Curriculum at Oakwood School

Curriculum

The curriculum is all the learning activities which take place in school and we are concerned with the intellectual, physical, social, moral, cultural and spiritual development of each child. Our infant curriculum is broad and balanced; rich in creative activities, experiences and enjoyment. We aspire to high standards for all our children, enabling them to reach their potential and celebrating each child’s unique achievements. We aim to give children a positive start to school and a firm foundation for learning for the rest of their lives.

The curriculum for reception children is determined by the Foundation Stage Curriculum and consists of:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication, Language and Literacy
• Mathematical Development
• Knowledge and Understanding of the World
• Physical Development
• Creative Development

The curriculum for children in Years 1 and 2 is determined by the National Curriculum and consists of:

• English History
• Mathematics Geography
• Science Art
• Information and Communications Technology
• Music
• Design and Technology
• Physical Education
• Personal, Social and Health Education

The curriculum is taught using a variety of methods which include whole class teaching, group work and individual work. Sometimes the teaching is focused on an individual subject and sometimes on topic work. The teacher makes the decision as to what is the most appropriate method, taking into account the learning activity and the children involved.

All pupils are entitled to equality of opportunity irrespective of gender, race, ethnic origin or disability.
Oakwood School is committed to supporting this entitlement and copies of our Race Equality Policy and Equal Opportunities in the Curriculum Policy are available at the school office. We endeavor to make our school a place where everyone feels welcome and valued and where children are educated for life in a plural society.

Religious Education is taught as part of the curriculum and we follow the Hampshire Syllabus which is non-denominational but broadly Christian in character. Copies of the syllabus are available for parents to see in the school office.

Assemblies are held on a daily basis and provide the opportunity for children to feel part of the whole school community and to value those things held to be of worth by the school. Although non-denominational they re-affirm Christian values. We regularly hold class assemblies to which all parents are invited and children have the opportunity to share their achievements with family and friends.

Parents who wish to withdraw their children from all or part of Religious Education and Collective Worship during assemblies may do so by informing the headteacher in writing.

Sex and Relationship Education is part of the curriculum at Oakwood and it is taught as part of the personal, social and health education, and science teaching programmes. It is an integral part of our cross-curricular topic programme and taught at a level appropriate for infant children. The teaching programme ensures that children:

• develop confidence in talking, listening and thinking about feelings and relationships
• are able to name parts of the body and describe how their bodies work
• can protect themselves and ask for help and support.

If you would like to see our policy on Sex and Relationship Education it is available at the school office. Parents can withdraw their children from all or part of sex education, except those elements that are taught as part of National Curriculum science.

OFSTED

We offer a wide range of opportunities to all children and are justly proud of their achievements. Our most recent OFSTED inspection report (July 2008) endorses this view and confirms the high achievements of all pupils at the school.

Ofsted reported that:

• "This is an outstanding school. All members of the staff team are committed to developing the intellectual, personal and social potential of the pupils whatever their background or abilities."
  
  
• "The headteacher, staff and governors, work closely together to check and evaluate the effectiveness of all that the school does to drive forward improvements and maintain high standards. Teaching and learning are rigorously monitored and teachers are given support where needed. This has resulted in significantly higher than average standards in reading, writing and mathematics for the last five years."
  
  
• "This high achievement stems from the excellent range of interesting and challenging learning activities and teaching and learning of outstanding quality overall. These motivate and inspire children to work hard."
  
  
• "Personal development is outstanding because the care, support and guidance provided by the school are excellent."
  
  
• "Pupils have an exceptionally well-developed understanding of how to stay safe and healthy and say that they have a trusted adult they can turn to for help and advice."
  
  

Our most recent Ofsted report is available on the Ofsted web site or you can get a copy by clicking on the following link: OFSTED report

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Oakwood School has published its "School Profile" for 2006-2007. The School Profile provides important information about Oakwood School and must be provided by the school in place of the Governors' Annual Report. You can see what we have to say about our school by visiting the Oakwood School Profile.

Special Educational Needs

Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Children have a learning difficulty if they:

• have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children the same age
  
• have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in school.

Children with special educational needs are admitted to Oakwood in accordance with our published admissions criteria. The principles of fair and impartial treatment apply equally to all pupils.

Individual education plans are devised for children with special educational needs in the areas where they are experiencing difficulty and they receive additional support. This special educational provision may be provided from within the school’s own resources or from specialised services such as the Educational Psychology Service or Speech and Language Therapy Service who provide expert help when problems are complex.

If a child has special educational needs, the school will contact the parent to discuss the situation before any special programmes of work are begun. If there are concerns about a child's progress the parents are encouraged to talk to the class teacher or the Special Educational Needs Coordinator [SENCO]. At Oakwood we believe it is in the child’s best interests to identify any special educational needs as early as possible and work in partnership with parents to address the difficulties.

Able Children

All children should have the opportunity to realise their true potential and to ensure this happens we aim at Oakwood to consistently provide learning opportunities for our able and talented children that offer challenge, intellectual stimulation and an enriched curriculum. We believe that able children need just as much support, guidance and encouragement as other children. We recognise that it is important for able children to have:

• a relevant curriculum with extension and enrichment activities. [Extension work increases the depth of study in a specific area while enrichment tasks broaden a child’s skills and understanding.]
  
• an environment which has high expectations and demands high standards.
  
• opportunities to develop specific skills and talents.

Provision for able children is normally class based and schemes of work include enrichment and extension activities.

If you would like to see our Able Child Policy, a copy is available from the school office.

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