Our aim is to provide all pupils with a broad, relevant and engaging curriculum that will equip them with the knowledge and habits required to succeed in the next stage of their education and in to their adult lives.
Woven into our teaching of subjects are our six values. These values guide how we develop the personal habits of pupils as learners and as well-rounded people.
Learning and our curriculum principles
Our curriculum is underpinned by our definition of learning and four principles (powerful knowledge, justice, healthy relationships, creativity and performance) we believe makes for a high quality education. Learning is a complex process, but at it’s heart the pursuit of knowledge which can be connected to other knowledge and used flexibly to solve problems. These elements must be inter-connected for learning to be meaningful and for pupils to experience success at school. Our approach to learning and curriculum principles are outlined below. Our values are wrapped around our stance on learning since personal development is central to success in school.
Early Years Foundation Stage: making progress right from the beginning
Our progressive EYFS curriculum enables pupils to develop essential skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing, maths and knowledge of the world. This is made possible through a combination of expert teaching and challenging practical activities. Planned structured play activities help them to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world about them. A combination of creative and physical activities stimulate their desire to learn.
Having clear oral language helps pupils both become confident articulate individuals, as well as helping them clarify their own thinking. Our approach to teaching deliberately teaches vocabulary and sentence structures to enable pupils to present their thinking in a way that opens connections between themes and subjects.
Reading and phonics
At Queen Eleanor, we teach phonics and early reading using the Read Write Inc. scheme to build reading fluency. The Read Write Inc. scheme is supplemented with rich texts to enhance pupil’s spoken vocabulary and listening comprehension.
In KS2, pupils are assessed using Reading Pro to determine their lexile reading level and individual reading books are matched to their lexile range. Pupils are re-assessed termly to ensure their book selection continues to match their reading ability.
In English lessons, we also use core texts in all classes to support the teaching of reading and writing.
Writing is an essential form of communication. It enables pupils to communicate their ideas as well as make their own thinking visible for further reflection. We do this by directly teaching technical elements of writing, including handwriting, spelling, grammar and correct use of punctuation.
Our English units are planned around a core text so pupils become immersed in the world and language of stories. By combining the technical elements of writing with authorial purpose, our pupils develop into eloquent and thoughtful writers.
In maths, we introduce ideas using the concrete-pictorial-abstract approach. Concepts are modelled using manipuliatves and visual models, along with precise mathematical language. This allows pupils to conjecture and reason about mathematical ideas, make connections between areas of maths and problem-solve by applying maths to real life situations.
Weekly home learning is assigned through Class Dojo. Pupils also have access to Mathletics and Reading Pro to support their learning. Home learning typically involves a piece of maths work, a piece of English work and a piece of additional learning. This may include a short quiz to review knowledge learned in science, history or geography.
Special educational needs
All pupils have an entitlement to a broad and meaningful curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs have their needs catered for through a variety of additional resources such as concrete materials, visual prompts, models and scaffolding to help structure learning. The academy’s Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator is Mrs Sarah McMahon, who can be contacted on 01604 761200.
Support staff lead interventions for pupils who need additional support, including those with SEND. Staff receive training to enable them to deliver such interventions effectively and support pupils with specific needs. In addition, a wide range of resources (such as writing slopes, wobble cushions, wedges and pencil grips) are available to support pupils with physical and sensory needs.
See the links below for curriculum maps for each year group. For further information about the curriculum, please make an appointment to see your child’s class teacher.
What learning looks like at Queen Eleanor