At Churchfields, we follow the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum.

In line with the other Quality First Education Trust (Q1E) schools, all children receive a world-class, inspirational and aspirational curriculum driven by the principles of improvement, excellence and equality.  We have a broad and balanced approach rooted in subject disciplines, which ensures excellent personal, physical, academic, social, emotional, aesthetic and cultural development for all children. LEARN is our shared curriculum statement which drives our curriculum decisions for our learners to be engaging, ambitious, relevant and nurturing. 

Our learning structures ensure that all children and adults:

• Are safe
• Are excellent learners
• Have excellent social and emotional skills
• Achieve and succeed

Learners engaged in the Q1E curriculum are:

• inquisitive, resilient and have high expectations of themselves
• critical and creative thinkers who can solve problems and evaluate effectively
• confident, collaborative and articulate
• excellent learners

At its core the Q1E curriculum has:

• Engagement: exciting first hand experiences and enquiry approaches. Varied structured learning opportunities that are purposeful and appropriate.
• Ambition: the highest expectations of what all children can achieve, expanding horizons though research and sharing of best practice.
• Relevance: recognition of the richness in diversity and inclusion tailored to reflect local, national and global perspectives and clear progression in knowledge, skills, content, language, processes and concepts.
• Nurture: personal development fostering a sense of responsibility to self and others, citizenship, community, empathy and service.

National Curriculum Core Subjects
 

• English - Reading and Writing
• Mathematics
• Science

These subjects are planned and taught as discrete subjects although where possible cross-curricular links are made.

Foundation subjects

• History
• Geography
• Art and Design
• PSHCE / Citizenship
• Computing
• Design and technology
• Foreign languages
• Music
• Physical Education
• Religious Education

All classes have Art and Computing with a specialist teacher each week. KS1 also have P.E. with a specialist teacher. The children in KS2 have weekly Spanish lessons with a specialist teacher.

If you would like more information and an overview about each curriculum area please visit the relevant page above. The overviews are working documents and are continually updated and revised.

Teachers produce a termly pamphlet which outlines what children will be covering each term and send this out at the beginning of the term. This includes ideas for ways in which you can help you child at home. These are on the class pages of the website.

In the Early Years (Reception and Nursery) we follow the EYFS Curriculum.

How we assess children’s attainment and progress

In reading, writing, maths and science, we assess children’s learning against the skills appropriate to their age. Each year group has a separate curriculum. The National Expectation is that children will achieve the Expected Standard within their year group. Children may also be assessed at Working Towards the Expected Standard or demonstrating Mastery within the Expected Standard for their year group. We use a combination of teacher assessment and half termly summative assessments to award our judgement. 

Setting Targets

We set each child a Target to reach in their reading, writing and maths by the end of each year. Our target is for every child to make 6 Steps progress in the core subjects. This will mean that every child will have learned the necessary skills and have gained a sound understanding of the curriculum, to make a really strong start to the next academic year.

Statutory tests

Often informally known as ‘SATs’, the National Curriculum Tests are compulsory for children at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Children in these year groups will undertake tests in Reading, Maths, and Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling. KS1 tests are marked in school by the class teachers and the KS2 tests are sent away for external marking. All results will be reported back to parents and carers at the end of the year in each child’s annual report.

These tests will be reported as a scaled score, with a score of 100 representing the expected level for each age group. We will also be using a system of bands and steps in Years 1-6 to show attainment and progress.

For Years 1, 3, 4 and 5, we will grade attainment as Working Towards the Expected Standard, Working within the Expected Standard or Mastery within the Expected Standard for each child in reading, writing and maths.

Statutory testing at the end of KS1 and KS2

KS1 (Year 2)

• Reading test
• Maths test
• Writing composition will be teacher assessed using performance descriptors
• A separate grammar, punctuation and spelling test

KS2 (Year 6)

• Reading test
• Maths tests x3
• Writing composition is teacher assessed using performance descriptors from the Interim Assessment Framework
• A separate grammar, punctuation and spelling test.