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Curriculum Information

At Crosshall Junior School, we are dedicated to ensuring children have access to a challenging, engaging and exciting curriculum across all key subject areas.  We are committed to ensuring that all subjects of the National Curriculum are taught in detail and with interest so that children retain information during the year and beyond.  Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum entitlements for all children in the UK.  Please find below our Curriculum Statement, which details our approach.

Statement of Intent

At Meridian Trust, we understand the importance of a well-rounded, fulfilling curriculum to prepare our children for the next stage of education, and for their future as citizens of the United Kingdom (U.K.) This document outlines the subjects we teach and some key information about what we do.

Mission Statement

We aim to:

  • Ensure that all children have the opportunity to learn the skills and knowledge that create active, interested and lifelong learners.
  • Provide a knowledge-rich curriculum for our children
  • Provide a variety of exciting, flexible, enjoyable and engaging learning experiences for all children whilst fully implementing the National Curriculum.
  • Enable depth of coverage and effective sequencing in order to build progression of skills.
  • Ensure that all children make at least good progress.
  • Actively seek and plan for creative links between subjects to further understanding.
  • Plan for opportunities to write for real and experienced purposes across the curriculum.

Vision Statement

Meridian Trust is a multi‐academy trust formed on 1st April 2022 through the voluntary merger of Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) and Cambridge Primary Education Trust. It comprises of Histon & Impington Brook School, Histon & Impington Park School, Hatton Park Primary School, Trumpington Park Primary School, Somersham Primary School, The Lantern Primary school, Downham Feoffees Primary Academy, West Town Primary Academy, The Bluecoat school, Bar Hill Primary school, Great Ouse Primary Academy, Harrold Primary Academy, Oakley Primary Academy, Sawtry Junior Academy and ourselves, Crosshall Junior School along with Crosshall Infant School.

Meridian Trust is an exceptional partnership of like‐minded schools that is leading the way in developing new leadership models for primary education with the aim of achieving the best possible outcomes for all the children in the schools across the Trust.

The vision is to develop a self‐sustaining partnership of schools that provides an outstanding education for all their children by offering a broad and balanced curriculum whilst remaining embedded in the local community.

We believe that children learn best when they are happy, secure, respected and valued as individuals. Our schools are busy and vibrant places where we encourage children to flourish across the curriculum and to achieve their potential. Our expectations are high and the standard of care is outstanding. Staff are very committed to providing the best for the children.

We encourage our children to develop respect, open‐mindedness, honesty and tolerance for others. For each individual child we will seek to maximise their confidence, self‐esteem and independence. We have a commitment to provide an environment where the safety and well‐being of children is paramount. You can find out more about the curriculum overview for each year group on the Key Stage pages under curriculum.

Our Approach

The school follows the National Curriculum.

Our Learning and Teaching Policy can be found in our Policies section of this website. 

The school seeks to develop each child's character and understanding of the world through our Future Me, Arts Passports, Sparky Starts, Fabulous Finishes; our Values of Ambition, Resilience, and Kindness, our work on inclusion and equality, #CJSFamilies, and through the promotion of British values.  All of this work can be defined as our Cultural Capital.

We comply with our duties under the Equality Act 2010 in all areas of our school and in relation to the curriculum. When making decisions, such as creating the school uniform, the nine protected characteristics are considered. Please see our Equality Policy on the Policy page for more information. 

Should you require further information regarding our curriculum, please contact the School Office. 

Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and the Curriculum

The curriculum meets the needs of individual students in the following ways, and as necessary: 

  • small group or individual support from a teaching assistant;
  • pre-teaching content or vocabulary;
  • over-learning key facts;
  • alternative activities set for home learning;
  • specially targeted texts and resources, appropriate for a student’s reading age;
  • the use of additional apparatus or materials, including specialist equipment and technology;
  • access to the Learning and Wellbeing Mentors;
  • parent partnership;
  • regular review of provision;
  • recognition of achievements;
  • next steps planning;
  • support from external professionals.

If you have any further queries regarding our SEND provision, please visit the SEND page of our website or contact Sarah Clee, our SENDCo via the school office.

Music Development Plan

Crosshall Junior School’s Music Development Plan

Academic Year: 2024 - 2026

Date Summary was published: September 2024

Date Summary will be reviewed: September 2026

Name of the school Music Lead: Melanie Hamilton-Peck

Name of local music hub: Cambridgeshire Music

Part A: Curriculum Music

Crosshall Junior School understands that music is a vital part of our curriculum and through our music provision our children will become more enthusiastic learners. The school recognises that learners are creative beings prior to their arrival at school and continue to have creative experiences during and outside the school day. Music lessons are currently delivered every other week derived from the Model Music Curriculum supported by Charanga Musical School in the Paxton Room (designated music room) or classrooms. You can find our curriculum outline here. Our music lessons are focussed around listening and appraising; singing; playing instruments such as recorders, glockenspiels and a range of percussion instruments; and performing. All children are given the opportunity to perform individually, in small groups, as a class, as a year group and as a whole school during assemblies. Our school is partnered with Cambridgeshire Music whereby the music subject lead collaborates with organisations to ensure progression throughout the school as well as to deliver CPD to the wider staff. Other performances include the Year 3 Nativity, Year 5 Shakespeare and a Year 6 Leavers’ Song, whereby the lyrics are written by the children of Year Six. In addition to this, year groups attend Performing Arts Assemblies, which takes place three times a term at a minimum.

Part B: Extra-curricular Music

Crosshall Junior School understands the importance of music outside the classroom and offers opportunities outside of the school day to extend children’s learning. Children can attend CJS Choir Club where weekly rehearsals take place for performances during Celebration Assemblies and concerts for parents. Further to this, the choir performs in the community attending local churches and care homes. This year, the introduction of CJS Voices - an invitation only choir - will be on offer to extend the musicianship of those that are at a greater depth level. In addition to this, Rocksteady offers weekly band lessons, which develops musicianship, supports well-being and contributes to academic progress. These children perform termly concerts to parents and the whole school. Furthermore, children have access to the Paxton Room during lunch times where they can rehearse their singing or use the Rocksteady equipment - an electric drum kit, electric bass, electric guitar and microphones - to further develop their practice. One to-one lessons are also on offer including: drum lessons, piano lessons and guitar lessons. These children showcase their development in a winter and spring concert to parents in the hall. Lastly, Crosshall established the Arts Council, which has a representative from each class to help improve and create awareness of the creative arts across the school, including music. From this council, the Arts Passport was developed whereby children can achieve pledges (participating in a concert in the community, listening to a concert, composing a song etc.) to achieve different levels of certificates - bronze, silver and gold.

Part C: Musical Experiences

In the wider curriculum, Crosshall Junior School understands the importance of the music provision and that it doesn’t end in the classroom. In September 2023, Crosshall finished their Artsmark journey and was awarded Artsmark Gold. This has allowed the school to reflect on our teaching of music, art, dance and drama and how these subjects are incorporated into everyday teaching and wider school life. The whole school participates in a Christmas Carol concert led by the CJS choir to parents and members of the public at the local church. Every year, the whole school and parents/carers watch our Year 3 children perform in a nativity, Year 5 perform a Shakespeare production and Year 6 perform their Leavers’ song, which is always written by the Year 6 children. Every year, our CJS instrumentalists perform to parents in a winter and spring concert. Rocksteady provides the opportunity for children to work across different year groups within bands and ensembles, which perform to the whole school and parents/carers. Our CJS choir perform in a spring and winter concert to parents, half termly Celebration Assemblies and travel to London to sing in the Young Voices Concert. All children rehearse and perform in half-termly Performing Arts Assemblies and through auditions, children can perform solos, duets or small group performances (song, dance, scene or poetry) to the whole school showcasing something they’ve been working on during their own time. Lastly, every December, the Parent Teacher Committee organises a live pantomime performance for the whole school.

CJS Music Development Plan

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Spelling Teaching

We use free resources from Emile within our classrooms and as teaching resource.  Visit their website for more details https://emile-education.com/spelling-with-emile/