Implementation
With our pupils’ emotional and physical well-being at the forefront of our thinking, we deliver a curriculum that fulfils all statutory requirements and more. The fundamental ethos of our school is to raise aspirations, engender a sense of personal pride in achievement and provide a purpose and relevance for learning.
Teaching and learning opportunities are thoughtfully mapped out to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to contribute successfully in the modern world. Pupils revisit, apply and deepen their prior learning within and across subject areas.
A blocked curriculum approach has been implemented in the school to ensure coverage and progression across a number of curriculum areas, ensuring cross-curricular opportunities are offered where possible. This approach enables project based learning. Subjects are taught as part of a theme which is designed to be exciting and engaging. Displays in all classrooms reflect the theme and ‘memorable experiences’ are built in to engage, immerse and hook the children into their learning experience.
Subject leaders play an important part in the success of the curriculum by leading and undertaking a regular and robust programme of monitoring, evaluation and review. All subject leaders are offered training and the opportunity to keep developing their own subject knowledge, skills and understanding, so they can support their colleagues and curriculum development throughout the school. CPD for all staff is a priority to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver the highest standards across the curriculum.
Children are expected to work hard and demonstrate positive learning behaviours to both maximise their own individual learning potential, as well as contribute to the school and wider community. We are committed to working in partnership with parents as we believe that when home and school work closely together we get the best outcomes for our pupils.
Central to strong learning behaviours and the curriculum design, is an expectation of quality first teaching and learning. Teaching staff use the curriculum pathways and planning format to ensure that learning is sequenced so that children build knowledge and skills over time – both building skills and knowledge within the year group curriculum, but also building on, and making connections with, prior knowledge from other years in school.
The school takes pride in providing an inclusive environment where learners demonstrate high levels of enjoyment in their education and most make good progress. Children at all levels are helped to achieve their potential. Those who are most able are challenged and supported through being offered tasks which provide opportunities for greater depth and those who struggle are encouraged and given targeted support to embed skills, to develop at their own pace or simply to learn in a style that suits their individual needs. SEND and Disadvantaged children are an area of focus for the school to try to ensure that these children make strong progress from their starting points.
Teachers use assessment effectively to check understanding and inform next steps so that knowledge is gained, applied and consolidated. Pupil progress meetings are held x 3 a year, linked to agreed data drop points, to discuss the progress of every child and put in additional interventions as required.
We believe that our fundamental task is to teach our children to speak clearly and articulately and to read and write effectively. We pay close attention to the development of speech and language skills and have a trained TA (who now trains others) to intervene with speech and language support thereby removing as many barriers to learning as possible. Reading is promoted across the school with a focus on confidence and enjoyment. We want our pupils to develop a love of reading during their time at the school and be exposed to a range of quality literature. High quality texts are used in all year groups to promote reading skills, adventurous vocabulary and extended sentence structures. Attractive book corners are established in each classroom where children have free access to books. Children are read to regularly so that they have a love of reading and listening. Phonics teaching has priority in Reception and Year 1. We recognise that fluency in reading enables the pupils to access all areas of the curriculum.
Writing is taught across school and is centred around high quality modelling of writing by our staff. All writing units begin with a diagnostic write which is used by staff to skilfully identify the individual elements of writing that the children need to work on and include in their final draft. All writing units have a clear purpose and these are shared with children. During the writing process, all children are exposed to high quality model texts and have the opportunity to unpick these to identify what makes them a good piece of writing. Children also have the opportunity to take part in guided writing and shared writing sessions to ensure that children have a good understanding of the authorial intent prior to completing their independent writing.
Additionally, children are encouraged to read over their writing at regular intervals and edit where necessary, thus replicating the authorial process.
White Rose is used to deliver maths and we ensure that the children have sufficient practice to be confident in using and understanding numbers. The maths curriculum provides a strong basis for more complex learning later.
An increasing emphasis is put on the value of outdoor learning and the school works closely with an experienced ‘Forest School’ specialist. The outdoor environment is considered an opportunity for active learning for all our children and we are driven by our desire to ensure that all learners have access to good quality educational experiences beyond the classroom.
Our PSHE curriculum plays a significant role in meeting the needs of our pupils. The children are emotionally secure and are taught resilience and self-regulation through comprehensive PSHE lessons and mindfulness. Our curriculum recognises the importance of pupils’ physical and mental well-being as well as shaping their long-term lifestyle choices. In circle time they learn about tolerance, respect and care for others as well as empathy. We are also fortunate to have an ELSA-trained member of staff and others who can deliver FRIENDS, Art therapy and Lego therapy.
Children are presented with a range of opportunities relating to sport and the creative arts and have opportunities to work with specialist coaches and elite athletes who are regularly invited into the school. They develop well physically, socially and personally, participating in a full and varied PE curriculum and range of after school clubs. They enjoy challenge and are taught sporting behaviour – learning how to fail, as well as how to win graciously and have an understanding of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle.
A varied timetable for extra-curricular activities is offered by the school enabling the children to extend their range of experiences eg curling, tri-golf etc.
