Marchbank Free School

RESPONSIBILITY
Policy Title / Curriculum Policy
Author / Mandy Southwick
Version / V1
Owned By / Mandy Southwick
Date Completed / March 2013 / Reviewed March 14
Date for Revision of policy / September 2014
APPROVED
Chair of local governing body / Mr Mark Jolly
Chair of Directors / Mr Jim O’Neill
Signed

Contents

  1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
  2. Values……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3
  3. Key Skills…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4
  4. Aims and Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
  5. The Curriculum……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5-6
  6. Teaching and Learning Styles………………………………………………………………………………………..6-7
  7. Curriculum Planning……………………………………………………………………………………………………..7-8
  8. Resources………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8
  9. Assessment and Recording………………………………………………………………………………………………8
  10. Monitoring and Review…………………………………………………………………………………………………..9
  11. Inclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9
  1. Introduction

1.1Marchbank’s curriculum is all planned activities that we organise to promote learning, personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the various extra-curricular activities that the school organises in order to enrich the student’s experience.

1.2It also includes the ‘hidden curriculum’ – what the children will learn from the way they are treated and expected to behave.

1.3We have incorporated some Steiner principles into our well established and proven curriculum to suit the very specific needs of children with BSED.

  1. Values

2.1Marchbank School’s curriculum is underpinned by the values we believe are crucially important. The curriculum is the means by which the school achieves its objectives of educating children in the knowledge, skills and understanding they need in order to lead fulfilling lives.

2.2At Marchbank Free School we celebrate our values and incorporate them into our everyday life.

They are:

  • RESPECT
  • ENJOYMENT
  • ACHIEVEMENT
  • CITIZENSHIP
  • HARD WORK

Throughout their time at Marchbank students will be supported in developing these values through our taught curriculum and through the way children are treated and expected to behave. All adult members of Marchbank are expected to provide positive role models of these values at all times.

  1. Key Skills

3.1The following skills are identified in the National Curriculum and Marchbank agreed that it is important for children to achieve and develop these skills.

  • Communication
  • Application of number
  • Information Technology
  • Working with others
  • Improving one’s own learning and performance
  • Problem-solving

3.2In our curriculum planning, we emphasise these skills, so that the children’s progress in all of these areas can be identified and monitored. All teacher’s seek to contribute to a child’s progress in these skills, because we believe that all children need the opportunity and scaffolding to make (at least) ‘good progress’ in these areas if they are to develop their true potential.

  1. Aims and Objectives

4.1At Marchbank we believe that all children are entitled to a broad and balanced curriculum which is interesting, engaging and provides a range of learning opportunities that help develop children’s life-long love of learning.

4.2In essence, the curriculum at Marchbank aims to:

  • Increase children’s motivation, enthusiasm and engagement in their learning by making learning through putting it into context
  • Support the raising of standards in both teaching and learning
  • Help children to become more independent and take greater ownership of their learning, developing their confidence and motivation to learn through the use of a range of teaching and learning styles
  • Establish strong-cross curricular links to ensure a broader understanding
  • Create and maintain an exciting and stimulating learning environment, including topics delivered through the main lesson
  • Provide opportunities to apply knowledge and learning in practical ways and to solve problems in a variety of situations
  • Provide frequent enrichment opportunities where learning and teaching can take place beyond the classroom
  • Give opportunities for a flexible timetabling approach to ensure true depth of study is possible
  1. The Curriculum

5.1The curriculum is designed to offer discrete teaching in Literacy and Numeracy with other subjects largely being integrated into a topic based approach using a carefully planned development which is based on the sequences of the Steiner curriculum but with an overview of the National Curriculum to ensure students can move from Marchbank with the same knowledge base as their peers in school.

5.1.1Literacy

A discrete lesson of literacy is delivered each day. This will incorporate reading, writing and speaking and listening with a dedicated phonics and spelling element. The National Literacy Strategy will provide a framework and supplemented at other parts of the when children will be afforded opportunities to engage in various speaking and listening activities and daily story time which will include familiar stories, traditional tales, poetry, rhyme and drama.

5.1.2Numeracy

A dedicated numeracy lesson is delivered four times a week. The National Numeracy Strategy provides the framework and teaching staff identify opportunities in their planning of other areas where they can extend children’s skills by using every day maths. Times tables are taught by the use of rhyme and repetition during daily ring time.

5.1.3The Main Lesson

All other National Curriculum subjects are incorporated into a topic based approach and delivered through two hour main lessons during the afternoons. Each main lesson topic continues for an extended period of time with most lasting three to four weeks. This approach allows children to gain unhurried and in-depth experiences to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the topic area whilst developing key skills. The topics follow a carefully planned developmental order and incorporate science, history, geography, religious education, design technology, art, crafts, music, PSE and ICT.

5.1.4ICT

The use of ICT is encouraged in all topic areas as a subject in its own right and in both the teaching of the topic in the main lesson and in the opportunities for children’s independent learning.

5.1.5PE

PE is taught discreetly with a large element of this being orienteering and other outdoor adventurous activities within our extensive school grounds. Within the confines of our school building there are recognised limitations for the delivery of PE therefore dance and gymnastics are delivered on site and students access the EV for swimming and games during winter months and periods of bad weather.

5.1.6Modern Foreign Languages

Modern Foreign Languages is delivered discreetly and includes conversational French and Spanish.

5.1.7Forest School

Children access regular Forest School sessions in the wooded area within our school grounds. They follow a developmental curriculum which involves learning how to use full size tools, how to build fires safely and how to build shelters. It also includes knowledge based and experimental learning of the flora and fauna and allows children to observe the changing seasons first hand. Once groups are established in the woodland and routines are set up the projects develop through a child led approach with opportunities for projects being taken back to the indoor setting.

5.1.8Creativity

At the end of each day students have the opportunity to choose from a number of creative activities which include movement, dance, drama, singing, cookery and handcrafts. This enhances the curriculum opportunities and helps the children to develop rhythm, repetition and reverence.

  1. Teaching and Learning Styles

6.1At Marchbank we use a variety of teaching styles to meet the wide range of student’s needs.

6.2All lessons start with the whole class teaching, using open ended probing questions, visual or audio stimuli and including opportunities for talk partners where appropriate. This is followed by a period of learning, where children may work independently, in-pairs or in a small group. A plenary may be delivered at any point during the session to extend or review learning.

6.3We recognise that children have preferred learning styles, and so make allowances for this in our planning and delivery. We provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of task to the ability and learning style of the children. We achieve this in a variety of ways by-

  • Setting common, open ended tasks to elicit a variety and depth of response
  • Grouping children by ability in their classroom and setting tasks of increasing difficulty, scaffolding where necessary
  • Providing practical opportunities for kinaesthetic learners
  • Using visual or audio stimuli and providing artefacts where possible to promote interest
  • Using Teaching Assistants to support the work of the individual children or groups of children
  • Using trips out of school and visitors to school to further understanding
  • Planning group work to allow collaboration and develop thinking skills where children are able to cope

6.4Teaching staff are encouraged to capture children’s interest and broaden their experiences by using magnificent mature gardens and wooded area where possible.

6.5Children’s achievements are celebrated regularly through Marchbank Newsletters, displays in classrooms and around the school and more formally during weekly shine assemblies.

  1. Curriculum Planning

7.1Marchbank recognises the National Curriculum requirements of what needs to be taught in KS1 and KS2 but also recognises that children with BESD may indeed have gaps in their learning and require more frequent revisiting of themes and topics to ensure effective learning.

There are three parts to our planning:

  • Long term themes for the year using a two yearly cycle format; these are which themes will be delivered through main lessons and when. We also include a number of “theme days” where the whole school works together to promote cross phase work where appropriate
  • Medium term planning uses a brainstorm of activities, including input from the children about what they would like to learn through the topic. Teaching staff and Teaching Assistants are involved in the brainstorming activity which forms the basis of the medium term plans which can then be further developed
  • Teachers use the programme of study, key skills and any national guidance (NLS/NNS) and translate them into meaningful lesson plans. Marchbank has a recognised format for short term lesson planning which incorporates learning objectives, learning outcomes, an introduction, main learning activity and plenary. It also identifies opportunities for assessment (AfL and formative).

7.2Children’s work is recorded in a variety of ways; literacy and numeracy work is recorded in books in a formal manner but during the main lesson children are encouraged to use their creative skills in making choices in which mark making mediums they wish to use and which information they wish to record. Photographs are frequently used to record experiences and progress and these are presented in the children’s books.

  1. Resources

8.1Resources are located in classrooms and resource cupboards are available to all staff. Co-ordinators review resources annually and order as necessary. Curriculum teams are responsible for monitoring the use of resources and arranging for replacements to be made, following the general school ordering procedures.

8.2We value experiences and people as resources and use them as resources for delivering effective teaching and learning as frequently as possible.

  1. Assessment and Recording

9.1Teaching staff monitor the coverage of knowledge, skills and understanding by cross referencing with planning and ensuring progression across class groups.

9.2Students are continually assessed according to skills and knowledge and progress is recorded on classroom monitor and sims assessment manager. Students who are below, at or above expected progress according to targets are noted and interventions are planned, evaluated and monitored each half term.

9.3Students are involved in assessing their own progress against targets frequently and opportunities for AfL are identified in lesson planning.

  1. Monitoring and Review

10.1The Principal of Marchbank School is responsible for monitoring and reviewing

the curriculum. Monitoring takes a variety of forms;

  • Regular observation of lessons
  • Regular teaching and learning walks
  • Planning scrutinies
  • Book scrutinies
  • Discussion with staff
  • Reviewing of data from student and staff questionnaires
  1. Inclusion

11.1It is expected that all children will be given the opportunity to learning in a

creative and encouraging environment which encompasses a range of learning

and teaching styles. This is in agreement with the ECM agenda and is with the

intention of motivating and supporting children’s learning at all levels including

the Able and Talented, EAL and children identified with SEN.

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