OUR CREATIVE CURRICULUM

January Inset 2013

Literacy

Maths RE

D&TM

usicPEScience

History

GeographyICT PSHE

ArtFrench

Outline of the SessionWhere We Are Now. Brief outline of curriculum developments –

where the national curriculum is at. Recap on our school curriculum and planning.

Moving Forward – Subject Leadership Teams Define new subject leadership roles &

responsibilities. Overview of theme development.

Outcomes of the Session Everyone is updated on the current

progress of the new curriculum. We agree and reaffirm the aims and

rationale of our own curriculum. We know how the subject leadership

teams are made up.

Curriculum Developments 2003 the government releases the “excellence and

enjoyment” paper and schools were challenged to be ‘creative and innovative in how they teach’

2009 Rose Report and Cambridge Review are published which both champion a cross-curricular approach to learning. This led the government to create a slimmed-down national curriculum to be launched in 2011.

2010 The coalition government comes into power and decides against the new proposed new curriculum – It releases ‘The White Paper’ outlining its own vision for education and calls for another review.

Expected Changes for New NC Key Stage 2 is divided into two parts –

lower and upper MFL not compulsory in Lower Key Stage

2 Greater emphasis on the acquisition of

knowledge

The ‘Whole’ Curriculum (KS1 & KS2)

The National CurriculumLiteracy Maths

ICT History Geography

Our School Curriculum

Art D&T Music PEPSHE

Citizenship

RESex-Education

Science

Outdoor Education

MFL

ExtraCurricularActivities

Our AimsTo equip pupils with secure basic skills for life in Literacy, Numeracy & ICT within a relevant, varied and rich skills-based curriculum. To increase pupil's knowledge and understanding as they grow and develop and become more aware of the world around them.To enable pupils to develop a sense of community and belonging, contributing to our local community and global community through direct interaction and linking our learning with Eco schools and sustainable development outcomes.To ensure the curriculum is carefully planned and structured so that learning is progressive, continuous and that pupils make good progress.

Our AimsTo make learning meaningful, by putting it into context and holding a flexible time-tabling approach to make space for true depth of study.To listen to pupils and involve them in the development of the curriculum in order to engage their interest, encourage and motivate pupils to want to learn.To be exciting and offer pupils first hand experience to reinforce their learning and to underpin their growing knowledge, skills and understanding.To bring learning to life through visits, visitors and theme days. To open our pupil’s eyes to the wonders of creation and cause them to marvel at the incredible and fantastic world in which we live.

Our Curriculum We continue to follow the statutory

requirements of the curriculum through the Chris Quigley book ‘Planning a Skill Based Curriculum’

Chris Quigley allows us to cover the “Knowledge, skills and understanding” outlined in the national curriculum.

A long term plan has been devised that ensures we meet the “Breadth of Study”.

The Long Term Plan We divided up the breadth of Study over

two-years for KS1 and four years for KS2. This has allowed us to be as flexible as possible in the creation and planning of themes, whilst still ensuring statutory coverage.

It has also allowed us to cope with changing structures of classes and groups.

KS1 – Long Term Plan

KS2 – Long Term Plan

Medium Term Planning When themes have been agreed, teachers work in

teams to set the skills to be taught during that topic. This is done by highlighting a yearly copy of the Chris

Quigley document for each year group team. Autumn, Spring, Summer and on-going skills are

identified. Alongside this document, a brief outline of each

subject is created as our curriculum summaries to be placed on the website for parents.

The skill coverage and curriculum summaries are then compiled by Belinda to create our medium term planning documents.

Short Term Planning When the medium term planning

documents have been produced, these should be the basis of all short term planning and activities.

Just like planning in core subjects, foundation topic activities should be built around the learning we want to take place.

Differentiation should also be indicated to provide support for less able as well as challenge for the more able.

The Pros and Cons of our current system

Advantages Allows more freedom and scope for

creativity Learning is coherent Greater flexibility Disadvantages Progression is difficult to identify Repetition of themes – although new

skills Some skills are missed

A Possible Leadership Model Subject Leaders are merged into Curriculum

Leadership Teams (CLTs) and overseen by the Curriculum Manager.

CLTs share responsibility for several complementary subjects.

While all members of the team will share leadership for all subjects in that curriculum area, such as the policy, practise and development. Routine tasks should be agreed by the CLT team, curriculum manager and Headteacher.

A Possible Team Planning Model Subject Manager works with CLTs using Long Term Plan to outline

a whole-school, topic based unit of study (approximately 8-10 weeks)

The CLT’s subject responsibilities dictate the primary and secondary ‘drivers’ for the topic.

The remaining weeks of the curriculum are free for staff to work in their year group teams to decide on their own units of work.

These should be based around skills which have not been covered in the current academic year, identified through medium term planning, and those identified in light of formative assessments.

Whilst there does not have to be overarching themes for these remaining weeks, year group teams could choose to deliver the skills through mini-topics identified by their own / pupils interests. If mini-topics are to be themed, these should be shared with the Curriculum Manager before planning to avoid any potential repetition.

An Example Planning Process STEM team identify habitats as a focus for their topic -

Science becomes the primary driver – Maths, and D&T become the secondary drivers.

In discussing habitats one of the ideas comes out for maths of data handling – an area identified for development from monitoring activities. It is decided this could be developed through data associated with organisms in particular habitats.

In discussing the idea of habits of coral reefs came up - the design and make come up with the idea for designing a submergible craft.

Coral Reefs becomes the topic title. The team consider the skills they wish to develop for each

year group to clearly show progression.

Science SkillsEYFSChildren know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another. They make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes.

KS1 Children should be taught to5a Find out about the different kinds of plants and animals in the local environment.5b Identify similarities and differences between local environments and ways in whichthese affect animals and plants that are found there.5c Care for the environment.

KS2 Children should be taught5a About ways in which living things and the environment need protection.Adaptation5b About the different plants and animals found in different habitats.5c How animals and plants in two different habitats are suited to their environment.Feeding relationships5d To use food chains to show feeding relationships in a habitat.5e About how nearly all food chains start with a green plant.Micro-organisms5f That microorganisms are living organisms that are often too small to be seen, andthat they may be beneficial [for example, in the breakdown of waste, in makingbread] or harmful [for example, in causing disease, in causing food to go mouldy].

An illustrated medium term plan Y3/4

Whole School Topic

STEM Driver

‘The Circus’

Light and SoundShape and Space

Science

Whole School Topic

Arts Topic

‘Charlie and the Chocolate

Factory’

Literacy

Whole School KUWTopic

‘Mountains’

Geography

Mini 3/4

Topic‘Japan

’

Mini 3/4

Topic‘Insec

ts’

Mini 3/4

Topic‘At The Park’