THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM.

The curriculum aim of the governing body of  the school is that we pursue a policy of continuous improvement in standards of teaching and learning and that we raise the standards of attainment of all our pupils across all subjects, paying special attention to English, Mathematics, Science and Information Technology. But we teach the whole child, and develop not only the intellectual but also the physical, emotional, social, moral and aesthetic side of our pupils.

We teach the National Curriculum in the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science, and the foundation subjects of History, Geography, Art, Music, Design Technology, P.E. and Religious Education. We also teach ICT (Information and Communications Technology) across the curriculum and as a subject in its own right. Copies of the National Currulum can be inspected at the school or, if you wish to order a copy, we can furnish you with the address. Alternatively, if you are online, you can download it from the DfEE website. (Department for Education and Employment).

Each member of staff has a curriculum responsibility, and prepares a policy and scheme of work for that subject. Should you have questions or concerns about a subject, you are welcome to discuss them with the appropriate member of staff as well as the class teacher.

At the beginning of the school year September 2000 we will be providing parents of an overview of what their child will be studying during that year.

School visits are very much part of our curriculum. These can  range from walks in the local community to study the environment, to visits to Eyam to study the effects of the Black Death. Recently pupils have visited York Railway Museum and the Archaeology Centre, Sheffield Hallam University to study science, and Doncaster as part of a Roman topic. We have traditionally taken Y6 on a short residential visit and this is in the process of being revived.

The governing body has, in common with all schools, a Charges and Remissions Policy. The school asks for a voluntary contribution from parents to cover the cost of trips. Further information is available from the school. Parents who find difficulty in meeting costs should speak to the headteacher.

During the school year 2000-1, the classes will be organised as follows:

Year 3:  3 classes.   Year 4:  2 classes.  Year 5:  3 classes.  Year 6: 2 classes

It is likely that there will be 26 children in each Y3 class; 34 in each Y4 class; 24 in each Y5 class; and 34 in each Y6 class. There is no mixing of year groups within a class. Teachers follow the requirements of the Schoolteachers'’Pay and Conditions document and work for the statutory time required of

Each class studies the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum at the level appropriate for the year group. The classes are not separated by ability, but ability groupings take place  in individual classes according to children’s needs in a particular subject. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are prepared for pupils who are on the special needs register of the school. These children are very much part of ordinary classes, but receive special help from a non-teaching assistant. Certain children are sometimes withdrawn  from class for extra attention elsewhere.

In each year group there are a number of very able children whose needs are also special, and these are identified, targets are set, and work set which is challenging. Whilst we aim to raise the expectations and self-esteem of all pupils, it is made especially clear to these children the standards they should expect of themselves.

There is a mixture of whole class teaching and groupwork. Both the National Literacy Strategy (the Literacy Hour) and the National Numeracy Strategy (the daily mathematics lesson) are taught by a combination of whole-class teaching and groupwork.. The core subjects  are taught mainly separately, though in  some foundation subject lessons there may be maths, art, drama, design technology, writing and information technology going on as part of  the children’s work.

  Our school has at least one computer in each classroom and all pupils in the main building have access to the internet. Pupils in the temporary classrooms have access by arrangement. Our school is fully on line and pupils can e-mail and search the web. Our school is one of a group of local  schools which will be amongst the first to take advantage of the government’s New Opportunities Fund for teacher training. We are at present in negotiations to employ, on a rota basis with other schools in our cluster, a full time technical assistant. Our own web site is currently in preparation, and our prospectus will be available on line.

Whilst priding ourselves on advances we have made in information technology, our “traditional” subjects are highly valued. We have an excellent reputation for music, and children play recorder, brass, guitar, and violin. We have an excellent choir. Specialist music teachers visit the school but the driving force is our music teacher, Mrs. Hopkins.

We have a concert at Christmas and one in summer to showcase the talents of our pupils. Recently these have been “The Wizard of Oz”, “Snow White” and “ Scrooge”.

Children are making increasing use of word processors, but we still believe in teaching children to write neatly and accurately . They use pencils in Y# and Y4 and graduate to cartridge pen in Y5. They are allowed to use their own (suitable) pens in Y6. Children are expected to use writing materials provided by the school until that time; both pencils and pens are of good quality. We expect a high standard of presentation.

  We encourage the reading of books by having a book fair each year and by giving children the opportunity to buy from the Puffin and Bookworm book clubs. We have regular contact with the library. Our own library has been refurbished for the millennium and is situated in a bright, airy classroom overlooking the valley.

  Each member of staff has a curriculum responsibility, and any questions you may have about a particular subject can be discussed with the appropriate teacher as well as the class teacher.

The pupils in our school spend 23.5 hours per week actively engaged in learning. We have an act of collective worship each day, which over the term will involve all staff and pupils.

Any parents who wish to seecopies of any official documents may apply to see them at the school. These would be any statutory instruments and circulars sent out by the DfEE, the National Curriculum, OfSted reports, policies and schemes of work and documents relating to the workings of the governing body. These are to be found in the school foyer.

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