Curriculum | Syresham Primary School

Children leave our school not only achieving good academic grades, but with the knowledge and experience to grow into successful and respected members of the community.

Our aim is for every child to flourish academically, socially and personally through the challenging, engaging and knowledge led currciculum that has been developed.

Our vision and moral purpose translates into a knowledge rich curriculum which is driven by a strong set of values about what matters. It is informed by reserarch and deliberately designed to enable all of our children to have equal access to knowledge, to value the pursuit of that knowledge and to be able to use that knowledge for good.

Our curriculum is ambitious for all children and the careful sequencing and planning, underpinned by research, aims to support even the most vulnerable or disadvantaged appropriately to close the attainment gap. We know that our classrooms may be the only source of the structured knowedge essential in providing firm foundations for the future learning journey of some of our most vulnerable children and so this must be guaranteed. From the Early Years onwards, the knowledge and understanding that children acquire in their time at Syresham School support the development of critical thinking, analysis and creativity which we view as necessary precursors to future educational success.

Our curriculum is a framework for setting out the aims of our programme of education, including:

The knowledge and understanding to be gained at each stage (intent.
Translating that framework over time into a structure, narrative and with subject specific pedagogy (implementation).
Evaluating what knowledge and understanding pupils have gained against expectations (impact).

Learning

Children learn by seeing, hearing, exploring, experimenting and asking questions. We break what is to be learned into many small, manageable chunks, since small things fit into the brain much more easily than large ones. We then connect the new knowledge actively with what they already know, since memories are connections and new information needs to find its place in the web of the mind. We repeat what has to be learned so that they don’t just “have” it, they have it at our mental fingertips.

We use Read, Write Inc for phonics and reading across the school starting with the Reception class.

Regular “Parents Curriculum Information Evenings” are held to enable parents and carers to inform them how their children are taught in school and how they can support learning at home.

In Nursery children learn in the moment, allowing adults to seize the moment when a child shows interest in an activity. These ‘teachable moments’ lead to observations, records of the interactions and notes on the outcomes to record learning and plan future opportunities.

In Reception children learn through a combination of planned activities while still having the opportunity to lead their own learning through first-hand experiences continuing their journey from Nursery.

In Key Stage One children learn through structured lessons supported by continuous provision that not only builds on the active, hands–on learning that has taken place in the Foundation Stage but allows children to make connections and develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in a fun and independent way.

In Key Stage Two children continue to learn through a structured teaching approach. Maths and English are taught separately with foundation subjects taught, where appropriate, through a topic based approach. Children are encouraged to concentrate, work hard, challenge themselves, and not give up.

Syresham School Passport

Alongside the subject based curriculum, each child completes a ‘Syresham Passport’ during their time in school that widens their experiences, develops their talents and interest while building on key life stills.

Download Syresham passport

Equal Opportunities

We provide a curriculum designed to ensure equal opportunities and access for everyone regardless of age, sex, disability, race, religion, culture or social background. We aim to promote a caring attitude to all.

Special Educational Needs

“Every child has a special need, it’s just a matter of degree.” As such we support all children , as well as those with significant difficulties. If a child has a physical disabillity, a special learning or emotional or behavioural difficulty, or has an exceptional ability, we plan a programme to ensure progress. With parents’ consent we are able to consult with specialist advisors and some children benefit from their individual help. Trained staff work with children individually or in small groups to encourage development in their areas of need. We also provide extension work and teaching for more able, gifted and talented children who, equally, have a special need. We are pleased to work with Northamptonshire Local Offer Team and a link to their web site is provided here www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/localoffer

Homework

Homework is set regularly each week by the class teacher.

Reading at Home – reading at home is essential for language development and expanding vocabularly. We want all our children to enjoy reading books at any age. It is important to record what books children read at home. Please download our guide.

Guide to recording reading at home

Extra Curricular Activities

We offer a wide range of club activies that are free for children from Reception to Year 6. These take place during lunch times and after school. Details of these are made known to the children and parents/carers. Teachers, Teaching Assisstants and volunteers from the local community give their time to these activities and children who join are expected to show commitment. We also use outside providers for activies such as ‘Mad Science’. Parents are asked to make payments for these sessions. Please see the diary sheet to find out what clubs we currently have running.

Peripatetic Music

Children have the opportunity to learn a wide range of instruments. This includes strings, brass, woodwind, guitar, piano and percussion orchestra. Parents are asked to fund the employment of specialist teachers form the music service if they would like their children to benefit from this teaching.

Daily Time-table

School begins at 8:50am with registration and lessons beginning promptly after that. Morning break is at 10:00 to 10:15 am. Lunch starts at 12 noon. Afternoon school starts with registration at 1:00pm with time for whole school mindfulness. We have a break in the afternoon from 2:00 to 2:15pm with school finishing at 3:30pm. We have clubs running most days until 4.30.