Cultural Education

At St Bartholomew’s, we strive to provide children with a range of opportunities to develop their own understanding of culture, the arts and run many endeavours as a supplement to our curriculum. The following are snapshots of what we do to encourage an excellent cultural education:

An annual multicultural week and evening, where the school celebrated the wide range of cultures in our school.
A key emphasis on black history, which we are currently embedding throughout our wider curriculum, including through history topics.
Visits to local libraries, supplemented via a range of library boxes to promote a wider love of reading.
Trips to a range of local museums and areas of importance in our local area.
In KS2, we celebrate National Film Week, attending our local cinema.
Art lessons are taught in half term topics across school. Every year group has a focus on drawing and painting and two other areas of art.
DT lessons are also taught in half term blocks, with every year group having a focus on cooking and two other areas on a whole school cycle.
The school offers a wide range of diverse clubs, both curricular and to support the child’s wider development; Mindfulness, science, art and religious stories, keyboard, crafts, board games, French, singing, computing, first aid, drama, yoga, lego, football and magazine club.
As well as music being taught weekly through individual music lessons and in worship assemblies, we celebrate music through a music week each year. This encourages and develops a further love of music, involving a range of visitors and visits with a local high school, music performers into assemblies and workshops and a whole school talent show: St Bart’s got talent!
There are a range of exciting trips to areas of historical interest – Armley Mills, Temple Newsam, local parks, farms, The Royal Armories and many others!
Year groups put on a Christmas performance for parents, peers and residents from the local care homes. We also have a range of children who regularly visit the local care homes to hear stories from the residents and play games with them.
Each year group in school has 20 things they are to complete each year to work towards their cultural education called ‘The St Bart’s Bucket List’.
Music tuition is a central part to our music curriculum, including recorders and glockenspiels. Our music leaders also run keyboard and guitar clubs, purchased using music grants, which can be loaned to pupils each week. We also have various school choirs.
Many year groups also enter a range of writing competitions, lots of which have been published in various books. We also have a book week, where children get to work with a range of authors.
As a school, we highly value the worth of books. Each child gets their own reading book, which they borrow and return. Older children also have a book they read for pleasure. We also purchase a book at Christmas time for each child.
We get the children involved in a range of charitable days, raising money for various good causes.

Curriculum - Cultural Education - Leeds City of Culture

Children from reception to year 6 have been taking part in the Leeds City of Culture - Waking the artist project. We have looked at lots of different things that make our city great and culturally diverse. Reception recreated Leeds Town Hall with construction materials and drew the lions that are found on the steps of the town hall. Year 1 used a variety of drawing and colouring techniques to create their own owls. In year 2, we used watercolours to paint the famous Leeds to Liverpool Canal. Years 3 and 4 looked at different logos and badges found in and around Leeds. They used printing tiles to recreate the logos. Years 5 and 6 looked at different famous people from Leeds and things invented in Leeds. They used collage to make these.

Curriculum - Cultural Education - Eden Camp Trip

Year 5 and year 6 had an amazing day at Eden Camp. The children spent the day experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of life on the Home Front and the Front Line. A favourite was the new ‘Blitz’ hut featuring images of planes flying overhead. Children also enjoyed the opportunity of seeing armoured vehicles up close. Well done to all the children - their behaviour and attitude has been exemplary!

Curriculum - Cultural Education - Farm Trip

Year 1 really enjoyed their visit to Meanwood Valley Urban Farm. We learned about composting and how compost is made. The children then collected a variety of green and brown matter, along with some minibeasts to make their own compost. We planted some herb seeds and are taking care of them to make sure they grow. The children enjoyed seeing and stroking the animals around the farm. We even got to touch some frog spawn from the pond.

Curriculum - Cultural Education - Hello Yellow Day

All classes in school took part in 'Hello Yellow' to help raise awareness of the Young Minds charity (Young Minds Website) and the work we can all do to support the mental health of young people.

Curriculum - Cultural Education - Skipton Castle Trip

Year 2 enjoyed a trip to Skipton Castle. They all had an amazing day and impressed the guides with all the facts they already knew about castles.

Curriculum - Cultural Education - Armley Mills Visit

We got the chance to dress up as Victorian children in a visit to Armley Mills. They completed sums on a slate, the boys practiced their reading (while the girls just listened) and used a dip ink pen to do their handwriting. We also took part in some physical exercise using wooden dumbbells and plenty of energy.