Dedicated to Achieving Success and Happiness for All
Our school is successfully changing to a more skills-based ‘Big Questions’ curriculum which is aimed at both igniting our pupils enthusiasm for learning and at delivering a progressive knowledge based curriculum for our pupils. Our teachers have adapted to the recently introduced ‘Big Questions’ curriculum well and are teaching it with skill and enthusiasm. Subjects are linked cohesively, giving meaning and purpose to pupils’ learning. Cross curricular opportunities to extend pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills through other subjects are utilised regularly and effectively.
Global Citizenship and British Values at Cumwhinton School
We believe we have a duty to prepare our pupils for the modern world - so that they understand the social, cultural, faith and economic facets of everyday life in modern Britain.
Through dedicated ‘MSSC Days’ (Moral, Social, Spiritual and Cultural Days) and dedicated themed weeks we teach our children to think about society, culture, faith, democracy and a range of key British values. As a school, these values permeate throughout our curriculum. We want our pupils to grow in awareness and understanding of the wider world - and their place in it. We encourage our pupils to take an active role in their community, to work with others to make our planet more equal, fair and sustainable and we help our children to build their own understanding of world events, by actively encouraging our ‘pupil voice’ (e.g. through dedicated weekly assemblies, the use of the ‘Picture News’ programme and our central ‘Pupil Voice’ weekly questions board and our democratically elected School Council ). We endeavour to make links with culturally diverse communities through ‘The Big Classroom’ social network and have links with a primary school in Tanzania.
Growth Mindset at Cumwhinton Primary School
Decades of research show a powerful relationship between mindset and achievement. Rigorous research also shows that mindsets can change and that when they are changed, to have a Growth Mindset, pupils are more successful. Pupil's beliefs about intelligence and learning impact: their motivation, their academic behaviours (e.g. working hard and asking for help), their responses to challenges and setbacks and their academic achievement. Therefore, at our school pupils are taught how to recognise a 'Fixed Mindset' (which is a fixed trait and belief that things can't be changed) and they are taught the benefits of developing a 'Growth Mindset' (a belief that you can grow your intellegence through effort). We use 'The Power of Yet' to explain Growth Mindset to our pupils.
We teach the children how everyday interactions shape mindsets through the language we choose to use:
We don’t focus on:
Do focus on:
“I like how you tried a new way to solve that.”
“You’ve been practicing and I can see it’s paying off.”
“I love mistakes because they’re an opportunity to learn – being challenged is when the brain grows most.”
We strive hard to:
The Habits of the Mind at Cumwhinton Primary SchoolAt our school we help children to understand and manage their emotions, thinking and behaviour through the ‘Chimp Paradox’ by Dr Steve Peters and his ten 'Habits of the Mind'. We teach our pupils how to manage their inner 'chimp' (which is the name we use for the bit of the brain which runs on emotions and gut instincts, makes snap judgements and thinks in black and white. It contrasts with the more rational, evidence-based part of the brain which sees shades of grey).
The ten 'Habits of the Mind' are: