Benedict Biscop Primary School

	Home The School Ethos, Aims & Values Admissions Curriculum Principles Nature & Scope National Curriculum Curriculum PSHCE English Foreign Language Mathematics Religious Education Science History Geography ICT Physical Development Music & Creative Arts Design Technology Homelearning Provisions for SEN Provisions for Disabilties "Schoolz Out" Sporting Aims Educational Visits Curriculum Complaints Expectations Newsletter Home Learning Out of School Hours Contact Links Awards	The Curriculum Principles: The stated aims of the school embody essential principles which should underpin educational practice and attitudes at Benedict Biscop C.E. Primary School. The Principles Are:- All pupils must be valued equally whatever their stage of development and are entitled to experience the maximum feeling of success. All pupils must be afforded equality of opportunity and not be discriminated against on the grounds of gender, class, race, colour, religion or disability. Personal development is a life long learning process. The provision of education is a partnership between school, parents and the wider community, each having contributions to make to the development of the other. Back to Top Nature & Scope of the Curriculum Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Schools defined the curriculum as:- "The curriculum in its fullest sense comprises all the opportunities for learning provided by the school: the so called extra curricular and out of school activities promoted or supported by the school and the climate of relationships, attitudes, styles of behaviour and the general quality of life established in the school as a whole." The curriculum then is not just the formal programme of lessons. The extra dimensions of the learning of values and the development of attitudes through the relationships experienced in the wider life of the school have a powerful influence upon a child’s education. The teaching and learning styles, as well as curricular organisation, influence the nature of the delivery of the curriculum and cannot be separated from its content. If the whole curriculum is to have meaning it must be imparted by the use of a wide range of teaching methods, formal and informal, class and group, didactic and practical. The wide range of skills which pupils must acquire must be reflected in an equally wide variety of approaches to teaching. Equally important is the way in which the school is managed and the quality of relationships transmitted through the teaching staff to the pupils. These can influence the way in which children learn and consequently need to be considered by the school to ensure that they are helping towards the achievement of its goals. The school’s curriculum will offer a broad, balanced, relevant, differentiated education for all its pupils providing progression and continuity building upon cross-phase links. Above all it is an opportunity for all children to fulfil their potential. The process of evaluation and assessment is continuous and is inseparable from the teaching and learning process. It provides the next steps for learning for your child and ensures that they make progress. We believe in Assessment for learning. Back to Top The National Curriculum The National Curriculum, laid down by Parliament in the Education Reform Act 1988, is made up of ten subjects. The core subjects are: English, Mathematics, and Science. The Foundation subjects are: Information Communication Technology, History, Geography, Design, Art, Music and Physical Education. In addition the school provides Religious Education and a daily act of collective worship. The school provides PSHCE [Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship Education]. Within the national curriculum, programmes of study set out the essential teaching within each subject area. There are national assessments for primary school children at ages 7 and 11 years. These ages mark the ends of the two key stages of the primary school part of the National Curriculum. Back to Top Curriculum Our curriculum is delivered within the school’s curriculum entitlement. The overview encompasses all the requirements of the National Curriculum and is arranged in termly and half-termly blocks. This arrangement ensures steady progression and continuity throughout the Foundation Stage, Key Stages 1 and 2. The curriculum builds upon the six areas of learning: Personal, Social and Emotional Development Communication, Language and Literacy Mathematical Development Knowledge and Understanding of the World Physical Development Creative Development Within the structured framework consideration is given to the physical, mental, social and emotional development of each child with activities and experiences planned in the light of each child’s needs and maturity level. It is from this range of experience that basic skills are developed. Back to Top Our curriculum provides for development in the following areas: Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship Education [PSHCE] This is a very important part of the curriculum. We encourage children to lead healthy lives, by educating them on healthy eating, exercise, decision-making, citizenship and relationships with family and friends. The purpose of this curriculum is to help our children grow to be independent, thoughtful and caring citizens. This programme is often linked to other areas of the curriculum. Sex and Relationships Education After careful consideration the Governors of the school offer a programme of sex and relationship education. It is appropriate to the pupils’ age and experience and is presented within a moral, family orientated and Christian framework. Back to Top Communication, Language and Literacy English English is a vital way of communicating in school and in life. In studying English children develop skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. It enables them to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others effectively. Children learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction and media texts. The school’s language programme encourages children to read for meaning and enjoyment and emphasises the need to develop skills for reading both for pleasure and information. Children are encouraged to write as individuals, to appreciate different styles of prose and poetry, and to produce for themselves factual, descriptive and creative pieces of work. The school is participating in the National Literacy Strategy. Modern Foreign Languages The school is developing a close partnership with our Secondary schools. It is hoped that we will be able to offer a more structured programme to all our pupils in the near future. Back to Top Mathematical Development Mathematics Our aim is to ensure that each child gains a sound understanding of mathematical ideas and a proficiency in calculation appropriate to the individual stage of development. Our scheme promotes a practical, investigative approach through substantial work on number, shape, money and measurements of length, time, weight and capacity. The school is very well resourced with a range of materials and practical apparatus. Children are assessed on a regular basis to ensure that the learning they undertake is suitable for their ability, with sufficient challenge to develop progression. The school is participating in the National Numeracy Strategy. Back to Top Knowledge & Understanding of the World Religious Education Benedict Biscop Primary is a Church of England [Aided] School. Religious Education and daily worship, in which the clergy share once a week, are conducted in accordance with the beliefs and practices of the Church of England. Parents are invited to class led shared worship and the termly school Eucharist. Opportunities are provided for parents to join us to celebrate Harvest, Christmas and Easter. The Durham Diocesan Syllabus for Religious Education is followed. Parents are reminded of their right to withdraw their child from the corporate act of Worship and Religious Education lessons. Science The Science scheme is related to the themes contained in the school’s curriculum entitlement framework. The themes are selected to encompass the requirements of the National Curriculum. A practical investigative approach is adopted. As children work they develop skills which enable them to choose and use equipment carefully, make observations, hypothesise, plan experiments and draw conclusions. History The History programme equips children with the skills which will enable them to understand the world they inhabit. We use the children’s own lives and environment to make them aware of the passage of time and to develop an understanding of the relationship between past and present. Project related outings are undertaken, either locally on foot or further afield by coach. Geography All children will have an opportunity to study the local environment. This is done using maps, photographs, written accounts and other sources. As they mature, we encourage them to appreciate the variety of physical and human conditions found on earth and to learn how to conserve the world’s resources. Information Communication Technology ICT prepares children to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to a varied and developing technology. Pupils use ICT tools to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information responsibly, creatively and with discrimination. They learn how to employ ICT to enable rapid access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures. Increased capability in the use of ICT promotes initiative and independent learning, with pupils being able to make informed judgements about when and where to use ICT to best effect, and to consider its implications for home and work both now and in the future. Each teaching area has an Interactive White Board and access to a bank of computers. Children have the opportunity to develop skills with the hardware as well as using a variety of programmes to enhance a range of curriculum areas. Childern of all ages have access to the Internet please click on the link below to view our "Responsible Internet Use" policy. Responible Internet Use Policy Back to Top Physical Development During P.E. lessons we aim to improve the key skills of co-ordination, control, manipulation and movement through fun and enjoyable activities. Through P.E. we aim to provide opportunities to develop skills in movement, dance, gymnastics, swimming, games and outdoor activities. Opportunities are given for children to participate in group situations so that they gain experience of team work. We actively promote living a healthy lifestyle. Back to Top Creative Development Music and Creative Arts We offer children a means of self-expression through a variety of media as we aim to increase this awareness of their own feelings, senses and surroundings. Linked to the thematic work the children have regular opportunities for drawing, painting and making models, which are displayed with care to create a lively atmosphere. We aim to give opportunities for such aspects of musical experience such as singing, listening appreciation, learning the rudiments of notation and creative music-making. Back to Top Design Technology Every child is helped to become more aware of the role of technology through a range of curriculum activities that are designed to allow children to work with a variety of materials. They are helped to design and make things, evaluate their products, understand how things work and the effect that advances in technology have on the environment. Back to Top Homelearning We believe that all children should develop skills as independent learners. We believe that organised homelearning can play a vital role in raising standards of achievement. It is important that the homelearning set supports and complements the work they do in school and that the amount of homelearning pupils receive reflects the stage they are at in their schooling. All our children take home reading books daily, which gives you an opportunity to listen to your child read. Each child has a reading record/homelearning book in which we encourage parents to comment to maintain contact between home and school. All our children take home spellings on a daily or weekly basis. Please encourage your child to learn the spellings. Many successful class projects rely on children bringing in materials which they, and you, have helped to prepare at home. If a child needs to consolidate or extend their learning the class teacher may suggest appropriate work or other activities to be undertaken at home. Your child may be occasionally asked to complete work at home, started in school. It is not appropriate for children to be given homelearning for a planned holiday during school time. Back to Top Curricular Provision and Arrangements for Pupils with Special Educational Needs We strive to create a positive environment for learning and we provide for individual differences in the classroom, adapting our teaching methods through careful selection of a wide range of teaching materials. Some children need special help because they find it difficult to grasp new concepts, others because they show outstanding skill in an area of the curriculum. Specialist help may be given in the classroom wherever possible, but there can be occasions when individual or group work is more appropriate. Resources for children with SEN are regularly evaluated. For a very small proportion of children the school may need to involve other specialists in a formal assessment of complex SEN. In such circumstances, there is always prior consultation with parents who are involved in any assessment process. One of our Governors oversees the teaching of children with Special Educational Needs. Back to Top Provision for Pupils with Disabilities Our admission policy ensures that we treat all pupils equally including those with disabilities. Our classroom environment and access to the curriculum is inclusive, with adaptations for children who require special provision. We are fortunate that the school is on one level. We have recently built a medical room and have refurbished two external doors to include disabled access. Our main entrance has assisted opening on the doors. The school now has 3 designated disabled toilets. Future developments include an additional male disabled toilet, hoist in medical room, assisted openings on doors into the main hall, a ramp at the main entrance and a ramp to the rear gate with handrails. Back to Top Games, Clubs - Study Support - "Schoolz Out" We are very keen to develop extended opportunities for children to learn a new activity or work with a different group of children. We offer a programme of extra-curricular activities. These vary from time to time according to staff arrangements and seasons of the year. They include sports practices, choir, a Youth club and study night for Year 6 children, drama, dance, newspaper, maths, cookery, gymnastics, Spanish, science and computers. The school have recently achieved a Quality In Study Support Award [QISS]. All children in year 5 and 6 are given an opportunity to learn a musical instrument at Venerable Bede Secondary School. During the weeks leading up to a musical presentation parents are informed of rehearsals taking place outside school hours. Back to Top Sporting Aims and Provision At Benedict Biscop Church of England Primary we emphasise positive attitudes of fair play, honesty, enjoyment in success and failure and a willingness to attempt all challenges put in front of the pupils. The formal school curriculum is not used to practice full sided team games - the emphasis is on small sided team games which gives pupils an opportunity to put skills into practice. Your child will have the opportunity to participate in netball, football, squash, badminton, tennis, cricket, rounders, hockey and rugby. The school enters teams in the local swimming gala and athletics meetings. All KS2 children have an opportunity to attend coaching sessions for swimmimg. During the football and netball seasons regular match practice takes place. The school participates in the local school leagues and takes part in cup competitions. We have our own football pitch and netball courts. Children are encouraged to join some of the many sporting activities organised by the external agencies and individuals. Back to Top Educational Visits Educational visits are a vital part of bringing first hand experience into many aspects of the curriculum. Every year group is offered an opportunity to take part in offsite visits which are carefully monitored and supervised. All children are given the opportunity to participate in residential outdoor activity visits in Years 5 and 6. Back to Top Curriculum Complaints You have particular rights in making a complaint about: curriculum provision, including RE and collective worship. the implementation of the national curriculum. the availability of external qualifications. exemptions from the national curriculum. the operation of charging policies. the provision of the information listed in the section below. The complaint must first go to the school, through the head teacher. If the complaint cannot be resolved it may be necessary for it to be considered by the governing body. If the complaint is not resolved by the Governing Body it may be referred to Sunderland Education Committee and the Diocesan Director of Education. If that fails, the complaint can be referred to the Secretary of State. Note: This procedure does not apply to complaints on matters like pupil discipline or individual teachers. Back to Top

The Curriculum

Principles:
The stated aims of the school embody essential principles which should underpin educational practice and attitudes at Benedict Biscop C.E. Primary School.

The Principles Are:-
All pupils must be valued equally whatever their stage of development and are entitled to experience the maximum feeling of success.

All pupils must be afforded equality of opportunity and not be discriminated against on the grounds of gender, class, race, colour, religion or disability.

Personal development is a life long learning process.

The provision of education is a partnership between school, parents and the wider community, each having contributions to make to the development of the other.

Nature & Scope of the Curriculum

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Schools defined the curriculum as:-
"The curriculum in its fullest sense comprises all the opportunities for learning provided by the school: the so called extra curricular and out of school activities promoted or supported by the school and the climate of relationships, attitudes, styles of behaviour and the general quality of life established in the school as a whole."

The curriculum then is not just the formal programme of lessons. The extra dimensions of the learning of values and the development of attitudes through the relationships experienced in the wider life of the school have a powerful influence upon a child’s education.

The teaching and learning styles, as well as curricular organisation, influence the nature of the delivery of the curriculum and cannot be separated from its content. If the whole curriculum is to have meaning it must be imparted by the use of a wide range of teaching methods, formal and informal, class and group, didactic and practical. The wide range of skills which pupils must acquire must be reflected in an equally wide variety of approaches to teaching. Equally important is the way in which the school is managed and the quality of relationships transmitted through the teaching staff to the pupils. These can influence the way in which children learn and consequently need to be considered by the school to ensure that they are helping towards the achievement of its goals.

The school’s curriculum will offer a broad, balanced, relevant, differentiated education for all its pupils providing progression and continuity building upon cross-phase links. Above all it is an opportunity for all children to fulfil their potential.

The process of evaluation and assessment is continuous and is inseparable from the teaching and learning process. It provides the next steps for learning for your child and ensures that they make progress. We believe in Assessment for learning.

The National Curriculum

The National Curriculum, laid down by Parliament in the Education Reform Act 1988, is made up of ten subjects. The core subjects are: English, Mathematics, and Science. The Foundation subjects are: Information Communication Technology, History, Geography, Design, Art, Music and Physical Education. In addition the school provides Religious Education and a daily act of collective worship. The school provides PSHCE [Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship Education].

Within the national curriculum, programmes of study set out the essential teaching within each subject area. There are national assessments for primary school children at ages 7 and 11 years. These ages mark the ends of the two key stages of the primary school part of the National Curriculum.

Curriculum

Our curriculum is delivered within the school’s curriculum entitlement. The overview encompasses all the requirements of the National Curriculum and is arranged in termly and half-termly blocks. This arrangement ensures steady progression and continuity throughout the Foundation Stage, Key Stages 1 and 2.

The curriculum builds upon the six areas of learning:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Communication, Language and Literacy
Mathematical Development
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Physical Development
Creative Development

Within the structured framework consideration is given to the physical, mental, social and emotional development of each child with activities and experiences planned in the light of each child’s needs and maturity level. It is from this range of experience that basic skills are developed.

Our curriculum provides for development in the following areas:

Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship Education [PSHCE]

This is a very important part of the curriculum. We encourage children to lead healthy lives, by educating them on healthy eating, exercise, decision-making, citizenship and relationships with family and friends. The purpose of this curriculum is to help our children grow to be independent, thoughtful and caring citizens. This programme is often linked to other areas of the curriculum.

Sex and Relationships Education
After careful consideration the Governors of the school offer a programme of sex and relationship education. It is appropriate to the pupils’ age and experience and is presented within a moral, family orientated and Christian framework.

Communication, Language and Literacy

English
English is a vital way of communicating in school and in life. In studying English children develop skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. It enables them to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others effectively. Children learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction and media texts. The school’s language programme encourages children to read for meaning and enjoyment and emphasises the need to develop skills for reading both for pleasure and information.

Children are encouraged to write as individuals, to appreciate different styles of prose and poetry, and to produce for themselves factual, descriptive and creative pieces of work.

The school is participating in the National Literacy Strategy.

Modern Foreign Languages
The school is developing a close partnership with our Secondary schools. It is hoped that we will be able to offer a more structured programme to all our pupils in the near future.

Mathematical Development

Mathematics
Our aim is to ensure that each child gains a sound understanding of mathematical ideas and a proficiency in calculation appropriate to the individual stage of development. Our scheme promotes a practical, investigative approach through substantial work on number, shape, money and measurements of length, time, weight and capacity. The school is very well resourced with a range of materials and practical apparatus. Children are assessed on a regular basis to ensure that the learning they undertake is suitable for their ability, with sufficient challenge to develop progression.
The school is participating in the National Numeracy Strategy.

Knowledge & Understanding of the World

Religious Education
Benedict Biscop Primary is a Church of England [Aided] School. Religious Education and daily worship, in which the clergy share once a week, are conducted in accordance with the beliefs and practices of the Church of England. Parents are invited to class led shared worship and the termly school Eucharist. Opportunities are provided for parents to join us to celebrate Harvest, Christmas and Easter.

The Durham Diocesan Syllabus for Religious Education is followed. Parents are reminded of their right to withdraw their child from the corporate act of Worship and Religious Education lessons.

Science
The Science scheme is related to the themes contained in the school’s curriculum entitlement framework. The themes are selected to encompass the requirements of the National Curriculum. A practical investigative approach is adopted. As children work they develop skills which enable them to choose and use equipment carefully, make observations, hypothesise, plan experiments and draw conclusions.

History
The History programme equips children with the skills which will enable them to understand the world they inhabit. We use the children’s own lives and environment to make them aware of the passage of time and to develop an understanding of the relationship between past and present. Project related outings are undertaken, either locally on foot or further afield by coach.

Geography
All children will have an opportunity to study the local environment. This is done using maps, photographs, written accounts and other sources. As they mature, we encourage them to appreciate the variety of physical and human conditions found on earth and to learn how to conserve the world’s resources.

Information Communication Technology
ICT prepares children to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to a varied and developing technology. Pupils use ICT tools to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information responsibly, creatively and with discrimination. They learn how to employ ICT to enable rapid access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures. Increased capability in the use of ICT promotes initiative and independent learning, with pupils being able to make informed judgements about when and where to use ICT to best effect, and to consider its implications for home and work both now and in the future. Each teaching area has an Interactive White Board and access to a bank of computers. Children have the opportunity to develop skills with the hardware as well as using a variety of programmes to enhance a range of curriculum areas.
Childern of all ages have access to the Internet please click on the link below to view our "Responsible Internet Use" policy.
Responible Internet Use Policy

Physical Development

During P.E. lessons we aim to improve the key skills of co-ordination, control, manipulation and movement through fun and enjoyable activities. Through P.E. we aim to provide opportunities to develop skills in movement, dance, gymnastics, swimming, games and outdoor activities. Opportunities are given for children to participate in group situations so that they gain experience of team work. We actively promote living a healthy lifestyle.

Creative Development

Music and Creative Arts
We offer children a means of self-expression through a variety of media as we aim to increase this awareness of their own feelings, senses and surroundings. Linked to the thematic work the children have regular opportunities for drawing, painting and making models, which are displayed with care to create a lively atmosphere. We aim to give opportunities for such aspects of musical experience such as singing, listening appreciation, learning the rudiments of notation and creative music-making.

Design Technology
Every child is helped to become more aware of the role of technology through a range of curriculum activities that are designed to allow children to work with a variety of materials. They are helped to design and make things, evaluate their products, understand how things work and the effect that advances in technology have on the environment.

Homelearning
We believe that all children should develop skills as independent learners. We believe that organised homelearning can play a vital role in raising standards of achievement. It is important that the homelearning set supports and complements the work they do in school and that the amount of homelearning pupils receive reflects the stage they are at in their schooling.
All our children take home reading books daily, which gives you an opportunity to listen to your child read.
Each child has a reading record/homelearning book in which we encourage parents to comment to maintain contact between home and school.
All our children take home spellings on a daily or weekly basis. Please encourage your child to learn the spellings.
Many successful class projects rely on children bringing in materials which they, and you, have helped to prepare at home.
If a child needs to consolidate or extend their learning the class teacher may suggest appropriate work or other activities to be undertaken at home.
Your child may be occasionally asked to complete work at home, started in school. It is not appropriate for children to be given homelearning for a planned holiday during school time.

Curricular Provision and Arrangements for Pupils with Special Educational Needs
We strive to create a positive environment for learning and we provide for individual differences in the classroom, adapting our teaching methods through careful selection of a wide range of teaching materials. Some children need special help because they find it difficult to grasp new concepts, others because they show outstanding skill in an area of the curriculum. Specialist help may be given in the classroom wherever possible, but there can be occasions when individual or group work is more appropriate. Resources for children with SEN are regularly evaluated.
For a very small proportion of children the school may need to involve other specialists in a formal assessment of complex SEN. In such circumstances, there is always prior consultation with parents who are involved in any assessment process. One of our Governors oversees the teaching of children with Special Educational Needs.

Provision for Pupils with Disabilities
Our admission policy ensures that we treat all pupils equally including those with disabilities. Our classroom environment and access to the curriculum is inclusive, with adaptations for children who require special provision. We are fortunate that the school is on one level.
We have recently built a medical room and have refurbished two external doors to include disabled access. Our main entrance has assisted opening on the doors. The school now has 3 designated disabled toilets.
Future developments include an additional male disabled toilet, hoist in medical room, assisted openings on doors into the main hall, a ramp at the main entrance and a ramp to the rear gate with handrails.

Games, Clubs - Study Support - "Schoolz Out"
We are very keen to develop extended opportunities for children to learn a new activity or work with a different group of children. We offer a programme of extra-curricular activities. These vary from time to time according to staff arrangements and seasons of the year. They include sports practices, choir, a Youth club and study night for Year 6 children, drama, dance, newspaper, maths, cookery, gymnastics, Spanish, science and computers. The school have recently achieved a Quality In Study Support Award [QISS]. All children in year 5 and 6 are given an opportunity to learn a musical instrument at Venerable Bede Secondary School.
During the weeks leading up to a musical presentation parents are informed of rehearsals taking place outside school hours.

Sporting Aims and Provision
At Benedict Biscop Church of England Primary we emphasise positive attitudes of fair play, honesty, enjoyment in success and failure and a willingness to attempt all challenges put in front of the pupils.
The formal school curriculum is not used to practice full sided team games - the emphasis is on small sided team games which gives pupils an opportunity to put skills into practice. Your child will have the opportunity to participate in netball, football, squash, badminton, tennis, cricket, rounders, hockey and rugby. The school enters teams in the local swimming gala and athletics meetings. All KS2 children have an opportunity to attend coaching sessions for swimmimg.
During the football and netball seasons regular match practice takes place. The school participates in the local school leagues and takes part in cup competitions. We have our own football pitch and netball courts. Children are encouraged to join some of the many sporting activities organised by the external agencies and individuals.

Educational Visits
Educational visits are a vital part of bringing first hand experience into many aspects of the curriculum. Every year group is offered an opportunity to take part in offsite visits which are carefully monitored and supervised. All children are given the opportunity to participate in residential outdoor activity visits in Years 5 and 6.

Curriculum Complaints
You have particular rights in making a complaint about:

curriculum provision, including RE and collective worship.
the implementation of the national curriculum.
the availability of external qualifications.
exemptions from the national curriculum.
the operation of charging policies.
the provision of the information listed in the section below.

The complaint must first go to the school, through the head teacher. If the complaint cannot be resolved it may be necessary for it to be considered by the governing body. If the complaint is not resolved by the Governing Body it may be referred to Sunderland Education Committee and the Diocesan Director of Education. If that fails, the complaint can be referred to the Secretary of State.

Note: This procedure does not apply to complaints on matters like pupil discipline or individual teachers.