Curriculum Overview

At Princefield First School we set our own curriculum based on the National Curriculum. The curriculum is aimed to be broad, challenging and enjoyable. Our Local Governing Committee has been delegated responsibility by Penk Valley Academy Trust to approve and monitor our curriculum policies, plans, implementation and impact. Local Governors work with us to ensure the curriculum intent and implementation are of a high-standard. The impact of our curriculum is measured through internal and external assessment and is scrutinised by the Local Governing Committee who report back to the Standards & Performance Committee of Penk Valley Academy Trust.

As a school in a three-tier system (First, Middle and High Schools) we work closely with our feeder schools and the schools into which we feed, including those not part of Penk Valley Academy Trust, to ensure our curriculum is well-sequenced across all National Curriculum Key Stages.

Our aim at Princefield is to provide opportunities for children to develop as independent, confident, successful learners with high aspirations who know how to make a positive contribution to their community and the wider society.

We aim to provide a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum which inspires curiosity and fascination, preparing our children for an exciting and unknown future.

Our curriculum aims to engage children to become actively engaged and enthused in their learning both in and beyond the classroom. Being given opportunities to creatively practise, consolidate and extend skills thus promoting: –

Curricular learning – knowledge, skills and understanding
Learning as a skill – learning how to learn
Emotional learning – learning about oneself and others
Citizenship learning – learning about ourselves as part of a British Society and as global citizens

We try to ensure that the knowledge and skills gained are used across the whole curriculum and not simply in isolation and that subject specific vocabulary and knowledge allows children to build links and enhance their learning across other subjects.

Our curriculum is appropriately differentiated and adapted to ensure all learners are supported and challenged to have successes and make progress irrespective of gender, ability, ethnicity or social circumstances.

To ensure progression and allow for cross curricular links, key teams co-ordinate planning for all subjects drawing on the skills outlined in the 2014 National Curriculum Standards, Staffordshire RE Agreed Syllabus and PSHE standard syllabus.

We plan our curriculum in three phases.

A long-term plan (following a 2-year rolling programme where applicable) for each key stage-indicates the topics to be taught in each term.

Medium-term plans – give clear guidance on the objectives and skills that children will learn when teaching each topic/subject.

Short-term plans – those used by individual teachers on a daily/weekly basis.

In the Foundation Stage the curriculum is based on Development Matters. Each year, EYFS will plan themes which build on children’s interests. Themes and experiences will give children opportunity for playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically. Activities take place in both the outdoor and indoor areas and the wider school environment.

A mixture of whole-class teaching, paired, individual and group activities are used to foster collaborative and independent skills. Children have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including ICT.

As our children travel on the journey of learning we believe it needs to be clear as to where they are and more importantly, where they are going and how they get there.

Alongside the formal curriculum we aim to nurture children’s learning behaviours and develop a curiosity towards the exploration of knowledge, developing the key skills needed to be an effective learner. Princefield has developed 6 key skills which we feel are relevant to children building their skills as self-regulated learners.

Ask questions – be curious

Give and get feedback

Talk about your learning

Consider next steps

Be resilient – keep trying

Know what can help me

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 through school systems, linked to behaviour expectations and communicated through feedback about their work.

It is expected that all children will:

Make at least good progress from their last point of statutory assessment or from their starting point in Nursery.
Have positive attitudes towards their learning which continues as they move to the next stage in their learning journey
Demonstrate resilience in their learning and don’t give up when they find things difficult.
Know how they learn best and use this in their day-to-day work.
Have high aspirations of themselves, demonstrating positive attitude towards all aspects of school life, demonstrating respectful behaviour to all and this is transferable outside the school in the wider community and beyond.
Have a clear understanding of what's right and wrong.

Attainment and progress is measured through statutory formal summative assessments:

GLD / End of EYFS
Phonics

As well as non-statutory formal summative assessments:

Baseline at the start and end of Nursery
Baseline at the start of Reception
PUMA Year 1 – 4 every term
PIRA Year 1 – 4 every term
SWST Year 1 – 4 spelling (termly)

Alongside this, formative assessments are made by our teachers to evaluate pupil’s knowledge and understanding on a day-t-day basis and to tailor teaching accordingly. Teachers assess pupils’ understanding of individual learning objectives and identify where there are gaps. This tells the teacher what to focus on in future lessons and prompts them to adapt their teaching approach to improve pupils’ understanding.

Throughout our Early Years setting, practitioners use the Development Matters and Early Learning Goals (ELGs) as a part of their daily observation, assessment and planning. Ongoing formative assessment is at the heart of effective early years practice. Staff make regular observations of how children act and interact and take photographs and make notes of what they can do to help identify where they may be in their own developmental pathway. Teachers collect this evidence using Tapestry. Use evidence collected to inform their judgements of whether pupils are ‘Beginning, Developing or Secure’ in each aspect of the early years’ ages and stages.

These judgements are used to help track pupil progress alongside evidence in pupil books, ongoing assessments, observations and notes. Analysis of data is used to inform individual pupil targets and to plan appropriate support. It is also used to help identify whole class coverage of the Early Years curriculum and more general gaps in knowledge