Our Wider Curriculum Offer

Music

Music enriches our lives: it brings joy both as a listener and a participant; it can comfort and make us feel secure; it can challenge us and confront us. All human societies and ages engage with music. Rarely does a day go by without music influencing and affecting us.

At OPS, we strive to provide the best music education for all children. We are committed to developing excellence in both provision and outcomes. We want all our children to learn to be active participators in music and not just listeners.

Experiencing and learning music systematically provides many benefits to children. Research demonstrates that it can enhance learning in other areas of the curriculum.

Children across the school are offered the opportunity to have tuition in the following:

Weekly lessons on instruments are given by visiting tutors, all of whom are professional musicians who both teach and perform. Lessons are given either individually or in small groups, generally lasting half an hour. The lessons take place during the school day.

 

P.E - OCRA (Okehampton Community & Recreation Association)

Physical education plays a vital role in primary schools because it helps children develop the knowledge, skills, and habits they need to lead active, healthy lives. The PE curriculum encourages pupils to build physical confidence, improve fitness, and understand the importance of making positive health choices. It also links closely to the wider curriculum by promoting teamwork, resilience, communication, and problem‑solving—skills that support learning across all subjects. By taking part in a broad range of sports and activities, including local competitions with other schools, pupils apply the National Curriculum aim of becoming physically confident in a way that supports both health and character development. These opportunities help children experience success, learn fairness and respect, and feel part of a wider community while staying active and healthy.

 

At OPS, we are proud to be fully-paid members of OCRA: a charity organisation within Okehampton that aims to maintain and develop sporting/recreational opportunities and facilities for young people. This includes competitive and participatory inter-school competitions in a range of sports.

More information can be found by visiting their website: OCRA Website

Here is the annual calendar of events that we will do our utmost to attend:

 

Trips, Visitors and Experiences

At OPS, we believe that meaningful learning doesn’t only happen within the classroom walls. Offsite trips play a vital role in enriching our curriculum, sparking curiosity, and helping pupils connect their learning to the wider world. Whether it’s a visit to a museum, a nature reserve, or a cultural landmark, these experiences deepen understanding, build confidence, and create lasting memories.

To ensure all trips are safe, well-organised, and educationally purposeful, we use Evolve, an online platform that supports the planning, approval, and management of educational visits. This system helps us maintain high standards of safeguarding and risk assessment while enabling staff to focus on delivering inspiring experiences.

Our commitment to learning beyond the classroom is led by our Educational Visitors Coordinator (EVC): Lisa Jones, who oversees the planning and quality assurance of all off-site activities.