Creative Curriculum and Assessment
Curriculum Intent
Through God’s love and strength all flourish
Our Christian vision guides our journey to provide a rich, well-rounded education enabling all to become the very best that God intended. We treat adults and pupils with love and dignity in a space where Christian values are developed and everyone can flourish.
Friendship Joy Community Forgiveness Perseverance Creation
At Ash Cartwright & Kelsey Primary School we offer a creative curriculum which is broad and balanced and which builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills of all children, whatever their starting points, as they progress through each Key Stage. We firmly believe that children need an in-depth and varied curriculum - our learning is based around the experiences we want our children to have. The curriculum incorporates the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum 2014 and other experiences and opportunities which best meet the learning and developmental needs of the pupils in our school. The aim of our curriculum is for pupils to have the requisite skills to be successful, independent and motivated learners in readiness for their next stage of education. The starting point for our curriculum is the unique context of our school and we carefully consider the experiences we want children to have in our school (see unique curriculum experiences document below)
The National Curriculum is mapped out for from Nursery to 6 and then individual year groups plan the curriculum for their pupils accordingly, taking into account what the children want to learn. Key questions are the starting point for topics and we have an enquiry based approach to learning. The curriculum is underpinned by the school’s Christian Values (Forgiveness, Friendship, Perseverance, Joy, Creation and Community) and these are taught on their own and through other areas of the curriculum, including collective worship. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils and their understanding of the core values of our society are woven through the curriculum. We ensure that the curriculum is well sequenced with cultural capital at the heart.
As a church school, the RE curriculum is very important. We follow the Kent Agreed Syllabus and work closely with the Diocese to ensure that our RE provision reflects current thinking both locally and at a national level.
Specialist teachers and instructors support music and cultural development. All subject leaders are given training and opportunity to keep developing their own subject knowledge, skills and understanding so they can support curriculum development and their colleagues throughout the school. Theme days, WOW days, RE days, trips and visitors and whole school activities and opportunities within and outside school all enrich and develop the children’s learning. After school clubs and events extend these opportunities further.
Pupils have opportunities to share their learning with each other, their parents and carers through school-based performances, competitions and events involving other schools. Developing their independence and motivation as learners and their sense of responsibility as future citizens is at the heart of all our teaching and learning.
Promoting British Values
Ash Cartwright and Kelsey School is committed to serving its community. It recognises the multi-cultural, multi faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom. It also understands the vital role it has in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them.
It follows equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. Ash Cartwright and Kelsey School is dedicated to preparing students for their adult life beyond the formal examined curriculum and ensuring that it promotes and reinforces British values to all its students.
The Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools. The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy.
The five British Values are:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
The school uses strategies within the National curriculum and beyond to secure such outcomes for students.
Please click on the links below for our long term plan and a parents guide to the national curriculum:
Unique curriculum experiences September 2024
RE Curriculum
Religious Education seeks to make a major contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils by helping them to acquire the knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other major religions represented in Britain. It also helps them to develop their own beliefs and values.
R.E plays a very important part in our broad, balanced and coherent curriculum to which all pupils are entitled to at Ash Cartwright and Kelsey (Aided) School. The curriculum for R.E aims to ensure that pupils have opportunities to understand a range of religions and worldviews, express insights about the nature, significance and impact of worldviews and to develop the skills needed to engage with religions and worldviews. This is demonstrated through a variety of teaching techniques such as drama, art, discussion, use of artefacts, stories, pictures, periods of stillness and reflection. Our working walls show the journey of learning throughout a whole unit of work and enable pupils to interact and respond to key questions, ideas and beliefs.
Where possible we want our pupils to have opportunities to encounter local faith communities through visits to local places of worship or visits from members of local faith communities.
We follow the Kent Agreed Syllabus for teaching RE (introduced 2017), which incorporates the ‘Understanding Christianity’ materials produced by RE Today.
The principal aim of R.E. is to engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and world views address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to their questions, as well as develop responses of their own.
Please see the document below for further information:
Shared understanding of spirituality 2019
LGBT Ambassadors
We worked with the METRO Charity who provided whole staff training on Anti-HBT bullying. METRO is a leading diversity and equality charity providing health, community and youth services. They work with anyone experiencing issues relating to gender, sexuality, diversity or identity. We had training on homophobia and biphobia in schools. 86% of pupils hear 'You're so gay' or 'That's so gay' in school. The initial training resulted in 3 members of staff receiving further training to become LGBT Ambassadors - they are easily identified because of the rainbow lanyards they wear. We know how to support any LGBTQ+ pupils in school and the challenges they may face in school. We will promote acceptance around the school.
Mental Health First Aid Champions
We want a society where everyone can lead the life they want to lead free from stigma and discrimination. Evidence suggests that incidents of mental health problems are increasing in children, with 1 in 10 children aged 5-16 experiencing a mental health issue. This is equivalent to about 3 children in every class. The aim of a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training is to give everyone the knowledge and confidence to recognise signs of mental health problems, encourage someone to seek the right help, and to reduce the stigma around mental illness.
Youth MHFA Champions have:
- An understanding of common mental health issues and how they can affect young people
- Ability to spot signs of mental ill health in young people and guide them to a place of support
- Knowledge and confidence to advocate for mental health awareness
- Skills to support positive wellbeing
In June 2019 we had 8 members of staff trained to become MHFA Champions. These champions support a whole school approach to promoting good mental health and well-being. We firmly believe that relationships between staff and students, and between students, are critical in promoting student wellbeing and in helping to engender a sense of belonging.
Assessment
The school started using Target Tracker in September 2017. This measures pupil attainment and progress. Target tracker uses a system of bands and steps. This peforms the function of communicating progression and attainment in a simple format where the number of the level awarded is the same as the year group the pupil is currently in. Each group will in effect, be in a band, therefore year 1=band 1, year 2=band 2 and so on. Each year band has been broken down into 6 steps:
- beginning (b)
- beginning + (b+)
- working within (w)
- working within + (w+)
- secure (s)
- secure + (s+)
Lower and higher attaining pupils may be working at a band outside of their current year group. For children to be working at age related expectation, they would need to reach the secure steps at the end of the appropriate year, although during the transition period w+ is also acceptable. The s+ step means that the children should be provided with extension work to deepen and consolidate their learning of the concepts and skills already gained. We will be tracking progress as well and each child will ideally make 6 steps of progress from one year to the next.
For a pupil to attain thorough coverage of the year band, they should reach secure or (s) by the end of the appropriate year. We believe this makes reporting your child's progress and attainment much clearer for you. Be aware that the curriculum is no longer about just moving children on as quickly as possible to the highest level, it is now about breadth, depth and mastery too.
