just a few!
Please see on the link below our Enrichment Programme for 2023/24 along with the brochures for each year band to outline their experiences.
The Learning and Teaching of Safeguarding and Personal Safety
At Eaton Park Academy, we actively teach the children about safeguarding and personal safety. This takes many different forms, for example:
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception), we teach the children such this as personal hygiene, how to be safe in the sun and near water. We also work continually with the children to ensure that equipment they have access to is used carefully and safely.
Throughout Year 1, the children are taught such things as being safe when crossing roads, we develop their awareness of ‘stranger danger’, how to be safe when near and in the sea, safety in the community and safety in the home.
In Year 2, we work with the children to develop their understanding of such things as online safety, the safety requirements when going on school trips. They also develop children’s understanding of the ‘Underwear Rule’. The road safety officer also comes into school to work with the children and talk about wearing a seatbelt when travelling.
During Year 3, the children are taught about safeguarding and safety through such things as fire safety, basic first aid and when, why and how they would call 999. They are also taught about how to talk to different people, safety in the playground and about managing risks in the environment. They also engage in road safety tasks including a road safety walk and assessment with a road safety officer.
Year 4 spend time during the year learning about such things as friendships, peer pressure and online bullying. Along with this, they develop their understanding of road safety and how to be safe when taking the bus as well as learning about having healthy minds and mental health. The children also start to engage with Bikeability.
As part of their learning in Year 5, the children learn about personal safety and safeguarding through such things as making positive choices and the impact of not making the right choices as you get older. They also spend time thinking about the effects of peer pressure, online safety particularly linked to mobile safety and safe travel on public transport.
Throughout Year 6, the children learn such things as the impact of air pollution on themselves and the environment, how to be safe on a beach and more complex road safety. They learn about relationships and how to be safe, along with gangs and gang culture and how this can impact on their safety. Time is spent preparing the children for secondary school and how to be safe whilst there as well as safe travel. The children also attend a safety workshop called Crucial Crew at the local fire station.
The above descriptions for each year group are by no means exhaustive and the curriculum builds year on year. We use a range of teaching techniques form class teacher input, workshops and visitors into school and trips out. Alongside the curriculum, all classes have worries boxes where children can place their worries and staff respond accordingly to these. We also have an online worry box for the children to access outside of school.
Our curriculum and particularly our RSHE curriculum ensures that the children are taught how to react to and deal with different situations and thus keep themselves safe. As well as this, we work to develop children’s self-esteem and self-worth.
As a school, we work continually to equip the children with the skills they need to be safe for life in modern Britain.
Safeguarding and personal safety experiences for our pupils:
At Eaton Park Academy, we want our pupils to learn as many skills as possible and to have as many different experiences during their time at Eaton Park.
We have therefore created…
We will promise to provide you with the opportunity to develop and experience the above. These skills and experiences will contribute towards your Values Passports.
At Eaton Park Academy, providing pupils with stimulating and wide-ranging learning experiences across all subject areas is at the heart of our aims. Our curriculum places great importance on the development of the whole child, supported by our purpose statement:
‘Carving pathways to success for all regardless of social and academic background’
Underpinned by the objectives of the National Curriculum, all pupils are provided with a broad and ambitious curriculum in each subject that will enable them to know more, remember more and do more whilst developing a life-long love of learning and preparing them for life now and in the future. Objectives are mapped out in a progressive manner to ensure that knowledge and skills are developed and built upon as pupils move through the school, ensuring they are equipped and ready for the next stages in their learning journey. The needs of our curriculum are supported by the key drivers that are specific to the needs of our pupils and the community we serve; these are strengthened further by our core MASTER values, which are embedded into what we do on a daily basis and underpin our ethos.
Within our curriculum, the large majority of subjects are delivered on a weekly basis as discrete subjects although, where possible, relevant cross-curricular links will be made. Art and DT are delivered for one-half term during each term. All subjects have a bespoke curriculum written and adapted by leaders in the academy which have been mapped out to clearly allow knowledge and skills to build across outlined units of learning, with clear end points. Content, objectives and vocabulary are mapped out within long and medium term plans to ensure coherent coverage and progression. Recall opportunities are provided throughout each and every lesson to monitor and assess pupil knowledge and understanding as well as giving ample opportunity to embed key concepts. Within subjects, there are also highlighted recap weeks to revisit learning taught previously within a unit of learning.
Our curriculum provides opportunities within and outside of school, through extensive enrichment opportunities, to support our delivery of the curriculum, including a wide ranging extra-curricular activity offer during and after school hours to nurture and develop pupils’ talents, skills and interests.
A subject leader, who is skilled and passionate in the identified curriculum subject, leads each subject within our curriculum. Curriculum subjects have been well matched to leads areas of expertise and interest, meaning curriculum subjects are well led across the academy. We take a collaborative approach to subject leadership, ensuring there is equal importance and emphasis on each curriculum subject.
Each subject lead has a subject coach – a trusted college whose role is to offer support and appropriate challenge to ensure high standards of subject leadership. We also make best use of our collaboration with other Trust primaries through termly subject network meetings, enabling subject leaders to collaborate regularly, sharing and supporting best practice.
All subject leaders have been central to the design of our curriculum and the design of individual subjects, playing a key role in identifying and designing the content, progression and coverage of their subject. They carefully organise the curriculum to ensure children have opportunities to revisit, practise and repeat learning, which is essential to deep learning by monitoring key progression and skills.
Our ambitious curriculum is implemented through high quality teaching and learning for all, well-equipped and skilful staff with secure subject knowledge, successful subject leadership and clear rationale.
We implement a curriculum which is pupil learning aligned and staff learning aligned; we ensure our curriculum is implemented high effectively because our staff receive quality continued professional development at whole school level, phase level and individual level to ensure they are equipped to expertly implement our curriculum.
Our curriculum is progressive throughout the whole school, so year on year pupils are developing and deepening their knowledge and skills across all curriculum subjects, making relevant interrelated connections across units of learning and having opportunity to recall and revisit previous learning concepts.
A consistent lesson structure in subjects incorporate the following stages to ensure consistency, learning for all and to deepen knowledge and skills:
Lessons are adapted by teachers to the learning needs and requirements of all of their pupils to ensure that they are all able to access and maximise their learning within each individual lesson.2
Retrieval practice, blocked practice and interleaved learning are all prominent features within our curriculum implementation to support our children’s understanding and their ability to know more and remember more.
Where appropriate, enrichment opportunities are provided to further supplement and enhance delivery through additional memorable learning experiences beyond the realms of everyday classroom teaching.
Music and PE are delivered by high-quality specialists while additional opportunities to work with secondary subjects specialists with the Alpha Academies Trust are available throughout the academic year. In addition, our curriculum is well-resourced in terms of learning materials, technology, books, physical apparatus, learning spaces and texts.
Through our curriculum, we are achieving our overarching purpose statement: pupils who secure and experience success regardless their social and academic background and pupils who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, character and experiences to support the next stages in their education and personal development. This is reflected in our outcomes at the end of each phase, with the large majority of pupils meeting and exceeding National expectations. It is also reflected in our pupils’ personal development, through their character.
Reading for Pleasure
At Eaton Park, we aim to foster a life-long love for reading! We value the importance of reading and how this can impact children’s lives in the most positive ways. Each classroom houses an inspiring reading area with a range of exciting texts. Our weekly DEAR (Drop everything and read) and Book Club sessions offer a chance to explore these books and share our recommendations with our peers.
Each child from Nursery to Year 6 takes home a reading book for pleasure each week which is selected from their class reading areas.
Library
All Children have opportunities to visit the school Library throughout the week. Library sessions operate during playtimes with our class Librarians leading the way and supporting children in selecting books. The Librarians meet regularly with the reading leader to discuss reading for pleasure and how this can be improved further across the academy. Furthermore, Eaton Park collaborates with the local library and invites them in to speak to both children and parents as well as our trips included within the Character Development programme. The sessions begin as early as Nursery where reading for enjoyment is promoted through the use of the library and the many events that it runs. An initiative that is welcomed by children from the EYFS is the ‘Little Library Van’ that pays the children an annual visit to encourage positive reading habits; and again parents are invited to share this experience also. As an academy, we are always involved in the ‘Summer Reading Challenge’ – library staff come into school to encourage children to read over the summer, and we celebrate this at the start of the new academic year. At different points throughout the year, we are invited to attend a variety of workshops which are both reading and writing based; an example being a fantasy writing workshop led by an author.
Home Reading and the Bookworm:
Home reading
At Eaton Park, we set ambitious reading expectations at home as well as in school. It is the expectation, as part of our homework policy, that the children read at least four times per week (this includes the use of Bug Club online). Children are also encouraged to read their book for pleasure at home. Reading diaries are an important part of the school day – teaching staff (with the help of class librarians) regularly check consistency of reading at home and liaise with parents/carers as necessary.
Home reading books in Reception and KS1 are in line with the Little Wandle phonics scheme and the books are closely matched to the children’s ongoing phonics ability. Most children from Year 3 to Year 6 follow the Bug Club reading book scheme and are assigned books in line with their reading ability to promote fluency.
Book Worm
Book worm is an aspirational challenge that we set the children involving home reading. To promote consistent, positive attitudes towards reading for pleasure and to help children develop the habit of reading widely and often, we encourage our children to read 5 times per week. The children who read 5 times per week consistently over a half term all receive a prize. All children are then entered into a prize draw which is drawn by staff for each class – winners get to receive a golden coin to spend at the vending machine where they choose their own book to take home and keep!
As part of our enrichment offer here at Eaton Park and across Alpha Academies Trust, every year band will have at least nine amazing experiences across the year, which will link to their learning and provide experiences to enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. This programme has been carefully selected by staff to ensure that children get the very best from their learning, and each experience will be planned in for Autumn, Spring or Summer term, depending on when it is most appropriate. We are fortunate enough that The Trust have ensured that no child will miss out on any enrichment experience by donating £100 per child towards this programme.
As well as their experiences across the year, the children will have the opportunity to join in with ‘Alpha Days’ in various activities with other schools from The Trust, which may be focused around storytelling, teambuilding or survival skills to name just a few!
Please see on the link below our Enrichment Programme for 2023/24 along with the brochures for each year band to outline their experiences.
The Learning and Teaching of Safeguarding and Personal Safety
At Eaton Park Academy, we actively teach the children about safeguarding and personal safety. This takes many different forms, for example:
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception), we teach the children such this as personal hygiene, how to be safe in the sun and near water. We also work continually with the children to ensure that equipment they have access to is used carefully and safely.
Throughout Year 1, the children are taught such things as being safe when crossing roads, we develop their awareness of ‘stranger danger’, how to be safe when near and in the sea, safety in the community and safety in the home.
In Year 2, we work with the children to develop their understanding of such things as online safety, the safety requirements when going on school trips. They also develop children’s understanding of the ‘Underwear Rule’. The road safety officer also comes into school to work with the children and talk about wearing a seatbelt when travelling.
During Year 3, the children are taught about safeguarding and safety through such things as fire safety, basic first aid and when, why and how they would call 999. They are also taught about how to talk to different people, safety in the playground and about managing risks in the environment. They also engage in road safety tasks including a road safety walk and assessment with a road safety officer.
Year 4 spend time during the year learning about such things as friendships, peer pressure and online bullying. Along with this, they develop their understanding of road safety and how to be safe when taking the bus as well as learning about having healthy minds and mental health. The children also start to engage with Bikeability.
As part of their learning in Year 5, the children learn about personal safety and safeguarding through such things as making positive choices and the impact of not making the right choices as you get older. They also spend time thinking about the effects of peer pressure, online safety particularly linked to mobile safety and safe travel on public transport.
Throughout Year 6, the children learn such things as the impact of air pollution on themselves and the environment, how to be safe on a beach and more complex road safety. They learn about relationships and how to be safe, along with gangs and gang culture and how this can impact on their safety. Time is spent preparing the children for secondary school and how to be safe whilst there as well as safe travel. The children also attend a safety workshop called Crucial Crew at the local fire station.
The above descriptions for each year group are by no means exhaustive and the curriculum builds year on year. We use a range of teaching techniques form class teacher input, workshops and visitors into school and trips out. Alongside the curriculum, all classes have worries boxes where children can place their worries and staff respond accordingly to these. We also have an online worry box for the children to access outside of school.
Our curriculum and particularly our RSHE curriculum ensures that the children are taught how to react to and deal with different situations and thus keep themselves safe. As well as this, we work to develop children’s self-esteem and self-worth.
As a school, we work continually to equip the children with the skills they need to be safe for life in modern Britain.
Safeguarding and personal safety experiences for our pupils:
At Eaton Park Academy, we want our pupils to learn as many skills as possible and to have as many different experiences during their time at Eaton Park.
We have therefore created…
We will promise to provide you with the opportunity to develop and experience the above. These skills and experiences will contribute towards your Values Passports.
Eaton Park Academy has been at the heart of our community for many years.
Our ambitious curriculum is shaped around the pupils and the community in which we serve.
Here you can find a collection of our latest news. We aim to keep all stakeholders as up-to-date as possible.
Aspirations Week Aspirations Week at EPA 2024! This week has been filled with visitors from…
We are delighted to announce that Eaton Park has been awarded the Excellence in Music…
The government has launched a national campaign to remind parents and carers of the importance…
At Eaton Park Academy, ensuring the safety of our beloved students is our utmost priority.…
Tuesday 30th January 2024: Year 1 took part in our Kings and Queens workshop! 🫅👸…
Monday 29th January 2024: Year 5 travelled back in time to the Tudor Period to…
What fantastic trips to Chester Zoo Eaton Park has had! 🤩 The trips during the…
🏃🏼♀️🏃🏻♂️🏆Sportshall Athletics 🏆🏃🏻♂️🏃🏼♀️ On Monday 20th November, Eaton Park’s Sportshall Athletics team travelled to Fenton…
Yesterday, 80 families attended the Bread and Butter Thing @ The Bentilee Family Hub. A big thank you to all the volunteers,…
Alpha Academies Trust are very excited to be part of the collaborative approach to the…
