We designed pupil passports to ensure that our knowledge and skills curriculum were underpinned by real-life experiences, available to all pupils during their journey through Pennine Way. These cover a range of different purposes but children, parents and staff were all involved in choosing these with the focus being on their most memorable experiences from childhood or previous year groups. We aim to celebrate and embrace the different backgrounds, heritage, languages and traditions of all of the children as well as supporting their SMSC (Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural) development and the wider curriculum experiences.

Visits

Many of our children are unable to be taken on holidays, trips or to clubs which would expose them to a broader range of experiences. Through our passports, we therefore introduce our children to a range of visits and experiences to enrich their subject knowledge and curiosity about the world around them. We have carefully planned a range of focuses to enhance all areas of the curriculum.

Some experiences include travelling on a train, visiting a zoo or going to a theatre to watch a performance. Religious Education is enriched through visits such as Samye Ling and Carlisle Cathedral. Science and Design and Technology through a visit to a Science Museum, Art and Design through experiencing looking around an Art gallery. History is enriched through local visits to Hadrians Wall and Tullie House, where in Geography pupils have the opportunity to visit a city in a different county and travel to Scotland. 

In addition to those above, our local area is a key focus as we aim to ensure that the children have a secure understanding of their county, Cumbria. We endeavour for all of our children to walk around a lake, climb a mountain, paddle in a lake and eat an ice cream by the sea. 

Families have fed back to us that many of these opportunities would not otherwise be available for their children. We subsidise these visits to ensure that they are affordable as possible for all families as well as setting up payment instalment options and giving parents as much notice as possible about costs to enable them to plan. 

Life Skills and Community Experiences

Other experiences are based around childhood memories and life skills. Childhood experiences include climbing a tree, having a water fight, playing in the mud, eating with a knife and fork, learning to tie a shoe lace and learning to sew on a button.

Community work, for example visiting a care home to play games or sing to the residents or picking up litter in your local area are also planned for, as are social skills, such as playing a board game, going orienteering and taking part in a debate.