Our Curriculum

 

The aims of our whole school’s curriculum is to ensure our pupils to experience, engage and become immersed in wide range of learning opportunities.

 

Legislation

 

Learning at Tredworth 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 set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2014 and the Equality Act 2010. Finally, it also refers to refers to curriculum-related expectations of governing boards set out in the Department for Education’s Governance Handbook. 

 

Roles and Responsibilities

 

The Governing Board

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

The governing board 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

 

Headteacher

 

The headteacher 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

 

Other Staff

 

Other staff will ensure that the school curriculum is implemented in accordance with this policy.

 

 

The Learning Journey

 

Learning in each year group takes place under an over-arching, umbrella style question. This question, should link into most of the learning taking place during that year.

 

Year 3 :  Who are we?

Year 4 : How does it work?

Year 5 : Where in the world?

Year 6 :  Is change always good?

 

The questions have been designed to allow for breadth of National Curriculum coverage but also to allow the children to spend their four years with us exploring history, the world around them, the arts and nature. Each question is broken down further into smaller key questions to help focus children into a particular aspect of learning.

 

Progression of Skills

 

Within each Learning Journey the National Curriculum has been broken down into skills or ‘I can’ statements. These skills/statements allow children to develop a skill then revisit and broaden their understanding at a later stage. Some skills are indicated as essential; the children must cover that skill within that year group. However, teachers may choose to extend or revisit a skill to help pupils further or deepen their learning.

 

Please see individual subject policies or I can statement breakdowns and coverage documents for further information on how subjects are designed and sequenced (including SRE).

 

Approach to learning

 

Throughout the year long learning journey our children are re-engaged with hands-on experiences or opportunities to excite them in their learning. We also allow children to explore and discover for themselves through guided activities as a part of their independent learning time.

Our aim is that all children will achieve and teaching should draw on all learning styles, by making connections between learning and allowing time for children to enquire and develop their learning.

 

With areas of the curriculum that are harder to teach we aim to explore them daily ensuring reinforcement of that particular skill such as telling the time or countries of the world. 

 

Throughout all our learning we consider and embed our wider school values such as spirituality, citizenship and moral developments. We also use technologies to support our learning and reflect upon the skills that can make us a better learner.

 

Planning

 

Teachers work together to create long term planning for the learning journey. Plans are then checked by Curriculum Champions to ensure progression of skills and coverage. Planning is also monitored by the Curriculum Team.

 

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:

 

• More able pupils
• Pupils with low prior attainment
• Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Pupils with SEN
• Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL)

 

Teachers will plan lessons so that pupils with SEN and/or disabilities 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.

 

Further information can be found in our Equality policy and our SEN policy.

 

Monitoring the Curriculum

The curriculum team works with subject champions to monitor curriculum subjects ensuring compliance and coverage. The curriculum team also monitors the way subjects are delivered through the use of planning scrutinies, book scrutinies and learning walks.

Governors monitor coverage and whether the school is complying to funding agreements by teaching a “broad and balanced” curriculum by planning scrutinies, book scrutinies and discussions with teachers.

 

This policy will be reviewed annually by the curriculum team and will be shared with the governing board.