Pedagogical approaches and strategies

Behaviourism

Direct teacher instruction; modelling of skills and techniques; demonstration

Constructivism

Inquiry-based learning; outdoor learning

Social Constructivism

Teacher modelling; questioning; mix of individual, paired and group instruction

Liberationism

Pupil-led learning; opportunities to showcase learning

Vocabulary to develop confident learners

Introducing learners to key vocabulary specific to the subjects, they are learning in order for them to use and apply it confidently and correctly.

Intention 1: To build a curriculum which develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge so that all children know more, remember more and understand more.

Curriculum Implementation

Reason / Research

National Curriculum Programmes of Study

• All subjects within the National Curriculum are planned for and covered in full within the KS1 and KS2 school curriculum.
• Whilst the National Curriculum forms the foundation of our curriculum, we make sure that children learn additional skills, knowledge and understanding and enhance our curriculum as and when necessary and when necessary so that children know more, remember more and understand more.

National Curriculum

School adheres to the statutory content of the National Curriculum to ensure all children have access to appropriate age related knowledge and skills

Language

• The promotion of a language rich curriculum is essential to the successful acquisition across the curriculum.
• The development of speech and language is identified as one of the most important parts of our schools early years curriculum. A Speech and Language Therapist is employed by school to screen and work with all children as they enter Nursery. This enables staff to match oral language activities to learners’ current stage of development, so that it extends their learning and connects with the rest of the curriculum.
• The promotion and use of an accurate and rich cross curricular vocabulary throughout school is planned in all subjects. This is evident in all learning areas.
• The promotion and implementation of tiered language across the curriculum provides the tools for children to make links across the subjects so that they know more, remember more and understand more.

Education Endowment Fund research indicates that all pupils benefit from oral language interventions, and some studies show slightly larger effects for younger children and pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds (up to six months' additional progress). 

School baseline upon entry data indicates that a significant number of children enter Lower Foundation Stage with speaking and listening skills that are below chronological expectations.

Phonics

• • The systematic teaching of phonics has a high priority throughout Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Phonics is taught daily to all children in Foundation Stage, Year 1 and those in Year 2 who have not passed phonics screening in Year 1.
  • Staff systematically teach learners the relationship between sounds and the written spelling patterns, or graphemes, which represent them. Phonics is delivered in a whole class format because it enables staff to ensure application across subjects embedding the process in a rich literacy environment for early readers.
  • Intervention is planned for those children who are working below expected levels.
  Jolly Phonics is used as the spine for delivery of the phonics sessions. Jolly phonics is visual, audial and kinaesthetic thus increasing the likelihood of rapid progress.
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Education Endowment Fund research indicates that Phonics approaches have been consistently found to be effective in supporting younger readers to master the basics of reading, with an average impact of an additional four months’ progress.

School – phonics outcomes improved significantly when the systematic teaching of whole class teaching of phonics was introduced.

• Reading

  Reading forms the core of our curriculum. All children read and are read to so that they develop a love of reading. Books are selected by teachers with the knowledge of how they link to other areas of the curriculum so that chidren learn more, remember more and undertsand more. Reading Scheme – school uses a variety of different reading schemes to provide a wide variety of appropriate quality texts for children to read covering all genres and challenge stereo-types. The schemes incorporated into our reading provision include: Oxford Reading Tree, Project X, Graphic Novels and The Power of Reading recommended texts. All books are Book Banded in order to ensure progression and challenge for all children. All children from year 1 complete the Salford reading test to ensure they read appropriately challenging books. Individual Reading – all children in Foundation Stage read individually to a trained adult each weekly. Throughout school a minority of children will read 1 to 1         with an adult as a form of intervention. Home Reading – all children are expected to read at home and take home ‘home’ reading books. All children in UFS and Year 1 take home 2 reading books, a familiar read and a new read both of which are phonetically plausible. Children in Year 2 who did not pass Phonics Screening in Year 1 take home 2 reading books, a familiar read and a new read. Children in KS2 who did not pass Phonics Screening in Year 2 take home 2 reading books, a familiar read and a new read. Guided Reading – all children from Upper Foundation Stage take part in Guided Reading. Guided Reading Sessions, which run x3 sessions per week, are planned by all teachers to teach a range of techniques which enable children to comprehend the meaning of what they read. Reading Areas All classrooms have class-reading areas with subject specific books and rage related reading for pleasure books. All classrooms have access to mental well-being books in the reading area outside the classroom. Library - All children visit the school library each week and choose a book to read at home for pleasure. Reading Bugs - All children have access to Reading Bugs which is a web-based ability appropriate reading scheme which they can access at home and school. Links can be made between Reading Bugs and Wordsmith.

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Education Endowment Fund research indicates that reading comprehension approaches deliver an additional six months’ progress. Successful reading comprehension approaches allow activities to be carefully tailored to pupils’ reading capabilities, and involve activities and texts that provide an effective, but not overwhelming, challenge.

Writing

• All Children write daily.
• School uses the Wordsmith scheme to ensure the coverage of key objectives in grammar which build competency. Opportunities for children to apply their writing are planned and links to the wider curriculum are made when doing this. Writing is assessed at appropriate times when key skills can be applied in a meaningful way and next steps identified by the teacher and also through self and peer assessment. We assess using Writing assessment grids that we share with the other academies in our Multi Academy Trust.
• School has a presentation contract that all children and staff adhere to. Good presentation is celebrated.

Education Endowment Fund research indicates that children benefit from a balanced approach to literacy that includes a range of approaches. The emphasis of the different approaches will shift as children progress; effective diagnosis can help to identify priorities and focus teaching to ensure that it is efficient.

Maths

• Maths is a core subject and has a high priority within our school curriculum.
• White Rose MathsHub is used as the core maths programme. The delivery of this programme is underpinned by staff CPD with MathsHub.
• MathsHub assessments are used throughout the year to inform teachers of childrens understanding and progress.
• Abacus Maths is used to support progression in maths.
• Testbase materials are used to inform ongoing teacher assessments within day to day learning.
• Timestables Rockstars is a timetable programme that is used across KS2 to ensure children are developing rapid recall of multiplication facts.
• Target Maths is a school based initiative which enables the daily application of arithmetic knowledge outside the maths lesson.

MathsHub aim is to develop a culture of deep understanding, confidence and real progress. The programme, which has been developed following global research, makes links to the real life problems.

Education Endowment Fund research indicates that Mathematics is essential for everyday life and a foundation for careers in technology, science, and engineering, among many others. School agree that Improving the attainment of children in mathematics should be a founding aim of our school.

School: school data indicates that daily application of arithmetic results in children achieving at ARE.

Science

• Science is taught half termly in all Key Stages.
• Links are made to the theme cycle when appropriate however we recognise that not all science units ‘fit’ within a theme and so these units are taught discretely. Science units of work will not be tenuously linked because learning will lack depth and understanding.
• Language development has a salient role in science learning. All science units focus upon key vocabulary to be used during knowledge acquisition.

Education Endowment Fund research indicates strong evidence of a link between economic disadvantage and attainment in science. Strategies to boost disadvantaged pupils’ reading comprehension could have a positive impact on their achievement in science too.

School : children evidence a positive approach and engagement towards science units of work.

Foundation Subjects

• 1 Year Cycle - Our curriculum is taught on a one year cycle with each national curriculum year having their own bespoke curriculum encompassing all subjects. The one year cycles build upon the previous year’s knowledge so that children retain learning – they know more, remember more and understand more.
• Termly Blocks – Each national curriculum years groups one year cycle is split into termly blocks and given an over –arching title. The termly planned work starts with key vocabulary and knowledge for children to learn so that they know more, this will support them throughout the remainder of their learning. Opportunities are provided for children to apply this newly acquired knowledge to ensure they understand more about the concepts being taught. An intentional period of ‘non-focus time’ is built into the term followed by a ‘highlight task’ which enables children to re-visit the newly acquired knowledge and understanding so that they remember more and retain their prior learning.
• Knowledge Walls – Live Knowledge Walls are displayed in all classrooms. The walls are divided into subject specific columns and reflect school’s curriculum design. The walls consist of key vocabulary, key knowledge, applications and retention highlight tasks. (Please see Knowledge Wall Planner.)
• Discrete Learning - English, Maths and ICT skills are taught during discrete lessons but revisited in the curriculum so children can apply and embed the skills they have learnt in a purposeful context.
• Cultural Capital Enhancement -We plan that each half-term pupils will experience cultural capital enhancements in the form of a visitor, a visit external to Fitzwilliam, a project within the community of Fitzwilliam and involvement in the community activity to provide first-hand experiences for the children to support and develop their learning. (Please see Cultural Capital Curriculum Enhancement) We recognise that to have impact the planned enhancements must be clearly linked to the statutory knowledge to be acquired and provide the opportunity for children to know more, remember more and understand more.

Education Endowment Fund research indicates that

Enhancement - Education Endowment Fund research indicates that given the complex nature, and limited evidence of impact on attainment of enrichment activities, it is important to think carefully about what you are intending to achieve. It is also important to consider carefully whether such activities should replace curriculum-linked activities, as this might have a negative impact on attainment.

School: questionnaires (parents and pupils) indicate that children positively engage in enhancement tasks. Pupils written work indicates that clearly planned enhancement activities provide a scaffold for language consolidation.

Intention 2: To build a curriculum which nurtures children’s learning behaviours and develops a curiosity towards the exploration of knowledge so that all children know more, remember more and understand more.

Curriculum Implementation

Reason / Research

• Key Skills –We plan a character related learning programme which develops key skills that help children become effective learner’s. School has developed 6 key skills which we feel are relevant to the pupils at Fitzwilliam Primary School. The Key skills, which provide a weekly focus, are:
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  • Collaboration
  • Independence
  • Resilience
  • Communication
  • Leadership
  • Enthusiasm

• School endeavours to develop these key skills alongside the formal curriculum through providing challenging learning which enables children to take risks to deepen their understanding and build their skills as self-regulating learners.
• We understand that learning about our character make us better learners and so key skill development threads through the school curriculum. Its development is rewarded in assemblies, communicated to pupils through feedback about their work and explained to parents also through actions such as the open ended homework we set, promotion through the newsletter and parental engagement activities.
• Outdoor Learning and Forest School –Outdoor learning is a valued part of learning within school because it provides opportunity to develop children’s curiosity of learning. Appropriate age related opportunities are planned for children to apply their curriculum knowledge outside the classroom. School recognises that to have impact outdoor learning must have a clear focus and link directly to the statutory curriculum.
• Forest School – Throughout the school year all children will access Forest school and have the opportunity to apply learning and further develop their internalisation of the 6 Key skills.
• Inclusion - The curriculum in our school is designed to be accessed by all children who attend the school. If we think it necessary to modify some children's access to the curriculum, in order to meet their needs, then we do this only after their parents or carers have been consulted. This happens only in very exceptional circumstances. The SEN Policy explains in greater detail schools approach to meeting the needs of this group of children.
• Please see additional Key Skill Development Information link at the bottom of this page

Education Endowment Fund literature review on non-cognitive skills suggested that character-related approaches can be most effective for improving attainment when they are specifically linked to learning.

Macpherson Report (1999). The school has implemented the recommendations of The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry: Our schemes of work address the diversity of our society, and reflect the National Curriculum programmes of study.

School: initial curriculum research, pupil observations, pupil questionnaires highlighted key skills that acted as barriers to children’s learning in school.

Intention 3:     To build a curriculum which ensures children know right from wrong, celebrate diversity and are ‘Life Ready’ so that they know more, remember more and understand more.

Curriculum Implementation

Reason / Research

• The planned school curriculum includes 3 components: the statutory knowledge of the national curriculum; how this is to be delivered and also how school can nurture an understanding of morality and the wider world. Want all of our children to understand what it means to be a British Citizen or, someone from another country who lives in Britain. We ensure the intention to build ‘Life Ready’ pupils is achieved by:
• Aspiration Week – a planned week at the start of each school year which enables school to communicate expectations about learning but also allows children time to explore and develop an understanding in relation to the issues of democracy, individual liberty, mutual respect and rule of law.
• Assemblies - Weekly whole school and class assemblies led by the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Key Stage Manger which explore children’s understanding of British Values by applying them to real life issues.
• Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning curriculum - Planned weekly learning including: new beginnings in life, going for goals, getting on and falling out, changes and relationships which helps children question and make sense of their place in the world.
• • Cultural Capital – A Cultural Capital Enhancement plan which provides all children, particularly those who are disadvantaged, the opportunity to experience a wide range of experiences relating to living in Britain. (See Cultural Capital Enhancement Plan.)
  • PSHE curriculum - Planned weekly learning including RSE, which helps children question and make sense of their place in the world. (See PSHE and RSE Schemes of work)
  • Curriculum Planning – Half termly curriculum plans ensure that stereotypes are challenged and positive role models are identified for us to learn about. (See Termly Curriculum Plans)
  • Curriculum Links – Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural links are made to all elements of the planned curriculum and these are exemplified for children during their learning in the form of success criteria against which they can assess themselves.
  • Displays – Displays reinforce the intentions of the school and provide clear real life images of democracy, the rule of law, tolerance, mutually respect and individual liberty.
  • Community – The curriculum is planned to enable children to work with local community groups such as visiting the local residential home, working with local charities, collecting and raising money for charities and food banks, working with other schools Hemsworth and further afield. We aim to increase our learner’s engagement with activities that benefit other members of the community and beyond.
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Education Endowment Fund research indicates that growing evidence suggests that a schools use of a set of attitudes, skills and behaviors – such as self-control, confidence, social skills, motivation, and resilience –to underpin the delivery of the curriculum are important to children’s later outcomes.

School – observations of learning attitudes, behaviour throughout school, analysis of questionnaires and discussions with pupils indicate that they view character building skills and activities positively.

Intention

Intended Impact

How will it be measured?

Intention 1:       

To build a curriculum which develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge so that children know more, remember more and understand more.

Children will make at least good progress from their last point of statutory assessment of from their starting point in Nursery.

Progress from a child’s starting point or from the last point of statutory assessment.

Attainment at each point of statutory assessment.

Intention 2

To build a curriculum which nurtures children’s learning behaviours and develops a curiosity towards the exploration of knowledge so that children know more, remember more and understand more.

Children have positive attitudes towards their learning which continues as they move to secondary school and adulthood.

Children know how they learn best and use this knowledge in their day to day work.

Children demonstrate resilience in their earning and don’t give up when they find something difficult.

Children have high aspirations of themselves and as a result of this set themselves challenging next steps.

The learning behaviour displayed by children in the classroom and in the wider school environment.

The care children demonstrate to their learning through the presentation of their work.

The completion and return of homework including Open Ended homework.

Attendance at school – children are rarely absent.

Intention 3

To build a curriculum which ensures children know right from wrong, celebrate diversity and are ‘Life Ready’ so that children knw more, remember more and understand more.

Children demonstrate a positive attitude towards all aspects of school life. They demonstrate respectful behaviour to all and this is transferable outside of school in the wider community and beyond.

Children are resilient to the beliefs of others and make the correct choices independently based on their understanding of right and wrong

Throughout school positive attitudes prevail towards all children and staff. There are very few incidents of disrespectful behaviour and when there is a disagreement this is resolved through respectful discussion.

School pupils are ambassadors whenever they learn outside of the school environment.

School pupils very rarely become involved in problems outside of the school day.

Children stand up for what is right and positively speak out against inequalities such as racism and sexism.