Bream Primary School Curriculum Intent Statement 2021

‘Be the best you can be; together we grow from acorns to oaks, flourishing in God’s love’

Intent

At Bream Primary School, our vision puts the children at the centre of all we do.  Our understanding of the individual child underpins their learning journey. We have high aspirations for every child and we want to help them to be caring, confident and curious young people, with a passion for learning and the ability to achieve their potential. Based in the heart of the Forest of Dean we have a constantly evolving curriculum which responds to the needs of all learners and their interests. Our curriculum enables us to build strong relationships, celebrate diversity, encourage respect and build a sense of community. It provides and acknowledges success for all children, in all aspects of their development and it recognises, encourages and celebrates all types of talent.

Our Bream Christian Values, PSHE lessons and assemblies promote positive attitudes which help children to develop their moral compass and the skills needed for future learning and success. Teamwork and responsibility are an essential part of our curriculum and we enable children to take on key roles, becoming involved in the community, through celebration of local traditions, by learning new skills and enabling them to take an active part in events throughout the year. Our curriculum has been designed to ensure that children have deep memorable learning experiences, with some fun along the way. Our children leave Bream Primary School with a sense of belonging and are proud that they have developed the confidence and skills needed to be learners for life.

Aims:

We aim to

•        Recognise every child’s uniqueness and help them to reach their potential
•        Enable children to learn knowledge, skills and understanding through our bespoke curriculum
•        Offer a range of opportunities that will engage, challenge, inspire and develop our children as they grow from acorns to oaks
•        Help children understand where they fit in the world by developing their own moral compass
•        Create caring, confident and curious children
•        Have children who are ready to approach their next stage in their own learning journey.

Implementation

Expectations at Bream Primary School:

•        Staff have high expectations of themselves and all children.
•        Staff impart knowledge with enthusiasm helping to ensure a high level of engagement within the lessons.
•        Expectations are that children will make and sustain progress relevant to their starting points across units of work.
•        All staff support children in developing independent learning skills.
•        Staff systematically check understanding, intervening in a timely manner when needed.
•        Children have access to a bespoke curriculum which will include additional support and extended challenge.
•        Staff regularly provide high quality marking and constructive feedback to children.

Effective Teaching

At Bream Primary School we embrace a pedagogy which is based on (Barak) Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction; an approach with principles which come from three sources: research in cognitive science, research on master teachers and research on cognitive support. This supports an understanding of how children acquire and use information, how they can use their short-term and long-term memory and how we can provide scaffolds and models to support effective learning.

High expectations of progress apply equally to children working above, at, or below age-related expectations, including those who have been identified as having special educational needs. There is an expectation of participation, fulfilment and success for all our pupils.

Teaching and learning is characterised by an engaging curriculum, quality first teaching and rapid intervention (in lessons and intervention programmes). Rigorous assessment is used to monitor and maintain pupil progress. There are clear plans to support those who are struggling to keep pace with the curriculum.

Teachers expect everyone to succeed by offering higher levels of support or extra challenge for those who need it, so that all pupils can access the learning at the expected year group standard. Pupil Premium Funding ensures that the barriers to learning for our disadvantaged pupils are addressed thereby enabling them to reach their academic potential.

What will this look like?

1. Quality first teaching

•   Highly focused lesson design with sharp objectives taken from the Subject Leaders’ Schemes of Work/Knowledge Organisers;
•   High levels of engagement and interaction for all children within their learning;
•   Excellent use of teacher explanations, questioning, modelling;
•   Emphasis on learning through dialogue;
•   An expectation that children will develop resilience and accept responsibility for their own learning and work independently;
•   Regular use of encouragement and praise, using our school values, to motivate and enthuse children.

2. Focused assessment

•   Rigorous assessment and tracking of children’s performance takes place to inform classroom practice allowing children to make good progress and close attainment gaps;
•   Strengths and weaknesses identified to ensure timely interventions;
•   Teaching and intervention programmes are adjusted in the light of the progress children make;
•   Parents/carers are regularly informed on their child’s progress and any concerns shared;

3. Intervention

•   Individuals and groups who are not making sufficient progress are identified;
•   Provision for intervention is mapped according to need;
•   Detailed plans are put into place;
•   Interventions are evaluated and relevant adjustments are made;
•   More able learners are enabled to perform at a greater depth for their year group where appropriate;

4. Learning environment

•   Organisation of the classroom/learning environment adapted to the children’s learning needs;
•   The use of learning resources and IT developed to allow children to work independently and successfully;
•   Make effective use of other spaces – ‘outdoor classroom’, library, purple room, hall space;
•   Displays to be a mixture of celebration of children’s work, supportive resources and information.

Impact

The impact of our bespoke curriculum will be measured in a variety of ways, both academically and in terms of a child’s personal development.

Personal development

1)    How effectively it helps our pupils develop into well rounded individuals who embody the Bream Christian Values.

2)    Are our children caring, confident and curious with the knowledge, skills and attitudes which will make them lifelong learners and able to play an active role in society?

Academic attainment and achievement

1)    Assessment procedures will allow us to measure outcomes against all schools nationally. This includes:

•        In Years 1 - 6 using PIRA/PUMA/GAPS English and Maths tests
•        Continually using teacher assessment of 'Little Wandle' building towards the Phonics Screening Test in Year 1.
•        % of children in Years 3, 4 and 5 who are working towards, at the expected standards or greater depth against national
•        End of Key Stage assessments, % of children working towards, at the expected standards or greater depth in reading, writing and maths
•        Stringent teacher assessment of children unable to access the tests

2)    Assessment procedures will allow us to measure the progress of all pupils from EYFS to Key Stage 1 and from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2.