Curriculum
Foundation Stage/Key Stage 1
Classroom Each class has no more than 15 children. There is a highly – qualified teacher in each class with two teaching assistants to provide additional support. Role-play Role-play opportunities are provided up until the end of year 2. There are several designated areas for role play which are interconnected from the main classroom. Different themes are available at any one time to aid stimulation and exploration and one of the areas is available for children to create their own role-play area. Teaching Emphasis is on teaching the essential skills needed for progression into key stage 2. Skills are learned through practical activities; learning through a ‘hands-on’ approach by using a variety of practical materials to aid further understanding. The children work in ability groups right across the curriculum and are not grouped according to how old they are. The ratio of staff available is then able to provide the teaching and support needed for all children to make the progress needed. In the mornings, emphasis is on teaching the necessary ‘skills’ and in the afternoon, children explore other areas of learning through a variety of means: by using technology, role-play areas, outdoor learning experiences and through being ‘independent learners’. Although there are programmes of study in place, the afternoon will provide the opportunity for children to learn from doing things themselves with the teacher/assistant acting as ‘facilitator’ rather than ‘teacher’. |
Key Stage 2
Classroom Each class has no more than 15 children. There is one highly-qualified teacher and one teaching assistant. Different classes come together at various times to enable pupils to engage and collaborate with each other when learning particular topics. Outdoor learning is a main focus in addition to regular field trips which enables links to be made to the ‘real world’ outside of the classroom. Teaching Some lessons are taught subject specifically in order to teach essential skills, however, the majority of our teaching focuses on thematic approaches promoting cross-curricular learning which involves teaching children how to learn. Teachers teach creatively and teach for creativity. Reinforcement of skills is taught but the main role of the teacher is that of ‘facilitator’. Providing opportunities for children to learn through investigation and exploration enables them to apply what they know in order to acquire further knowledge and understanding in order to progress further. Learning is enhanced through using ‘state-of-the-art’ technology with an emphasis on learning through 'games'. Pupils are able to 'bring your own device' which link to the Interactive Whiteboard which enables greater connections to the teacher and improved opportunities for assessment. Learning can be transferred ‘to home’ which reinforces understanding by accessing the school’s Virtual Learning Environment which enables parents to have greater access to their children’s education and learning progress. |
Curriculum subjects
Mathematics We use a learning platform called 'Jumpido' which enhances our mathematics teaching programme using game-based learning. It brings the classroom to life with stunning animation which combines intelligent thinking with physical gestures in order to solve problems. English Pupils experience memorable and stimulating lessons in our immersive 'sensory classroom' which makes learning dynamic, engaging and relevant. Other curriculum areas Mathematics, spelling, reading and science is supported through an e-learning resource called '3p Learning'. Learning is interactive, effective and stimulating. Other subject areas are supported through using 'Minecraft' and 'Raspberry Pi' technology which supports our cross-curricular creative teaching programme. Our teaching promotes:
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