The Curriculum
At Broadmayne First School the curriculum is designed to be broad, balanced and progressive. We aim to teach every child in a way that makes sense to them - to motivate, involve, inspire and enlighten. Every child is recognised as a unique individual, and we celebrate and welcome differences within our school community.
The ability to learn is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and values.
We work to provide enhanced opportunities to engage learning and believe that our curriculum should be available to every child in a way that makes sense to them. We actively promote engagement with the outdoors and believe that this can enhance all aspects of learning.
We promote our three school values - be kind, be safe and be respectful - to develop positive attitudes to learning, reflecting the values and skills needed to create responsibility for learning and future success.
We believe that everyone in our school is important; the children placed in our care, the adults who spend their working lives in the school, parents and the wider community.
Our aim is for children to leave our school with a strong sense of belonging to a supportive and welcoming community, with the skills and resilience to move forward in their lives.
Informing parents
Teachers invite parents to a curriculum workshop at the start of each school year to describe the main areas covered and give advice for supporting children with home learning. Letters and curriculum overviews are sent out to all parents each term. Parent consultations are held each term and a written report is sent to parents once a year. These inform parents as to their child’s progress and attainment in relation to age expectations.
The school also organises parent sessions on specific curriculum areas, for example reading, writing, maths and early years.
Assessment
Children’s progress is monitored closely throughout their 5 years with us so that we can be sure that they are achieving their best and that the curriculum we provide meets their needs. Any difficulties are identified as early as possible and support put in place. We can also identify any notable strengths and ensure that enrichment opportunities are maximised.
Statutory Assessment
During their first year in school, the children follow the Early Years Foundation stage and their progress in 17 areas of learning is assessed and reported to parents and the local authority. The children are assessed as reaching the expected level for their age, exceeding or working towards this level (emerging).
In Year 1 the phonics screening is carried out and the number of children who reach the required level is reported to the local authority.
In Yr 2 statutory Key Stage One assessment tasks (SATs) indicate children’s achievement in reading, writing, maths and science. The levels are reported to parents and the local authority.
In Y4 there will be a times tables test introduced in Summer 2021, the results of which will be collected by the DfE.
Copies of the National Curriculum which we use as a basis for our curriculum design can be found below, as well as a copy of Letters and Sounds, which we use to inform our phonics teaching.