The impact of our curriculum is tangible around School and visible in the timeline photographs on Earwig and is demonstrated in the assignments our children produce in their studywork books. Our Planning Mind-map has Earwig examples tagged to each learning objective. An assignment is planned and constructed by the teacher to summarise the student’s learning across a broad range of learning objectives. An assignment usually has a main subject objective but numerous learning objectives could also be assessed in each assignment too.
Assignments in a studywork book record stepping stones through a child’s learning across a term. The children are rightly very proud of their studywork books. Across the year, their studywork books show the broad range of learning that has taken place and show noticeable improvement in quality.
Across School we use the term ‘High Quality’ to define our high expectation and as a way to express how we strive for higher standards with our children. Quality is defined as striving to achieve the best we can be but our best is always just beyond our reach. We focus on quality in everything we do with our children across our School – an assignment, a display, a sporting achievement, a production, a lesson, an assembly, a painting.
The impact of our curriculum also comes from key messages voiced by the child. Children say about impact:
- we have enjoy working in this way [studywork];
- we like to see our teachers and the other adults working with us enjoying themselves and trying new things;
- we want more opportunities to share our work with others and experience the difference we can make;
- we have lots of new ideas which we think are good and make sense.
- learning with friends is good fun;
- involving everyone and making sure no-one is left out is important to us;
- we have good ideas and like to try them out;
- rules are necessary so that people don't get hurt;
- we all need to know we can be good at something;
- most problems can be sorted out by taking time to talk;
- we are not put off by difficult things.
- we think all children should have the opportunity to speak out;
- involve us more, listen to us and do something with what we say;
Reporting
We report daily via Earwig using tagged annotated photographs. Children’s studywork books also show the coverage and quality of the curriculum. There are assignment assessment sheets at the rear of each studywork book which also show the learning objectives covered in each assignment and written targets from teachers and the child.
Record Keeping
Black Firs Bookmark targets record the progress children achieve in reading, writing and maths. These are a series of ‘I Can’ statements from Preschool to yr6 which are RAG rated as a child demonstrates attainment. Outstanding statements on the Bookmarks represent a child’s targets. The completed statements create the progress score for each individual.
These Bookmark progress scores are reported via Earwig to parents. Alongside annotated photographs on Earwig, parents can follow a child’s achievements and progress. Subject Coordinators can also follow progression through our curriculum by reviewing the subject tagged Earwig timelines.
Children with SEND
All the children believe they are producing the same assignment. This is important because it allows us to differentiated outcomes are for each individual; this is our personalised learning in practice. Expectations, support and differentiation is personalised by agreeing the outcome with each individual; by negotiating the complexity of the outcome; by the level of support from an adult, from scaffolding to acting as secretary. Ownership, pride and demonstrating that we value the effort children put in to their work is a key success of our studywork.
Equal Opportunities
We ensure that all children have equal access to the curriculum and that all are treated fairly regardless of characteristics. We are determined to diminish any gaps in the achievement of different groups if they emerge through the robust monitoring of children’s progress.
Role of Coordinator
We still use Subject Coordinators. Each teacher is responsible for one National Curriculum subject; they act as ‘subject champions’ ensuring their subject is well represented in our holistic approach. Alongside their link-Governor, they monitor quality and support and advise the other teachers.
Review
At Black Firs, we assess the success of our curriculum design by reviewing a range of evidence for children’s outcomes across all cohorts and multiple-intelligence areas. For teachers, assessment for learning is a key aspect of their work which allows them to make judgements of a child’s progress and depth of learning across sequences of assignments, across weeks and terms.
Through distributed leadership, middle and senior leaders evaluate the quality of learner outcomes over time by examining books, gathering the child’s voice and progress data. Curriculum Coordinators will monitor coverage
Our School improvement plan and subject development plans are key documents which ensure that our School is on a constant upward journey, striving to realise our vision, values and aims.
Our curriculum policy will be reviewed annually for the next few years as we embed our new curriculum model. SLT and Staff will produce reports to Governors via the Education & Welfare Committee. Governors will then discuss this policy and its progress via the same Committee.