Aims and Overview
Aims and Approach
At Cleadon Church of England Academy, we identify strongly with the Church of England’s Vision for Education, in particular the idea of educating the whole child. Our intention is to provide not only academic rigour, but excellence in all areas, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
The four elements above underpin everything we do in all aspects of teaching and learning across the Academy.
Curriculum Aims
Our aim is that all pupils have access to a broad, balanced, engaging and enjoyable curriculum. Teachers set high expectations for every pupil, whatever their prior attainment or starting points. Assessment is used to set targets which are deliberately ambitious; but which enable pupils to experience success as learners. Potential areas of difficulty are identified and these areas are addressed at the outset through intervention, differentiated resources and targeted teaching to remove barriers to pupil achievement. This results in our Curriculum being accessible to all.
At Cleadon Church of England Academy, we offer a curriculum which is broad and balanced, engages and inspires children, yet builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills of all whatever their starting points, as they progress through each Key Stage. The curriculum incorporates the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and other experiences and opportunities which best meet the learning and developmental needs of the pupils in our school. It ensures that academic success, creativity and problem solving, respect, responsibility and resilience, as well as physical development, well-being and mental health are key elements that support the development of the whole child and promote a positive attitude to learning. The curriculum celebrates diversity and utilises the skills and knowledge of the whole school and wider community while supporting the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
The aim of our curriculum is for pupils to have the requisite skills to be successful, independent and motivated lifelong learners in readiness for their next stage of education. To best meet the needs of all of our pupils, a knowledge-rich yet skills-based curriculum is delivered.
Across the EYFS, the curriculum is delivered through broad topic work based around a story text and also through the interests of the children and current themes. In Nursery, planning in the moment can also have an impact on learning and the environment. Staff support children in their choices and provide them with a rich and well-resourced environment. Children across the Foundation Stage are encouraged to become independent learners. Staff challenge children through questioning, specific tasks and independent learning. In Nursery, we build on the foundations to give our children the skills they need when transitioning into Reception. In our Reception class, activities are planned with a variety of adult directed, adult support and independent work. We tailor our curriculum to meet the needs of our children. Where children are ready for a more formal approach, staff will plan for this through directed teaching. Those who still need a play-based approach will be supported by all staff through scaffolding and modelling.
Pupils are still working on the Early Learning Goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum as they enter Year 1. There is a period in the Autumn Term where most children progress to the National Curriculum.
The curriculum is delivered using an integrated topic approach, although some subjects are taught discretely, and assessed using the SONAR tracker system as a basis to ensure coverage and progression of key skills throughout the school. The more able are challenged further in their learning and children who find aspects of their learning more difficult are appropriately supported so that they too are enabled to experience success. National requirements and school requirements are mapped out as a whole school and then individual year groups plan the curriculum for their pupils accordingly.
At Cleadon, we have a highly effective, carefully planned and tightly structured program for phonics teaching through the Essential Letters and Sounds scheme. This enables our children to learn phonic knowledge and skills with the expectation that they will become fluent readers, having secured word building and recognition skills. Our children are also taught harder to read and spell words that do not conform to regular phonic patterns.
Reading is a vital life skill that will support children’s learning across the whole curriculum. As an Academy, we strive to ensure that our children are taught to read with fluency, accuracy and understanding through a variety of high-quality English lessons and learning opportunities across all subject areas. We want children in our Academy to become enthusiastic, independent and reflective readers.
Mathematics curriculum is delivered using a range of strategies including White Rose Maths which is developed around the CPA approach (concrete, pictorial and abstract). In all year groups there are small group interventions to support pupils in gaining the key skills to become successful readers, writers and mathematicians.
The RE curriculum is provided as part of each child’s entitlement to a broad and balanced education contributing to their spiritual, moral and cultural development.
RE within our curriculum promotes:
- religious literacy
- the chance to think and ask questions
- the development of empathy skills
- a broader understanding of different values
- an awareness of diversity through looking at major religions and beliefs in the UK and beyond
Specialist teachers, coaches and instructors support music and physical education. All subject leaders are given training and opportunity to develop their subject knowledge, skills and understanding to ensure curriculum development provides progression and sequencing of concepts across the Academy. This also enables them to provide high quality support to colleagues to improve pupil outcomes. Theme days / weeks, whole school activities and opportunities within and outside school all enrich and develop the children’s learning.
A wide range of After school clubs are on offer as well as events that enrich the curriculum e.g. visits and visitors which extend opportunities further.
The outdoor environment and the local community are considered an opportunity for active learning for all our pupils. The school grounds have been developed so they can enrich different curriculum areas, particularly science. The school has a dedicated Forest School area which is used by EYFS to enrich their curriculum. We also offer Commando Joes to children in Key Stage 1 and 2 to develop resilience, team building and cooperation skills.
Pupils have opportunities to share their learning with each other, their parents, carers and other learners through school-based and external exhibitions, performances, competitions and events involving other schools. Developing their independence and motivation as learners and their sense of responsibility as future citizens is at the heart of all our teaching and learning.
