We aim to develop your child and his/her potential in every sphere of growth and learning. We believe very strongly in a broad and balanced curriculum and value creativity as an essential part of children’s learning. Our curriculum is underpinned by our ALBS and creativity philosophy and by the government’s Primary Strategy.
Organisation of the curriculum
The school is organised in the following way:
Early Years Foundation Stage Reception
Key Stage 1 Infants [Years 1 and 2]
Key Stage 2 Juniors [Years 3 to 6]
Reception children follow a foundation curriculum with early learning goals which should be achieved by the end of their reception year. The foundation curriculum covers education in pre-schools and nurseries and operates from the ages of 3 to 6 and, therefore, provides continuity from pre-school to school. The reception class is an introduction to more formal education with a balance of free exploration, play and set tasks. There is an emphasis on literacy and numeracy as the children progress through their time in this class. Children are not functioning within the National Curriculum at this stage but will have gained valuable experiences in readiness for National Curriculum requirements in Year 1.
The curriculum is organised around the National Curriculum which consists of three core subjects; English, maths and science and non-core, foundation subjects; art, geography, history, PE, music, technology (information and communications, design) and PSHE (personal, social and health education) which incorporates citizenship.
Religious education is not part of the National Curriculum but is regarded as a main subject to be taught. All Cambridgeshire schools follow the Local Authority’s syllabus for RE which aims to provide children with knowledge and understanding of the nature of religions, their beliefs and practices. Parents retain the right to request withdrawal of their children from RE lessons and from assemblies, which under the 1988 Education Act are required to be broadly Christian in character.
The rest of the curriculum is organised through a series of projects which groups together aspects of science and other foundation subjects.
Mathematics
Mathematics is taught as a core subject throughout the school, from EYFS to Year 6. Children follow the Early Years Framework in the reception class. From Year 1 onwards, maths is taught using Renewed Primary Framework. This framework is split into 5 units that the children cover each year:
- Counting, partitioning and calculating
- Securing number facts, understanding shape
- Handling data and measures
- Calculating, measuring and understanding shape
- Securing number facts, relationships and calculating.
We have a calculations policy as part of the main mathematics policy that shows the progression children should with using the four operations of calculation.
We use ICT to enhance maths lessons whenever possible and encourage children to use visual models and images, as well as practical mathematical equipment. We tailor our maths lessons towards more practical and ‘hands on’ activities, together with teaching investigative and ‘real life’ mathematical skills.
Work is suitably differentiated for the needs of individual children. We encourage the thinking skills of our more able mathematicians by taking part in local and national Mathematical Challenges.
English
English is another core subject which is taught daily throughout the school. Children follow the Early Years Framework in the reception class. However, teachers in KS1 and KS2 follow the Renewed Primary Framework to give children opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills such as performing drama, reading and analysing text and writing. From Year 1 to Year 6, children study units of work under the themes of fiction, non fiction and poetry. Spelling patterns/phonics, grammar and handwriting is also taught.
Children are introduced and encouraged to use a range of different writing styles through a range of purposeful activities across all curriculum areas; for example: poems, stories, lists, captions, brochures, letters, invitations, explanations, research and much more. Children are taught within guided reading and writing groups as well as a whole class and independently. They are encouraged to share ideas with response partners and check work against success criteria. Teachers provide written and verbal feedback to children when marking work through writing three stars and a challenge.
We aim to develop within the children an enjoyment of books, fiction, non-fiction and verse, and to enable them to read confidently with pleasure and to find information. Parents are encouraged to help their child read at home.
Science
It is a further core subject. Children follow the Early Years Framework in the reception class. Science in the EYFS is an integral part of the topic work covered during the year. Science is taught for a minimum of 1 hour a week at KS1 and two hours a week at KS2. It is generally approached through subject specific lessons using a comprehensive scheme where children learn through practical investigations, developing skills of observing, comparing, predicting, testing, communicating, recording and interpreting results.
Teachers plan to cover all of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study over a two-yearly cycle. Teachers use the ‘Thinking Wheel’ to guide children through an experiment, thus developing thinking skills. Children work in mixed ability groups to encourage speaking, listening and sharing ideas and concepts.
Visitors are encouraged to speak to the children, especially during Science Week and when the opportunity within the topic studied arises.
ICT (Information and communication technology)
We have a strong commitment to ICT skills for all children and celebrated receiving the ICT mark in April 2007 having previously been awarded the NAACE mark in 2003 and the ICT mark in 2006 when we were one of the first schools in Cambridgeshire to achieve this new benchmark of ICT provision.
We are well resourced with ICT equipment and have a dedicated computer suite, banks of classroom computers and interactive whiteboards in every classroom.
The ICT scheme of work covers the skills of communicating information, handling data, control, modelling and monitoring. All pupils are regularly assessed.
PE
Children receive a varied and balanced PE curriculum with every child receiving at least two hours of high quality PE per week. Physical education includes games, dance, gymnastic, swimming (in year 5), outdoor adventure activities and athletics. Recently, we have included an additional 10 minutes physical exercise a day in the form of wake ‘n’ shake. The school is very well resourced including a fully equipped hall for gymnastics, all weather courts, school field and access to an Astroturf area and tennis courts. Throughout the year the school offers extra curricular activities including street dance, cheerleading, gymnastics, cross country running, tri golf, KS1 and KS2 football, tag rugby, kick boxing and there is a club link to hockey. In KS2 there are opportunities for children to participate in sports festivals with other local schools and the school is represented annually at the FA run football knockout competition, the County Cross Country Championships and County Kwik Cricket Competition.
Assessment of pupil progress
We believe in assessment for learning, which helps us to deliver appropriate learning experiences for each child and provides the basis for continuity and progression. All children are continually assessed by their teacher during the course of the year, using both formative and summative assessments. The children are set curricular targets in literacy and numeracy, at the beginning of each term. These are then reviewed as a joint process between the children and their teachers at the end of the term. Giving children feedback both verbally and written is an essential part of our assessment policy.
Children are formally assessed by:
Foundation Stage Profile
This is a form of continuous assessment which takes place throughout the child’s reception year and culminates in a final summary at the end of the year. Children are assessed on six areas of learning:
- personal, social and emotional development,
- communication, language and literacy,
- mathematical knowledge,
- knowledge and understanding of the world
- physical development
- creative development.
SATS (Standardised Assessment Tests)
End of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) in English and maths.
End of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) in English, maths and science
Tests are administered nationally during the summer term.
Assessment through Key Stage 2
In Years 3 and 4 we use Assessing Pupils Progress (APP) materials to monitor progress in reading and writing and optional SATs tests for maths. In Year 5 we assess pupils using tests produced by QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority). These tests are administered during the summer term.
Homework
Homework is an integral part of our school ethos of life-long learning and ensures a clear link between learning within school and home. Homework includes the improvement of skills in literacy and maths and there is also a ‘Discovery Detectives’ project once a term. Further details will be communicated to by your child’s teacher.
Cycling Proficiency
This course is taught by trained instructors to older pupils and is usually held either late in the summer term (Year 5) or early in the autumn term (Year 6). This course involves a bicycle road-worthiness check by a Road Safety Officer and practice in safe cycling. The school is part of the ‘Bikeability’ scheme run by Cambridgeshire County Council.
Complaints against the curriculum
If you have any complaints about our curriculum you should first contact the Headteacher. If the problem is not resolved the complaint or query should be directed to the Chair of the Governing Body. If neither the Head nor governing body provide satisfactory solutions, a complaint may be made to the Local Authority.
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