Curriculum Statement
When planning a curriculum, Ivegill CE School recognises the social and economic backgrounds of our families.
We recognise children need both a sense of valuing themselves and developing aspirations for their future and for their community. We are passionate that all children realise they belong to a wonderful world and they are called to play an active and life affirming role. To do this we pursue excellence and ensure the children are equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive within our school.
Our curriculum drivers are:
- Vocabulary–because words convey meaning, this increases their knowledge and understanding
- Knowledge of the world–understanding and appreciating the world they live in, both locally and globally
- Curiosity and Aspirations–because these are essential components which engage and connect children with the curriculum and the wider world
Every child is recognised as a unique individual. We celebrate and welcome differences within our school community. A child’s ability to learn is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and values. We constantly provide enhancement opportunities to engage learning and believe that childhood should be a happy, safe and enquiring time in our lives where there are no limits to curiosity and there is a thirst for new experiences and knowledge.
Curriculum Implementation
Ivegill is part of a group of schools working collaboratively with Alex Bedford and Unity Schools to use current research to inform our teaching programmes. Our teaching and tasks are focused around how pupils best retain and remember content through:
- Direct teaching
- Concrete examples
- Retrieval practice
- Spaced practice
- Dual coding
- Interleaving
We also use the evidence cognitive science provides to help us plan purposeful tasks by using the outcomes of Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory, Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and Ebbenhaus’ Forgetting Curve.
Learning tasks are specifically designed to help pupils remember, record and retrieve knowledge skilfully.
We define skills as being a conceptual element within a subject. For example, in History you need to be skilful with chronology, evidence, critical thinking and connections across the world.
To ensure the taught is built upon we have thought carefully about how pupils record and retrieve their learning. Our books are subject focused and stay with the children throughout the phase: KS1, LKS2, UKS2.
- English
- Maths
- Science
- Art sketch books
- History/Geography
- MFL
- RE
PSHE PSHE/SMSC/RE are sometimes recorded in whole class books.
Teachers assess a child’s progress in knowledge and skills by using whole class marking templates.
We use quizzing to assess the retention of knowledge and vocabulary as well as being a tool to consolidate the process of remembering. We actively encourage the children to ‘flick back’ and look at previous learning to help develop long term memory.
We assess formatively every session by:
- Quizzing the growing knowledge and vocabulary acquisition
- Identifying pupil strength in lessons
- Identify pupil support in lessons
- Practice subject skills
- Using continual practice sessions to help consolidate learning
Children are expected to read, think, consider and write in the wider curriculum.
Curriculum Impact
The impact of the curriculum is evident in the outcomes for all pupils. It is measured by pre and post quizzes and evidence of learning in books
.The concept of retrieval and spaced practice is being developed to help pupils retain the taught content over time. A programme of personal support meetings is planned for the autumn term where teachers will speak with three children a week about the knowledge they have acquired and retained. Following a return to school post lockdown this review time will impact future planning and needs.