Marchbank Free School
RESPONSIBILITY
Policy Title
Author
Version
Owned By
Date Completed
Date for Revision of policy
APPROVED
Chair of local governing body
Chair of Directors
Signed
Curriculum Policy
Mandy Southwick
V1
Mandy Southwick
March 2013 / Reviewed March 14
September 2014
Mr Mark Jolly
Mr Jim O’Neill
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Marchbank Free School
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Values……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3
Key Skills…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4
Aims and Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
The Curriculum……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5-6
Teaching and Learning Styles………………………………………………………………………………………..6-7
Curriculum Planning……………………………………………………………………………………………………..7-8
Resources………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8
Assessment and Recording………………………………………………………………………………………………8
Monitoring and Review…………………………………………………………………………………………………..9
Inclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9
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Marchbank Free School
1. Introduction
1.1 Marchbank’s curriculum is all planned activities that we organise to promote
learning, personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal
requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the various extra-curricular
activities that the school organises in order to enrich the student’s experience.
1.2 It also includes the ‘hidden curriculum’ – what the children will learn from the way
they are treated and expected to behave.
1.3 We have incorporated some Steiner principles into our well established and
proven curriculum to suit the very specific needs of children with BSED.
2. Values
2.1 Marchbank School’s curriculum is underpinned by the values we believe are
crucially important. The curriculum is the means by which the school achieves its
objectives of educating children in the knowledge, skills and understanding they
need in order to lead fulfilling lives.
2.2 At Marchbank Free School we celebrate our values and incorporate them into our
everyday life.
They are:
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RESPECT
ENJOYMENT
ACHIEVEMENT
CITIZENSHIP
HARD WORK
Throughout their time at Marchbank students will be supported in developing these
values through our taught curriculum and through the way children are
treated and expected to behave.
All adult members of Marchbank are
expected to provide positive role models of these values at all times.
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Marchbank Free School
3. Key Skills
3.1 The following skills are identified in the National Curriculum and Marchbank
agreed that it is important for children to achieve and develop these skills.
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Communication
Application of number
Information Technology
Working with others
Improving one’s own learning and performance
Problem-solving
3.2 In our curriculum planning, we emphasise these skills, so that the children’s
progress in all of these areas can be identified and monitored. All teacher’s seek
to contribute to a child’s progress in these skills, because we believe that all
children need the opportunity and scaffolding to make (at least) ‘good progress’ in
these areas if they are to develop their true potential.
4. Aims and Objectives
4.1 At Marchbank we believe that all children are entitled to a broad and balanced
curriculum which is interesting, engaging and provides a range of learning
opportunities that help develop children’s life-long love of learning.
4.2 In essence, the curriculum at Marchbank aims to:
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Increase children’s motivation, enthusiasm and engagement in their
learning by making learning through putting it into context
Support the raising of standards in both teaching and learning
Help children to become more independent and take greater ownership of
their learning, developing their confidence and motivation to learn through
the use of a range of teaching and learning styles
Establish strong-cross curricular links to ensure a broader understanding
Create and maintain an exciting and stimulating learning environment,
including topics delivered through the main lesson
Provide opportunities to apply knowledge and learning in practical ways
and to solve problems in a variety of situations
Provide frequent enrichment opportunities where learning and teaching
can take place beyond the classroom
Give opportunities for a flexible timetabling approach to ensure true depth
of study is possible
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Marchbank Free School
5. The Curriculum
5.1 The curriculum is designed to offer discrete teaching in Literacy and Numeracy
with other subjects largely being integrated into a topic based approach using a
carefully planned development which is based on the sequences of the Steiner
curriculum but with an overview of the National Curriculum to ensure students can
move from Marchbank with the same knowledge base as their peers in school.
5.1.1
Literacy
A discrete lesson of literacy is delivered each day. This will incorporate
reading, writing and speaking and listening with a dedicated phonics and
spelling element. The National Literacy Strategy will provide a framework
and supplemented at other parts of the when children will be afforded
opportunities to engage in various speaking and listening activities and
daily story time which will include familiar stories, traditional tales, poetry,
rhyme and drama.
5.1.2
Numeracy
A dedicated numeracy lesson is delivered four times a week. The National
Numeracy Strategy provides the framework and teaching staff identify
opportunities in their planning of other areas where they can extend
children’s skills by using every day maths. Times tables are taught by the
use of rhyme and repetition during daily ring time.
5.1.3
The Main Lesson
All other National Curriculum subjects are incorporated into a topic based
approach and delivered through two hour main lessons during the
afternoons. Each main lesson topic continues for an extended period of
time with most lasting three to four weeks. This approach allows children
to gain unhurried and in-depth experiences to deepen their knowledge and
understanding of the topic area whilst developing key skills. The topics
follow a carefully planned developmental order and incorporate science,
history, geography, religious education, design technology, art, crafts,
music, PSE and ICT.
5.1.4
ICT
The use of ICT is encouraged in all topic areas as a subject in its own right
and in both the teaching of the topic in the main lesson and in the
opportunities for children’s independent learning.
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Marchbank Free School
5.1.5
PE
PE is taught discreetly with a large element of this being orienteering and
other outdoor adventurous activities within our extensive school grounds.
Within the confines of our school building there are recognised limitations
for the delivery of PE therefore dance and gymnastics are delivered on site
and students access the EV for swimming and games during winter
months and periods of bad weather.
5.1.6
Modern Foreign Languages
Modern Foreign Languages is delivered
conversational French and Spanish.
5.1.7
discreetly and
includes
Forest School
Children access regular Forest School sessions in the wooded area within
our school grounds. They follow a developmental curriculum which
involves learning how to use full size tools, how to build fires safely and
how to build shelters. It also includes knowledge based and experimental
learning of the flora and fauna and allows children to observe the changing
seasons first hand. Once groups are established in the woodland and
routines are set up the projects develop through a child led approach with
opportunities for projects being taken back to the indoor setting.
5.1.8
Creativity
At the end of each day students have the opportunity to choose from a
number of creative activities which include movement, dance, drama,
singing, cookery and handcrafts.
This enhances the curriculum
opportunities and helps the children to develop rhythm, repetition and
reverence.
6. Teaching and Learning Styles
6.1 At Marchbank we use a variety of teaching styles to meet the wide range of
student’s needs.
6.2 All lessons start with the whole class teaching, using open ended probing
questions, visual or audio stimuli and including opportunities for talk partners
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Marchbank Free School
where appropriate. This is followed by a period of learning, where children may
work independently, in-pairs or in a small group. A plenary may be delivered at
any point during the session to extend or review learning.
6.3 We recognise that children have preferred learning styles, and so make
allowances for this in our planning and delivery. We provide suitable learning
opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of task to the ability and
learning style of the children. We achieve this in a variety of ways by
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Setting common, open ended tasks to elicit a variety and depth of
response
Grouping children by ability in their classroom and setting tasks of
increasing difficulty, scaffolding where necessary
Providing practical opportunities for kinaesthetic learners
Using visual or audio stimuli and providing artefacts where possible to
promote interest
Using Teaching Assistants to support the work of the individual children or
groups of children
Using trips out of school and visitors to school to further understanding
Planning group work to allow collaboration and develop thinking skills
where children are able to cope
6.4 Teaching staff are encouraged to capture children’s interest and broaden their
experiences by using magnificent mature gardens and wooded area where
possible.
6.5 Children’s achievements are celebrated regularly through Marchbank Newsletters,
displays in classrooms and around the school and more formally during weekly
shine assemblies.
7. Curriculum Planning
7.1 Marchbank recognises the National Curriculum requirements of what needs to be
taught in KS1 and KS2 but also recognises that children with BESD may indeed
have gaps in their learning and require more frequent revisiting of themes and
topics to ensure effective learning.
There are three parts to our planning:
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Long term themes for the year using a two yearly cycle format; these are
which themes will be delivered through main lessons and when. We also
include a number of “theme days” where the whole school works together
to promote cross phase work where appropriate
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Marchbank Free School
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Medium term planning uses a brainstorm of activities, including input from
the children about what they would like to learn through the topic.
Teaching staff and Teaching Assistants are involved in the brainstorming
activity which forms the basis of the medium term plans which can then be
further developed
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Teachers use the programme of study, key skills and any national
guidance (NLS/NNS) and translate them into meaningful lesson plans.
Marchbank has a recognised format for short term lesson planning which
incorporates learning objectives, learning outcomes, an introduction, main
learning activity and plenary. It also identifies opportunities for
assessment (AfL and formative).
7.2 Children’s work is recorded in a variety of ways; literacy and numeracy work is
recorded in books in a formal manner but during the main lesson children are
encouraged to use their creative skills in making choices in which mark making
mediums they wish to use and which information they wish to record.
Photographs are frequently used to record experiences and progress and these
are presented in the children’s books.
8. Resources
8.1 Resources are located in classrooms and resource cupboards are available to all
staff. Co-ordinators review resources annually and order as necessary.
Curriculum teams are responsible for monitoring the use of resources and
arranging for replacements to be made, following the general school ordering
procedures.
8.2 We value experiences and people as resources and use them as resources for
delivering effective teaching and learning as frequently as possible.
9. Assessment and Recording
9.1 Teaching staff monitor the coverage of knowledge, skills and understanding by
cross referencing with planning and ensuring progression across class groups.
9.2 Students are continually assessed according to skills and knowledge and
progress is recorded on classroom monitor and sims assessment manager.
Students who are below, at or above expected progress according to targets are
noted and interventions are planned, evaluated and monitored each half term.
9.3 Students are involved in assessing their own progress against targets frequently
and opportunities for AfL are identified in lesson planning.
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Marchbank Free School
10. Monitoring and Review
10.1The Principal of Marchbank School is responsible for monitoring and reviewing
the curriculum. Monitoring takes a variety of forms;
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11.
Regular observation of lessons
Regular teaching and learning walks
Planning scrutinies
Book scrutinies
Discussion with staff
Reviewing of data from student and staff questionnaires
Inclusion
11.1It is expected that all children will be given the opportunity to learning in a
creative and encouraging environment which encompasses a range of learning
and teaching styles. This is in agreement with the ECM agenda and is with the
intention of motivating and supporting children’s learning at all levels including
the Able and Talented, EAL and children identified with SEN.
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