Our Curriculum - 'Contexts for Learning'

 

Thank you for visiting our curriculum pages.   Below you will find an outline of Key Stages 1 and 2 bespoke curriculum 'Contexts for Learning'. You will also find an overview of our Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, including core and specific areas of learning, and characteristics of learning.  

 

If you'd like a more in-depth look at any of the information below, please take a look at our Teaching For Learning Policy.

 

Key Stages 1 and 2 – The National Curriculum

 

Our curriculum has developed from thoughtful reflection about children’s experiences at school, our understanding of how children learn and a desire for children to both enjoy their experience at Primary school and to feel challenged and excited.

 

Contexts for Learning

 

‘Contexts for Learning’ are a series of wide reaching concepts that allow teachers to deliver the National Curriculum creatively by making meaningful learning links leading to deeper understanding and retention of skills.

 

At Aerodrome we understand that children enjoy learning in different ways and have different strengths. Our curriculum supports a range of interests  and gives value to the full range of National Curriculum Subjects taught.

The curriculum is bespoke and has been written by our staff. It was updated in 2019 to reflect our changing community , children's interest and to ensure learning is deep and embeded over each child's learning journey at Aerodrome. 

Each year group has either 2 or 3 Contexts over the year which are rigorously planned and linked to build on previous learning through new and exciting concepts. Each one is deliberately named to have far reaching appeal and allow a range of curriculum links . In addition to this, a carefully planned stimulus question is used to launch the learning and engage the children into thinking and planning ahead for their own learning. 

How is the Curriculum Planned? 

All planning for each context begins with an enquiry based question. Teachers create a four stage plan using questions and ideas generated by the children in their class. This plan is used to develop an engaging and rigorous learning journey covering all areas of the National Curriculum. 

The four stages are: 

1. Engage - a stimulating start to the learning

2. Develop - developing knowledge and skills

3. Innovate - applying skills learnt

4. Express - showcasing the learning via an end product

 

Curriculum Detail  - The Learning for each Year group is detailed below: 

Swans ELP classroom

Swans follow the KS2 Years 3-5 contexts for learning on a 3 year rolling curriculum. 

Surface to Deep Skills Development

Each lesson is planned with a skills focus that gradually builds deeper learning ranging from surface (Knowledge based) to Deep (Evaluative)

The Early Year Foundation Stage

 

The Foundation Stage includes all children in our Nursery and Reception classes. The Early Years Foundation Stage is the statutory curriculum which is followed by all childcare providers, nursery settings and reception classes.

 

The curriculum is divided into core and specific key areas of learning and development. They are:

 

The  Prime Areas of Learning

 

 

The Specific Areas of Learning

 

 

The Learning Characteristics 

 

Together, these areas of learning make up the skills, knowledge and experiences appropriate for your children as they grow, learn and develop. At Aerodrome we strive to ensure that each child’s learning and development occur as an outcome of their individual interests and abilities so our planned learning reflects this.

 

An EYFS learning journey will be completed for each child.  Each child will be assessed in relation to the 17 Early Leaning Goal descriptors.  Assessments will be based primarily on observation of daily activities and events.  For each ELG, practitioners must judge whether a child is meeting the level of development expected at the end of the Reception Year (expected), exceeding this level (exceeding), or not yet reaching this level (emerging).

 

The completed EYFS Profile includes a short commentary on each child’s skills and abilities in relation to the three key characteristics of effective learning.