Impact
Judging impact
Evaluating impact is an important process that helps us understand the effectiveness of teaching and interventions. To judge impact, we must:
- Be clear on the outcomes pupils need to achieve
- Establish a baseline of capability in terms of set outcomes (what could pupils achieve)
- In addition, look at non-academic evidence such as attendance data
- Plan a logical, evidence based approach to intervention (both for the child, and to support teaching)
- Evaluate the quality of teaching and learning
- Analyse pupil progress towards the desired outcomes.
What is the impact of our curriculum and how do we know?
School leaders, Governors and teachers regularly measure the impact of our curriculum through the monitoring of teaching and learning, monitoring of behaviour, assessment and on-going self-review. We talk to children and parents, undertake learning walks, look at books and review the curriculum as subject leaders. Children speak about their learning articulately and enthusiastically, they make links between subjects, discussing how new learning builds on prior learning, and demonstrating how learning is meaningful and long lasting.
As a result of our high-quality curriculum and teaching, our children are well prepared for the next phase of their education, they are motivated to achieve and are equipped with the personal skills they need for a successful future.
Intent
What is our intent? What are we trying to achieve with our curriculum?
At St. Lawrence CE Primary school our curriculum has a clear educational purpose and is shaped to engage, inspire and enthuse our learners, preparing them for a lifelong love of learning. The broad and balanced curriculum offer provides our pupils with rich, deep, durable learning opportunities that are transferrable across a range of contexts. Our intention is to equip our learners with the knowledge and skills needed, as well as building a strong emotionally literate and morally responsible foundation, so that they achieve success as a citizen of the future within an ever changing world. At the heart of the curriculum is our school vision ‘Being the best you can be because with God all things are possible’ as this underpins our aspirations for all our pupils.
Implementation
How do we deliver our curriculum?
Our curriculum is delivered through creative and engaging themes that aim to challenge children’s natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Carefully planned cross curricular links ensure time is used efficiently allowing opportunity to explore subject content with increased breadth and depth. The curriculum is also enriched with planned enhancement opportunities, visits, assemblies, curriculum theme days, outdoor learning, sports, clubs and workshops. The curriculum plan places an emphasis on children being active and involved in their learning, engaging with materials and lines of enquiry that enable them to incrementally build their knowledge, skills and understanding. Teachers create rich contexts of discovery so that pupils enhance their learning; about themselves and the wider world. We firmly believe that pupils need to speak before they read and write, so discussion is at the heart of the curriculum with approaches carefully planned and integrated. Spending time on meaningful dialogue encourages pupils to reason, discuss, speculate, argue and explain, rather than just simply give an expected answer. This in turn boosts children’s confidence and maximises the power of classroom talk, increasing pupils’ engagement, learning and attainment.
Our cultural capital offer prepares children with the essential knowledge and skills for their future lives. The exploration of new skills and experiences help to nurture resilience, curiosity and creativity. We know that children know more, remember more and understand better when they have new experiences and make discoveries first-hand. We are proud of our rural setting and links to agriculture, transport and sustainable living.
The curriculum is further enhanced by our commitment to preparing our children for contributing to an inclusive and diverse world underpinned by British Values.
The teaching of phonics and reading is high profile across all phases of the school. We use Little Wandle, a systematic, synthetic approach to teaching phonics and a blend of whole class, guided group and one to one teaching to ensure that children are fluent readers, who comprehend well. Where gaps in learning are identified or where it is clear that children are not ‘keeping up’, effective, rigorous interventions are quickly implemented to ensure rapid progress so that all children can attain and achieve.
Physical activity
The Sport England Survey shows that active children are happier, more resilient and more trusting of others and it’s also shown a positive association between being active and higher levels of mental wellbeing, individual development and community development. At St Lawrence we build physical activity into writing through the use of drama and role play to explore and develop ideas for writing. We also use different methods of collaborating and sharing ideas prior to writing which encourage children to get up and move around the classroom.
Finding out more
If you are a prospective parent or a member of the public that would like to find out more about the wonderful curriculum we offer at St Lawrence, please contact us through the school office at a3019@telford.gov.uk
Personal Development, Protected Characteristics and British Values
These important elements of life thread through our curriculum, linking everything we learn about and do. We aim to recognise and value all differences and to grow a community where we all make a difference. This also embraces our Christian mission of courageous advocacy; helping others and being outward reaching.
As a Federation, we aim to:
- Be welcoming to all and celebrate difference
- Proactively identify and remove barriers preventing pupils from engaging in school life
- Provide pupils with everything they need to be confident and thrive
- Consider equality in all decision making.
An Adaptive Curriculum
We are very conscious to adapt our curriculum to ensure that learners can access each lesson and build their knowledge and skills base.
We do this through a four-stage process:
- Anticipate barriers
- Plan to address them
- Assess for learning
- Adapt in the moment
Considering research-based practice by the Education Endowment Foundation, we also make suitable adaptations by subject to ensure equity of access. Examples of how practitioners do this are outlined below:
