The enrichment layer in our school gives children new opportunities to become inspired and helps teachers to nurture the children’s talents. By taking part in performances, competing and meeting pupils from other schools, our children will become more rounded and confident individuals and take a more active role in their own lives.

At Ryecroft Primary Academy, we strongly believe that taking learning outside of the classroom broadens and enhances pupils’ learning. Because of this, we offer our children a range of trips and experiences linked to our curriculum. We ensure that children have taken part in a range of high-quality experiences throughout their time at Ryecroft.

Our curriculum is designed to extend beyond the academic; it is designed for our community and wider society. We want our pupils to experience a wide range of opportunities in our ever-changing world. We focus on developing pupils’ moral, spiritual, social and cultural understanding so that they are well-prepared for life in modern Britain. We aim to introduce them to a wide breadth of opportunities to enable them to make informed choices about their future careers. We ensure that during their time at Ryecroft Primary Academy, children are offered a variety of enrichment opportunities. Our academy provides an inclusive environment where all learners enjoy their education. We planned our curriculum and learning opportunities, so all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

Our PSHE and RSE curriculum helps pupils to understand how to keep themselves safe. Pupils can explore and debate issues which affect our local community and wider society. These include internet safety, CSE, radicalisation and knife crime. We want pupils to be aspirational and make good choices. We want them to understand what they need to do to reach and succeed in the careers to which they aspire.

All pupils experience a rich PSHE and SMSC curriculum, including British values and RSE. Please see links to further information on our offer in these areas:

Children are a key part of our school and therefore each year, we hold democratic elections to select representatives from each year to sit on the Academy Council. The members then meet with Miss Wrightson to discuss school issues, or things that the children would like to raise, representing their classes wishes and feelings.

This is a key part of British Values in action.

The school community has raised money for a number of causes. One of these was Bone Cancer Research. The charity was chosen by the Academy Council and the children were able to raise over £100.

In Year 6, our pupils take part in the DARE programme. This programme is designed to inform, educate and prepare pupils for everyday situations that they may face. The programme provides a decision making process model and resistance strategies. It also helps pupils to understand personal responsibility and consequences.

Areas covered include coverage around:

Drugs, alcohol, knife crime, hate crime, stress, peer pressure, and communication.

Drugs, Alcohol and Resilience Training – Life Skills Education Charity

As well as a high-quality PE curriculum, children at Ryecroft are able to participate in a vast range of sporting events, which include inter and intra-school opportunities. We participate in a number of competitive events, for example football, athletics and more. Within this, we have provision to promote inclusion of all groups.

Each week we take part in the Votes for Schools poll, across KS1 and KS2 (Years 1-6). Votes for Schools is a key element of our curriculum, including rich exposure to issues involving British Values and social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. The approach allows pupils to consider current world issues and have their say in terms of the opinion they develop on a question over the course of the week. The week starts with a school assembly and then later in the week their is a further class based sessions, which ends with a vote.

Please see the results of a recent poll, which asked do you think alien life exists?

Our school choir took part in the School Proms 2024. This is involves the school joining other schools to form a huge choir and perform to parents. Prior to this, the children spend time learning the songs and developing their singing and performance skills.