Learning Information

In this section you can find out about the curriculum, learning and assessment.

Our Commitment to our Children

We are committed to helping each child learn in a happy, safe and stimulating environment.  By the end of their time at Stratford-sub-Castle Primary School, we want each child to be ‘launched’ into  the ‘Big Wide World’ as a confident and inspired learner. We believe that each child has a natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.  We aim to ‘fuel’ and sustain each child’s learning journey.

We believe:

• we are role models – we are all learners
• every part of the school day provides an opportunity for learning
• every child is an instinctive learner and naturally curious
• that positive-self esteem and self-belief lie at the core of learning and that the motivation and commitment of learners cannot be taken for granted
• learners need to be “let into the secret” and provided with the appropriate building blocks to progress their learning
• in promoting positive self-image and high esteem
• in engaging positive emotions
• that individual learners have legitimately different behavioural needs
• that school should be supportive and safe – an environment where “put-downs” from staff and peers are not accepted.

Please go to the Policies section of the website for more information.

Our Learning Environment

We believe learning activities should:

• encourage learners to demonstrate their understanding
• allow learners positive and varied opportunities to practise and improve
• provide regular opportunities for review and reflection
• include timely and accurate feedback
• cater for different thinking and learning styles
• provide opportunities for learners to use, develop and identify the full range of Learning to Learn muscles
• provide opportunities for learning for understanding through performance of high challenge, low stress, open-ended tasks
• provide opportunities for independent learning and independent thinking
• provide opportunities to develop confidence and mastery

Responding to the needs of our pupils, we develop learning experiences that are:

• hands on / first hand
• linked (cross-curricular) and linked (to previous learning)
• designed to maximise opportunities for oracy
• enhanced by technology
• enhanced by use of the outdoors – our grounds, locality and visits
• adapted to the interests of our pupils and responsive to their enthusiasms and interests.

Curriculum

What is the curriculum?

The school curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences that each school plans for its pupils.  Every state-funded school must offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based and which:

• promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and
• prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

National Curriculum (click here for full document)

Aims (taken from the National Curriculum document)

3.1 The national curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

3.2 The national curriculum is just one element in the education of every child. There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the national curriculum specifications. The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.

Structure (taken from the National Curriculum document)

3.3 Pupils of compulsory school age in community and foundation schools, including community special schools and foundation special schools, and in voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools, must follow the national curriculum. It is organised on the basis of four key stages

3.4 The Secretary of State for Education is required to publish programmes of study for each national curriculum subject, setting out the ‘matters, skills and processes’ to be taught at each key stage. Schools are free to choose how they organise their school day, as long as the content of the national curriculum programmes of study is taught to all pupils.

The national curriculum is just one element in the education of every child. There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the national curriculum specifications. The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.

The structure of the national curriculum, in terms of which subjects are compulsory at each key stage, is set out in the table below:

	Key stage 1	Key stage 2	Key stage 3	Key stage 4
Age	5 – 7	7 – 11	11 – 14	14 – 16
Year groups	1 – 2	3 – 6	7 – 9	10 – 11
Core subjects
English	x	x	x	x
Mathematics	x	x	x	x
Science	x	x	x	x
Foundation subjects
Art and design	x	x	x
Citizenship			x	x
Computing	x	x	x	x
Design and technology	x	x	x
Languages		x	x
Geography	x	x	x
History	x	x	x
Music	x	x	x
Physical education	x	x	x	x

N.B. We focus on French as a foreign language, however we introduce vocabulary from other languages where appropriate.

All schools are also required to teach religious education at all key stages. Secondary schools must provide sex and relationship education.

	Key stage 1	Key stage 2	Key stage 3	Key stage 4
Age	5 – 7	7 – 11	11 – 14	14 – 16
Year groups	1 – 2	3 – 6	7 – 9	10 – 11
Religious education	x	x	x	x
Sex and relationship education			x	x

See the Policies website for relevant policies about the curriculum.

Click here for further national curriculum information from the Department of Education.

The Curriculum at Stratford-sub-Castle CE Primary School

Click here to view our long term curriculum plans  – Stratford sub Castle Curriculum Map

The curriculum is all the planned activities that we organise in order to promote learning, personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the range of extra-curricular activities that the school organises in order to enrich the experiences of our children.

It also includes the “hidden curriculum”, or what the children learn from the way they are treated, treat each other and expected to behave. We teach children how to grow into positive, responsible people, who can work and co-operate with others while developing the knowledge and skills to achieve their true potential.

The curriculum is underpinned by the values that we hold at our school. These include Christain values and British values (click here to see the aims and values of our school).  The currriculum is the means by which the school achieves its objective of educating children in the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need in order to lead fulfilling lives both now and in the future.

Each term the learning for each class is woven together into a topic.  The teacher takes account of the requirements of the national curriculum, the needs and interests of the children in her class and topical events.  The learning in each subject is linked as much as possible. However, discrete subjects maybe taught as necessary.  Topics in the past have included, ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Food for Thought’, ‘Around the World’, ‘Aliens in Underpants’, ‘The Legacy of Leonardo da Vinci’ and  ‘The Olympics’.  Click on the class name to find out about their learning this term:

• Butterfly Class
• Woodpecker Class
• Badger Class
• Robin Class
• Kestrel Class

 

Phonics & Reading

At our school we believe the development of secure reading skills, especially phonological awareness, word building and comprehension, underpin all areas of learning.   We follow the ‘Letters & Sounds’ synthetic phonics scheme.

We understand it is our responsibility to teach the reading skills mentioned above, but we also acknowledge that parents play an important role in hearing their child read.  Your involvement, support and encouragement make a huge impact on your child as a reader.  We primarily use the Oxford Reading Tree as our reading scheme.   However, some children also benefit from a different ‘diet’ of books including Dorling Kindersley (Classic Readers, Eyewitness Readers and Readers), Ginn Reading 360 , Nelson (PM Plus and Fast Lane) and Alphakids.

We feel and research has shown that it is very important for a child to become familiar with the book they are reading.  To achieve familiarity, a child needs to read the book on 3 different occasions.

1. Instructional – When a new book is given it is at an instructional level.  This means the book may have some new, unfamiliar words or new punctuation that will require teaching and is a great opportunity to share the book with the child.  The adult can read the book to the child and demonstrate how it should be read as well as the child having a go at reading it.  It is also a time to talk about what is happening in the book to help the child’s understanding.
2. Practice – The child needs to practice reading the book and not simply memorise it. They may need support to do this. Allow the child time to try out different strategies to read new or unfamiliar words.  If they seem completely ‘stuck’ then tell them the word and quickly let them carry on.
3. 3.    Familiar – The child should be able to read the book independently and comfortably, as it is familiar to them. It is important to listen for good phrasing of words, smooth reading and use of punctuation.  At this stage, only step in and help them with a word after they have tried themselves.

Therefore reading books are changed a maximum of twice a week.  The book should then be familiar to the child.  We feel a book has been “read” when a child can:

• read the words smoothly
• acknowledge punctuation e.g. pause at a full stop, raised voice for questions
• understand the key points through talking about the book.

The reading journey is not a race.  Every child will reach their destination in their own particular way.  Every child will travel through each “stage” at their own pace:

• Beginners – Reading picture books, recognising keywords, putting keywords into sentences and word games.  Children will be heard 3 times a week by an adult in school.
• Emergent – Reading books which have repetitive language and feature familiar settings and      situations.  These also help develop comprehension.  Children will be heard twice a week by an adult in school.
• Developing – “Guided free-readers”.  The child will choose a book from a given selection (e.g. Happy Families, Animal      Crackers, Horrid Henry).  Sometimes the child will read to themselves as well as to an adult.  They will be encouraged to talk about what they have read to ensure understanding.  Children will be heard once a week by an adult in school.
• Independent – “Free-readers”.  They are able to make their own book choices and are expected to take more responsibility for their reading. They maybe encouraged to try a range of genres.  Children will be able to demonstrate comprehension in guided reading sessions and book discussions.

Our aim is to promote reading as a valuable and enjoyable experience. Remember the reading journey is not a race. Your child, with encouragement from you, will reach their destination in their own particular way. The amount of support that they need will vary as they travel on the road to independence. Undue pressure and anxiety is detrimental- your child will pick up ‘the vibes’. Send out positive messages about reading and your child will make progress. They will also derive pleasure from this activity as they venture into the magical world of books.

Remember get the foundations in place – it is important to spend time putting the basics in place for the future. Racing through the scheme, is in many cases, counter productive in the long term!

Assessment

Our day-to-day assessment helps to inform and improve future teaching and learning. The gathering of day-to-day assessment information, while often informal, can be unrecorded or quickly noted to support and guide longer-term assessments.  The marking and assessment of written work is viewed as a crucial part of this process. (See Marking for Learning Policy)  Brief lesson evaluations are recorded by teachers to help them plan lessons which responds to the needs of children.

Our longer-term assessments involve children in their own learning and allow teachers to track the progress of each individual pupil.   Each term the school holds an “Assessment Week” and “Feedback Week”.

Assessment Week   (October / February/ May)

During Assessment Week, brief review activities that draw upon what has been taught previously take place. These assess what aspects of Mathematics, English or “Basic Skills” might need revision or what might need re-teaching quickly and guide future planning.

Assessments provide the opportunity for the pupils to have their writing, reading and maths assessed.  Reading, spelling age, high frequency words and letter/sound assessments are also completed.

We stress to the children that these assessments are to make us better teachers and to help us plan relevant lessons, not to ‘test’ them for the sake of it!

Feedback Week

Assessment results – achievements, progress and targets for future learning are shared with pupils during ‘Feedback Week’ and parents at the subsequent Parents’ Evening.

During Feedback Week the pupils are encouraged to reflect on how they learn, to understand where they are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there.

For further information see the Assessment policy in the Policies section of the website.

Parent Workshops

Below are materials from different Parent Workshops held throughout the year.

Helpful hints for reading – The Reading Journey

Maths Games Workshop – Wiltshire Bare Necessities KS1 Wiltshire Bare Necessities KS2 Maths Games

E-safety Workshop – Supporting Young People Online

Calculation Policy – Calculation Policy