Aspire Believe Achieve
curriculum
At Hemington Primary School, the curriculum is designed to:
- provide a curriculum which is enriched and challenging where all pupils have opportunities to learn in a wide range of contexts
- provide opportunities for all pupils to develop high levels of literacy and numeracy skills which are fundamental for success in adult life
- broaden pupils’ horizons through a range of spiritual, moral, social and cultural opportunities
- ensure that all pupils are able to thrive, develop as healthy individuals and understand how to stay safe
- develop a strength of character and resilience that will help pupils to overcome the challenges they are likely to encounter in adult life
- allow pupils to become creative and critical thinkers
- provide an appropriate range of opportunities and experiences to allow pupils to succeed in the next stage in their education
Teachers of mixed age classes face the challenge of responding to a wide diversity of learners within their classroom – this is the norm in any primary classroom and high-quality teaching and learning successfully addresses the full range of diversity.
Our teachers skilfully weave the curricula together to cater for all learners, creating a bespoke experience that is tailored to the class and the individuals within it. Areas of learning are regularly revised and revisited in English and Maths – most themes having significant overlap between year groups (e.g. addition in maths and prefixes in spelling taught across all year groups, at different levels. This is the case with most of the Maths and English curriculum. Where there is no overlap of content, specific year group objectives will be planned and delivered separately. In some areas (e.g. Year 3 Mass and Capacity and Year 4 Position and Direction), we use a two- or three-year rolling program. Most lessons take place as a whole class although staff plan creatively so that pupils are taught what they need in the way that will help them learn best.
We will work on a rolling programme of topics and themes.
This is monitored and tracked by subject leaders to ensure full coverage is achieved. Foundation subject expectations are set out over a Key Stage, with the additional flexibility to deliver content earlier or later, based on the learners’ needs. The content taught is aligned fully with the National Curriculum for each age group, so where the National Curriculum gives single year group objectives, these will be covered by the correct year group. This ensures that learning is progressive for all learners.
How do we achieve the best outcomes for our classes?
- The teacher is a facilitator and a coach, in addition to being an instructor, they have excellent relationships with the children in their class.
- Learners in each age group engage in learning tasks appropriate to their level of learning, as appropriate.
- A socially collaborative classroom is encouraged: children help each other and collaborate flexibly.
- Flexible grouping is skilfully used: learning is flexibly organised in the whole class and includes adult-led groups, individuals within groups, collaborative groups, and individuals under the supervision and knowledge of the teacher.
- Overarching Theme/Topic: The same general topic/theme in the same subject is covered for all learners, they all receive the same entitlement.
- The quality of the learning tasks is high: There are a range of opportunities for open-ended, explorative, and problem-oriented learning and well as acquiring factual knowledge.
- Formative assessment is used well: To observe and diagnose how a learner is learning and is intended to improve teaching and learning.
- Opportunities created for working with single age groups: where this is appropriate, both socially and academically.
Through our teaching, we aim to:
- enable pupils to become confident, resourceful, enquiring and independent learners
- foster pupil’s self-esteem and help them to build positive relationships with others
- develop pupil’s self-respect, encourage them to understand the ideas, attitudes and values of others and teach them to respect other people’s feelings
- show respect for a diverse range of cultures and develop positive attitudes towards others
- enable pupils to understand their local community, and help them feel valued as part of it
- help pupils grow into reliable, independent and positive citizens
Lessons adopt the following principles:
- teaching builds on previous learning – recall and retention tasks are a consistent feature of all lessons
- pupils will understand the context of their learning – the ‘big picture’
- learning objectives and challenges will be explained explicitly so that pupils understand what they are aiming to achieve
- a range of learning styles, tasks and activities will be provided for pupils
- pupils will have opportunities to regularly review what they have learnt
- ‘live marking’ in lessons allows teaching staff to offer continuous feedback and improvements/next steps
- success in learning will be celebrated!
Pupils are given opportunities to learn in different ways – these include:
- investigation and problem-solving
- research and discovery
- collaborative partner/group work
- independent work
- whole-class work
- asking and answering questions
- use of ICT
- fieldwork and visits to places of educational interest
- creative activities
- watching video/film clips and responding to musical or recorded material
- debates, role-plays and oral presentations
If parents, carers or other members of the public would like to find out more about the curriculum which our school follows, please feel free to speak to your child’s class teacher or organise a meeting with a member of the senior leadership team through the school office. Further information on the aims and objectives can be found on the National Curriculum website.
Making a difference- Inclusion for all
Hemington comply with the duties in the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 and ensure the curriculum is accessible for those with disabilities or SEN.
We believe that every child can make progress and achieve and that it is our job to make sure that this happens. We ensure that teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all of our pupils.
We ensure that appropriate provision and challenge is in place for all pupils irrespective of their starting points to enable progress across the primary years.
Hemington primary is committed to providing an appropriate and high quality education to all our children. We believe that all children, including those identified as having special educational needs and disability have a common entitlement to a broad and balanced academic and social curriculum, which is accessible to them, and to be fully included in all aspects of school life.
At Hemington Primary School, the curriculum is designed to:
- provide a curriculum which is enriched and challenging where all pupils have opportunities to learn in a wide range of contexts
- provide opportunities for all pupils to develop high levels of literacy and numeracy skills which are fundamental for success in adult life
- broaden pupils’ horizons through a range of spiritual, moral, social and cultural opportunities
- ensure that all pupils are able to thrive, develop as healthy individuals and understand how to stay safe
- develop a strength of character and resilience that will help pupils to overcome the challenges they are likely to encounter in adult life
- allow pupils to become creative and critical thinkers
- provide an appropriate range of opportunities and experiences to allow pupils to succeed in the next stage in their education
Teachers of mixed age classes face the challenge of responding to a wide diversity of learners within their classroom – this is the norm in any primary classroom and high-quality teaching and learning successfully addresses the full range of diversity.
Our teachers skilfully weave the curricula together to cater for all learners, creating a bespoke experience that is tailored to the class and the individuals within it. Areas of learning are regularly revised and revisited in English and Maths – most themes having significant overlap between year groups (e.g. addition in maths and prefixes in spelling taught across all year groups, at different levels. This is the case with most of the Maths and English curriculum. Where there is no overlap of content, specific year group objectives will be planned and delivered separately. In some areas (e.g. Year 3 Mass and Capacity and Year 4 Position and Direction), we use a two- or three-year rolling program. Most lessons take place as a whole class although staff plan creatively so that pupils are taught what they need in the way that will help them learn best.
We will work on a rolling programme of topics and themes.
This is monitored and tracked by subject leaders to ensure full coverage is achieved. Foundation subject expectations are set out over a Key Stage, with the additional flexibility to deliver content earlier or later, based on the learners’ needs. The content taught is aligned fully with the National Curriculum for each age group, so where the National Curriculum gives single year group objectives, these will be covered by the correct year group. This ensures that learning is progressive for all learners.
How do we achieve the best outcomes for our classes?
- The teacher is a facilitator and a coach, in addition to being an instructor, they have excellent relationships with the children in their class.
- Learners in each age group engage in learning tasks appropriate to their level of learning, as appropriate.
- A socially collaborative classroom is encouraged: children help each other and collaborate flexibly.
- Flexible grouping is skilfully used: learning is flexibly organised in the whole class and includes adult-led groups, individuals within groups, collaborative groups, and individuals under the supervision and knowledge of the teacher.
- Overarching Theme/Topic: The same general topic/theme in the same subject is covered for all learners, they all receive the same entitlement.
- The quality of the learning tasks is high: There are a range of opportunities for open-ended, explorative, and problem-oriented learning and well as acquiring factual knowledge.
- Formative assessment is used well: To observe and diagnose how a learner is learning and is intended to improve teaching and learning.
- Opportunities created for working with single age groups: where this is appropriate, both socially and academically.
Through our teaching, we aim to:
- enable pupils to become confident, resourceful, enquiring and independent learners
- foster pupil’s self-esteem and help them to build positive relationships with others
- develop pupil’s self-respect, encourage them to understand the ideas, attitudes and values of others and teach them to respect other people’s feelings
- show respect for a diverse range of cultures and develop positive attitudes towards others
- enable pupils to understand their local community, and help them feel valued as part of it
- help pupils grow into reliable, independent and positive citizens
Lessons adopt the following principles:
- teaching builds on previous learning – recall and retention tasks are a consistent feature of all lessons
- pupils will understand the context of their learning – the ‘big picture’
- learning objectives and challenges will be explained explicitly so that pupils understand what they are aiming to achieve
- a range of learning styles, tasks and activities will be provided for pupils
- pupils will have opportunities to regularly review what they have learnt
- ‘live marking’ in lessons allows teaching staff to offer continuous feedback and improvements/next steps
- success in learning will be celebrated!
Pupils are given opportunities to learn in different ways – these include:
- investigation and problem-solving
- research and discovery
- collaborative partner/group work
- independent work
- whole-class work
- asking and answering questions
- use of ICT
- fieldwork and visits to places of educational interest
- creative activities
- watching video/film clips and responding to musical or recorded material
- debates, role-plays and oral presentations
If parents, carers or other members of the public would like to find out more about the curriculum which our school follows, please feel free to speak to your child’s class teacher or organise a meeting with a member of the senior leadership team through the school office. Further information on the aims and objectives can be found on the National Curriculum website.
Making a difference- Inclusion for all
Hemington comply with the duties in the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 and ensure the curriculum is accessible for those with disabilities or SEN.
We believe that every child can make progress and achieve and that it is our job to make sure that this happens. We ensure that teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all of our pupils.
We ensure that appropriate provision and challenge is in place for all pupils irrespective of their starting points to enable progress across the primary years.
Hemington primary is committed to providing an appropriate and high quality education to all our children. We believe that all children, including those identified as having special educational needs and disability have a common entitlement to a broad and balanced academic and social curriculum, which is accessible to them, and to be fully included in all aspects of school life.
curriculum
At Hemington Primary School we have developed a thematic approach to learning, that not only addresses all aspects of the National Curriculum, but engages and interests our children. Some subjects are taught as part of this thematic sequence of learning, but some subjects are taught discretely. The timetable has been carefully considered to ensure that our children experience a broad range of subjects and knowledge.
The following subjects are taught thematically:
- History
- Geography
- Art
- Design Technology
- English
The following subjects are taught discretely:
- Maths
- PSHE
- Religious Education
- Physical Education
- Modern Foreign Languages (French)
- Music
- Computing
Curriculum Policy
To find out more about our curriculum please click each subjects. These pages will show you what we value and promote within our curriculum, how our curriculum is structured, the skills children learn in each subject, the vocabulary children will acquire at our school and the outcomes we expect for children leaving our school in Year 6.
Progression in Foundation Subjects
While all year groups have stand alone English and Maths lessons, skills in these areas are embedded throughout other subject areas. Subjects are taught using a thematic approach to learning which has been developed with the needs of all pupils in mind. See each subject page for the long term and short term plans.
Assessment of children’s skills is ongoing, with Cold Tasks and Hot Tasks used in writing and Maths to show progression and ensuring objectives are met throughout a unit of work in English and Maths.
The curriculum is enhanced further through residential trips in years 4, 5 and 6. These trips give the children valuable learning experiences which can be used back in school; in addition they also help Year 6 pupils develop resilience which will aid their transition into KS3. We also offer an extensive range of day visits linking to the children’s learning and to enhance their scope and develop opportunities throughout each year. Such trips have included Aero Zone (East Midlands Airport), Pantomimes, theatre trips, Space Centre and many, many more. We offer opportunities to use PE and team building skills in the locality including Outdoor Learning in the woodland area adjacent to the school where each class attends Forest School.
In writing, each class follows a progression in writing which includes the elements of composition, grammar, spelling and spoken language. Click here to read our English Policy