Beyond the Curriculum

The extent of the curriculum goes beyond the academic, vocational or technical.

• The importance of global citizenship is being representative of the community we serve through our sister school, Beam County School Ghana (https://www.beamcountyschool.org/beam2/), to raise pupils’ awareness of the world around them.
• An archaic language is taught as a large body of evidence points to the fact that children who study Latin gain an advantage in multiple other academic areas that apply to a wide range of careers.  Latin supplies many root words for the specialised vocabularies of the modern sciences. It is also the language of law, politics, logic, and theology. Indeed, all legal terms come from Latin. Furthermore, Studying Latin provides the foundation for learning other modern foreign languages – even German or Russian.  Beam was awarded in 2023 for its outstanding achievement by Classics for All:    https://classicsforall.org.uk/news-and-events/events/teaching-awards-2023
• We offer free violin or ukulele lessons to pupils in KS2.
• All pupils are encouraged to join one of two choir extra-curricular lessons.
• Annual visits to pantomimes or the theatre for our pupils to immerse children in professional theatre.
• All complex pupils who are nonverbal and have low cognition are offered a SEND-specific curriculum. Speech and language therapy and sensory integration are available to support them. Beam County Primary School is fully inclusive.
• Specialist teaching is offered in Music, PE, and Art.
• Chess is offered as a lunchtime club to develop critical thinking skills.
• Ongoing visits to museums, galleries and places of interest each half-term to support curriculum study.
• Outside agencies and specialists deliver presentations in school to support the curriculum.
• Outside safeguarding agencies are working with the school to promote keeping safe in the community, e.g. knife crime, drugs, gangs.
• We have an ongoing partnership with professional actors from the local community. During 2021 – 2023, we were part of the Paul Hamlyn Project to strengthen drama, oracy, performance, curriculum, teaching, and learning.  This has continued to grow with an artist who works alongside the pupils and teachers.  Pupils participated in Student University and 
• Ongoing partnership with local artists to support creativity and art installation.
• Ongoing partnership with community links to film and music production for our pupils.

Latin

Story of Me

Ground-breaking literacy programme for local schools
Working alongside The Barking and Dagenham Cultural Education Partnership, we were the lead school and were thrilled to be awarded funding from the Paul Hamlyn Project. We worked alongside seven other schools from the borough and Inspiring Future to construct and design a new literacy programme.

The programme, called ‘The Story of Me’, looks at non-Western approaches to literacy development and uses storytelling to overcome barriers to learning, including students with English as an additional language. We worked alongside local artists to develop new ways of teaching to reflect the diversity and multiculturalism of the borough so that all pupils see themselves reflected in the stories and storytelling in school. 

Catherine Sutton, Head of Programme: Education at Paul Hamlyn Trust, said:

“We are delighted to support this project, which brings together a dynamic group of partners to develop an immersive programme of teacher continuing professional development and learning.

“The project will explore how representative and diverse models of storytelling and theatre-making can enhance teachers’ literacy development and language acquisition skills.”

Councillor Carpenter, Cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and School Improvement, said:

“Congratulations to all the staff involved in securing the funding for this pioneering programme.
“I look forward to seeing how the collaboration between teachers and arts organisations supports the development of children’s literacy skills.

“The arts can play an important role in enriching young people’s learning and educational experiences.”

For this academic year, we have further developed this by implementing the 'Story of I'.

First Aid Training

For some years, our pupils have completed basic first aid training as part of the 2014 National Curriculum in England curriculum. This training equips them with essential skills and knowledge to provide immediate emergency care. Through interactive sessions, they learnt about assessing injuries, applying bandages and performing CPR. This training not only develops their confidence and responsibility but also prepares them to play an active role in their community.

Furthermore, we have also extended this offer to our parents. 

What is Children’s University?

 Children’s University is a charity that works in partnership with schools to develop a love of learning in children. We do this by encouraging and celebrating participation in extra-curricular activities in and outside of school.

The Need for Children’s University

By the time a child turns 18, they will have spent just 9% of their waking life in a classroom. Children’s University is about making the most of the remaining 91%. 

Research shows that participation in extracurricular activities can positively impact attainment, increase a pupil’s positive identification with school, and build self-confidence and resilience. However, children who do not have access to these opportunities fall behind, lack confidence, and fail to develop career aspirations. The resulting attainment gap is so significant that 25% of children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds achieve below-expected attainment levels.

Children’s University- 2024 Beam Graduates

Congratulations to our young graduates on their well-deserved success!

Year 4 pupils celebrated a significant milestone by graduating from the Children’s University, with proud parents in attendance. This special ceremony recognised the pupils’ commitment to learning beyond the classroom, celebrating their achievements in various extracurricular activities. They have expanded their knowledge and skills through participation in diverse programs, setting a solid foundation for lifelong learning.