The Curriculum

Machen Primary School aims to be a child-centred school at the heart of the community it serves and  is recognized as a friendly place, where people are happy to spend time, work co-operatively and attain their individual and collective potential in their pursuit of excellence.

We aim to be a learning organisation where all stakeholders work in partnership to ensure they receive a rich, inspiring and engaging curriculum enabling every child to be physically, creatively, technologically, emotionally and academically fit for life.

    1. To enable each child to develop to his/her full potential.

    2. To help all pupils acquire lively enquiring minds and the ability to question and discuss rationally.

    3. To assist pupils to acquire knowledge and skills relevant to adult life in a fast-changing world.

    4. To create learning opportunities which motivate, engage and challenge learners

    5. To ensure Pupils are involved in making full use of the latest electronic/digital sources, practical materials and resources to support / extend them as learners in the 21st century

    6. To instil respect for moral values and tolerance of other races, cultures, religions and ways of life.

    7. To promote an active healthy lifestyle through encouraging children to adopt a healthy diet and exercise

    8. To give each child a positive introduction to structured education which will provide a firm foundation for future learning.

    9. To create ethically informed future citizens who are ready to contribute as citizens of the locality and the wider world.

    10. To provide children with opportunities to develop bilingualism, encouraging the speaking, reading and writing of Welsh and International Languages.

  • In Wales, primary schools organise their curriculum in two phases:

    Foundation Phase ~ 3-7 years of age

    At this stage the main building blocks of learning experiences are laid. The emphasis will be on developing essential skills of communication, literacy and numeracy. We believe by providing a broad rich curriculum, we aim to develop the children’s interests whilst also recognizing their level of maturity. These are important years for your child where they learn to observe, listen, respond and develop not only as individuals but also as caring members of the community.

    Key Stage 2 ~ 7-11 years of age

    The essential skills of communication, literacy and numeracy will still be the central focus of our curriculum. But, as their understanding of the different disciplines increases, more time will be given to science and the foundation subjects.

    Children will be encouraged to develop self-confidence, independence in learning and higher order reading skills in a range of situations.

  • The curriculum for children from the ages 3 to 16 years old, sets the parameters for each ‘Area of Learning and Experience’.

    These area are:

    • Expressive Arts

    • Health and Well-Being

    • Humanities

    • Languages, Literacy and Communication

    • Mathematics and Numeracy

    • Science and Technology

    Each ‘Area of Learning and Experience’ includes, where appropriate, a Welsh dimension as well as an international and UK perspective. The early years of a child’s life form the basis for their future development. It is during the early years that we have the opportunity to enhance each child’s disposition to learning and to start them on the road to being ‘lifelong learners’, which is key to success for all children. We teach the above areas through cross-curricular contexts.