The Hoyland Common Curriculum
During the Covid-19 pandemic we have seen academy trusts, schools and parents work together in a way that we would never have foreseen. This has seen many successes, one of which has been the fantastic home learning opportunities provided and taken up at home that have been documented over the months. Microsoft Teams and Seesaw have provided us with a great platform to continue with the amazing work and learning that we would usually see in classrooms. Despite this, we must also consider that the current situation will have had negative impact on some families, and children. Life for our young people has changed dramatically and very careful consideration has been taken to transition all pupils back into education in March 2021.
At Hoyland Common Primary School we pride ourselves on providing a curriculum that is broad and balanced, also diverse, inclusive and challenging to meet the needs of all learners. We will be further adapting our current curriculum design implemented in September 2020 as a result of the first lockdown to ensure that all our children reconnect again with the curriculum and continue to be motivated, enthusiastic learners with us at school. It is important for us to recognise that there may be gaps in children's learning, missed learning that needs to be recovered, and it is essential that our curriculum design allows children to 'catch up and keep up' to continue to reach their full potential during their time at HCPS.
Curriculum Implementation March 2021
There is a heavy evidence base that suggests that high quality teaching within the classroom is proven to have the biggest impact on the progress that pupils make in their educational journey. This research expands to more able groups, disadvantaged groups and those with special educational needs. Much of this research has been conducted by the Education Endowment Foundation, who argue that for schools this high quality engagement in the classroom should be at the forefront of each schools recovery curriculum.
The gather, skills, apply approach has been well embedded for a number of years at HCPS. In order to facilitate the 'catch up' element to the curriculum, in the first instance we have been able to utilise this approach to allow for more opportunities for Literacy and Numeracy across the curriculum. Through cross curricular links pupils are able to be exposed to wider reading, vocabulary development and further writing opportunities to ensure children make rapid progress in key areas after missed time in school. The accelerated learning cycle and GSA approach are both used to develop skills progressively and embed them in increasing complexity, in order to ensure children can apply their learning in a range of situations.
High Quality Curriculum Design, Teaching & Learning
Ensuring high quality, wave 1 intervention is consistent across school will allow every child at HCPS to make the best start with their learning upon their return to school. “What happens in the classroom makes the biggest difference”. Research from the EEF has shown that high quality teaching generally leads to the biggest improvement when closing the attainment gap. In order to ensure quality first teaching is delivered within class we will also continue to support our staff development with innovative approaches to teaching when children return again in March.
Hooks into the curriculum to inspire children in their thirst for learning will continue to be at the heart of our intent and implementation of planning and lesson delivery. Through this approach we will aim to expose children to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts, both for reading and writing opportunity. Fiction texts will be explored through literacy sessions and non-fiction texts will be built into the wider curriculum. This will allow children to revisit these a number of times throughout the year and therefore any skills from missed time in school for 'catch up' can be dovetailed into the spring and summer year group curriculum plans to facilitate the 'keep up' of progress and attainment. See below how the timetable for the Autumn Term was adapted to facilitate this, we will continue with this following children's return in March.
Targeted Support and Intervention
The EEF state that, “Targeted small group and one-to-one interventions have the potential for the largest immediate impact on attainment”. While the reconnection approach to the curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of all learners it is important to remember that some pupils may need a more personalised approach to further support them with their learning.
Using assessment and data from the Autumn Term children will be identified for targeted intervention. The aim of intervention is that it will be personalised, short, and frequent to ensure maximum progress is made. Sessions should enable children to make rapid progress, once this is made children can be removed from that intervention and continued wave 1 support in the classroom will allow them to keep up.
In September 2020 HCPS began using teacher-led interventions (pre-teach and consolidation) to close immediate gaps in skills and knowledge identified. This was hugely successful as it is delivered by teachers regularly based on daily assessment of children's needs, groups are fluid meaning different children can be identified when needed. When returning in March 2021 the school will continue to use this method of intervention alongside other personalised Wave 2 and 3 intervention.
Social, Emotional and Mental Wellbeing
A number one priority for the school is that children and families social, emotional and mental wellbeing is also supported during this transition back into school for a second time. It is important to recognise that every families, every child's experience, may have been different during this time and that for some children this will effect their learning journey as they return to school again. In order to ensure this is done effectively it must be a whole school ethos and embedded into our curriculum at all opportunity. In September teachers ensured that dedicated curriculum time was given to PSHCE activities through the introduction of P4C, which was found to be hugely beneficial, this will continue as we return in March. The school learning mentor will continue to work alongside specific children and families to provide support. Once we are able to, we will continue to find opportunities to invite parents in to school to share the amazing learning that happens here everyday. We are extremely excited to welcome our children back on Monday 8th March, we know each and every one of them are unique, resilient and determined learners that will continue to shine at HCPS!