Beyond the Classroom

We enrich our curriculum by including visits, visitors and experiences in as many ways as possible.

Children in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage One attend Forest School at different times throughout the year to grow in their knowledge and understanding of world and to use the outdoors to make sense of the world around them. 

Each class have visits linked to their learning whether it is at the beginning of a topic to inspire and engage, in the middle of a unit to build on previous learning or at the end to consolidate and appreciate the learning that has taken place. Visits range from local studies such as Rectory Farm for Lambing, Claydon House, Waddesdon Manor or Local secondary Schools to visits further afield such as; the Natural History Museum; The British Motor Museum or the Living Rainforest where children have opportunities to learn and build specific knowledge linked to their units of work.

Visitors also come into school to enhance the opportunities available for children. Recently we have been visited by the Police, The Fire Brigade, The Viking Visitors from Portals of the Past, Reverend Ros, and the Medical Detection Dogs.

Children in the older classes also experience residential visits. In Year 3/4 we visit a Bushcraft centre where the children learn outdoor skills such as setting fires, whittling and team work skills. In Year 5/6 we move further afield and have a longer residential stay. We are currently using Whitemoor Lakes in Staffordshire to support this learning, but this is evaluated each visit and the best places to meet our needs is found.  

The school maximises the use of the community and the Church, visiting throughout the year. We are also developing links with community groups such as the Padbury Friendship Group to increase the difference we can make in our local community. 

Transition to Secondary Schools is supported by visits to local Secondary Schools for Science, Esafety theatre shows, Computing afternoons as well as the County transition days.