Curriculum

Oxton St Saviour’s CE (Aided)

Primary School

Curriculum Design

Last Review: February 2023

  

‘Love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength’ ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’  

This, the greatest commandment, inspires our community to grow together in Christ our Saviour, to love and serve one another, to reach out in witness to our neighbours, live in peace with one another and promote life in all its fullness.  

  

INTRODUCTION  

This guidance document is intended for all stakeholders at Oxton St Saviour’s CE (Aided) Primary School who would like to find out more about the curriculum that our school is following and how it is designed and structured.   

Characteristics and Context of Our School     

 There are 218 children on roll, with relatively low numbers of:  

  • free school meals
  • special educational needs
  • English as an additional language

Our numbers, and the population of the school, remain relatively static.  

  

Classes and Groups    

Our school places children in groups in various ways for different purposes. In KS2 children are placed into classes representing each year group and are taught in mixed ability groups for mathematics and English. This method of teaching caters effectively for differences between attainment of children and addresses the large class sizes which are 35 or over in years  five and six. From September 2019 the PAN (Pupil Admission Number) has been reduced to 30 from 35. 

All classes are comprised of one-year group. All classes have a Teaching Assistant who may work with groups of children or as a one to one.

   

  

  

  

  

  

Flexibility Within the Curriculum  

  

Our school has welcomed the considerable freedom to determine the character and distinctive nature of the curriculum which was brought about by the 2014 curriculum and we are looking at innovative and creative ways of using this flexibility.   

  

What the law requires   

All maintained schools are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all children which:

  • Promotes their spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development;
  • Prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.  

  

Our school’s curriculum reflects the structure of the 2014 national curriculum and we have also customised this basic entitlement to learning to create our own distinctive and unique curriculum.  

Our school also has a daily act of collective worship. As a voluntary aided establishment we teach religious education according to the syllabus suggested by Chester Diocese. In June 2019 our school received the highest accolade of ‘Excellent’ in the SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) inspection under the new framework.   

 

Designing our Curriculum  

Values and Aims   

Our aims are as follows:   

We aim to provide a high standard of education by supporting, motivating and inspiring children.   

We make it a priority to promote children’s independence and confidence. We encourage them to act as responsible members of both the school community and the wider community demonstrating core British and Christian values in all that they do. Within this context, everyone is expected to show respect and tolerance for others, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, religion or culture. We support our aims in different ways through lessons, visits, extra-curricular activities, fund raising, community initiatives and assemblies, as well as other events.   

Our school focuses on promoting well-being, resilience, good manners and self-esteem, believing these to be essential life skills in a quickly developing and challenging world. It values the feelings, interests and views of all members of the school community, and supports an ethos of openness between staff and pupils. As part of personal, social and health education (PSHE), teachers discuss well- being, resilience, good manners and self- esteem with their classes.  We are a Happy minds school and follow the programme across the year groups and key stages.

  

Curriculum Priorities and Emphasis 

Our Curriculum Vision Statement:   

  

‘We aim to deliver a creative curriculum which inspires independent and collaborative learning and stimulates curiosity in our children, making relevant links between different areas of learning whilst delivering skills and knowledge in a thorough, consistent and balanced way within school and beyond the classroom.’   

  

Our school’s main priority, which links closely with well- being and self-esteem, is to offer a broad and balanced curriculum and to teach the programmes of study in each national curriculum subject which makes use of the indoor and outdoor areas of the site and cultural and educational experiences within the community, across Wirral and further afield in Merseyside and Cheshire.    

  

We believe that our children need to become secure and confident learners in these subjects if they are to make good progress in their education. At the same time, rich and varied activities and experiences in the rest of the curriculum are also crucial to children’s motivation and progress.    

We emphasise the teaching of English and maths and these are taught with skills being re-emphasised through lessons in other subjects. We believe that these basic skills will support children’s ability to compete in the working world in the future. 

 

The Kinds of Learning That Are Important to Our Children  

  

Our school is striving to increase progress in English and mathematics while continuing to offer a broad and balanced and knowledge based curriculum which can be appreciated both within and outside the classroom. Projects and visits relating to all subjects motivate the children, and will help them to make faster progress in the core curriculum.   

The school believes that children’s well- being, concentration and energy-levels improve when they are taking more exercise, so in addition to their two hours of timetabled PE per week, all children are offered a broad range of extra- curricular sporting activities both in term time. Each lunch time an Active sports supervisor provides the children with a range of active play.  Y6 Sport Leaders support the younger children in their games.   

  

Adding to the National Curriculum – Breadth and Balance   

  

We teach a broad and balanced curriculum for EYFS, Key Stages 1 and 2 which includes the following subjects:  

  • English
  • Geography
  • Mathematics
  • History
  • Science
  • Computing
  • Art and design music
  • Design and technology (D&T)
  • Physical education (PE)
  • Religious education (RE).
  • PSHE

We have also gained accreditation as a Forest School and are a Healthy School. As a consequence, we also provide outdoor learning experiences for our children.

Our school strives to go beyond statutory requirements and add to the curriculum. We make use of the flexibilities available to us to enhance our curriculum. Additional opportunities and experiences that enhance learning in national curriculum subjects include visits to theatres, museums and galleries, residential trips and inter-school sports competitions.  We are delighted to announce that we have achieved the School Games Platinum Mark Award for the 2022/23 academic year.
 The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward and recognise school’s engagement (provision and uptake) in the School Games against a national benchmark and to celebrate keeping young people active. We are delighted to have been recognised for our success.

Additional subjects or aspects of subjects, such as a modern foreign language, PSHE and citizenship; extra – curricular clubs and activities based on interest and need, such as  Spanish, Mad Science, STEM, digital wizards and sports clubs are usually held before school or after school.  

  

We believe in involving children in decision-making about the day-to-day running of the school and they take part in the democratic process of voting for RE ambassadors, sports ambassadors, eco councillors and school council representatives.  

  

What We Add to the Curriculum Outside Taught Time  

  

Our school takes part in a broad range of competitive sports played against other local schools. We have found that this is having an impact on its games lessons in PE, as children are eager to share the skills and strategies they have learned. One of our main priorities is to promote children’s overall health and fitness. In addition to the two hours of timetabled PE each week, before and after-school sports activities are organised for four days each week. These activities vary each term and include netball, athletics, football, tag rugby, dance, Judo and gymnastics clubs. The clubs are well attended and help to maintain children’s fitness, boost their self-confidence and encourage their interest in a wide range of sports.  The school employs specialised coaches to teach and support the curriculum across school. The coaches also run playground activities for all of the children and provide high-quality sports clubs after school. 

Ideas for classes often come from the children or from parents and, after several requests, the school extended its music provision. The school now invites in to school specialist music teachers so that all children who are interested in learning to play a musical instrument can do so.  

  

Distributing the Curriculum Across the Key Stage   

  

Each class and each phase (F2, KS1, Lower KS2 and Upper KS2) have constructed long term plans to outline when subjects, units of work or topics are to be taught: daily, weekly, half-termly, and termly. These are further developed in Curriculum Booklets which are made available to parents on our school website (Curriculum and class page). We promote a knowledge based curriculum; for each topic we produce a knowledge organiser to show what the children will learn.

Having organised the curriculum, our teaching staff decide how it will be distributed. Some subjects need to be taught regularly, for example, English and mathematics are taught daily so that children’s progress is continuous and sustained across the key stages. PE is also taught each week to develop children’s physical skills and promote their fitness and health. RE is also taught either weekly or blocked where appropriate. The light of the Lord permeates all lessons. 

  

 

 

Schemes Used Within School   

  

Teaching Phonics and Reading in EYFS, KS1 and KS2   

  

All children in Reception are taught synthetic phonics in order to help them read and write. We use a scheme called RWI  to help us do this.  This work is reinforced through all activities including handwriting. At the end of Year One all children are tested on their basic knowledge of phonics. Children continue to work on elements of phonics until they are proficient through the rest of KS1 and KS2.

Children who do not achieve the national standard in the Year One Phonics test will be re-tested at the end of Year Two. After completing the RWI programme children use a wide variety of scheme books to support their reading. Children are encouraged to read widely from a range of ‘free reading’ genre to develop their vocabulary and love of the written word.  We are now trialling Literacy Counts in KS2.

     

Teaching Mathematics in EYFS, KS1 and KS2  

  

Children in the EYFS are taught using the Early years curriculum. Children in Key stages 1 and 2 use a scheme called ‘White Rose’ alongside other appropriate resources. The White Rose scheme focuses upon teaching to mastery – developing children’s higher order thinking skills with fluency and reasoning skills.   

  

Teaching Writing in EYFS, KS1 and KS2   

  

All children, from Reception to Year 6, develop their writing skills through high quality literature following programmes including ‘The Power of Reading’ and ‘Literacy Counts’. Our aim is to develop high quality writing whilst fostering a love of fiction and non-fiction.   

  

Teaching Grammar and Punctuation in KS1 and KS2  

  

Classes are taught a grammar, punctuation and spelling session each week.

  

From year one we teach cursive script which continues throughout the school based on the Collins scheme of work. 

Curriculum Inclusion and Adaptive Teaching.   

  

All our children are provided with relevant learning experiences and suitably challenging work. When planning, teachers set high expectations and provide opportunities for all children to achieve, including boys and girls, children with special educational needs, gifted and talented pupils, children with disabilities, children from all social and cultural backgrounds and children of different ethnic groups including those from diverse linguistic backgrounds.  

The school has an up to date Accessibility Plan which details how the curriculum will be adapted for children with different abilities and needs. As an inclusive school we ensure that all areas of the school are accessible to all children and all activities – both within and outside the school gates are accessible. The school differentiates tasks to allow accessibility and further enhance children’s higher order thinking skills.  

Whilst our school aims to cover the age-related programmes of study for each subject, we decide upon adaptations to the curriculum in order to meet particular needs and abilities. We do this through differentiation and through special timetabling arrangements. If children do not follow the normal timetable for the class, for example when they are withdrawn for additional support in English or mathematics, specialist instrumental tuition or for additional or different interventions we ensure that they do not consistently miss out on one part of the curriculum. It is important to us that all our children continue to receive a broad and balanced curriculum.  

While still teaching from the age-related programmes of study, our teachers extend the breadth and depth of children’s learning by providing a wider variety of opportunities. For example, they will focus on developing higher order thinking skills and promoting greater independence and reflection.   

  

  

How We Adapt the Curriculum to Meet Different Needs of Children  

  

For less able children, the school pays for external support teachers to support with reading, writing, spelling (including phonics), mathematics and speech and language.   Precision Teaching is a highly focused, research-based intervention designed to improve the accuracy and fluency of reading, spelling and maths. It is delivered on a one-to-one basis between a trained individual and a learner. Each intervention session lasts 10 minutes, and takes place at least three times a week.

Precision teaching is fast-paced and repetitive - children learn maths facts or to read and spell words until they become fluent and confident. Targets are personalised, and are set against individual attainment.

The intervention has an inbuilt assessment function to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching. Individual children’s progress is immediately shared with them to increase their motivation.

An Educational Psychologist has trained all staff in our school and regular meetings are held to monitor the effectiveness and impact of the interventions.

 

We use specialist teachers to support children who are learning English as an additional language. These teachers plan alongside the class teacher and adapt lessons and resources so that EAL children can learn in ways that support their language development.     

The more able children undertake a broad range of challenge activities. This differentiation allows the school to accelerate and extend children’s learning within each subject. At Key Stage 2, as well as providing for gifted and talented children through timetabled lessons, the more able are offered alternative homework.   

 

Curriculum Continuity   

  

Children of all abilities can falter in their learning when they move from one phase of education to the next, or between key stages. They may be faced with an unfamiliar environment and new styles of teaching and learning. We support continuity and progression across these stages through careful curriculum planning and timetabling arrangements.  

   

F2 to KS1   

The school has created three outdoor areas to support the learning of children moving from F2 to Year One. These are used effectively to ensure that a sudden halt to continuous provision does not occur for those children who still require it. We further support the transition from the foundation stage into Key Stage 1 by gradually establishing more formal timetables and routines and through some joint planning by

Reception and Year 1 teachers. 

Year 1 and reception teachers focus on ensuring continuity in children’s learning by planning topics together and introducing reception children to some of the routines of the Year 1 class. Some topics are also linked between the years, so that the children can be encouraged to remember and build on their learning in the foundation stage.  

 

KS1 to KS2   

The curriculum design in KS1 and KS2 is intentionally similar in style to ensure that progression from 

one stage to the next is smooth. 

  

KS2 to KS3   

The primary to secondary transition, from a small group of familiar class teachers to numerous new teachers for different subjects, is particularly difficult for some children. As a school we attach great importance to preparing our children for the transition. We work with many of our partner secondary schools in a variety of ways to help children settle down quickly in their new environment and make a confident start to the key stage 3 curriculum.  

Secondary teachers come in to school to meet with the children and will make links to work that the children will meet in year 7. The children become familiar with some aspects of the next key stage and have the opportunity to ask questions about secondary school. For children who find the transition more challenging the school works with their secondary colleagues to arrange a longer sequenced transition process.  

  

  

  

Location of Documents   

  

Long term plans   

 

 

•      Website   

•      Staff shared drive  

•      Teachers’ planning files   

Medium term plans   

 

•      Staff shared drive   

•      Teachers’ planning files   

Short term plans   

•  Teachers’ planning files   

Pupil data and details of groupings   

 

•      Target Tracker   

•      Teachers’ planning files   

Curriculum Booklets for each term   

 

 

•      Website   

•      Staff shared drive  

•      Teachers’ planning files   

Learning Links  

•  Website (class pages)  

Knowledge organisers

•  Website   

 

Review of Curriculum Design   

Our curriculum design is regularly reviewed as a response to parent questionnaires, subject leader and senior leader meetings, discussions with children and governor meetings. It is also informed by good practice and DfE guidelines.  

  

Mr A Ramsden  

Head teacher

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