11 Before 11

We know that it is essential that children learn to read, write, and add up, but we want to offer so much more than that. Think back to your own childhood – what really stands out about your own primary school days? Was it phonics lessons and learning how to do long division? Or was it a brilliant school trip where you camped under the stars? Or built a raft and crossed a lake? Or built and launched rockets from the playground? These types of great opportunities – the memorable experiences that cement themselves into your psyche – happen in our school.

These opportunities and experiences go beyond our curriculum offer, and are called 11 Before 11. They are a series of seminal experiences that we want every child at Concordia to have experienced before they leave us to go to secondary school at aged 11. We are ambitious for our children to have broad horizons in life and high aspirations for themselves. We want our children to be inspired and challenged so that each one can develop their unique potential to the full.

This initiative helps inspire and challenge our pupils whilst allowing them to develop character traits which will help them thrive in the future. At Concordia Academy, we are extremely passionate about enriching our curriculum with various experiences to offer the children lifelong memories of their primary education. Below you will see some of the fantastic opportunities and experiences our children have had since we opened in 2016:

• Sung carols for the elderly at care homes during Christmas
• Worked with a specialist artist to create high-quality finished artworks
• Visited local and national theatre to watch theatrical productions such as Beauty and the Beast, and Matilda
• Raised money for various charities (including local homeless charities)
• Designed, produced, and sold different products whilst ensuring a profit was made
• Helped our local wildlife by making bug hotels
• Visited the Brewery to complete a Flashmob
• Rode a large animal
• Taken part in cookery workshops with a specialist chef where they learned about home cooking and healthy eating
• Grown tomatoes and used them to make a dinner

Each year we aim to arrange 11 unique experiences throughout the school year. The impact of these promises includes enabling children to give back to the community, whilst simultaneously helping them to gain confidence, work as a team, gain a sense of leadership, determination, and perseverance. These character traits develop children that are engaged with their communities and country.