Beyond the Curriculum

Educating the Whole Child

East Hunsbury Primary School (EHPS) is more than just a school. It is a school which develops the whole child right from the start of their educational journey. It is a school which ensures every child has access to the opportunities and experiences they deserve in order to flourish.

In 2022, Ofsted recognised that EHPS has a broad and ambitious curriculum, repeatedly singing its praises throughout the report. However, we are more than a curriculum. We are more than just good results and, whilst we have very high expectations for the standards and outcomes for our children, we know that school is much more than teaching them to read and write. We know that in our ever-changing world, life-skills such as resilience, empathy and critical thinking are essential in supporting children to successfully navigate their futures.

As Martin Luther King once said: ‘The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence, plus character – that is the goal of true education.’ 

So how does EHPS educate your child above and beyond their exceptional curriculum?

 

Values

At the heart sit our school values which are to: work hard, be kind and believe. It is these values that provide the foundations and direction for learning and the personal development of our children within our care. All our staff and children are expected to uphold these values and it is within these values we explore some of those key life-skills.

 

Education Teams

We have 5 education teams which are focussed on the personal development of the individual child:

  • Economics and Enterprise – this team teaches the children about financial planning, money and entrepreneurial skills.

  • Health and well-being – this team focusses on teaching and supporting the children’s physical and mental health. They will learn about healthy choices and the impact on these for their future.

  • Our World – is a team focussed on developing the children’s understanding of their role and place in the world. It explores the communities in which they live, provides opportunities to take part in local events whilst also looking at the role that they play as global citizens.

  • Enrichment and critical thinking – looks at providing the children with world-class enrichment opportunities and experiences to truly develop critical thinking.

  • Careers and aspirations – we want every child to believe in themselves and to know the choices and opportunities they have for their future.

 

Houses

Our House System is driven by our school values and is in place to further harness a sense of belonging and help children experience a community within a community. The houses are based on local forests/woods to represent how we can grow and be stronger together but they are also beautiful places to visit and celebrate which are on our doorstep. Our Houses provide another level of learning from whole school trips to house assemblies and special events.

#WeareEastHunsburyPrimary

 

70 Things to Do

Welcome to the East Hunsbury Primary School 70 Things To Do.

We are really proud of this initiative. As a school, we have carefully chosen 70 things that we believe every child should do during their childhood. They are 70 fun and enriching things e.g. roll down a hill, make a sandcastle and try to solve a rubix club. The idea behind this was influenced by the Rights of the Child which have been agreed by nearly every country in the world and in particular the right:

  • that a child’s education should help them develop their personality and

  • to rest, play and take part in cultural and artistic activities.

This initiative was also inspired by the National Trust’s 50 things to Do before your 11 ¾ https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/50-things and it is also a partnership between home and school.

When starting school with us, every child receives a booklet allowing them to tick off the things as they complete them. The reason we have 70 things is that we have broken them down into 10 ‘things’ per year group and have woven them into our curriculum. We have done this so that we can make sure every child has the opportunity to complete the 70 Things, even if they don’t, or can’t, at home.