Twitter Wall

Twitter Wall

Twitter Post Image

15/02/24

Early years funding is changing! Please do visit https://t.co/4lLfvEQ6pS to find out more. From September we will be offering places for 2 years olds. Please contact us to arrange a tour of our fantastic nursery. We look forward to welcoming you soon. pic.twitter.com/PjeOeapwAL

Twitter Post Image

08/02/24

Did you know many working parents can now apply for 15 hours of childcare funding for their two year old? The Childcare Choices website provides more information. We would be delighted to show you around our wonderful nursery, please contact us to arrange a time. pic.twitter.com/pAiSTfeBQT

Twitter Post Image

05/02/24

Applications are now open for Nursery places for next academic year (2024-25). For more details please visit our website. pic.twitter.com/jeIGFcvzY6

18/01/24

Want to learn more about in-school teacher training in your local school? Sign up to our online CPD event on 22.02.23! https://t.co/wAAOQUll5t#traintoteach pic.twitter.com/82BRWH0UT9

18/01/24

We are thrilled to announce an extraordinary opportunity! In the week beginning 29 January we will have the honour of hosting 25 students from China. https://t.co/5MSd4JbLey#diversity pic.twitter.com/bzkXtin6W8

Twitter Post Image

18/01/24

We are thrilled to announce an extraordinary opportunity! In the week beginning 29 January we will have the honour of hosting 25 students from China. https://t.co/5MSd4JbLey#diversity pic.twitter.com/bzkXtin6W8

Twitter Post Image

16/01/24

Want to learn more about in-school teacher training in your local school? Sign up to our online CPD event on 22.02.23! https://t.co/wAAOQUll5t#traintoteach pic.twitter.com/82BRWH0UT9

02/01/24

We are delighted to welcome our new CEO, Julian Drinkall, who takes up the helm at GLF Schools today!

02/01/24

We are delighted to welcome our new CEO, Julian Drinkall, who takes up the helm at GLF Schools today!

Twitter Post Image

20/12/23

We are now closed for the school holidays and will look forward to welcoming the children back on Monday 8th January 2024. pic.twitter.com/nYuBzXBEeI

Twitter Post Image

14/12/23

APPLICATIONS CLOSE SUNDAY 17TH DECEMBERWe're recruiting for a passionate individual to join our team as a Learning Assistant in our school's thriving Nursery, Mon-Wed 8:15-3:15 from January. Find out more on the link below or email the office https://t.co/tfrfmyH0hQ pic.twitter.com/9j0JXeX31n

08/12/23

Wishing a Happy Hanukkah to everyone celebrating. May you experience peace, love, and light through the holiday and the new year, from GLF Schools pic.twitter.com/b4IM0KGlpO

Twitter Post Image

08/12/23

We're recruiting for a passionate individual to join our team as a Learning Assistant in our school's thriving Nursery, Mon-Wed 8:15-3:15 from January.Find out more on the link below or email the office info.orghttps://t.co/tfrfmyH0hQ pic.twitter.com/Ui9Xm431bN

Twitter Post Image

07/12/23

Wishing a Happy Hanukkah to everyone celebrating. May you experience peace, love, and light through the holiday and the new year, from GLF Schools pic.twitter.com/b4IM0KGlpO

Twitter Post Image

22/11/23

We are excited to welcome new children to Hardwick's Nursery in January - get in touch with the school office (info.org or 01295 258355) or check out our website for more information or to arrange a tour. pic.twitter.com/tUfbtSezwc

19/10/23

Congrats from your Cluster 1 friends 🥳

Twitter Post Image

18/04/23

We are currently full for our September 2024 Reception intake, but you can join our waiting list in case any allocated places become available. Contact Oxfordshire's Admissions Team via: oxfordshire.gov.uk/contactus…

Twitter Post Image

18/04/23

We are currently full for our September 2024 Reception intake, but you can join our waiting list in case any allocated places become available. Contact Oxfordshire's Admissions Team via: https://t.co/25AbnvUIPx pic.twitter.com/ymZTnGjsSy

Twitter Post Image

17/04/23

A huge welcome to all our new and existing families who will be part of our new Reception cohort in September 2024 - we can't wait to have you with us! Keep an eye out for your welcome letter from us soon 😀

Twitter Post Image

17/04/23

A huge welcome to all our new and existing families who will be part of our new Reception cohort in September 2024 - we can't wait to have you with us! Keep an eye out for your welcome letter from us soon 😀 pic.twitter.com/IfilmCBVVi

Curriculum Overview

Steam

STEAM Curriculum

In 2021 we launched a hugely ambitious and exciting new STEAM Curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) and  continue to develop and embed the curriculum throughout the school.

We are one of a few schools in the country offering such a dedicated and bespoke approach to our curriculum, ensuring that children are inspired and equipped to join a world being transformed by technology.  The learning in our school has also been revolutionised by this new curriculum; the children work collaboratively each term towards creating a showcase project, these are then celebrated in an assembly open to all the parents and local community.  Please take a look at this page where you can see all the great learning we have been doing.

We believe our curriculum is equipping and exposing children to a very modern way of working; inspiring a future generation to peruse careers in high technology settings, of which Banbury is abundant.  During one visit to a local high-technology company the class were invited to write messages on a design wall - one year 6 boy at William Morris, our Sister School, wrote, ‘Please hire me, you have inspired me to work here in the future.’ At Longford Park, another sister school, following a trip to RAF Brize Norton, a Year 2 girl announced when she returned, "I am going to be an aeronautical engineer when I grow up." It is those aspirations we want to further engender and cultivate in the children in our school.

Through our STEAM curriculum we teach the disciplines of the Arts, Design and Technology, Geography, History and Science. Through our education offer, we empower children to acquire and internalise disciplinary behaviours; there is a constant interplay between knowledge learnt, skills acquired and the ability to effectively express oneself. 

The Arts (Performance art and fine art and design)

The Arts is interwoven throughout our STEAM curriculum and the skills to perform are built upon and developed from our youngest years. Children develop skills such as voice projection, how to pitch their performance to their audience and how to effectively work together when presenting or performing.

Fine art diciplinary knowledge and skills are built on year on year. Children build up their skills of drawing, painting and working with 3D media and use these to produce pieces of work linked to the curriculum taught within the term. In our Early Years' classrooms, children begin to explore mark making with a variety of tools and medium, building up to learning how to manipulate marks through pressure and movement. This knowledge is deepened and developed through the subsequent Key Stages where children explore line, pattern tone and texture.

Design and Technology

Design and technology skills and knowledge are built on throughout the primary age in the areas of construction of products, textiles and food technology. Our youngest children explore skills show as how to attach materials together using everyday objects and this is built on in later years with children investigating permanent and semi permanent joins. Throughout our design and technology lessons we are teaching the children:

  • how to develop, plan and communicate their ideas 
  • how to work safely with different tools and equipment to make quality products
  • how to evaluate products and processes

Geography

Our geography curriculum develops the children's curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. As the children progress through the curriculum they will deepen their understanding of the diverse nature of the planet in both the physical processes and the communities that exist on it. Locational and place knowledge is built upon from our earliest years, where the children learn about their local area, and then this knowledge is broadened and deepened to look at each of the continents in more detail. Developing geographical skills and field work is also a focus within our geography lessons. 

History

Historical themes are explored as the children progress through the curriculum. For example in Year 1 children explore the local history of Banbury and the importance it has had as a market town, and in Year 4, the children learn about the effects of power through settlers and invaders. The curriculum builds on historical skills and knowledge such as how the past has contributed to our life in the UK and the wider world. Throughout the Key Stages children also learn how to interpret sources and decide on their reliability.

Science

Science pervades our STEAM curriculum and is the golden thread that runs through every term. When working towards our STEAM challenges, the children, individually or as a whole class, will be working scientifically. That is to say, they will be making observations, generalisations, researching, planning, testing and evaluating. Science knowledge and skills are built on and deepened throughout the Key Stages through a cohesive and connective curriulum. Enquiry skills and approaches are explicitly taught to the children to help them question the world around them and how to find the answers to these questions. 

For each of the disciplines, we have a detailed progression documents of skills and knowledge from nursery to year 6. Below is an example of our art and design progression map.

Please contact the school office if you would like a hard copy of our curriculum theory and research. Please also see year group areas and subject specific areas for more information.

Documents