Bartons Primary School will be recognised for its success in establishing good and effective learning achievement for all. (Vision Statement)
At Bartons Primary School our curriculum is designed to inspire enthusiasm for learning, to ensure achievement and to support pupil well-being and happiness. We are proud of our Team Bartons ethos which has grown and developed alongside the new Bersted Park community which it sits at the heart of.
We promote positive learning attitudes which reflect the core values and skills needed for future success.
Teamwork and responsibility are an essential part of our curriculum and we enable children to take on key roles, becoming involved in the school community, through celebration of diversity, by learning new skills and enabling them to take an active part in events throughout the year.
Children leave Bartons Primary School with a sense of belonging and are proud that they have developed the confidence and skills needed to be learners for life.
Children will experience a broad, balanced and interesting curriculum which will enable them to acquire essential knowledge, concept and skills.
The Early Years curriculum for children in Reception classes incorporates the following areas of learning:
- communication & language;
- physical development;
- personal, social and emotional development;
- literacy;
- mathematical development;
- understanding of the world;
- the expressive arts & design.
The curriculum for pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 are carefully planned to incorporate both whole class teaching and differentiated work as appropriate. The following subjects are taught; English, Mathematics, Science, Music, PE, Computing, History, Geography, Art and Design, Design and Technology, Languages and Religious Education. Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) over arches all curriculum areas.
We provide first hand and practical learning experiences that allow children to develop interpersonal skills and build resilience. Our cross-curricular approach enables our children to make meaningful links with their learning but sometimes subjects will be taught separately.
Our curriculum is inclusive and takes account of children's interests and talents. We believe in educating the whole child and therefore ensure that the arts and sports have a key role in their primary years. Each year, we hold an Enrichment week and follow a whole school theme to study beyond the National Curriculum. These study weeks are thoroughly enjoyed by the children and have included: Countries across the world, Kings and Queens, WWII/D-Day and STEM Weeks.
As a school, we invest in Music provision and external specialist teachers from West Sussex Music and IMM visit weekly and teach small groups of children instruments such as the drums, piano, guitar and the violin. We also take part in djembe drumming lessons for Year 4 from the West Sussex Music GetIntoMusic programme. This high quality learning alongside our annual KS1 and 2 productions allows our children to develop a love of sounds and music. The whole school also attend a weekly 'Singing assembly' where they learn a range of songs and styles from around the world. Every two years, a group of children from Years 4, 5 and 6 take part in the national singing festival Young Voices. This brings 20,000 primary children from around the country together to celebrate singing at The O2 in London.
The school is a member of the West Sussex School Sports Partnership and this membership allows us access to high quality sports training for teachers, regular local sporting competition and a strong relationship with the outreach P.E specialist P.E teacher. We have a good range of sporting after school clubs, sporting equipment and work with our secondary colleagues to develop initiatives with our pupils such as Sports Leaders, Bronze Ambassadors and Future Flyers.
To enhance learning further, our children work with other external partners on exclusive exciting projects including Chichester Festival Theatre (Year 6 drama autumn 2019), The Novium Museum in Chichester (Year 4 The Bersted Man project spring 2020), Paul Ullson (All Year groups - frequent visits/history hot seating) and The Regis School (Year 5 Reluctant Reader project - Harry Potter 2018, Percy Jackson 2019).
This wide range of opportunities allow children to gain confidence, explore their skills in a more specialist area and have a greater understanding of their local community.
Assemblies play an important part in the life of our school and are predominantly Christian but are inclusive and respectful of all faiths. Parents however have the right to withdraw their child from the teaching of Religious Education and from assemblies, if they so wish.
For further details on specific subject areas, please read our Subject Visions and other areas of our website.