Thomas Willingale School and Nursery
The National Curriculum
The document below gives a comprehensive description of the National Curriculum.
In providing for your children we are guided by the requirements of the National Curriculum 2014.
The provision at Thomas Willingale School takes account of every aspect of a child’s development. The curriculum gives children the opportunity to achieve the highest possible standards of numeracy and literacy whilst ensuring they can become confident in physical, artistic, practical and social skills. We provide a broad and balanced education allowing for the individual needs of each child to be met within well-planned learning experiences.
Areas of Learning include:
- Art and Design
- Computing
- Cooking and Nutrition
- Design and Technology
- English (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation)
- French (both KS1 and KS2 although only statutory in KS2)
- Geography
- History
- Mathematics
- Music
- Physical Education
- PSHE
- Religious Education
- Science
Curriculum planning involves all members of the teaching staff to ensure there is progression and continuity in learning as your child passes through the school and all our planning processes give due regard to the requirements of the National Curriculum 2014.
PARENTS AND THE CURRICULUM
Support and help from parents is an essential ingredient in a child’s education. The delivery of the planned curriculum involves parents helping/encouraging children at home with such things as reading, number work, consolidation of acquired skills, etc. We also welcome parental help in school time for such things as reading, number facts, educational visits, transport to sporting events, assisting children with their work etc. It is our intention to maximise the use of all available facilities and resources including staff/parent expertise. We look for high levels of achievement in every area of the curriculum .As success in all areas of learning depends on a child’s understanding of the basics, it is essential that due emphasis is placed on building solid foundations. We continue to review and refine the curriculum and our methods of delivery to ensure they remain appropriate in meeting the needs of the children.
CURRICULUM DELIVERY
There are two main ways in which to deliver the curriculum, one being the subject approach and the other the cross-curricular approach. The children at Thomas Willingale School will experience both approaches as each has something valuable to contribute towards their education.
The subject approach, as it suggests, is the teaching of a particular subject more or less in isolation from other areas of the curriculum, for example, Maths, Science and English. Children will be taught the skills and knowledge of a particular subject and extend their conceptual levels accordingly.
The cross-curricular approach enables the teacher to provide a vehicle through which children can apply the skills and concepts gained from subject teaching. Furthermore, the children become aware of how to use, develop and extend the many skills they are gaining, they see a purpose and value in having those skills.
TEACHING METHODS
Throughout your child’s schooling various teaching methods will be used such as the whole class approach, small group work and individual learning. Each has its place in a balanced and well developed curriculum.
Children are taught in mixed ability classes for all subjects.