Respond to My World
At Raysfield, we want our children to understand the world in which they live. Respond to My World encourages children to look beyond the classroom and ask thoughtful questions about the world around them.
Throughout their time at Raysfield, children follow learning journeys that gradually broaden their understanding of the world. These journeys are connected through three key themes: Respecting Each Other, Respecting Our World and Respecting Our History. Together, these themes encourage children to develop an understanding of people and communities; the natural and wider world; and the events and experiences that have shaped our lives today.
In the younger years, this might begin with exploring the world immediately around them – noticing seasonal change, caring for living things or thinking about how they can work together. As children progress through the school, they encounter increasingly complex issues and perspectives, such as protecting wildlife, understanding where food comes from, exploring migration and inclusivity, and considering the impact of fast fashion on the world.
A key part of this is learning by ‘doing’. Children are given opportunities to use practical skills to solve problems, design, make, test and improve. Design Technology plays an important role in this, giving children opportunities to turn ideas into purposeful outcomes. For example, children use their understanding of light and shadow to create a shadow puppet performance, explore engineering through design challenges, or develop solutions that respond to environmental and community issues.
Our curriculum maps show how these themes develop throughout the school, with children building knowledge, skills and understanding year by year.
