Our Ethos and Values
“Learning today for a better tomorrow”
Our school vision states that every child will leave this school:
- Achieving their very best
- Happy and confident
- Respectful of themselves and of others
- Always reaching for the stars!
To make this happen, we have designed a skills and knowledge based curriculum which recognises all children as individuals and supports them to recognise they have a role to play as members of the local, national and global community:
- We will promote children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning
- We will provide well planned, creative and experiential learning opportunities, building on prior knowledge and skills, that will be matched to the individual strengths and needs of the children
- We will provide opportunities through an exciting and engaging curriculum, including a wide range of workshops and trips and the Skills Builder programme, to develop skills for life
- We will create a happy, friendly, stimulating working atmosphere
- We will encourage self-confidence, resilience and the ability to make decisions
- We will celebrate all types of achievements so that everybody experiences the fulfilment of personal and shared success
- We will ensure that everyone has access to equal opportunities. We will expect sensitivity and acceptance of others, and good manners
- We will ensure that ‘Rights’ education is embedded within the curriculum and that all children know and can use the language of rights.
- We will continue to promote our status as a ‘Rights Respecting’ school, developing pupils’ tolerance and understanding of others and equipping them for life in a diverse and rapidly changing society
- We will ensure that curriculum across the school, including Personal, Social and Health Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Religious Education, teach children about those different to themselves; to promote tolerance and help children understand the importance of education in combating prejudice
Intent
At Wormholt Park Primary School, our aim is to prepare children for their role as members of the local, national and global community. We are proud that Rights education is embedded within our curriculum and all children know and can use the language of rights. Our status as a Gold ‘Rights Respecting’ school demonstrates our commitment to developing a school environment where difference is valued and nurtured and our pupils understand others and are equipped for life in a diverse and rapidly changing society. Every child is recognised as a unique individual and we endeavour to provide learning experiences for pupils that enable them to realise their strengths and potential, regardless of gender, background or ability.
Our curriculum is ambitious and well planned, meeting the needs of all children. Our knowledge and skills-based learning provides classroom environments where independence, thinking skills, collaboration and active learning are developed at the same time as knowledge is acquired.
Our curriculum is split into subjects and each subject has a ‘Skills and Knowledge Progression’ document. This details the progression of learning that pupils will go through year by year within the subject. Teachers use these documents to plan units of work that ensure that we initially re-visit prior learning before building on this and deepening pupils understanding, so that over units of work pupils are able to know more, remember more and do more.
Implementation
Teachers plan a series of lessons using schemes of work and their own understanding of children’s starting points, ensuring careful consideration for revisiting knowledge, progression and depth. Through continuous assessment, our staff use their knowledge of what pupils already know and understand and what they will learn in the future to pitch the curriculum at the right level.
Teachers use knowledge organisers which outline the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary all children must master and learn.
Our learning provides classroom environments where independence, thinking skills, collaboration and active learning are developed at the same time as knowledge is acquired. We use the Skills Builder program to support this approach. The Skills Builder Universal Framework shows how to build essential skills at every stage of life.
We are determined that all pupils will learn to read, regardless of their background, need or abilities; our curriculum is designed to ensure children have access to reading activities in all subjects and teachers read a variety of written material regularly with the children; fiction and non-fiction, stories, reports, diaries, poems etc. As a result, children develop a lifelong love for reading. To teach early reading and phonics, we use the ‘Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS)” phonics programme.
We create a happy, friendly, stimulating working atmosphere, where we place great importance on trips, workshops, clubs and other exciting opportunities to develop children’s cultural capital and to ensure learning comes to life!
Whilst the teaching and learning of Maths and English is a crucial part of everyday learning, the social, physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth of every child, is also a key part of our curriculum. We celebrate all types of achievements so that everybody experiences the fulfilment of personal and shared success.
Impact
Our pupils develop detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum and, as a result, achieve well, which is reflected in their work.
Our pupils are ready for the next stage of education, equipped with the knowledge and skills they need. Our pupils with SEN and/or disabilities achieve the best possible outcomes.
Our pupils read widely and often, with fluency and comprehension appropriate to their age.
They’re able to apply mathematical knowledge, concepts and procedures appropriately for their age.
How we measure the impact of our curriculum:
- Looking at the children’s books
- Reflecting on standards achieved against the planned outcomes;
- Marking and in class feedback. We understand that feedback is linked to progress and has to be timely to make an impact;
- Low risk quizzes;;
- Pupil discussions about their learning;
- Termly evaluations of pupils’ learning across the school to identify progress, mastery and depth of understanding;
- Skills Builder challenge days;
- School reports are written at the end of the school year. All subjects are marked as Working towards National Expectations, Meeting National Expectations or Exceeding National Expectations;
- Teachers hold meetings with parents three times per year, creating an effective partnership to ensure children make progress in learning;
- A celebration of work, knowledge and skills achieved on displays around the school;
- Formal Assessment Cycle:
- KS1/KS2 SATs in May
- Year 1 Phonics Screen in June
- NFER standardised tests in Reading and Maths in December, March and June.
- Writing is moderated by all staff and then Teacher Assessment agreed based on the child’s performance in class.
- Sonar is used termly to track attainment and progress against subject specific learning objectives.
This vision and intent can be read in conjunction with the school’s strategic priorities as developed by all Governing Board.
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