A Background

Background

The new National Curriculum was implemented in September 2014 and includes English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Design & Technology, Music, Computing, Art & Design, Modern Foreign Languages and Physical Education plus Religious Education.

PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education) is integrated into all of our school topics and school life in general. Attainment targets set out what children are expected to know, and within targets there are levels of difficulty.

Assessment

Children’s educational attainment is assessed termly by teachers and by national Standard Attainment Tasks at the end of each Key Stage. Key Stage 1 ends at seven years and Key Stage 2 at eleven years. Children in year one are required to take a phonics test. Children who are not working at expected levels are very well supported by their peers, their teacher, their teaching assistant and by our head of teaching and learning and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities professional, Mrs Larcombe. We have high expectations of all of our children and challenge them appropriately to help them learn how to be the best they can be.

Early Years

Our Reception children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Guidance. This contains the Early Learning Goals, which are learning targets set by the government to prepare the children for when they start the National Curriculum in Year 1.

Key Stage 1 and 2

To implement the new National Curriculum at both Key Stage 1 and 2, our lead professionals came together during on INSET day armed with the topics which our children wanted to learn over the next 2 years. They placed the topics into a 2 year rolling programme and then fit the attainment targets around the children’s topics to ensure coverage over the 2 years. The curriculum is therefore pupil-led and focusses on what they want to learn. Within the topic, children can be creative and follow their own learning journeys with the support and guidance of their learning family.This balanced curriculum has been tailored to satisfy the needs of each child, and to help them to develop their full potential.

Topics over the past 2 years have included;

Vikings

Animals (past and present)

Ancient Greece Ancient Egypt

Superheroes

The Romans

The Americas

Toys and Gaming

Reporting to parents

At present, parents receive a written report on all National Curriculum subjects at the end of each academic year together with Standard Attainment Task (SAT’s) results at the end of each Key Stage. There will be formal opportunities for parents and carers to discuss progress throughout the year and parents are welcome to speak to a teacher at any convenient time.

From May 2016, children will take National Assessment tests at each key stage and these will be reported to parents in the end of year report. Parents will also be informed whether their children is a) working below age related expectations, b) working towards age related expected, c) working at age related expectations or d) working above age related expectations.