Category

Curriculum Areas

English

16th October 2020admin

Subject Leader- Mr L Wells

The intention of our English curriculum is to provide all pupils with a broad, balanced and knowledge rich curriculum, one in which each child acquires and can master the skills necessary to access the full range of our curriculum and make good academic progress throughout their time at the school. We aim to develop our pupils into the best readers, writers, communicators and thinkers they can be and do so by equipping them with a strong command of the English language. We have the very highest of expectations of our pupils and promote high standards throughout.

Our main aims are:

Live: Ensure pupils are able to speak, read, write and spell competently in order to communicate ideas effectively to others so that they are ready for the next stage of their educational journey and for life beyond.
Love: To broaden pupils’ access to a range of literature genres, time periods and authors, expanding their cultural capital, and foster a love of reading and inquisitive, critical and evaluative thinking.
Learn: Develop independent, confident and successful readers and writers who are developed culturally, socially and emotionally, able to express themselves creatively in a variety of forms.

There are four key concepts which underpin the study of English at Edward Peake: Competence, Creativity, Culture and Critical Understanding. All that we do in English addresses these key concepts.

Competence:

Pupils are clear, coherent and accurate in spoken and written communication
Pupils read and understand a range of texts and respond appropriately
Pupils demonstrate a secure understanding of the conventions of written language
Pupils adapt in a range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts within and beyond the classroom

Creativity:

Pupils make fresh connections between ideas, experiences, texts and words, drawing on a rich experience of language and literature
Pupils use inventive approaches to making meaning, take risks, play with language and use it to create new effects
Pupils use imagination to convey themes, ideas and arguments, solve problems, and create settings, moods and characters
Pupils use creative approaches to answering questions, solving problems and developing ideas

Culture:

Pupils gain a sense of the English heritage and engage with important texts in it
Pupils explore how ideas, experiences and values are portrayed differently in texts from a range of cultures and traditions
Pupils understand how English varies locally and globally, and how these variations relate to identity and cultural diversity

Critical Understanding:

Pupils engage with ideas and texts, understand and respond to the main issues
Pupils access the validity and significance of information and ideas from different sources
Pupils explore others’ ideas and develop their own
Pupils analyse and evaluate spoken and written language to appreciate how meaning is shaped.

At Edward Peake, the range of texts pupils are exposed to are vast; we provide pupils with the opportunities to explore a range of time periods, characters and issues and this diversity is fundamental in developing our pupils personally. Opportunities to improve pupils’ literacy skills are made possible by the extensive programmes we offer: Accelerated Reader, myON, Spelling Shed and Sounds-Write. Above all, we have a staff body dedicated and committed to giving our pupils the best possible experience of our subject.

Implementation:

Pupils are encouraged to broaden and deepen knowledge whilst showing a positive attitude to learning. The curriculum is built on providing pupils an opportunity to expand their cultural capital and gain exposure to a range of authors and genres. The Edward Peake lesson structure is used to ensure that pupils can develop their independence whilst receiving support and challenged to reach their full potential. We exploit every opportunity to develop pupils’ vocabulary and give them access to high quality texts which are shared and discussed with all pupils.

Live: Ensure pupils are able to speak, read, write and spell fluently in order to communicate ideas effectively to others so that they are ready for the next stage of their educational journey and for life beyond.

Love: To broaden pupils’ access to literature in a range of genres, time periods and authors, expanding their cultural capital, and foster a love of reading and inquisitive, critical and evaluative thinking.

Learn: Develop independent, confident and successful readers and writers who are developed culturally, socially and emotionally, able to express themselves in a variety of forms.

In the classroom

Sequenced learning with prior learning revisited and built upon.

Retrieval practice and interleaving.

Weekly spelling homework provided in KS2 using Spelling Shed.

Phonics provided as intervention through the Sounds-Write programme.

Opportunities for speaking and listening activities linked to the units of learning, including role-play, hot-seating and presentations.

A range of texts studied to reflect different periods in history and places in our world.

Development of pupils’ cultural capital through examining the effect of culture on writing.

Development of empathy through the presentation of characters.

Pupils encouraged to read for pleasure and provided regular opportunities to do so and to engage in discussion on literature.

Engagement in weekly reading focused lessons in our library.

Use of Accelerated Reader and myON.

Teachers reading aloud regularly to their class, through Power of Reading schemes (in Key Stage 2) and class readers.

Daily English lessons.

A positive reading and writing culture within the school so that both are celebrated and enjoyed.

Quality first teaching.

Challenging activities.

Opportunities for a range of writing pieces to be produced throughout the key stages.

Dictionaries and thesauruses readily available.

All staff model reading, writing and handwriting.

Interventions.

Out of the classroom

Close links with feeder lower schools and upper schools.

Visits from members of the wider community and world of work.

Extra-curricular clubs.

Author visits.

Opportunities for trips.

Accelerated Reader.

myON.

Celebration of key events: National Poetry Day, World Book Day.

Access to online resources.

Knowledge organisers.

Intervention strategies and support by teacher and subject leader.

Impact:

Pupils achieve academically, are ready for their next steps in education and have high aspirations for their future.

Learn: Develop independent, confident and successful readers and writers who are developed culturally, socially and emotionally, able to express themselves in a variety of forms.

Pupils are able to build on prior knowledge to develop further in subsequent topics.

Pupils are given opportunities to reflect on their work and improve based on effective feedback.

Teachers moderate pupils’ work in school against national standards to ensure accurate assessments are being made.

Teachers regularly track progress and provide next steps to succeed.

KS3 pupils are upper school ready.

Pupils are prepared for the wider world.

Pupils have high expectations for their future.

Pupils extend their cultural capital by studying a range of texts from cultures and times aside from their own. Texts have been chosen to help the students ‘see themselves’ in society. They articulate ideas on these texts in a sophisticated manner.

Pupils read for pleasure and speak and write enthusiastically about the texts they read both in and out of the classroom.

Pupils are proud of their work.

Our KS2 pupils attain broadly in line with the national average, given their starting points.

Progress across the students time at school is at least good.

Pupils develop their skills of discussion, analysis, interpretation and evaluation independently within English and transfer these skills to other subjects.

Pupils can respond constructively to feedback and show understanding of how to progress.

Design Technology

16th October 2020admin

Subject Leader: Miss J Ashby

Intent:

The intention of the Design Technology curriculum is to provide opportunities for students to develop their knowledge of materials, food ingredients and manufacturing processes through practical tasks. Pupils work using an iterative design process focusing on research, design, development and realisation. The intention is to develop independent learning through problem solving and developing their work through informed decisions. The Design Technology curriculum has been specifically designed to meet the needs of all pupils regardless of their previous experiences or potential barriers to learning. We make use of subject specialist teaching across all four year groups, with a specialist food room, tech workshop, textiles room and resources.

Our main aims are to:

Live: Ensure pupils know how to design and manufacture products using a range of materials so they are ready for their next stage of education
Love: To help broaden pupils’ access to a range of materials and manufacturing techniques and foster a love of designing, manufacturing and creative thinking.
Learn: Develop pupils’ as independent, confident and successful designers and manufacturers

There are five main concepts that run through the Design Technology curriculum at Edward Peake. These are:

Designing: Pupils understand the needs of a range of contexts and users and are able to generate and model ideas for these.
Making: Pupils master a range of practical skills and can plan which are suitable to use to make a range of products.
Evaluating: Pupils can critically evaluate their work and the work of existing designers and use this knowledge in the development of their ideas.
Technical knowledge: Pupils gain knowledge that can be used to make decisions about making products work.
Cooking and nutrition: Pupils master a range of practical skills and develop their knowledge of nutrition and where foods come from.

Implementation:

Pupils are encouraged to broaden and deepen their subject knowledge across Design Technology whilst showing a positive attitude to learning. This is implemented through a range of projects focusing on developing knowledge, research, design, manufacture and evaluation. At KS2 pupils have one hour a week of Design Technology, they spend a term developing their knowledge in each subject area. At KS3 pupils have 2 hour lessons on a rota basis. Pupils have access to a wide range of specialist practical rooms and equipment in every year group.

Live: Ensure pupils use iterative design, develop knowledge of materials, processes, skills, and the work of existing designers.

Love: Introduce pupils to new skills, materials, ingredients and technologies, and develop their creativity and problem solving.

Learn: Develop pupils skills and techniques working with a range of materials, ingredients and processes.

In the classroom

Project based sequenced learning with prior learning revisited and built upon.

Values of existing design movements and designers explored.

Practical based learning supported with tasks to develop knowledge of ingredients and healthy eating.

Problem solving creatively to come up with their own solutions to design briefs.

Developing different skills and techniques through working with a range of materials.

Developing different skills and techniques through working with a range of ingredients.

Adapting ingredients and techniques to make dishes suitable for a variety of situations.

Demonstrating a range of skills and techniques with a variety of materials through their project work.

Evaluating and forming opinions of their work and the work of existing movements and designers.

Demonstrating a range of skills and techniques with a variety of ingredients.

Evaluating the success of dishes and how they could be modified

Out of the classroom

Close links with feeder lower & upper schools

Visits from members of the wider community & world of work

Extra-curricular clubs

Community events

Opportunities for trips and in-house visits

Appropriate & challenging home learning

Access to online resources

Intervention strategies & support

Impact:

Pupils in Design Technology achieve academically, are ready for their next steps in education and have high aspirations for their future. Pupils can confidently apply their knowledge and skills. They are critical thinkers and can evaluate their work and refine it.

Live: Ensure pupils use iterative design, develop knowledge of materials, processes, skills, and the work of existing designers.

Love: Introduce pupils to new skills, materials, ingredients and technologies, and develop their creativity and problem solving.

Learn: Develop pupils skills and techniques working with a range of materials, ingredients and processes.

Pupils show excellent attitudes to learning.

Pupils are confident in what they have learnt and how to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained.

Pupils are able to share their knowledge with their peers.

Pupils have high aspirations for their future.

Pupils have an understanding of the work of designers from around the world and how others live.

Pupils have knowledge of a wide range of dishes and traditions from around the world.

Pupils make good progress and are able to achieve academic success.

Disadvantaged pupils are supported in order to close the gap between themselves and their peers.

Pupils’ progress across their Design technology lessons is evident over the four years at Edward Peake.

Computing

16th October 2020admin

Subject Leader- Mrs C Sherman

The intention of our curriculum is to provide our students with a broad, balanced and knowledge rich education which ensures every child is offered challenging and engaging learning experiences with Christian values at their heart.

Our computing curriculum has been specially designed to meet the needs of our pupils, many of whom have had limited experiences in using technology for a wide range of purposes. We benefit from two well equipped computing labs as well as additional resources to complement our curriculum. our students will be confident when using technology for a wide range of purposes. They will recognise the breadth of its impact and influence within future careers and outside of our working lives.

Pupils will be controllers of technology and not just consumers of it: technology is everywhere and will play a pivotal part in students’ lives with its ever increasing prevalence in modern society. As such, we must model to, and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely. They will create and explore the breadth of Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy.

Our main aims are to:

Live: Ensure pupils develop skills and personal qualities which allow them to make an active contribution to the world around them in order to be prepared for jobs for the future.
Love: Broaden pupils’ horizons by giving them opportunities to explore the connected world and the impact a connected world has on them and others
Learn: Develop independent, confident and successful learners who are able to solve problems with resilience and able to learn from their mistakes

The key concepts threaded through the computing curriculum are safe and respectful users; problem solving who apply the concepts of computational thinking; and, creators not consumers. The development of these concepts will ensure they are able to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by technology both within the discrete subject and elsewhere in their education and lives.

Our students will know that there is always a choice when using technology and staff ensure that they know how to make positive use of it and understand its consequences: demonstrating the responsibility and integrity we expect from our pupils in all areas. They will be expected to justify the choices they have made and recognise their impact. Edward Peake pupils will be able to use technology to enrich their lives: both working and private, with confidence and clarity.

Implementation:

Pupils are encouraged to broaden and deepen knowledge whilst showing a positive attitude to learning. We use the Teach Computing scheme which was designed by the National Centre for Computing Education supported by STEM learning, Raspberry Pi Foundation and the British Computer Society across all four years at Edward Peake. This allows us to ensure that our curriculum is progressive across the years that pupils are at the school.

Lessons follow the Edward Peake lesson structure and allows pupils to follow an engineering process: specification, design, build, test and evaluate. All Computing lessons take place in one of our computing labs, ensuring pupils have access to the most appropriate resources.

Live: Ensure pupils develop skills and personal qualities which allow them to make an active contribution to the world around them in order to be prepared for jobs for the future.

Love: Broaden pupils’ horizons by giving them opportunities to explore the connected world and the impact a connected world has on them and others

Learn: Develop independent, confident and successful learners who are able to solve problems with resilience and able to learn from their mistakes

In the classroom

Quality first teaching.

Challenging activities.

Broad & balanced offering.

Subject specialist teaching.

Pupils follow an integrated 4 year curriculum based on the National Centre for Computing Education’s (NCCE’s) guidelines and resources which ensures they are secondary school ready by the time they leave us.

Links made to employment opportunities and relevance to the skills and knowledge they have gained.

The range of topics studied allows for the inclusion of discussions about employment opportunities, real world computer systems, news stories and cutting edge research thereby ensuring that students have high aspirations for their future, are prepared for the wider world and extend their cultural capital.

Sequenced learning with prior learning revisited & built upon.

Technology is used across the school & curriculum to broaden skills & understanding.

Quality first teaching.

A new, integrated curriculum has been introduced across years 5 to 8 which includes computing theory as well as project work for the first time. This will ensure that students receive a broad, balanced and challenging computing education.

Subject specialist teaching is provided to all year 7 and 8 pupils and closely monitored across years 5 and 6.

Pupils are shown both the negative & positive impacts of social media & to be made aware of their own digital footprints.

Out of the classroom

Pupils are directed to selected websites to help with key computer skills & further learning opportunities.

Close links with feeder lower schools and upper schools to encourage smooth transitions, supported by the syllabus we follow which is designed to run from year 1 through to year 11.

Visiting speakers and trips arranged as appropriate.

Extra-curricular clubs to enable pupils to further their knowledge in server set-up, programming and robotics.

News stories and careers information displays to demonstrate the breadth of the subject and of potential careers.

Visits from Bedfordshire Police School liaison office to advise on cyber bullying & how to stay safe online.

All resources are available online via Google Classroom.

Prior and personal knowledge and ideas welcomed e.g. from those whose parents work in the sector.

Intervention strategies and support available from a specialist subject teacher in years 7 & 8 and from form teachers in years 5 & 6.

Pupils made aware of key locations & their links to computing e.g. the science museum & Bletchley Park.

Impact:

Pupils achieve academically, are ready for their next steps in education and have high aspirations for their future.

Live: Ensure pupils develop skills and personal qualities which allow them to make an active contribution to the world around them in order to be prepared for jobs for the future.

Love: Broaden pupils’ horizons by giving them opportunities to explore the connected world and the impact a connected world has on them and others

Learn: Develop independent, confident and successful learners who are able to solve problems with resilience and able to learn from their mistakes

Pupils will be prepared to move from their current year group to the next one because the curriculum we follow covers all the units and lessons described in the N.C.C.E.’s innovative progression framework for years 5 to 8.

KS3 pupils in particular are encouraged to use their problem solving skills to ensure they are upper school ready.

Motivated pupils work beyond the syllabus by taking part in a variety of extracurricular activities covering server set-up, robotics and programming.

KS3 pupils are encouraged to consider the range of job opportunities available in the technology sector as well as to keep abreast of current news stories and research developments.

KS2 pupils attain broadly in line with national averages, given their starting points. Attainment is gaged at the start and end of each lesson as well as at the end of a unit.

Progress is tracked across the four years and is expected to be at least good.