Curriculum Statement 2022 - 2023
At Shepton Mallet Community Infants’ School & Nursery we offer a curriculum which is broad and balanced and which builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills of all children, 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. The aim of our curriculum is for pupils to have the requisite skills to be successful, independent and motivated learners in readiness for their next stage of education. It is important that the curriculum considers the development of the whole child and not only concentrate on academic success.
A number of 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 the majority of children progress to the National Curriculum. Throughout this period and beyond all children are still developing their phonic knowledge through the interactive scheme, ‘Bug Club’, and developing their fluency in reading and comprehension skills through daily Guided Reading.
The National Curriculum is delivered using an integrated topic approach and assessed using National Curriculum statements as a basis to ensure coverage and progression throughout the school. The teaching of both English and Maths is enhanced and inspired by the use of the topic based approach. This provides the children with a multi layered learning experience thus making the learning real and giving them the opportunity to apply their skills across a range of contexts. 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. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils and their understanding of the core values of our society are woven through the curriculum.
Included in the English curriculum is a strategy called Talk for Writing (T4W) which develops children’s writing skills through imitation, innovation and independence. Alongside this children experience lessons on sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and handwriting.
The mathematics curriculum is currently delivered through a carefully structured programme developed for our children. In pre-Covid we were drawing on a range of resources including published schemes such as White Rose, Abacus and Numicon. We are currently developing a teaching for mastery curriculum which enables children to develop their conservation of number, reasoning, investigative and problem solving skills.
These subjects are taught in mixed ability groups. EYFS children are all taught in small, key groups. In Key Stage 1 there are small group interventions in order to support pupils in gaining the key skills to become successful readers, writers and mathematicians.
Specialist teachers and instructors support physical education. All subject leaders are given training and opportunity to keep developing their own subject knowledge, skills and understanding so they can support curriculum development and their colleagues throughout the school. Theme weeks, whole school activities and opportunities within and outside school all enrich and develop the children’s learning. After school clubs and events extend these opportunities further. Additional whole school programmes and approaches support quality teaching and learning and the school is well resourced in terms of learning materials, books and technology.
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. We offer experiences such as Tai Chi and learning to cycle using balance bikes.
Pupils have opportunities to share their learning with each other, their parents and carers and other learners through our school-based parental and Governor visits, ‘Inspire days’, performances and class assemblies for parents. 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.