St. Andrew’s VC Lower School

Curriculum Statement 2019

 All of the policies at St. Andrew’s are formulated and implemented with regards to the school’s mission statement and in line with the values education system.  All curriculum subject policy statements should be read in conjunction with this policy as this underpins our ethos and ideology with regard to teaching and learning within this school.

Curriculum Intent

At St. Andrew’s we seek to make creative links between curriculum subject areas, making learning enjoyable and relevant for our children. We promote the development of growth mindsets and positive learning behaviours to equip children to be resilient, independent and motivated learners. Much of the children’s learning centres around cross-curricular topics. Staff are committed to enabling each child to achieve their fullest potential. Lessons and activities are designed to encourage children to enjoy and seek a challenge, to view mistakes as helpful learning experiences and to not set limits on themselves.

The curriculum was originally planned using The Inspire Curriculum as a starting point. . This curriculum covers all of the programmes of study within the National Curriculum and is organised into a series of exciting and motivating topic areas, which change every four - six weeks. What began as a bank of prepared lessons and topics has and continues to evolve, to meet the needs and interests of our pupils, to reflect the children and families within our community and to positively represent those who currently not. Over the past ten years the school has been recognized by the Arts Mark Silver 2009, Healthy Schools 2014, ECM Award 2011, Primary Science Quality Mark 2013, Inclusion Award 2015, Pupil Premium Review 2017, PE Quality Mark Bronze 2017 & 2019 and RE Quality Mark Gold 2018.

Staff use a variety of teaching methods and allow the children to benefit from learning in different styles and environments. We encourage the use of visits to different places, such as museums, galleries, the theatre and outdoor spaces to widen the children’s experiences and to involve them in their own learning. We also arrange for many visitors to work with us in school, e.g. Shakespeare Workshops in Yr 4.

Subjects are linked to topics where possible and appropriate but are taught separately where needed and subject integrity is maintained.

We believe our school should be a safe and wonderful place where children want to be; where learning happens both within and outside of the classroom. Children will be encouraged to enjoy life whilst at school and discover personal interests and strengths. We recognise that primary education should lay firm foundations to set up learners for life, with the knowledge and skills to be well rounded individuals, mentally and physically healthy, with an appreciation for and a generosity toward the people, the world and the universe around them.

Whatever their background, our pupils will learn how to shape their own futures and develop their unique capacities and skills rooted in their own interests. They will learn the literacy and numeracy skills needed for life and necessary to progress in their education. They will be encouraged to be curious, creative and develop their ability to problem solve.

Through our curriculum we are committed to:

• Achievement and success
• Learning and life skills
• Creative thinking, innovation and enterprise
• Learning through exploration
• Stretch and challenge
• Developing working memory
• Creativity
• Independent and learner-led learning
• Collaborative learning
• Outdoors and nature
• Applied learning
• Authentic tasks with a real audience
• Fun and positive emotional links

Legislation and guidance

This policy reflects the requirements of the National Curriculum programmes of study, which all maintained schools in England must teach.

It also reflects requirements for inclusion and equality as set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2014 and Equality Act 2010, and refers to curriculum-related expectations of governing boards set out in the Department for Education’s Governance Handbook.

In addition, this policy acknowledges the requirements for promoting the learning and development of children set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework.

Roles and responsibilities

The governing body

The governing body will monitor the effectiveness of this policy and hold the headteacher to account for its implementation.

The governing body will also ensure that:

A robust framework is in place for setting curriculum priorities and aspirational targets

Enough teaching time is provided for pupils to cover the National Curriculum and other statutory requirements

It fulfils its role in processes to disapply pupils from all or part of the National Curriculum, where appropriate, and in any subsequent appeals

The governing body is fully involved in decision-making processes that relate to the breadth and balance of the curriculum

The governing body works with the  staff to determine is advised on whole-school targets

The Head teacher

The head teacher is responsible for ensuring that this policy is adhered to, and that:

All required elements of the curriculum, and those subjects which the school chooses to offer, have aims and objectives which reflect the aims of the school and indicate how the needs of individual pupils will be met

The amount of time provided for teaching the required elements of the curriculum is adequate and is reviewed by the governing board

Where appropriate, the individual needs of some pupils are met by permanent or temporary disapplication from all or part of the National Curriculum

They manage requests to withdraw children from curriculum subjects, where appropriate

The school’s procedures for assessment meet all legal requirements

Proper provision is in place for pupils with different abilities and needs, including children with SEN

Other staff

Phase Leaders and Subject Leaders will ensure that the school curriculum is implemented in accordance with this policy.

Curriculum Implementation

Delivery:

Yr 1 & 2 A

Yr 1 & 2 B

Yr 3

Yr 4

Phonics teaching is based on Letters and Sounds and a variety of reading schemes are used including Oxford Reading Tree.

In Maths in KS2 Schofield and Simms Mental Arithmetic Tests are used.

Computing is taught using the New Wessex Planning scheme from Somerset and P.E is taught using the LCP scheme.  

Music is taught using the Charanga Scheme of work.

RE teaching is based on the Bedfordshire Agreed Syllabus and the Understanding Christianity Materials. 

Subject specific Curriculum Policies exisit for each subject. These are being re-written during the 2019-2020 academic year under the headings Intent, Implementation and Impact.

Within all lessons teachers work to develop Growth Mindsets (Carol Dweck) in children and apply the “Learning Without Limits” philosophy (Alison Peacock) by labelling tasks not children.

Throughout the whole curriculum and within every subject St Andrew’s aims to develop speaking for listening skills through a “Philosophy for Children” approach of debate and dialogue.

Throughout the whole curriculum and within every subject St. Andrew’s aims to develop children’s vocabulary through the use of Alex Quigley’s SEEC model and Isobel Beck’s work on Tier 2 & 3 words.

Alongside the main curriculum we follow a programme of Values Education. Our Values are: Honesty, Co-operation, Joy, Forgiveness, Freedom, Thankfulness, Tolerance, Peace, Respect, Love, Humility and Responsibility. The aim of this programme is not just that the children understand and can articulate what these words mean, but that they and all the adults live the values in all aspects of their lives.

 At St. Andrew’s we strive to offer a varied range of extra-curricular opportunities for pupils. After school clubs are run throughout the year both by our own staff and by outside providers.

We also enrich the curriculum through the topic links, chunking subjects at times and having themed days, visitors and visits.

See our EYFS policy for information on how our early years curriculum is delivered.

Inclusion

Teachers set high expectations for all pupils. They will use appropriate assessment to set ambitious targets and plan challenging work for all groups, including:

• Most able pupils
• Pupils with low prior attainment
• Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Pupils with SEND
• Pupils with EAL

Teachers will plan lessons so that pupils with SEND can study every National Curriculum subject, wherever possible, and ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving.

Teachers will also take account of the needs of pupils whose first language is not English. Lessons will be planned so that teaching opportunities help pupils to develop their English, and to support pupils to take part in all subjects.

Curriculum Impact

Units of work and each lesson delivered have clear learning objectives which are shared with pupils. Success criteria supports children to break down tasks, to understand how they can achieve the learning objectives and to develop independence. Learning objectives and success criteria link directly with the school's assessment mark systems.

Pupil progress is reviewed and tracked. Pupils know what is expected of them and what is required of them to achieve. They are actively engaged in this process by staff referencing the learning objective and success criteria throughout the lesson. Pupils are encouraged to self-assess.

Where a pupil’s progress is not as expected in reading writing and maths, intervention is used to raise their level of attainment. This is reviewed each half term at Progress Meetings. Subject Leaders monitor assessment across the school in their subject and identify strengths and areas for development for the school.

As a result of the highly effective teaching and learning of the curriculum and the direct link between learning objectives and assessment criteria, pupils make good progress and leave St. Andrew’s as confident and motivated learners. The achievement they make can be found in our self-evaluation documents.

Governors monitor coverage of National Curriculum subjects and compliance with other statutory requirements through the work of the Curriculum and Achievement Committee and the monitoring of the progress towards the School Development Plan priorities.

Subject Leaders monitor the way their subject is taught throughout the school through observation, planning scrutiny, book scrutiny, pupil interviews and data analysis. They attend Cluster Meetings and receive training as appropriate. They determine development priorities for their subjects and make annual plans for development. They also have responsibility for monitoring the way in which resources are stored and managed.

Next Steps:

Priorities for 2019-2020 development include:

1. Developing Maths Mastery teaching strategies
2. Developing children’s love of reading and the use of quality texts
3. Working with MindMap on whole class strategies to support children’s well-being and mental health.
4. To increase the amount of children’s physical activity and achieve the PE Quality mark Silver.
5. To re-write the EY Policy and the subject policies under the Intent, Implementation and Impact headings.

Sept. 2019