At Eppleton Academy Primary we adopt the whole child approach when it comes to education, this means that learning looks beyond the classroom to support personal development and focus on the child as a whole. We believe that children need to be equipped with skills that enable them to deal with the demands of growing up, entering the workplace and achieving long-term success. We recognise our responsibility to support the health and happiness of our pupils and not just their academic results. The whole child approach works on the basis that every child should be happy, healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged to grow in their educational environment.
Our Breakout curriculum has been designed with our pupils at the heart of it, carefully considering their needs and interests in order to deliver meaningful learning experiences. The curriculum incorporates 5 key areas, which we believe are vital to the development of all children:
PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education),
RSHE (Relationship, Sex, Health Education)
SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural Development)
Mental Health & Wellbeing
The World
Each Breakout session gives our pupils the opportunity to explore, question, discuss, debate and learn about all aspects of life which we feel are integral to their personal development. We feel that our Breakout curriculum has a positive impact on our pupils and provides them life long lessons for their future.
At Eppleton Academy Primary School we ensure that we promote the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development of all pupils through our school vision, ethos and curriculum. SMSC is an integral part of our school and underpins everything we do. We value each and every member of our school community and encourage all pupils to have high aspirations and to reach their full potential. Throughout the SMSC/ PSHE curriculum pupils have opportunities to explore their own values and the values of others, recognising that their views and opinions may differ from those of others. Our curriculum holds at its heart, fundamental British Values which promotes respect and tolerance of all faiths, respect of law and rules and the belief in liberty and freedom for all people. At Eppleton Academy, we ensure that through our vision, values, rules, curriculum and teaching we promote tolerance and respect for all cultures, faiths and lifestyles. We have a duty to prepare our children for life in modern Britain and to keep them safe. As an academy we teach tolerance and respect for the differences in our community and the wider world. Underpinning all this are a range of curriculum topics which have strong links to British History.
"We aim to provide children with a broad, balanced and rich curriculum which enables them to understand world issues and develop them as responsible citizens".
Pupils are provided with the opportunities to gain in knowledge and understanding and develop skills they need to participate in the life of the diverse community in which they live. We believe it is important for our pupils to have a deep-rooted connection to the place they live but also know that there are many wonderful opportunities for them in the wider world.
Our approach to all aspects of Social, Moral, Social and Cultural Development is central to the school’s purpose of instilling in our students an understanding of moral and social responsibility so that they are able to develop into empathetic, positive members of society. Beliefs, spiritual awareness, high standards of personal behaviour, including a positive caring attitude towards other people, an understanding of others’ social and cultural traditions and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of other cultures are all critical skills and dispositions that we nurture, encourage and develop through SMSC and wider curriculum. This is reflected in the behaviours of individuals and in their interactions.
At Eppleton Academy Primary School we provide an environment that enables pupils to feel happy, safe and valued. Our core values of respect, resilience, integrity and enjoyment are embedded into our vision, ethos and curriculum.
Through active learning opportunities, pupils will learn to recognise and manage risk, take increasing responsibility for themselves, their choices and behaviours and make positive contributions to their families, schools and communities. Pupils will learn to recognise, develop and communicate their qualities, skills and attitudes. They build knowledge, confidence and self-esteem which supports them to develop and be proud of their talents and abilities. Pupils learn to identify and articulate feelings and emotions, learn to manage new or difficult situations positively and form and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of people.
A key driver for us at Eppleton Academy Primary is ‘Raising Aspirations’. We want pupils to feel motivated and committed to their own education and learning. We encourage pupils to always aim high and set themselves goals. We provide them with the skills they need to reach their full potential. Teaching pupils about the wider world and the careers available to them is an important aspect of our PSHE/ SMSC curriculum.
"At Eppleton we regard PSHE as an important, integral component of the whole school curriculum".
We provide a broad and balanced curriculum, ensuring that it:
• Promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of our children and of society.
• Prepares our children for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences they already face and for adult life.
• Provides information about keeping healthy and safe, emotionally and physically.
• Encourages our children to understand how all actions have consequences and how they can make informed choices to help themselves, others and the environment.
Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way. That is why since September 2020, Relationship, Sex, Health Education became compulsory in England.
To embrace the challenges of creating a happy and successful adult life, pupils need knowledge that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships and to build their self-efficacy. Pupils can also put this knowledge into practice as they develop the capacity to make sound decisions when facing risks, challenges and complex contexts.
Our Breakout curriculum covers all aspects of the Relationships, Sex Health Education (RSHE) guidance from the Department for Education. The aims of RSHE at our school are to:
"The focus in primary school should be on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and with adults".
Department for Education- RSE Statutory Guidance 2020
The statutory guidance for Health Education covers physical health, mental health and emotional wellbeing . It recognises that physical health and mental health are interlinked, that good physical health contributes to good mental health, and vice versa. Irrespective of statutory requirements, teaching about mental health and emotional wellbeing as part of a comprehensive PSHE education curriculum is vital. It promotes pupils’ wellbeing through an understanding of their own and others’ emotions and the development of healthy coping strategies. It also contributes to safeguarding, providing pupils with knowledge, understanding and strategies to keep themselves healthy and safe, as well as equipping them to support others who are facing challenges.
Our Breakout curriculum provides many opportunities for children learn about mental health and emotional wellbeing. We feel it is important to talk openly about mental health issues in order to break down any stigmas associated with them. The emphasis is always on developing pupils’ knowledge, understanding, skills, language and confidence to seek support, as needed, for themselves or others. It is vital that pupils understand when to seek help, what help is available, and the likely outcome of seeking support. As with any aspect of PSHE, learning about mental health must build up from early learning if it is to be most effective. Therefore, mental health and wellbeing education starts in our Nursery.
To find support your child with their mental health and wellbeing see our Mental Health Matters page in the KidsZone.
Global education gives us a framework for teaching children the responsibilities of being a world citizen. It helps pupils find their place in the world community, where they can accept differences among cultures and peoples. It is important to teach pupils that their actions have consequences and that they can make a positive impact on the world around them if they choose to do so. We encourage pupils to ask questions and be curious about the world they live in. We want pupils to be a part of looking after our planet, making changes to our everyday lives and planning for a sustainable future.
"Children of today are the leaders of tomorrow and education is a very important weapon to prepare children for their future roles as leaders of the community".
Nelson Mandela
Every week each class will ‘break out’ of normal routines to take part in Breakout sessions. The Breakout curriculum is designed so that each week the classes from EYFS to Year 6 will explore the same ‘Focus’ such as Family, Environment, Personal Hygiene, Safety etc. but will each have a different question to consider. The questions are designed to enable progression from EYFS to Year 6. During the session the children will take part in active, hands on sessions designed to engage each and every child. Each session is designed to widen our children’s minds by exploring themes and topics related to themselves, others and the world they live in. At the end of each Curriculum Breakout session the children will discuss the ‘Meaningful Message’ from that session. This is an important part of the session which enables teachers to assess if children have developed an understanding of the focus for that week. The Meaningful Messages from each year group are then shared in a whole school assembly which enables the Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher to also assess what the children have learnt and allows them to reinforce the important messages we wish children to remember and out into practise in their everyday lives.
Each year group is allocated a half term of KidSafe programme. This programme is delivered by a KidSafe Tutor and is designed to educate pupils about ways in which to keep themselves safe. It empowers pupils to speak out to a trusted adult. The key messages from this programme run through our SMSC/ PSHE curriculum.
When designing the curriculum, we used the Programme of Study for Education (Key Stages 1-5) by the PSHE Association to ensure coverage of both PSHE and SMSC. The programme of study includes three core themes:
These three core themes were embedded into our Breakout Curriculum. This document provided is with important objectives to ensure our curriculum was broad, balanced and rich. The objectives helped us to develop important questions for the children to explore each week as part of the Breakout sessions. Each year group exploring a different question but under the same weekly focus.
Other documents that were used to plan our Breakout curriculum include:
Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education DfE Statutory Guidance 2020
Mental health and behaviour in schools DfE 2018
Assistant Headteacher/Teacher/Early Reading Lead/ PD Lead/DDSL
I love to travel the world, discovering new places and exploring other cultures. I enjoy trying different types of food from the countries I visit. I love spending time with my friends and family.
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