A ‘curriculum’ is a list of content to be taught and learnt – a course of study for schools, colleges and universities. From September 2014, schools in England follow a new National Curriculum - a course of study decided by the Department for Education. Private schools, academies and free schools are exempt: they do not need to follow the requirements.
Download the entire National Curriculum for more detail.
St Anne's well balanced and broad curriculum, based on Christian principles, ensures all children experience a sense of achievement which helps to develop their self-esteem. The close liaison amongst our dedicated and committed teachers, non teaching staff, parent and other adult helpers ensures the development of all children is fully supported and monitored.
Appreciating that we live in a technological world, we have 16 flat top screens in our computer suite and 32 Learnpads, as well as each classroom having an interactive whiteboard. Each year group also has access to a bank of laptops to which the children are particularly partial and tell us that they believe these help to make learning more enjoyable.
The children are fortunate in having the chance to participate in a wide variety of themed days in school, Year 6 study World War II and participate in an Evacuees day to which they invite their grandparents and members of the local community ending with a wonderful World War II tea party. Meanwhile children in Year 3 study Spain which culminates in a ‘Spain’ Day when the children dress in the Spanish colours, take part in Spanish dancing and taste some delicious Spanish food. An Egyptian Day takes place for the children in Year 4 who study this fascinating period of History.
The children also have a variety of day visits related to various topics. Box Hill is the venue for the children in Year 4 where they spend a day investigating natural habitats for their science topic. The children in Years 1, 2 and 3 visit Chertsey Museum as part of their topics on Homes, Florence Nightingale and the Romans respectively. Year 6 also benefit from the Museum’s wide range of World War II memorabilia.
Our Year 6 children are offered the opportunity to take part in a residential visit to Marchants Hill in Hindhead, Surrey where they have the opportunity to participate in a whole range of outdoor activities. This is always a popular and enjoyable trip. Year 5 also participate in a residential trip where they take part in life as it was in Tudor times and stay for two nights.
I believe our children are thoughtful, kind and caring, always willing to help others. Each year we support either a specific Charity or a variety of worthy causes. Throughout the year the children organize a wide range of interesting and innovative fund raising events, enabling us to donate to organisations such as Diabetes UK, Great Ormond Street, The Grassroots Trust. Year 4 take on the job of organising a fundraising ‘Apprentice Day’ where the whole school community get involved. Year 4 spend the week planning, budgeting and preparing activities and stalls for the whole school to attend. Last year they raised over £1,000 for a Leukaemia charity in memory of one of their classmates who sadly lost his battle with the disease earlier in the year. The children love to support charities and get a great deal of pleasure out of sharing these times together.
Another exciting initiative introduced by one of our parents some years ago is our ‘Tin a Week’ campaign. The children are encouraged to each donate a tin of food on a weekly basis which are, in turn, collected by the Salvation Army and shared amongst those in need in and around our community. To date many thousands of tins have been collected and distributed.
Our children enjoy their school experience feeling safe and supported. They also feel they have a voice and an important role to play in school. The children willingly take on responsibility, thus we have effective Peer Mentoring and Monitoring systems in school where the older children support younger children.
Visitors regularly comment on the children’s excellent behaviour and good manners.
We are particularly proud of our musical achievements. The school participates in the Wider Opportunities Project, enabling every child in Year 4 to learn to play a musical instrument. We celebrate the children’s accomplishments by having concerts for their parents.
We have this year introduced the children in Key Stage 2 to Spanish lessons as our ‘Modern Foreign Language’. The ‘Early Start’ lessons are interactive and focus on spoken language.
The children are also encouraged to take part in extra curricular activities and we offer a wide variety of after-school clubs to choose from. We are very fortunate to have enthusiastic football and netball teams to represent the school at local matches and tournaments.