Intent

At St John XXIII staff are passionate about delivering a broad and balanced curriculum in line with the school ethos. Our curriculum aims to prepare children in understanding the world around them and prepare them for the next stage of education. We want our children to be both interesting and interested. The design of our wider curriculum is based on children learning and revisiting knowledge over their primary school career. The interleaving of learning supports children in developing their cognitive skills by revisiting knowledge and skills through different subjects and at different times throughout the year. Our curriculum is customised to meet the local needs of our children.

By the time children leave St John XXIII, they will have mastered a range of skills that will support their future development.

These are –

• To be good communicators – language will be modelled daily to encourage speaking and listening
• To be enthusiastic, lifelong learners
• To understand how to keep themselves safe and be respectful in their communities
• To develop their God given talents by being creative
• To be independent, resilient learners who enjoy challenges
• To develop their emotional maturity and resilience, with strategies for how to manage their emotional and mental well-being

Reading is prioritised across the curriculum offer to support pupils in in accessing the full curriculum. Children enjoy reading in class through a systematic approach to reading using Read, Write Inc, Accelerated Reader and MYON. Children develop a love of reading through exciting, homely, reading corners, Daily Guided Reading sessions and the use of The Power of Reading quality texts in English lessons.

Implementation

Our mission statement sums up the expectations fostered at our school. We have a belief in teaching for depth and mastery so that in almost all cases and circumstances, a child can be supported to reach age related expectations in reading, writing and maths.

We use the National Curriculum to ensure every teacher teaches the knowledge and understanding appropriate to that age group. The framework has been broken down into objectives to ensure there is clarity for the teaching staff on coverage. We value a knowledge led curriculum where we aim to develop children’s thinking and reasoning.

Teachers are provided with one day per half term to plan their curriculum for the following half term. As part of this planning process, teachers plan for the following:

• A knowledge organiser for all subjects to ensure consistency across all areas of the curriculum;

• A cycle of lessons for each subject, which carefully plans for progression and depth;
• Double Page Spreads at the end of each topic to show how learning is embedded throughout a topic

• Success Criteria Ladders which will be used in the marking and assessment of writing pieces across the curriculum;
• Challenge questions for pupils to apply their learning in a philosophical and open manner
• Trips and visiting experts who will enhance the learning experience;

We believe in ‘Quality First’ teaching for all children and have a clear set of phases to identify SEN children and a rigorous clear interventions policy which ensures we address any identified gap in learning at the earliest opportunity through robust assessment.

Subject Leaders receive up to date training to have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in curriculum design and delivery. They have the knowledge, expertise and practical skills to carry out this role to the best of their ability, closely supported by the Senior Leadership Team. Subject Leaders lead staff meetings to share their expertise in order to develop the confidence of all teachers.

Subject Leaders produce a ‘Curriculum Map’ and ‘Subject Specific Curriculum Progression Maps’ for their subject area to ensure that skills are built upon year on year and children have opportunities to develop their cognitive memory by revisiting knowledge at different points in the year.

Assessment is used daily in the form of Assessment for Learning. This informs the planning for future lessons and identifies where further individual or group support is needed. Target Tracker is used to track pupil progress and attainment in RE, Reading, Writing, Maths and Science. Foundation Subjects are assessed using low risk quizzes and by following ‘The Feedback Policy’.

Impact

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• In Class Feedback

We understand that feedback in linked to progress and has to be timely to make an impact. In class feedback is used to support teacher’s workload, ensure it is as immediate and timely and specific as possible, and leaves the teacher time to focus on individual identified needs. (see our Feedback policy 2020)

• Corrective Teaching/Summative Assessment

When a pupil has not met the learning objective there is timely support so they are able to continue on the learning journey with their peers. Teachers adapt their planning for the next lesson to ensure there is time to address these misconceptions. It may be addressed in the next lesson, by a Teaching Assistant, in small groups in the lesson or at Booster Clubs. The misconceptions may also be addressed through in class marking, conferencing, verbal feedback or with the use of mini plenaries.

• Pre Teaching/Pre Assessment

All teachers must be aware of the pupil’s prior attainment. Through our Pre Learning Assessments (PIRA, PUMA and White Rose Maths tests) we aim to pre-empt the difficulties for some pupils. We analyse the information and plan the learning according to individual needs and cohorts. The Pre Learning Assessments provide the starting points for learning. Where possible, the Teaching Assistants support teachers and complete pre-learning activities or activities in lessons will be tailored to address the learning gap. This might be re visiting vocabulary or basic skills needed to access the age related objective.

• Teaching Assistants and Interventions (see Interventions Policy)

When we identify need, the Teaching Assistants deliver short, focused, interventions. The interventions are repeated over a week, either, daily or a specified number of times per week. The interventions are specific to the need and they are given until the misconceptions are addressed or the gap in learning is reduced.

Same day interventions are also used to pick up on misconceptions from the current days teaching and learning.

• Partnership

Teachers engage parents through September welcome meetings. Fortnightly newsletters and Parent Consultation Days ensure an effective partnership to ensure children meet their age related expectations.

• Moderation

Maths, reading and writing are all moderated internally to ensure we make robust judgements, particularly on transfer between key stages. Teachers also take part in external moderation at a Local Authority and Deanery level. Every term, teachers meet to moderate writing and ensure that teacher assessments are accurate.

• Formal Assessment Cycle

• • KS1/KS2 SAT’s in May
  • Year 1 Phonics in June
  • Annual PIRA and PUMA standardised tests in Reading and Maths in October, February and June.
  • Writing is moderated by all staff and then Teacher Assessment agreed based on the child’s performance in class.
  • EYFS is assessed and recorded using the Evidence Me programme. This is used to add photographs to the learning journeys of each child based on the EYFS objectives.
  • Target Tracker is used termly to track attainment and progress against the subject specific learning objectives. This is in Reading, Writing, Maths, Science and RE.
  • Foundation Subjects are assessed in groups of children meeting the expected standard, working below/above the expected standard. This will be based upon ‘low risk quizzes’ and with use of the Knowledge Organisers.
  • Reading is assessed using the PM Benchmark Reading Records in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and for those children in Year 3 still on the book bands.

• Report Cards and School Reports

Parents receive a Report Card at the end of the Autumn and Spring terms to inform them of their child’s targets for the following term. School reports are issued at the end of the school year. All subjects, including RE, are marked as Working towards National Expectations, Meeting National Expectations or Exceeding National Expectations.