Our curriculum promotes the school’s culture and aims
Our curriculum
Oliver Tomkins CE VA Schools
John 10:10 I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. We nurture all members of our school community to be the best version of themselves so that they thrive, flourish and blossom. We believe the purpose of education is to nurture, support and empower every child to be the best they can be learning growing exceeding in the love of God in all aspects of their lives.
Oliver Tomkins Voluntary Aided C of E Schools are schools with a Christian foundation, which seeks to express their Christian character by serving families in the local community and by providing a Christian ethos where children and their families can feel valued and affirmed. A community which enables hope and aspirations alongside an opportunity to experience the meaning of the Christian faith. An inclusive offer to all and in the relationships of love and care that characterise the shared life of the school.
Oliver Tomkins School is a place where children can develop as an individual, as part of a team, spiritually and morally and where they are provided with a secure and firm foundation for the choices they will make and the life experiences they will develop as they grow. The school embodies the truth that children learn and grow best in a context of firm principles and values and the staff seek to offer an education and curriculum of the highest quality that takes account of the development, skills and experiences that enrich and develop the whole child.
The school’s direction is rooted in our theological vision and christian values. We seek and strive to provide educational excellence within a Christian context. We recognise and celebrate the community we serve and see, to build relationships based on trust, forgiveness and respect.
We strive to be a place where Christian priorities and values inform every subject in the curriculum and are reflected in the day-to-day life of the school.
We believe that the children are the centre of all our work here and we strive to ensure our school is one with a happy, safe and caring environment. We take pride in promoting the highest standards of conduct and achievement allowing children the security and confidence to reach their full potential.
As a Voluntary Aided Anglican foundation school, our aim is to provide this secure environment, firmly rooted in Christian values. We believe that the education of children is a partnership, one between parents, teachers and governors all working together to provide the best interests for the children in our care.
Aims
Oliver Tomkins is a school where every child is nurtured and cherished as an individual, precious in God’s sight. Christian values are the bedrock of all that occurs in and around school. The Christian vision of the
John 10:10 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
is crystallised in the agreed vision statement, which reads ‘Growing, learning and exceeding in God’s love’.
Values
- Mutual Respect for one and all
- Compassion consideration
- Justice and Responsibility
- Co-operation
- Tolerance
- Friendship
- Perseverance and Resilience
- Responsibility
- Truth
- Generosity
- Courage
- Creativity
- Trust
- Peace
- Hope
Curriculum Design
As a Church of England school, education remain at our core. This includes the pursuit of excellence and preparing our children as world citizens of the 21st Century. In order for this to be achieved our children need high levels of literacy and numeracy. We recognise R.E as a core subject, so we adhere to a SACRE Swindon Agreed Syllabus and Diocese Understanding Christianity’. We also recognise that parents are the primary educators of the faith and we work closely with the local parish and community in embedding these strong links with our parish and our local community we foster an ethos of serving both individuals and society. Charitable links and service remain a focus of our termly enrichment weeks, as does seeking awe and wonder. The school recognises that science is both an exciting academic subject and another area where children can develop a sense of awe and wonder.
When planning a curriculum, Oliver Tomkins has had to recognise the social and economic backgrounds of our families. The school is in an area which according to Public Health England using indicators for socio-economics, is in the lowest nationally and top quartile for deprivation. We also have above national average for Pupil premium in the top 20% of all schools for the proportion of FSM , above average for EAL and 12 out of 17 possible ethnic groups.
Within PSHE and citizenship, account is made of the socio-economics of the area and we recognise that the children need both a sense of valuing themselves, and developing aspirations for their future and for their community. We have designed our curriculum and passports to learning to provide a breadth of life experience within a subject area, drawing on outside speakers, involvement of parents and developing a sense of curiosity. We are passionate that all children realise that it is a big and wonderful world out there that they can play an active and positive part in. To do this not only do we pursue excellence but ensure the children are equipped with the correct skills in which to do this. We play an important part in providing the means for social mobility. We maintain close links with the local community and a very dynamic working relationship with all the local primary schools. We also plan opportunities for the children to know about keeping safe, linked to the KCSiE document. We also plan for and promote British values, ensuring that children are aware of their rights and responsibilities as a UK citizen.
The wellbeing agenda is at the heart of Oliver Tomkins curriculum. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through its Christian values, which are demonstrated every day by the whole school family, make a significant and positive impact on the social, moral, spiritual and cultural (SMSC) development of the children.
The school, through its distinctive Christian character, is outstanding at meeting the needs of all learners Pupils are able to empathise with the feelings and actions of others, seeing points of views and beliefs other than their own. Particularly in RE and PSHE, they show a keen interest in ethical issues and are able to apply their personal values to situations, giving reasons for their decisions and actions. The school’s caring and nurturing ethos runs deep at Oliver Tomkins and is demonstrated by the pupils’ very positive relationships.
In recognising the development of the whole child the pastoral support given to children so they can access the curriculum is strong. Nurture and mental health, sits at heart of our school and our curriculum as this allows vulnerable children to access their learning and curriculum entitlement. The school has various systems which support the emotional and mental well-being of children and provides signposting to their parents.
Emotional and mental wellbeing is also greatly enhanced by sport. Sport has remained central to both our curriculum and extra-curricular provision, we know this is hugely beneficial to all our children. We also believe the pedagogy of P.E. in sport affects other areas of the curriculum and really enhances children’s learning, physiologically allowing better learning to happen, as well as children learning skills such as listening, problem solving, team work and resilience.
