Colley Lane Primary Academy, Colley Lane, Halesowen, B63 2TN
Part of Windsor Academy Trust
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Curriculum

ASPIRE Curriculum

Curriculum intent - ‘To unlock academic and personal potential’

At Colley Lane,  we believe that all of our pupils need to feel empowered through our curriculum to be happy and successful learners in order to achieve their academic and personal potential.  We believe that each of our pupils can be the best that they can be, which is driven by our Trust-wide Aspire virtues and learner skills which underpin our teaching and learning in the classroom.

Our Approach to Curriculum

Our curriculum exists to ensure all pupils, regardless of background and ability, can aspire to 'unlock their academic and personal potential'.  It empowers and equips pupils with the knowledge, character virtues and learning skills required to thrive in learning and in life and has been designed to provide access to a broad and ambitious range of subject experiences, anchored by high challenge for all. 

Its primary purpose is to enable our pupils to know more and remember more and be able to do more. 

Our curriculum is underpinned by the National Curriculum objectives which act as the foundations for our curriculum. Our subject leaders have then been empowered to take ownership of their subjects and lead with the support of the Curriculum Lead to create a fulfilling, ambitious, and challenging curriculum for our pupils. A curriculum, where we aim to inspire our pupils and immerse them in their subject content so that they are able to become meta-cognitive learners.

Our curriculum exceeds the minimum requirements set out in the National Curriculum and The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils have access to the following areas of learning / subject areas:

Pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Prime Areas

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Physical Development

Communication and Language

Specific Areas

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding the World

Expressive Arts and Design

 

KS1 and KS2

Core Subjects

English

Mathematics

Science

Foundation Subjects and Wider Curriculum

Art and Design

Computing

Design and technology

Languages

Geography

History

Music

Physical Education

Religious Education

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) inc. Relationships and Health Education (RSE)

 

Curriculum design 

In order for our children to gain extensive knowledge in all curriculum areas, we teach all curriculum subjects discreetly. We feel that this also allows each subject to keep its integrity and enables subjects to be taught rigorously with a sharp focus upon the subject-specific knowledge and skills required. 

Subject

Implementation

Maths 

Ark Curriculum - Maths Mastery

Writing

The Write Stuff

Reading 

WAT WCR

History

WAT 

Geography

WAT

PE

WAT

MFL

Rachel Hawkes

Art

Access Art/CLPA

Computing

CLPA

Music

Kapow

RE

Discovery RE

PSHE

WAT

 

How do we deliver our Curriculum?

Our lessons are planned and delivered with the intention of ‘engaging and enthusing every day.’ This is identified as part of the sunshine model below, which is grounded in research in cognitive science to help underpin our approach. Our curriculum subjects are progressive in order to support our pupils to know more and remember more so that they can become lifelong learners. Within each lesson, teachers engage pupils through connecting and engaging with their prior learning. Throughout the lesson, higher level vocabulary is introduced and reinforced whilst deeper thinking is promoted through the key questions posed and regular learning checks. 

Within our trust, subject leaders have been given time to work with other leaders to identify the key progression of skills for their subject areas and have opportunities to work with lead practitioners and meet regularly to continue to monitor their curricular content. 

There is a strong emphasis on planning for, teaching and using tier 3 vocabulary throughout our curriculum. Pupils are expected to know and understand the vocabulary needed to access their learning. The vocabulary that each pupil is exposed to can be found on the individual subject overview and is shared with the children within their lessons. The expectation is then that all pupils use this vocabulary within the classroom to support their understanding and retention of knowledge. 

How do we assess our Curriculum?

The curriculum is our progression model which sets out the knowledge that we expect children to gain in each subject at each stage.  We deliver the curriculum in ways that ensure that pupils acquire and build knowledge that they need, to move on to the next stage of the curriculum.

We use both summative and formative assessment.

Formative

Our lessons are structured and built in such a way that we are using formative assessment, continually checking whether children are learning the knowledge we intend them to. We use a range of strategies to formatively assess such as; AFL learning checks, smart starts, low stakes quizzes. For example, within our Science, History and Geography Curriculum we assess through quizzes at the start of each lesson (a thinking three) which involves recalling knowledge from the previous lesson, a previous unit and a previous year group objective. At the end of each lesson, there is an opportunity to allow the pupils to recall the key components of knowledge that they have learnt through quiz questions.

Summative 

Summative assessments are planned half termly and termly depending on the subject. These assessments support us to check how well knowledge is embedded and how well pupils can apply it.

Year

Assessment

Frequency

Reception

Phonic Assessments

half termly

Year 1 - 2

 

 

Phonic Assessments

Headstart reading assessment

Ark maths assessment

Post learning assessment History and Geography

Key Assessment Task’s - Science

 

No More marking writing assessment

half termly

 

 

 

 



Annually - comparative judgement

Year 3

Headstart reading assessment

Ark maths assessment

Multiplication Times Table Check

Post learning assessment History and Geography

Key Assessment Task’s - Science

half termly

No More marking writing assessment

Annually - comparative judgement

Year 4

Headstart reading assessment

Ark maths assessment

Multiplication Times Table Check

Post learning assessment History and Geography

Key Assessment Task’s - Science

half termly

No More marking writing assessment

Annually - comparative judgement

Year 5

Headstart reading assessment

Ark maths assessment

Multiplication Times Table Check

Post learning assessment History and Geography

Key Assessment Task’s - Science

half termly

No More marking writing assessment

Annually - comparative judgement

Year 6

Headstart reading assessment

Ark maths assessment

Post learning assessment History and Geography

Key Assessment Task’s - Science

half termly

No More marking writing assessment

Annually - comparative judgement

 

Pupils in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6 also complete a range of national assessment, as listed below:



Reception

Early Year Baseline Assessment

Early Years Foundation Stage Profile

Year 1

Phonic Screening Check

Year 2

Key Stage 1 Sats (optional 2024)

Year 4

Multiplication Check

Year 6

Key Stage 2 Sat

 

Downloads

Early years foundation stage statutory framework

The national curriculum in England Key stages 1 and 2 framework document

Our Approach to Learning Environments and Resources

A high-quality learning environment has the potential to shift possibilities, raise aspirations, and it demands a deep commitment to learning.  We believe that the environments that we create at Colley Lane Primary are:

  • an enabler;
  • a model for greater depth thinking;
  • a carefully planned reference point for pupils to help free working memory slots by building long term memory associations;
  • a silent teacher;
  • inspiring to pupils and staff alike.

To achieve this, staff are responsible for ensuring classrooms are an exciting, stimulating and welcoming place to be. They do this by ensuring our Brilliant Basics are in place and :

  • Arranging furniture and space to create a safe, flexible learning environment, including a carpet focus area if appropriate;
  • Creating areas that stimulate interest in current learning and provide a useful reference point in the development of pupils’ knowledge and understanding;
  • Making sure that equipment is labelled and accessible to promote independent learning;
  • Creating a personal and purposeful space for each student to complete their work;
  • Teaching children to respect and care for their environment, and expecting them to do just that;
  • Ensuring classrooms are inviting and all areas are clear and clutter free;
  • Providing access to high quality texts