Overview of our Creative Curriculum

At Norris Bank we aim to inspire our children to see learning as a journey. We want them to have a love of learning and feel passionate about discovering new things and have real ownership of their outcomes. Learning enables them to have aspirational aims by developing and using all of their skills and talents. Everyone is an individual with dreams and ambitions, and we want to give our children the best start in their educational journey so that they feel confident, independent, resilient and able to tackle whatever life throws at them.

To support and achieve this aim we have always tried to ensure that our curriculum model is not too narrowly focused on just the core subjects but allows children to undertake a broad breadth of quality education that provides opportunities beyond it. We want to ensure that the learning is relevant to the children and their future needs. To support this, we are going to further develop a more creative curriculum approach over the coming year.

Our aim is to ensure that wherever possible we make meaningful links between the individual subjects of the curriculum and generate carefully planned units of learning that engage children and provide a clear context for developing their knowledge and understanding. Ensuring that our children enjoy their learning and are inspired is of central importance and to do this we are designing cohesive, dynamic and purposeful topics.

Every creative topic will contain a ‘hook’ to grab the attention and interest of the children and is driven by the outcome that will be undertaken at the culmination of the topic. This gives a clear pertinent reason for the learning that the children will undertake and provides valuable opportunities to apply their learning in a range of contexts.

The majority of our topics will contain 3 lead subjects and 2 supporting subjects. All of which are underpinned by our GROW values (Goals, Respect, Ownership and Working Together) which are designed to further develop the children as well rounded individuals who will have the necessary skills to support their future development and give them a wider range of abilities and skills than those outlined within the subject areas of the National Curriculum.

Careful planning enables teachers to identify learning opportunities and activities that will enable the children to meet the required objectives and develop their understanding at a greater depth rather than just focusing on merely activities to complete. This ensures that there are a range of foci for the children’s learning outcomes that are relevant and appropriate to children working at a range of levels, and that there exists sufficient support and challenge for all.

Each topic will be carefully evaluated on completion in order to identify where it has been successful and where it could be developed further. Topics will not just be repeated year after year but will be altered and improved over time in order to keep the curriculum fresh and dynamic for the children.

Not all areas of the curriculum can always be integrated and as such there will be subjects e.g. phonics that are delivered discretely. A curriculum map is produced by each year group and scrutinised by subject coordinators to ensure that National Curriculum requirements in terms of coverage and progression are in place and fulfilled.

Sports and Games

Sports and Games are offered as part of our PE curriculum and as extra-curricular activities. Gymnastics, small apparatus skills and team games are also taught. Our school has a good-sized hall, hard play area and sports field. We participate fully in inter-school competitions and local events.

Sports Provision

Primary Sports Coaching Limited (PSC) supports sports and physical activity at Norris Bank Primary School.

As well as supporting lunchtime activities and delivering curriculum PE, PSC runs a variety of after school clubs for the children to take part in.

Below is the list of clubs we currently have on offer:

Monday
  • Year 5 & 6 Football 
  • Year 1, 2 &3 Dodgeball 
Tuesday
  • Year 1 & 2 Multi Sports 
  • Girls KS2 football
Wednesday
  • Year 3 & 4 Football
  • Multi-sports for Reception children
Thursday
  • Key Stage 1 & 2 Dance
  • Year 1 & 2 Football 
Friday
  • Key Stage 2 Dodgeball 

All clubs will run from the end of the school day until 4.30pm and are priced at £4.80 per session. Places can only be block-booked. Children that book a place will also receive priority booking. 

To book a place on one of our clubs please use the following link to our online booking page: Norris Bank Primary School Afterschool Clubs | Primary Sports Coaching Ltd

Any questions or queries please contact Dave Young at [email protected].

Music

Music is enjoyed by everyone at our school. As well as the planned weekly lessons, there is a strong tradition of playing a wide range of instruments and singing. Read our Music Overview (PDF) to see how music is implemented throughout the school.

Private lessons during the school day are available through Stockport Music service. Music tuition is available, within school hours, in the following instruments:

  • Brass (Monday)
  • Guitar (Wednesday)
  • Woodwind (Wednesday)
  • Violin (Thursday)
  • Drums (Friday)

If you are interested in taking advantage of these lessons for your child, please contact the music service directly to discuss tuition. 

We do not provide instruments, but they can be hired from Stockport Music Services: