Curriculum and Assessment
Our Curriculum
At Sir Robert Hitcham CEVAP School we provide well planned teaching and a wide range of learning opportunities and experiences, to help children develop the skills they will need to become confident and successful members of their community, life-long learners and achieve their full potential. Our curriculum includes all that is taught through lessons, collective worship, clubs, trips and events. In addition, children’s social and emotional development is supported through planned activities, opportunities to take on responsibilities and interactions with the school community throughout the day.
Our Curriculum
Our long term curriculum plan is structured into units of work that are taught in single year groups.
Each subject has a purposely designed medium term plan for each term which builds on knowledge and skills gained in previous year groups. All of the subjects follow the skills and content on the National Curriculum and also incorporate opportunities to build on the interests of our pupils, the richness of our local environment and topics which are current and relevant to the world we live in. The specific content and teaching approaches will vary from year to year to build upon the children’s ideas; meet their learning needs and make good use of opportunities for visits and visitors.
The key principles when planning our curriculum are:
- opportunities to build on previously accessed knowledge and skills;
- learning in the local community;
- a global perspective on familiar themes;
- use of books, resources and examples to reflect multi-cultural Britain;
- opportunities to learn about British Values;
- creating memorable learning moments; and
- providing an interesting context for writing.
If you would like any further information about the specific skills, content and learning opportunities for each subject in the term they are taught, please speak to your child's class teacher or refer to the termly class newsletters.
In order to study something in depth, to celebrate a national or international event or to provide different learning opportunities, we hold a range of special curriculum events or activity days each year. In addition, we hold a special learning weeks which could include a celebration of a religious festival or a week exploring different careers.
We celebrate the successes of the pupil's work in weekly Celebration Collective Worship, where pupils can share with us work the adults have been pleased with. Once a half-term, each class presents what they've been learning to the rest of the school, sharing examples of writing, maths, PE, art, history and any other areas they have been learning about.
Other Opportunities
- Children have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument in Key Stage 2. We hold a concert twice a year to celebrate our pupils’ success in music.
- Children have many opportunities to participate in competitive sports through inter-house games and at sporting events with other local schools.
- After school clubs run throughout most of the year, run by staff and external organisations.
- Trips and visits are planned to support learning in the curriculum and older pupils are encouraged to participate in a residential trip.
- Children use our large outside space and Forest Schools area to support and develop learning.
- There are opportunities for children to take responsibilities within the school through our elected councils. We also hold a variety of fund raising events each year.
- To support social and emotional development, planned work with groups and individuals takes place in ‘The Space’.
- To plan for the needs of individuals or groups of children, the curriculum offer is adapted.
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. Click HERE to view our long term plan.
Relationships and Sex Scheme of Work
Please click HERE for the School's Relationships and Sex scheme of work.
Curriculum Information
Please click on the links below for more information about the curriculum coverage for each subject in all year groups.
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Art & Design |
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Computing |
Computing Overview |
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Design Technology |
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English |
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| French | |
| Geography | |
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| Maths | |
| Music |
Music Overview |
| PE | |
| PSHE | |
| RE | |
| Science |
Assessment
Children are assessed for a range of reasons at different points throughout the year. All assessment helps teachers to know if pupils are making expected progress and informs subsequent planning. Through the use of marking, observations, discussions, questioning, feedback and some weekly tests, teachers adapt their teaching to meet the needs of the pupils.
Other tests are carried out at various points in the year to ensure that pupils are making at least expected progress:
- Early Years: phonic and key word knowledge, number recognition and writing;
- Key Stage 1: phonics and key word knowledge, independent writing, Toe by Toe reading age test, NTS reading test (Year 1 from Summer term) and White Rose calculation and reasoning maths tests;
- Key Stage 2: phonics and key word knowledge and reading tests for pupils on the SEN register as needed, independent writing, Toe by Toe reading age, NTS reading tests and White Rose calculation and reasoning maths tests;
Teachers also record if children are learning in line with expectations in subject areas once a term.
The information from these tests also helps teachers to identify patterns and trends and informs planning. It is also used to make a decision as to whether pupils are making expected progress in reading, writing and maths. This is recorded on a secure assessment system, Pupil Asset.
Each term the teachers hold a pupil progress meeting with the Headteacher, Senior teacher and the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator to talk about the progress the pupils are making. Where pupils are not making expected progress the teacher plans what he or she will do to help the pupil catch up.
Parents are kept informed about their child’s progress through parent consultation meetings in the Autumn and Spring Terms, an interim report in the Spring Term and the end of year report in July. Parents are welcome to make an appointment with the class teacher at other points in the year if they would like more information about their child’s progress.
National Assessments
Children are assessed against National benchmarks at various points while at primary school.
At the end of the Early Years, the staff use their observations from Tapestry and the pupils’ work to make a judgement against the Early Learning Goals to see if the children have met the standard for a Good level of Development - current EYFS guidance. For more information please refer to our Early Years section.
In Year 1 pupils take a phonics check to ensure they know and can use phonics to read. Those pupils who do not meet the pass mark have extra phonics teaching before they take the test again at the end of Year 2.
In Year 2 the teacher uses information from the pupils’ work and tests to assess the pupils against the Teacher Assessment Frameworks at the end of Key Stage 1.
At the end of Year 6 the children sit national tests in reading, spelling, grammar and maths. Their writing and science are also assessed against national standards. The outcomes of the tests are converted into a standardised score around 100. Those pupils who achieve at least 100 have met the expected standard and those who achieve at least 110 show they can work at greater depth.