In line with the DFE guidance on a broad and balanced released in July 2021 the curriculum of Hoyland Common Primary School is designed to ensure there is breadth but also allows the prioritisation of missed content in core subjects, including key knowledge, skills, vocabulary and concepts.
At HCPS we deliver the curriculum through a topic thematic based approach underpinned by the HCAT accelerated learning approach to teaching and learning.
The key concepts, principles and themes have been developed from the National Curriculum into a range of progressive knowledge and skills through which the children are helped to grow and develop to succeed in 21st century Britain and ensure children know more and remember more.
Our progressive document is split into 3 essential sections and shows the progression from transition (EYFS) to KS2, these are: drawing, painting and 3D sculptures. In addition to this, we have two additional optional curriculum excellence strands of photography and printing. This curriculum design allows a creative way of teaching and learning, enabling us to move away from discrete lessons into a more meaningful, engaging, topic based approach.
The Art and Design curriculum we offer is designed to meet the needs of all our pupils. It is rich, varied, imaginative and ambitious and meets the needs of individual learners by can easily be adapted for pupils with additional needs.
At HCPS, within a thematic approach, lessons of art and design within the topic will be taught discretely to ensure depth and rigour in artistic concepts and context. We want children to progress by building on their knowledge and skills each year. We believe that children should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. Our progressive documents reflect this and support our teachers to deliver appropriate lessons for the children they teach.
The Accelerated Learning Cycle, based on the work of Alastair Smith, is applied in all lessons. It stems from the idea of a supportive and challenging learning environment. The cycle has active engagement through multi- sensory learning, encourages the demonstrating understanding of learning in a variety of ways and the consolidation of knowing.
A gather, skills, apply approach to planning and delivery of lessons is taken across school to ensure children develop a deep understanding of specific skills and are able to apply these in a range of situations. This ensures that children learn how to work like an artist as well as acquiring the relevant knowledge and skills to be able to achieve this successfully.
Through this regular ongoing assessment, tasks are matched to the ability of each child through differentiated activities, adult support, providing a level of challenge that is stimulating for pupils and questioning skills.
INCERTS is used as a summative assessment to assess foundation subjects. Alongside the analysis of data from INCERTS, the curriculum document for art and design is regularly highlighted to identify any gaps or misconceptions to be addressed. This allows children to acquire complex skills that depends on the fundamentals of their prior knowledge in a well designed curriculum sequence.
We recognise the importance of The Arts to develop skills that will enhance learning across the curriculum and enable children to discover passions for creativity that will last a lifetime. Children who engage in quality arts provision at HCPS learn to be reflective learners with increased self-esteem, confidence, resilience and concentration.
We are an Arts Mark Gold School who successfully deliver Arts Award Discover and Explore across Years 2 and 5. We coordinate the Arts Award across our Multi-academy Trust and support new schools in the borough with the delivery of Discover and Explore. For over 10 years HCPS has organised an annual Drama Festival, which gives local schools the opportunity to perform in the Lamproom Theatre in Barnsley every June. We have two annual Arts Weeks focusing on visual arts and performance skills and all our children actively engage in a varied number of activities.
We believe that the Arts are a vital part of children’s education and have a significant and vital role in the taught curriculum, as well as the enrichment opportunities we offer our pupils outside the curriculum.
We have forged many links across the local community and wider region, providing a vast range of opportunities to enhance learning for all our children with events, visits and performances to take part in during the school year. We are incredibly proud of what our children achieve and are always looking to improve our offer to all pupils of Hoyland Common Primary School.
During their time at HCPS, pupils develop their music skills through the discrete teaching of the HCAT curriculum. Each year Hoyland Common Primary School works closely with Barnsley Music Service to provide our pupils expert music teachers and they have the opportunity to learn an new instrument and take part in a performance as a musical orchestra. We also offer extra curricular musical clubs, the singing club with Mrs Brusby and Mr Hastey Snr deliver performances throughout the year at various venues including local community homes and seasonal fairs.
