Ysgol Gynradd Llandeilo Primary School

“A child has the Right to an Education”  Article 28

At Llandeilo Primary School we believe in the concept of lifelong learning and the idea that both adults and children learn new things every day. We maintain that learning should be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for everyone; it should be fun.

Through our teaching, we equip children with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to be able to make informed choices about the important things in their lives. We believe that appropriate teaching and learning experiences help children to lead happy and rewarding lives. We also believe in equality of opportunity to succeed for every child and our learning programmes will enable each learner to reach his / her full potential.

Our Curriculum is based upon the New Curriculum for Wales:

Our curriculum is enriched, engaging, broad, balanced and relevant. It ensures progression and continuity for all pupils and provides opportunities for them to acquire knowledge, skills and experiences through engaging cross curricular themes across the year.

Teachers plan and formatively assess thoroughly. Clear learning objectives are set and success criteria are shared with pupils. A varied range of learning experiences and opportunities allow these objectives and skills to be learnt and applied with independence.

Our Curriculum includes:

• 6 Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLEs) from age 3 to 11. These are:
  • Languages, Literacy & Communication (Including English, Welsh and Foreign Modern Languages)
  • Mathematics and Numeracy
  • Science and technology
  • Humanities
  • Health & Well-being
  • Expressive Arts
• 3 cross curricular responsibilities:
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Digital Competence.
• Progression steps with reference points at ages 5, 8 and 11.
• Achievement outcomes which describe expected achievements at each progression step.

What our learning looks like.

At Llandeilo Primary we want all children to ‘be the best they can be’ and ultimately achieve the 4 core purposes.

Staff are encouraged to use a variety of teaching and learning approaches to ensure the best outcomes for our pupils – whole class, small group, focus teaching and carousel activities.

To ensure this happens, we have a consistent approach throughout the school that allows our pupils to ‘Wonder’, plan learning, assess needs, acquire skills and knowledge, apply them with independence for a purposeful stimulus and review their own learning and the impact they have had upon other’s learning.

All learning begins with a stimulus which allows our pupils to ‘see, think and wonder’.

In Foundation Phase, themes are initiated through Purposeful Experiential Play (PEP), allowing pupils to explore ideas freely, staff to assess needs and appropriate learning to be put in place to ensure progression and application of skills with increased interdependence and independence.

Within KS2, learning begins with focused tasks and skills mastery teaching to ensure our pupils acquire and master the skills need to produce the end product interdependently or independently.

Explanation of teaching approaches:

Whole class	All pupils taught the same topic at the same time, work on the same task at the same time.
Focus task	Small group teaching
Carousel	A carousel of different activities – pupils complete different tasks with support, independence or interdependence. .
Independent tasks	Making own decisions and sensible choices to complete a task.
Interdependence.	Cooperating with others to make decisions and choices together to complete a task.

12 pedagogical principles

 

How pupils learn is as important as what they learn. Our curriculum is broad and balanced offering children many exciting and wonderful learning experiences to develop their spiritual, social, creative, linguistic, mathematical, scientific and technological knowledge and skills.

Our teachers promote learning through a range of approaches, some of which are outlined in the 12 pedagogical principles.

Expectations for learning

We have very clear expectations of the staff, pupils and the environment in which we all learn.

The teachers will…

• Keep a consistent focus on the four core purposes of the curriculum
• Challenge all learners
• Encourage and praise sustained effort
• Use a blend of pedagogical approaches
• Build upon previous knowledge
• Create authentic contexts for learning
• Employ Assessment for Learning principles
• Teach across all areas of learning and experiences
• Reinforce cross curricular responsibilities including, literacy, numeracy and digital competency
• Provide opportunities for pupils to practice their skills for real life situations
• Encourage pupils to take responsibility for their own learning
• Support social and emotional development
• Encourage independence and interdependence

The pupils will…

• Build from what they know
• Make choices to support their learning
• Ask questions about their learning
• Value their own and others’ ideas
• Learn from their mistakes
• Make choices about their learning including when using ICT
• Have time to reflect on own and others’ work
• Challenge themselves
• Use a range of approaches and learning
• Enjoy working together and on their own
• Respect the rights of others

The school learning environment will provide…

• Experiences of real life problems and situations
• A safe comfortable, inspiring place for learning
• Appropriate technology to inspire creative learning
• Enjoyable opportunities for outdoor learning
• Children with opportunities to care for and manage their natural world.

Roles and Responsibilities:

The Role of the Class Teacher.

It is the role of the class teacher:

• To implement this policy in the classroom whilst complying with the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum.
• To plan, both termly and weekly or fortnightly, differentiated programmes of work to effectively develop all children’s knowledge and competencies in using appropriate skills.
• To have in place assessment strategies to inform the next stages in learning and development and to report within the school
• To develop the basic skills of literacy and numeracy through the delivery of a skills-based curriculum
•  To be mindful of the need to develop key skills across the curriculum.

The Role of the Curriculum subject leader. Mrs V Davies

It is the role of the ARR leader:

• To monitor the implementation of the policy,

i)                    by looking at teachers’ termly and fortnightly planning

ii)                   ii) by observation and monitoring and

iii)                 iii) by listening to learners

• To keep abreast of developments.
• To update schemes where necessary.
• To offer advice and support to colleagues.
• To monitor the provision and use of resources and suggest purchasing as necessary.
• To monitor the inclusion of the development of key skills across the curriculum

The Role of the Headteacher and Governing Body:

It is the role of the Headteacher and governing Body:

• To oversee the implementation of the policy and the new curriculum orders.
• To ensure balance across the curriculum and that the appropriate time is allocated to subjects.
• To make financial provision to support the implementation of the policy.
• To secure any necessary provision for children with special educational needs / additional learning needs.

A skills – based curriculum is tailor-made for children who experience difficulties in accessing the curriculum through normal routes. Each child’s learning styles will be recognised and his / her learning needs can be met.

If a child is experiencing severe difficulties, in any class, the child will have been identified as being in the ‘school action’ / ‘school action plus’ stages of our code of practice and his/her programme of work will be planned appropriately in an Individual Education Plan.

Each child’s work will be recorded in an appropriate manner and relevant to the ability or disability of the child e.g. models, paintings, computer aided etc.

Every child’s achievement in all areas of the curriculum, however small it may be, will be valued and treated with respect.

Where a  child demonstrates ability beyond that expected for a child of his/ her age or stage will have been identified as MAT (more able or talented) and will have the same entitlement under the SEN the code of practice e.g. an IEP may be appropriate. When planning to provide for pupil’s outside the “norm” we must also be aware that there may be children who have particular gifts and work may need to be “differentiated up”.

Any specialist equipment, programmes of work, special tuition etc. will be acquired as and when the need arises. If specialities cannot be coped with within the school structure these pupils are also entitled to the protection and provision under the later stages of the code of practice.

Assessment/Evaluation:

Assessment is an on-going process and will be based upon teachers’ professional judgements. Children will be involved in assessing, evaluating and making judgements about their own work, and from this joint formative assessment goals can be set to ensure continuing development and progression in the acquisition of skills.

Evaluations of processes and procedures will be made in line with all policy reviews.