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Arboretum Primary School

Curriculum Overview

 

What is the ‘Curriculum Overview ’ and who is it for?

Welcome to Arboretum Primary School – a vibrant and culturally diverse school in the heart of Normanton, Derby.

This is the ‘Curriculum Overview Manual,’ a document that summarises and presents all elements that make up the excellent practice at our school: from our vision and our aims, to our curriculum, planning and assessment and even the content/set up of our learning. We are very proud of what we stand for, offer and give our children every day.

This Curriculum Overview Manual is aimed at all stakeholders who have an interest in our school: parents, staff, new staff, visitors and inspectors as it guides you through the make-up of our brilliant school.

Please do come and see us in action to see the content of these pages in practice, or, refer to the various, specific policies for more detail.

 

Introduction – Arboretum’s Curriculum Vision, Mission and Aims

Vision:

Arboretum Primary School aspires to equip every child with the skills they need for lifelong learning by developing confident, ambitious learners, who take ownership of their learning and are proud of their achievements as they grow.

Strategic Vision-   Our school is:

S    a safe, supportive stimulating learning environment 

T    a team of respectful, tolerant, open minded citizens 

A    a community where everyone aspires to be the very best they can be

R    a community of resilient lifelong learners

S    a centre of excellence where all achieve success

Mission:

At Arboretum Primary School, we believe that learning should be exciting, purposeful and challenging. Our school aims to inspire and prepare every child to have high expectations of themselves and others. We will achieve this through providing a creative and challenging curriculum which motivates and encourages all children to reach their potential. This will be balanced with personal choice, sport and creativity so that each can flourish within a safe, but challenging framework designed to specifically fit their needs. We will prepare our children to encounter opportunities with resilience, perseverance and self-determination and encourage them to grow and become responsible independent learners. We will work closely with the children, their families and the local community, fostering positive supportive relationships to benefit all pupils of the school. We are very determined for all our pupils and believe that our emphasis on high quality teaching is a key feature of our success.

Aims:

1. To aim for each child to achieve their full potential in all areas of the curriculum, so that they are equipped and prepared for their Secondary transition.
2. To provide a curriculum that is designed to excite and motivate children with a range of topics and projects that are of interest to them and to which they can fully contribute so that their learning is engaging, interactive and challenging.
3. To create a positive, safe learning environment and to endeavour to develop the whole child, meeting individual needs where differences are recognised, celebrated and appreciated.
4. To encourage pupils to be responsible British citizens for the future who can actively contribute to a diverse society.
5. To support each child’s emotional well-being so that they can talk openly about their feelings with confidence.
6. To equip children to evaluate and assess, to take risks and to make positive choices as part of their learning.
7. To promote lifelong learning to all, through high quality professional development for all staff and by developing a learning culture throughout the school.

Success criteria

Our curriculum:

• is broad and deep
• sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils will gain at each stage
• addresses social disadvantage through opportunities to build cultural capital
• is effectively planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards its clearly defined end points.
• identifies the appropriate and necessary vocabulary at each stage.
• reflects the local context by addressing typical gaps in pupils’ knowledge
• contains content that has been identified as most useful, and this content is taught in a logical progression, systematically and explicitly enough for all pupils to acquire the intended knowledge and skills
• is designed and taught so pupils read at an age-appropriate level.

 

Early Years Foundation Stage at Arboretum Primary School

In the Early Years Foundation Stage at Arboretum Primary School, we believe in a ‘Child Led’ approach to learning which is informed by our in-depth knowledge of the children in our care, their individual starting points and next steps in learning as well as their own fascinations and interests. We continually review and adapt our practice in order to provide purposeful and engaging learning experiences which ignite curiosity and wonder in our pupils. Our team are passionate about promoting the Characteristics of Effective Learning which support our children in becoming self-motivated learners who embrace challenge and are inspired by the adventure of learning.

Through research into various planning and provision models including the work of Anna Ephgrave and Alistair Bryce Clegg our school has developed an Early Years Foundation Stage which meets the needs of our children and reflects the rich and varied cultures in our local community.

At Arboretum Primary School we believe that children learn best through a balance of child-initiated play and focussed activities. We believe that play enables our children to build and develop skills such as curiosity, concentration, collaboration, creativity and problem solving through purposeful, carefully considered experiences which are supported by highly skilled practitioners.

Our curriculum is carefully planned in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage, drawing on what we know engages and motivates our children, their own fascinations and predictable interests as well as our observations and assessment of their individual stages of development. This is used in conjunction with the Early Years Prime and Specific areas of development to ensure that each child is exposed to a bespoke, broad and balanced curriculum. 

As well as making use of personalised Objective – Led Planning for Literacy and Mathematics our team review and adapt our Enhanced Provision weekly, as appropriate. Children’s individual fascinations and child-initiated play is documented through Retrospective Planning. This, alongside our ongoing observation and assessment of our children is used to inform planning at ‘Feeding Forward’ meetings which take place weekly.

‘The Arboretum Promise’ sits alongside our curriculum in order to enhance, develop and deepen our children’s world understanding as well as develop into responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.

• Performances including our performance of The Nativity
• Parent events including termly learning celebrations, craft afternoons and reading workshops
• Current Affairs teaching our children about world and local events in an age-appropriate way
• Traditions and Events including Armistice Day and Religious festivals 
• Visits and Visitors including Theatre trips, dance workshops and local visits
• Giving back to the Community including fund-raising
• Making the most of the school and grounds including planting and growing produce
• Special Projects which are based on the children’s learning and fascinations, these have included Art Exhibitions, Book launches and Performances
• Themed Weeks including Science Week, Around the World Week and Poetry Week

 

The Orchard

 

The children within The Orchard range from Year 1-6 and have a wide range of learning, social and physical needs. We believe that learning has to be relevant, accessible and meaningful for all children. We follow a “child led” approach which is informed by our in-depth knowledge of our children, their individual starting points and next steps in learning as well as their own fascinations and interests. We provide a curriculum with a broad range of experiences and opportunities which encourage independence, social interaction and communication. Additionally we develop our children’s skills to be STARS enabling them to be supportive team players who are aspirational, resilient and, ultimately, successful. The children in The Orchard have the opportunities to work on their individual targets through a wide range of fun, interactive and structured activities ensuring appropriate progress is made.

In the Orchard, we have tailored the national curriculum to meet the specific needs of our children. The literacy and maths curriculums are non-negotiable and follow a fixed timetable each morning. Some children follow the school’s Read, Write Inc. phonics scheme whilst others have moved on to Literacy and Language, both approaches are carefully adapted and personalised to meet each child’s individual learning needs.  Our maths learning is adapted from the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and the White Rose maths scheme to ensure each child has the maths knowledge and skills to move their learning forward. Afternoon learning is delivered through a themed approach, encompassing the national curriculum subjects, where children develop key skills to become independent and effective learners through a range of opportunities. Learning is reviewed and adapted continuously in line with the children’s current interests and targets.

Children in The Orchard work towards their individual targets set out on their Education, Care and Health Plans or Individual Education Plans.

‘The Arboretum Promise’ sits alongside our curriculum in order to enhance, develop and deepen our children’s world understanding as well as develop into responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.

•             Performances across the school 

•             Assemblies and whole school events

•             Parent events including termly learning celebrations, craft afternoons and reading workshops

•             Current Affairs teaching our children about world and local events in an age-appropriate way

•             Traditions and Events including Armistice Day and Religious festivals 

•             Visits and Visitors including Sealife Centre,  park visits

•             Giving back to the Community including fund-raising

•             Making the most of the school and grounds including planting and growing produce/ accessing the forest school area

•             Themed Weeks including Science Week, RE week and Poetry Week

 

 

Arboretum Primary School Curriculum – The Arboretum ‘Promise’

 

At Arboretum Primary School, we do not just want children to succeed academically; we want to build and mould ‘the whole child’ because we recognise that children have many differing talents and abilities; we, therefore, foster knowledge, skills, abilities and understanding development in many non-statutory but highly important areas.

 In other words, our ‘Enrichment Programme’ is a tailor-made promise, or guarantee, that children at Arboretum will not just be skilled in curriculum subjects.

‘The Arboretum Enrichment Programme’ sits side-by-side our delivery of The National Curriculum and offers Arboretum children multiple experiences. This enrichment programme is a promise to: improve, enhance, develop and deepen our learners’ world understanding.

 Under a multitude of categories, children are guaranteed to undertake a wide range of experiences from Nursery to Year Six that meet the objective we have set ourselves – to enrich their world understanding.