Our School Curriculum
At Rickley Park we are determined to create an inclusive culture of learning through our broad and engaging curriculum. We want all children to be challenged in their thinking to enable them to become lifelong readers and learners. Our curriculum is knowledge rich and skills focused based on the EYFS framework for our younger pupils and the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 and 2. Our non-core curriculum is based on our school values and has three main golden threads which underpin all of our lessons. Our golden threads are: Global, Local and Personal links. These golden threads enable our pupils to see how they connect to the wider world as well as developing an understanding of their local community and finally, developing themselves. Our curriculum is topic based so that our children are immersed in their learning and see how learning is linked. Where meaningful links with English texts can be made, these are used to strengthen the teaching of the non-core.
Religious Education is taught in accordance with the Milton Keynes Local agreed syllabus. Computing is taught using Purple Mash and RSHE is taught using the support of Jigsaw. Music and French are taught using the support of Kapow. PE is an important part of our school. The day starts at 8:20 with a whole school Wake and Shake session, where our parents can join in too. All children receive PE lessons taught by our PE team but there is so much more on offer to our children than just our lessons. We have different sports clubs running every lunch time which children join in with that focus on both our school values and developing their social and emotional skills. Rickley Park also hosts and participates in numerous sporting activities in conjunction with the IFtL Trust and Milton Keynes Sports’ Partnership.
Alongside our National Curriculum subjects we have our Enrichment curriculum. This is where we dedicate teaching time to exploring extra learning opportunities connected to developing the whole child and preparing our children for their next stage in their lives. Our Enrichment curriculum includes, but not limited to, our safety curriculum, links to National Day events and provides our children with opportunities to achieve activities set out in their Passport to Success.
We teach English using "Read to Write" - a vehicle that empowers children's writing through high-quality texts and a wealth of writing opportunities. . Once reading fluency is established in Key Stage one, we use reading VIPERS (vocabulary, inference, prediction, explain, retrieve and summarise/sequence) to structure whole class reading lessons. We use a wide range of carefully chosen texts to ensure the children are constantly exposed to high-quality books. Our spelling work is set using Spelling Shed.
Across Rickley Park, we use the White Rose scheme of learning to support our maths lessons. We focus on breaking each subject and lesson into manageable chunks, starting with some guided learning to ensure everyone is clear and understands their topic, before moving on to independent learning and then a deepening or reasoning task. This allows all our pupils to stretch themselves whilst also utilising a wide range of support to allow them to make their best progress.
SEND children work alongside their peers in accessing the non-core curriculum. At the planning stage, barriers to learning are identified and through the implementation of adaptive teaching strategies, the children are able to access the learning in line with their peers.
Welcome to Rickley Park – cracking the wonderful code of learning together.
Non Core Subjects:
- We have a wellbeing enrichment afternoon every Friday
- Children participate in Forest School activities
- Y6 children have the opportunity to go on an overnight residential
- Y6 undertake independent study programmes linked to their own personal interests
- We offer music tuition for all in a variety of musical instruments
Remote Learning Offer
During Covid lock down periods, we learnt a lot about our remote learning offer and what we might do moving forward if we needed to access this type of provision again.
One of the significant changes that we now have is the ability for all of our children to have access to their own 1-1 device through the FUTURES project. This means that we will be able to explore a new remote learning offer that every child will have access to. Further details of this will be published as we progress through our FUTURES project.
The expectation will be that children will have access to live lessons, as well as opportunities to submit their work, and receive feedback.
Pastoral sessions will support all children including registration and assembly activities, with physical activity and well being featuring in the weeks schedule.
Communication will take place with each family on a weekly basis and where required, support and sign posting for further support will be provided.
If we have to reinstate our remote learning provision, information will be shared here on the website, as well as through MCAS.
We are always contactable and encourage our families to contact us with any queries, concerns or comments.