Bailiffe Bridge Junior & Infant School

Curriculum Statement

At Bailiffe Bridge, our curriculum is underpinned by our school motto, ‘Focused on the Future.’ This motto reflects our core purpose: preparing children for the opportunities and challenges they will face throughout their lives.

We are proud to offer a learning culture that places equal emphasis on academic achievement, personal development, and emotional well-being. Our school is a safe, empathetic, and nurturing environment where high-quality learning takes place every day. We are committed to developing resilient, curious learners with a strong work ethic and a passion for learning. As a school community, we strive always to be the best we can be.

While we follow the National Curriculum as outlined by the Department for Education, we go beyond its framework by enriching our curriculum with content and experiences that reflect the specific needs of our pupils, our local community, and the wider world.

Our Curriculum is Guided by Our Core Aims:

• Respect & Responsibility
  We teach children to show respect and take responsibility for themselves, others, our school, and the wider community. We promote positive attitudes, pride in our school, and the confidence to challenge negative behaviours and influences.

• A Caring and Nurturing Environment
  We provide a secure, supportive, and listening school environment where everyone can learn, work, and play with confidence. We celebrate achievement at every level.

• Strong Partnerships
  We work closely with children, families, staff, governors, and the wider community, listening and responding to their needs and contributions.

• Diversity and Belonging
  We celebrate our rich social and cultural diversity, fostering a sense of belonging where every child is valued and respected for their individuality.

• A Relevant and Creative Curriculum
  Our curriculum is designed to be both relevant and inspiring. It offers high-quality learning opportunities that challenge pupils and help them to discover and develop their unique talents and abilities.

• Promoting Independence and Resilience
  We provide a broad range of learning experiences that encourage independence, calculated risk-taking, and resilience. We believe that making mistakes is a vital part of learning.

• Ambition and Determination
  We encourage children to develop learning behaviours that show a desire to achieve their personal best and a determination to succeed.

• High Expectations
  We have high expectations of everyone in our community—staff and pupils alike. We believe in the power of aspiration and mutual encouragement.

The Intention of the Curriculum at Bailiffe Bridge School

• To ensure that all pupils are able to access a range of childhood experiences so that they are not disadvantaged because of their home and family circumstances; 
• To create capable learners who are rich in knowledge gained from many sources;   
• To nurture competent readers who have an appreciation of literature;   
• To develop confident writers who can organise their writing to suit the task or purpose, choosing and spelling words with precision;   
• To produce numerate pupils who can calculate and manipulate with ease but also the reason why and apply their thought in increasingly complex ways;   
• To enable pupils to use their long term memory so that they can understand how to move relevant information between their working memory and their long term memory as they need it;   
• To create divergent thinkers who aren’t afraid to ask how or why;   
• To provide an opportunity to learn about different cultures and faiths to enable pupils to understand, appreciate and empathise beyond their own community;   
• To ensure pupils can recognise and believe in their own potential, learning from mistakes and experiences to ensure they have high aspirations for their educational performance and future careers;   
• To provide pupils with opportunities to understand financial management and capability so that they are able to value money and manage it effectively in later life;   
• To foster a partnership with parents from all backgrounds and experiences, to promote the value of education and ensure that they share our high expectations for pupil performance.