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Curriculum Overview

The Curriculum at St Margaret’s Academy

Vision

We want ourselves and the children in our care to be successful, resilient and inquisitive learners who are happy and well-equipped to participate positively in the community and wider society.

Values

Our school values (kindness, respect, responsibility and aspiration) are an essential point of reference on all of our journeys. British values (democracy, rule of law, liberty and respect) play an equally important role.

School Context

The school is situated in the English Riveria, a UNESCO designated Global Geopark, only 1 of 7 in the UK and only 1 of 147 in the world (download and play the presentation at the bottom of the page, Torbay). While we live and work in this area of outstanding beauty we have some local challenges around families being able to take advantage of these opportunities. The Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on children's speech, language and social development. Children are predominately from a white British background and therefore have less experience of mixing with other faiths and cultures than other children in the United Kingdom. We have supportive parents who report that their children enjoy school, feel safe and are taught well.

Curriculum Intent

Because of our context:

Because of our context, underpinning everything we do is our work on attachment and relationships. Social and emotional learning is integral to all that we do. We engage closely in a partnership with all our families.

  • The well-being of pupils, families and staff is always a priority.

  • We prioritise early reading and speech and language development. Further language and vocabulary work across all years is woven throughout the curriculum.

  • Teachers seek to inspire and engage, and promote enquiry and imagination so that pupils at all abilities can achieve.

  • Learning is planned to take advantage of local opportunities such as the beach and local artists, as well as national events.

  • We support all our pupils to develop the skills they need in order to learn for themselves, to enjoy this learning and to help them achieve their full potential.

  • We develop curiosity about the locality and the world beyond Torbay. We provide opportunities to contribute to the local and global community.

What is Taught?
 
Reception Children follow the Early Years Curriculum and more information about this can be found using the navigation bar in this section of our website.
 
We use The National Curriculum to to plan sequences of learning for children from Y1 - Y6.  The curriculum consists of core subjects which are commonly agreed to be: English, Mathematics and Science.
 
The foundation subjects are Computing, Religious Education, Art, Design Technology, French, Geography, History, Music and PE, as well as Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE) which includes Relationships and Health Education. Sex education is not compulsory but we have chosen to teach this also; parents can opt their child out of this.
 
Religious Education is taught in accordance with the Torbay and Devon Agreed Syllabus.  Parents may, if they wish, write to the Headteacher to request that their children be wholly or partly excused from attendance at our regular collective worship or religious education.
 
We teach in 4 phases (Reception, Years 1 &2, Years 3 &4 and Years 5 &6).