Curriculum
Our Curriculum
Our curriculum at Oaklands Primary Academy puts the child at the centre of our caring school, where positive relationships, based on mutual respect are at the heart of everything we do. Our curriculum is designed to provide a broad, balanced and meaningful education, relevant to the 21st Century world around us, which meets the needs of all pupils and captures all learning styles. It provides fun and engaging opportunities, embracing new technology, for our pupils to develop as independent, curious and confident learners, who know how to make a positive contribution to their community and the world they live in.
Our curriculum fully embeds our Oaklands’ Five Rs (Respect, Resilience, Responsibility, Risk Taking and Resourcefulness) and ensures that our pupils enjoy academic success, develop their creativity and problem solving skills, and have a positive attitude to learning. As well as academic development, our curriculum fully promotes the importance of mind, body and relationships. We recognise that physical development, well-being and mental health are key elements that support the development of the whole child. We expect our pupils to take responsibility for themselves and their actions, to be respectful to each other, themselves and the world around them, and to develop resilience when faced with new challenges. We want our pupils to be filled with awe and wonder by new experiences which inspire a wealth of questions.
Our curriculum celebrates equality and diversity and enables our pupils to think critically about world issues and to develop an awareness of the impact our own actions can have on others. It utilises the skills, knowledge and cultural wealth of our Oaklands community, while supporting our children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, ensuring that all our pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
At Oaklands, we follow a thematic approach with our carefully selected units of study helping our pupils to develop international mindedness, encouraging personal learning and promoting thinking as a global citizen so that our young people can make meaningful contributions to society. This learning is often child-led and practical, and not tied to the classroom. Our extensive grounds and unique location of Biggin Hill airport within sight means that we aim to use the outdoor space and surrounding areas as much as possible and aim to apply learning to real-life contexts whenever possible. As well as our half-termly or termly learning themes, we also have our Drop Down Weeks where we focus on one curriculum subject in depth using a blocked-learning approach.
We believe that in order to achieve depth in understanding that significant blocks of time need to be given over to learning. For this to happen, we have a timetable which is followed throughout the school which allows learning to go further, faster and deeper. We allow full mornings for the teaching of English and Maths – two mornings of each a week - plus Friday mornings are an opportunity for our pupils to reflect upon and consolidate the week's learning. These longer sessions mean that more time is available for deeper thinking, deeper exploration and time to write for sustained periods in English lessons.
Assessment and Expectations
Assessment is at the heart of teaching and learning, providing evidence to guide teaching and learning, and as such enabling us to do the best for all our learners. Assessment is ambitious, sets high expectations for learners and embodies a pathway of progress and development for each child. Assessment provides the opportunity for our pupils to demonstrate and review their progress, enabling them to achieve to the top of their potential. We work as a team to ensure consistency and accuracy of assessments and engage in high quality internal and external moderation to ensure consistency of provision for our learners.
Assessment at Oaklands is fair, inclusive of all abilities and free from bias. Assessment outcomes provide meaningful and understandable information for pupils to develop their learning and for parents to support their children at home. Through our assessment processes we aim to create happy and resilient learners, who are able to reflect on their progress and attainment and gain independence in planning their next steps.
We are determined to make our pupils aware of both their goals and achievements. We assess daily through the use of formative assessment and then summative assessment at the end of each term. This means we can check that our children are on track and plan any interventions that may be required. Verbal feedback is our most regular and interactive form of feedback. It is constructive and informative to help pupils take the next steps in their learning.
Our children also have a vital role to play in taking responsibility for their own learning, and in supporting the learning of their peers. We believe that our pupils must become actively engaged in accurately assessing their own understanding and taking action on that assessment; this helps them become lifelong learners and powers a growth mindset where they see their ability as something that can change and improve. By engaging in self-assessment, our children start to make sense of what they have learnt and use it as a stepping stone for new learning. Our pupils also regularly engage in peer-assessment and coaching of their classmates,
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the children are assessed using the Foundation Stage Profile and the Early Learning Goals.
From Year 1 onwards, teachers assess pupil progress against performance descriptors to decide whether children are Working Below the National Expectations (WBNE), Working Towards the National Expectations (WTNE), Working At the National Expectations (WANE) or Working In Greater Depth at the National Expectations (WIGD). Every classteacher is provided with an analysis of SEN, FSM and Gender attainment and challenging targets for pupil performance are set and reviewed at regular intervals.
At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils sit external tests for English and Mathematics. They are assessed in reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling, mathematical calculations and mathematical reasoning. They are also teacher assessed on their writing abilities and this information is shared with the local authority and/or the government.
For further information, the following link will provide useful background about the tests carried out:
Key stage 1 and 2 national curriculum tests: information for parents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Pupil progress meetings are held over the year after the latest results have been recorded on assessments trackers. These consist of a professional discussion between the teacher / team of teachers, Head Teacher, Assistant Headteacher and / or Inclusion Manager. Teachers analyse and update their class data /class action plans before the meeting so that they are aware of priorities for their year group. Meetings focus on progress made by individual pupils who have been identified as needing to make accelerated progress based on previous data, children whom the class teachers are particularly proud of and any groups or interventions that needed to be addressed. Book Scrutinies are also carried out regularly and consist of a professional discussion between SLT, governors and teachers to look at the progress visible in books. This time is also used to monitor implementation of school policies such as handwriting / presentation, use of feedback marking and pre- and post-assessments.
Summative Assessments and Tests
Summative assessment is used to provide a summary picture of what the pupil has achieved over a period of time. It may take the form of an end of unit test, a quiz, a test paper or a summative teacher assessment based on a range of work in books.
Statutory assessments
Five statutory assessment periods will take place during your child’s time at primary school.
Reception:
- The Reception Baseline will be taken throughout the month of September and this will determine progress from the pupil’s starting point at the school to their KS1 and KS2 scores.
- The EYFS profile assessment is carried out in the final term of the year and is intended to provide a reliable, valid and accurate assessment of each child’s development at the end of the EYFS and is made up of an assessment of the child’s outcomes in relation to the 17 early learning goal (ELG) descriptors.
Year 1: The Phonics Screening Test is taken in Y1 and repeated in Y2 if the pupil did not pass the first time.
Year 2: Year 2 SATs will consist of a teacher assessment informed by the following tests:
- Reading: Two reading papers
- GPS: A grammar and punctuation task and a spelling test
- Maths: An arithmetic paper and a mathematical fluency, problem-solving and reasoning paper
Year 4: Y4 Multiplication Tables Check
The purpose of the check is to determine whether your child can fluently recall their times tables up to 12 x 12, which is essential for future success in mathematics. This is an online test all Y4 pupils sit across a three-week window in June.
Year 6: Year 6 SATs will consist of the following external tests:
- Reading: a single reading paper
- GPS: A grammar and punctuation paper and a spelling test
- Maths: An arithmetic paper and two mathematical fluency, problem-solving and reasoning papers
Teacher assessment for writing takes place in every year group but is reported to the local authority/government at the end of Y2 and Y6 and is subject to external moderation.
Some pupils may be selected to sit external Science assessment tests at the end of Y6 but their results are not shared with the school and are used by the government to create a benchmark for schools to assess against.
Test scores are recorded as scaled scores with a score of 100+ meaning that a pupil has reached the national expectations set by the government.
Accessibility of Tests
Where pupils have difficulty accessing tests, we make reasonable adjustments to ensure equality of opportunity.
Adjustments in summative assessments may include:
• Extra time
• A separate space away from distractions
• Rest breaks
• Readers or scribes
• A bigger font size
• Use of coloured overlays
Adjustments in formative assessments may include:
• Differentiated questioning
• Allowing or inviting different ways of recording
• Allowing or inviting the use of practical equipment or help sheets
• Marking for content rather than spelling in the case of dyslexia
• Providing access to ICT