Curriculum Enrichment

CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT

ASTON VILLA

“Our educational programmes are all aligned to the National Curriculum and designed by qualified teachers. Bringing learning to life through Aston Villa making our approach innovative and exciting. ”  – Aston Villa Foundation.

KINGSTHORNE GUARANTEE

Kingsthorne has a long standing partnership with Aston Villa.  Specialists coaches work within school, delivering high quality sessions to our children.  Coaches deliver clubs  at lunch times and afterschool, which are free for children to attend.  Through this partnerships, small groups have also been able to represent the school in sports competitions, and have also been given the opportunity to attend matches as mascots on game day.

Pupil Leadership

Pupils at Kingsthorne are provided with a variety of opportunities to develop their leadership skills. All classes, from Y1 onwards elect a representative for the School Council. They attend regular meetings where they can suggest improvements to the school and contribute to the Children’s Self Evaluation Form (SEF).  

Children in Y5 and Y6 are encouraged to consider standing for House Captain elections. To do this, they write and deliver a speech to their peers and be successful in an election. This helps the children to understand the value of democracy. House competitions are held every half term and House captains are closely involved in these as well.  

Year 5 children have the chance to become Play Leaders for the younger pupils and Year 6 are asked to apply for the role of prefect. To become a prefect they must first write a letter of application and if that is of a high standard they will be invited to an interview. Successful candidates are then given a special uniform consisting of blazer, shirt and tie. Prefects represent the school at Parent’s Evening and meet every half term for a working lunch.  

In addition, Kingsthorne aims to provide the children with further leadership opportunities through residential visits and trips.  

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

“Birmingham Hippodrome is committed to forging relationships with schools and colleges in the West Midlands and surrounding areas and developing the next generation of artists and audiences.

We bring creativity into the curriculum, connect learning outcomes to exciting opportunities at the Hippodrome, and provide young people with the chance to experience and connect with theatre.”

Through working with the Hippodrome our pupils have the opportunity to:

  • Gain confidence to read and perform in front of others
  • See live performances and work with professional actors

Opportunities provided by the Hippodrome include:

  • Hippodrome Learning Officers based in the school
  • Performance opportunities at shows, festivals and events for pupils
  • Tickets to see shows in the auditorium and in the Patrick Studio
  • Bespoke projects linked to shows and festivals, including workshops with show casts and backstage tours
  • Professional artists visiting school to collaborate around key festivals and cultural celebrations, such as Chinese New Year
  • Student Ambassador programme for young people in school
  • Careers days at Birmingham Hippodrome for pupils
  • Network meetings for school staff
  • Continued Professional Development for teachers
  • Exhibition opportunities for pupils

CHARITY EVENTS

As part of each year group’s wider curriculum responsibility, Year 4 are responsible for helping others. We have a different focus each term so that we get the opportunity to support people in different ways.

Autumn

This term, we are responsible for running charity events across the school. We plan, advertise and carry out each event. These are:

· Harvest Festival

· Children in Need

· Remembrance Day

· Comic Relief

Spring

This term, we are responsible for supporting younger children in school with their reading. We enjoy regularly reading with a reading buddy from EYFS or KS1, either listening to them read a book or reading to them.

Summer

This term, we focus on supporting our local community in some way. We will decide on the focus of this as the time draws closer. More details to follow soon…

Remembrance Day

Children in Need

Harvest Festival

Supporting Other Children

Supporting Other Children

CLUBS AND COMPETITIONS

Our clubs encourage all children to engage in extra-curricular activities through our lunchtime and after school sports clubs, which are delivered by our in house sports specialist and coaches provided by Aston Villa. We are passionate about the need to teach children how to cooperate and collaborate with others, as part of a team, understanding fairness and equity of play to embed life-long values.

At Kingsthorne we offer a range of clubs across both Key stage 1 and Key stage 2:

Year 1 and 2

Year 1 and 2 have the opportunity to take part in a multi skills after school club, this allows children to fun team games and enhance their skills in throwing, catching and movement.

Year 3 and 4 

Year 3 and 4 have the opportunity to take part in an after school club where they can  develop skills in archery, dodgeball and team games.

Year 5 and 6 

Year 5 and 6 have the opportunity to  take part in an afterschool club where they can play a variety of team games such as capture the flag, basketball and dodgeball.

The children have also had the opportunity to take part in a weekly dance and gymnastics club, where they have developed their own routines and used equipment such as the trampette to improve on different movements.

Aston Villa 

Aston Villa  allow children to develop their football skills further on a Wednesday after school and during lunch time.

KINGSTHORNE GUARANTEE

We are part of the Kingsbury sport partnership where we aim to offer children the opportunities to take part in a range of competitions outside of school. Our sporting topics have been planned to coincide with School Sports Games competitions, which allow the children to apply their learning from school into competitive scenarios against other children in the community.

Keep an eye out for upcoming competitions.

I like coming to afterschool clubs because I don’t get to do sport at home.’

‘After school clubs are fun, you get to do new things like archery.’

CHECK OUT SOME IMAGES FROM OUR LEGO CLUB BELOW!

The Award improves the lives of children in the UK by taking a whole school approach to putting children’s rights at the heart of school policy and practice.”- Unicef

OUR AIMS

RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOLS

We aim to be a school where children’s rights are at the heart of our ethos and culture, to improve well-being and to develop every child’s talents and abilities to their full potential.  As part of this plan, we are working towards recognition as a ‘Rights Respecting School’, an award given to schools on behalf of Unicef UK.

We believe that Rights Respecting School goes beyond the school gates, making a positive impact on the whole community.

    • Our children are healthier and happier
    • Our children feel safe
    • Our children have better relationships
    • Our children become active and involved in school life and the wider world

DELIVERY AT KINGSTHORNE

Our pupils will learn about their rights by putting them into practice every day. A Rights Respecting School models rights and respect in all its relationships. At Kingsthorne, each class has nominated their own Rights Respecting Champion who act as our pupil steering group.

They share information about the rights both within and beyond the school community through assemblies, newsletters and displays. The pupil steering group are also working on our Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA) action plan to show how we can embed the rights within our practice.

For further information about Rights Respecting Schools please visit the UNICEF website here.

MUSIC SERVICES

“We firmly believe that music can have a positive impact on the lives of children which is why we set up Services For Education in the first place” MSfE

KINGSTHORNE GUARANTEE

At Kingsthorne we believe that all children should have the opportunity to access an enriched curriculum that will immerse them in a wide variety of musical skills and experieces.

The music services teach in Years 4, 5 and 6 to embed the highly skilled music curriculum run by specialist teachers.

Music in Year 4

In Year 4 children have an introduction to brass instruments and music theory with a qualified peripatetic trumpet teacher. This culminates at the end of the school year with a year group performance shared with friends and family. Children with a keen interest can progress further by joining the School Brass Club in years 5 and 6 and many have gone onto receive private tuition, showing a real love for music!

Music in Years 5 & 6

Our specialist music teachers provide music curriculum delivered sessions, which includes:

  • Primary music curriculum provision with a vocal focus on developing musical skills among pupils
  • Development of vocal skills; alongside Charanga.
  • Support with end of year performances

“I like learning to read music and what the notes mean”

“I’m looking forward to performing the songs we’ve learnt for our Year 6 Leavers Show”

OUTDOOR LEARNING

“Learning outside the classroom is about raising young people’s achievement through an organised, powerful approach to learning.”

OUTDOOR LEARNING AREAS

The children have a variety of outdoor learning areas.  These include our Quad, which can be used for PE lessons and sporting events.  Each playground has its own climbing frame, and playground lines, perfect for burning off energy and creating new games.

Early Years, benefits from its own playground area, with a range of equipment to use, in addition to an early years garden area.

The school has a forest area, with a wide range of trees, which allow the children to relax.

Action and Adventure Days

This year, Years 1,2,3,4 and 6 have the fantastic opportunity to take part in an adventurous activity day at Woodlands Adventure centre.  This is the perfect place for the children to develop their resilience, team work, communication and have and exciting experience they will always remember.  Activities will involve high ropes, climbing, canoeing, raft building, assault courses, caving and bushcraft.

COMPETITIONS

We are part of the Kingsbury sport partnership where we aim to offer children the opportunities to take part in a range of competitions outside of school. Our sporting topics have been planned to coincide with School Sports Games competitions, which allow the children to apply their learning from school into competitive scenarios against other children in the community.

Keep an eye out for upcoming competitions.

RESIDENTIAL

Children have previously been able to take part in residential trips to Kingswood, Brecon Beacons, and the Malvern Hills.

This year, Year 5 have the opportunity to take part in a weekend residential trip to Condover Hall.  The children will take part in canoeing, climbing, high ropes, fencing and archery challenges.

TRIPS

In order to bring our curriculum to life, we give the children numerous opportunities to take part in a range of trips and visits.  Already this year we have seen trips to the Space Centre, the Think Tank, Twycross Zoo, The Hippodrome and the local Gudwara.   Later this year the children will be looking forwards to taking part in trips to the National Justice Museum, Sutton Park, The Farm and Birmingham City Centre.