Curriculum

Please click on the links below to find an overview of the school's curriculum. If you would like to find out more information about the school's curriculum then please email: admin@forestview.gloucs.sch.uk or contact the school office from our contact us page.

Individual subject information can be found by going to the relevant page on our website (see links on the right hand side)

Individual class overview's can be found by going to the class section of the website.

Our Curriculum

A curriculum designed for Forest View children

At Forest View, children are at the heart of our curriculum.

Our curriculum is ambitious for every child and has been carefully designed to meet the needs of the children and community we serve. It provides children with the knowledge, skills, experiences and opportunities they need to succeed at Forest View, be fully prepared for the next stage of their education and develop the confidence and curiosity to engage with the wider world.

We want every child to become a Forest Venturer and to:

Try. Learn. Lead the Way.

Our curriculum brings this ambition to life. It encourages children to try new things and embrace new experiences, to learn deeply and build knowledge over time and ultimately to lead the way by becoming confident, independent and responsible young people.

Ambition for every child

We have high expectations for every child at Forest View, regardless of their starting point or background.

Our curriculum enables children to:

develop a love of learning and enjoy coming to school;
become confident, curious and increasingly independent learners;
achieve the highest academic standards of which they are capable;
acquire secure knowledge and skills that build progressively over time;
develop their individual talents, interests and creativity;
communicate confidently and develop a rich vocabulary;
understand how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy and safe;
develop confidence, resilience and the ability to respond positively to challenge;
understand and respect people, communities, cultures and beliefs that may be different from their own; and
leave Forest View with the knowledge, skills and personal qualities they need for the next stage of their education.

We recognise that children have different starting points and different needs. High-quality teaching, appropriate adaptation, support and challenge help ensure that all children, including those with SEND and those who may experience disadvantage, are able to access an ambitious curriculum and experience success.

Rooted in our community, looking out to the world

Our location in the Forest of Dean is an important part of our identity. We want children to understand, appreciate and take pride in the community and environment in which they grow up.

At the same time, we recognise that growing up in a rural community can mean that some children have fewer opportunities to encounter particular places, cultures and experiences beyond their immediate locality.

Our curriculum therefore deliberately broadens children's experiences and horizons.

Through carefully chosen visits, visitors, texts, practical activities and wider opportunities, we help children to experience and understand a world beyond their immediate surroundings. This includes opportunities to explore different environments, places, communities, cultures, beliefs and ways of life.

These experiences are not additions to our curriculum. They are an important part of it. They develop children's vocabulary and background knowledge, provide meaningful contexts for learning, raise aspirations and help children make connections between what they learn in school and the wider world.

We want children to leave Forest View proud of where they come from and confident about where they can go.

Building knowledge from EYFS to Year 6

Our curriculum provides a clear and progressive journey from children's earliest experiences in the Early Years through to the end of Year 6.

In the Early Years, children learn through an ambitious and carefully planned curriculum that builds on what they already know and can do. Communication and language, early reading, personal development and strong foundations in literacy and mathematics are particularly important, alongside rich opportunities to explore, create, investigate and understand the world.

As children move through the school, their knowledge and skills are deliberately developed and built upon. Curriculum planning identifies the important knowledge children need to learn in each subject and ensures that new learning connects with what has been taught before.

Teachers regularly check what children know and understand. Assessment is used purposefully to identify misconceptions, adapt teaching, provide additional support or challenge and determine when children are ready to move their learning forward.

We recognise the particularly important role of language, reading and vocabulary in children's success. The ability to read confidently and communicate effectively gives children access to every area of the curriculum and opens opportunities throughout their lives. Developing these skills is therefore a priority from children's earliest days at Forest View and throughout their time with us.

Bringing learning to life

We want children to remember what they learn, but we also want them to remember what it felt like to learn it.

Where meaningful links can be made, learning is brought together through engaging themes and purposeful contexts. Children experience practical activities, educational visits, visitors and opportunities to apply their knowledge in ways that make learning relevant and memorable.

Our approach combines these rich experiences with carefully sequenced subject knowledge. Each subject has clearly identified learning so that children progressively build the knowledge and skills they need as they move through the school.

Our individual subject pages explain in greater detail what children learn, how learning develops over time and the knowledge and skills we expect children to acquire.

Enrichment: experiences beyond the classroom

At Forest View, we believe that a child's education extends far beyond the National Curriculum. Enrichment is an important part of our curriculum and of what it means to be a Forest Venturer.

Our enrichment offer is designed to broaden horizons, inspire curiosity, raise aspirations and create memorable experiences. We want every child to have opportunities to discover new interests, recognise their strengths and talents, develop their confidence and experience things that may otherwise sit beyond their everyday lives.

Throughout their time at Forest View, children experience a rich programme of educational visits, visitors, performances, sporting opportunities, outdoor learning, leadership roles, community projects and extra-curricular activities. These opportunities complement classroom learning and help children make meaningful connections between what they learn in school and the wider world.

Our enrichment programme provides opportunities across five broad areas:

Arts and culture, providing opportunities for children to experience, participate in and enjoy creative and cultural activities;
Sport and physical activity, promoting participation, teamwork, physical confidence and healthy lifestyles;
Nature and outdoor learning, including Forest School and opportunities to learn from and appreciate our unique Forest of Dean environment;
Civic and community engagement, enabling children to contribute positively to their school, local community and wider society; and
Life skills, developing qualities such as leadership, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, independence and confidence.

We deliberately connect enrichment to our curriculum wherever it can deepen children's knowledge and understanding. Experiences are selected because they add value to children's education, introduce them to new possibilities or provide opportunities to apply what they have learned in meaningful contexts.

Enrichment also provides an important opportunity for children to live out our school values of kindness and resilience, alongside honesty, tolerance, cooperation, invention and courage. Through working with others, taking responsibility, performing, competing, creating, exploring and sometimes stepping outside their comfort zones, children develop character as well as knowledge.

Most importantly, we want enrichment to be for every child. A child's background or circumstances should not determine the experiences available to them. We therefore work to ensure that all children can benefit from the wider opportunities that form part of life at Forest View.

Through these experiences, our children learn to Try things they may never have experienced before, Learn about themselves and the world around them, and develop the confidence to Lead the Way.

Values through our curriculum

Our curriculum develops more than academic knowledge.

At its heart are our two core values:

Kindness and Resilience

Alongside these, we promote and celebrate honesty, tolerance, cooperation, invention and courage.

Children experience opportunities to develop these values throughout school life and through the curriculum. We want them to learn how to work successfully with others, listen to different viewpoints, persevere when something is challenging, make thoughtful decisions and understand the impact their choices can have on other people.

Our curriculum also actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Children learn about rights and responsibilities, different cultures and communities, and the importance of respecting others.

Together, our curriculum and values prepare children to participate positively in modern Britain and the wider world.

A curriculum that continues to develop

Our curriculum is never regarded as finished.

Leaders and teachers regularly review what is taught and how well children are learning it. We consider children's outcomes, their work, their knowledge and understanding, feedback from pupils and staff, and developments within individual subjects.

We also look beyond Forest View. As part of the Forest of Dean Trust, and through our work with other schools, educational partners, teacher training and research, we learn from others and contribute our own expertise to the wider education community.

Where changes will improve children's learning or opportunities, we adapt and strengthen our curriculum.

The impact of our curriculum

Ultimately, the success of our curriculum is measured by the children who leave Forest View.

We want children to achieve well academically, but our ambitions extend beyond results.

By the end of Year 6, we want our children to have developed secure knowledge, strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, curiosity about the world, confidence in themselves and the resilience to respond to challenges.

We want them to recognise their own strengths and talents, respect and value other people and understand that their background should never limit what they can achieve.

Most importantly, we want every child to leave us ready for the opportunities and challenges ahead.