Curriculum policy

1 Introduction

1.1 The curriculum is all the planned activities that are organised in order to promote learning and personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the range of extra-curricular activities that the school organises in order to enrich the experience of the pupils. It also includes the ''hidden curriculum'', or what the pupils learn from the way they are treated and expected to behave. We aim to teach pupils how to grow into positive, responsible people, who can work and co-operate with others while developing knowledge and skills, so that they achieve their true potential.

2 Values

2.1 Our school curriculum is underpinned by the values that are important in our school. The curriculum is the means by which the school achieves its objective of educating pupils in the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need in order to lead fulfilling lives.

2.2 Our school is in full agreement with the values statement included in the introduction to The National Curriculum Handbooks for Key Stage 1&2 and Key Stage 3&4. As a middle school the age range of pupils is between 9 and 13. These are the main values of our school, upon which we have based our curriculum:

• We value the way in which all pupils are unique, and our curriculum promotes respect for the views of each individual child, as well as for people of all cultures. We value the spiritual and moral development of each person, as well as their intellectual and physical growth.
• We value the importance of each person in our community. We organise our curriculum so that we promote co-operation and understanding between all members of our community.
• We value the rights enjoyed by each person in our society. We respect each child in our school for who they are, and we treat them with fairness and honesty. We aim to enable each person to be successful, and we provide equal opportunities for all the pupils in our school.
• We value our environment, and we aim, through our curriculum, to teach respect for our world, and how we should care for it for future generations, as well as our own.

3 Aims and objectives

3.1 The aims of our school curriculum are:

• to enable all pupils to learn and develop their skills to the best of their ability;
• to enable pupils to achieve their potential at key stages 2 and 3, with reference to prior attainment at Key Stage 1, optional SATs levels and CATs information
• to promote a positive attitude towards learning, so that pupils enjoy coming to school, and acquire a solid basis for lifelong learning;
• to teach pupils the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information technology (ICT);
• enable assessment and assessment for learning to be an integral part of the curriculum
• to enable pupils to be creative and to develop their own thinking;
• to teach pupils about their developing world, including how their environment and society have changed over time;
• to help pupils understand Britain's cultural heritage;
• to enable pupils to be positive citizens in society;
• to fulfil all the requirements of the National Curriculum, the Primary Strategy, Excellence and Enjoyment, the Key Stage 3 strategy and the Locally Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education;
• to teach pupils to have an awareness of their own spiritual development, and to understand right from wrong;
• to help pupils understand the importance of truth and fairness, so that they grow up committed to equal opportunities for all;
• to enable pupils to have respect for themselves and high self-esteem, and to be able to live and work co-operatively with others.

4 Organisation and planning

4.1 We plan our curriculum in three phases. We agree a long-term plan for each key stage. This indicates what topics are to be taught in each term, and to which groups of pupils. We review our long-term plan on an annual basis.

4.2 With our medium-term plans, we give clear guidance on the objectives and teaching strategies that we use when teaching each topic. Often we take our medium-term planning directly from the guidance documents from the QCA but all planning is referenced to the National Curriculum.

4.3 Our short-term plans are those that our teachers write on a weekly or daily basis. We use these to set out the learning objectives for each session, and to identify what resources and activities we are going to use in the lesson.

4.5 At Key Stage 2 the curriculum at our school places the emphasis is on the core and foundation subjects and we teach these subjects separately. Humanities is taught as units of History and Geography, ICT is taught as a separate subject so that baseline skills are established. German is introduced in Year 6. Each child has the opportunity to experience the full range of National Curriculum subjects at Key Stage 2. Personal targets are set in all subjects. Statutory Key stage 2 targets are set in year 5 in Mathematics, English and Science. Key Stage 2 SATs in English, Mathematics and Science are sat at the end of year 6. In exceptional cases, the curriculum can be disapplied for a small minority of pupils.

4.6 At Key Stage 3 the core curriculum and foundation subjects are taught separately although Humanities is delivered in half termly units of History and Geography. ICT is delivered in a separate class, which reinforces cross-curricular work, particularly in year 7 PSHE. Key Stage 3 targets are set in year 7 in Mathematics, English, Science and ICT and tested at the end of year 8, as year 8 optional SATs or Key Stage 3 tests. (ICT is being run as a pilot SAT). From September 2006 the 2 year Key Stage 3 will mean that teacher assessments will be required in all subjects for year 8 pupils. In exceptional cases the curriculum or part of it can be disapplied for a small minority of pupils.

5 Pupils with special needs

5.1 The curriculum in our school is designed to provide access and opportunity for all pupils who attend the school. If we think it necessary to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of individual pupils, then we do so only after the parents of the child have been consulted.

5.2 If a child has a special need, our school does all it can to meet these individual needs. We comply with the requirements set out in the SEN Code of Practice in providing for pupils with special needs. If a child displays signs of having special needs, his/her teacher makes an assessment of this need. In most instances the teacher is able to provide resources and educational opportunities Some pupils are identified as needing intervention at School Action or School Action + level. The SENCO deploys staff and resources to support those pupils in order to meet the child's needs within the normal class organisation. If a child's need is more severe, a child may have a statement of special needs, and we involve the appropriate external agencies when making this assessment. We always provide additional resources and support for pupils with special needs.

5.3 The school provides an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) for each of the pupils who are on the special needs register. This sets out the nature of the special need, and outlines how the schools will aim to address the need. It also sets out targets for improvement, so that we can review and monitor the progress of each child at regular intervals. The Numeracy targets are set by the Mathematics teacher, the Literacy targets are set by the English teacher and personal or social targets (including behaviour) are set by the class teacher. The SENCO has an overview of these targets and may add others. She also sets targets for statemented pupils. Wave 1 and Wave 2 interventions for pupils with additional needs are based in the classroom with appropriate curricular activities. Wave 3 intervention involves specialist input into the curriculum, often outside the classroom in small groups.

6 The role of the subject leader

6.1 The role of the subject leader is to:

• provide a strategic lead and direction for the subject;
• support and offer advice to colleagues on issues related to the subject;
• monitor pupil progress in that subject area;
• provide efficient resource management for the subject.

6.2 Each subject leader reviews the curriculum plans for their subject, ensures that there is full coverage of the National Curriculum and that progression is planned into schemes of work.

7 Monitoring and review

7.1 With the New Relationship with Schools in place, the Governing Body takes its role in monitoring and scrutinising standards seriously. Our governing body's curriculum committee is responsible for monitoring the way the school curriculum is implemented. This committee reviews each subject area in its bi-annual cycle of review and development. The SEF (Self Evaluation Form), completed by the Headteacher in consultation with stakeholders including Governors) forms the basis for information and review of the curriculum.

7.2 The Headteacher monitors plans through discussing curriculum plans with subject leaders, taking advice from subject consultants, the Link Inspector and appropriate courses. There is a cycle of monitoring and evaluation by SMT and core subject leaders. This contributes to the school SEF which is reviewed termly by the Headteacher.

7.3 There are named governors for all NC subjects especially English, Mathematics, ICT and Special Needs. The governors liaise with the subject leaders of these areas, and monitor the way the school teaches these subjects. There is a cycle of curriculum presentations to Governors, with follow-up observations. Progress within the curriculum is monitored and tracked by teachers and this is reported and monitored by governors to ensure that pupils are reaching their potential.

7.4 The headteacher is responsible for the day to day organisation of the curriculum.

7.5 Subject leaders monitor the way their subject is taught throughout the school. They examine long-term and medium-term planning, and ensure that appropriate teaching strategies are used. Self review is an essential part of curriculum review. Subject leaders also have responsibility for monitoring the way in which resources are chosen to help in the delivery of the curriculum, how they are acquired and managed.


This policy will be reviewed again in November 2007