The School Curriculum
Our school curriculum is based upon the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum applies to pupils of compulsory school age in all community schools and is organised into four Key Stages
Key Stage 1: Ages 5-7 (Years 1-2)
Key Stage 2: Ages 7-11 (Years 3-6)
Key Stage 3: Ages 11-14 (Years 7-9)
Key Stage 4: Ages 14-16 (Years 10-11)
At Key Stage 2, the statutory subjects that all pupils must study are Art and Design, Computing, Design and Technology, English, Geography, History, Languages, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education and Science. Religious Education must also be provided at Key Stage 2.
The structure of the National Curriculum
For every subject and for each key stage, revised programmes of study support staff in ensuring that pupils learn the skills needed within each curriculum area. Attainment targets are used to ensure that staff are clear about the expected standard of pupil performance in each subject. It is for schools to choose how they organise their curriculum.
(Taken from the National Curriculum 2014)
Our Approach to Reading
We have multiple approaches to teaching reading at Chapel End Junior Academy. ‘Shared reading’ plays an important role in our daily English lessons: teachers model the process of reading to children, questioning and probing their understanding of what is being read. Here, teachers guide pupils through the reading of high quality texts. Through discussion, questioning and comprehension exercises, they build their reading skills. Additionally, Teachers hear pupils read individually, taking ‘reading records’ where needed, to ensure that the correct texts are being used and that the correct stage of learning is being addressed for all our children. Finally, when we feel that a child needs an extra ‘boost’ to achieve age-related expectations, we use additional one-to-one and small group teaching, ensuring that no child gets left behind.
For our children that still require structured phonics teaching, we employ a synthetic phonics approach. Our phonics lessons are based on the ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds’ phonics programme, based on the original Letters and Sounds, but extensively revised to provide a complete teaching programme meeting all the expectations of the National Curriculum.
How Chapel End Junior Academy organises the Curriculum
CURRICULUM INTENT
We aim to nurture, challenge and inspire in everything we do at CEJA, in and outside the classroom. This is underpinned by our school motto of ‘Dream Believe Achieve.’ Our practice is rooted in engaging and inspiring lessons, where academic rigour is achieved by building on pupils’ prior learning. We encourage our pupils to show resilience in lessons, challenge them to achieve the best that they can and inspire them through creative approaches which fire a desire to learn. Our intention is to ensure pupils make outstanding progress and that our inclusive and adaptive curriculum removes any potential barriers to learning and prepares our young people for the outside world.
Nurture
Individual talent and skills are nurtured; pupils are given varied opportunities and are actively encouraged to pursue their dreams and ambitions. We nurture our pupils through the development of positive relationships with staff and each other. Our committed team are concerned about the emotional development of the children and adults in our school on a day-to-day basis and recognise the importance of safety, security and confidence in every member of the school community.
Challenge
Our pupils are stimulated and challenged, both in and out of the classroom, developing a lifelong passion for learning. Our pupils are challenged to be the best they can be throughout the course of every day, providing opportunities both to engage in independent learning and to work with others. They develop curiosity, ambition and resilience and are not afraid to be intrepid. Children do best in classrooms where the work is intellectually challenging, where curiosity and wonder is promoted and celebrated; we aim to create classrooms where the pupils exercise both cognitive (process of acquiring skills) and metacognitive skills (the ability to reflect on thought processes and the way you learn).
Inspire
We create opportunities to ensure our pupils flourish as lifelong learners. At CEJA, we create an atmosphere of excitement, vibrancy and purpose, which inspires and fosters a love of learning and intellectual curiosity and promotes dignity, integrity, self-discipline and self-esteem. We will create confident, happy, creative and articulate young people, who will emerge with a clear vision for their future.
CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION
We aim to achieve these aims for all pupils through a knowledge-rich curriculum that is cohesive, cumulative and highly sequenced. Our curriculum is ambitious, promotes accelerated academic progress, and is fully inclusive. It instils in our learners our eight life values of Honesty, Respect, Kindness, Friendship, Forgiveness, Responsibility, Determination and Equality.
At CEJA, we promote:
Excellence:
- exceptional teaching and learning, where pupils are given the ability to strive for their personal best
- a safe environment for pupils to develop wisdom, demonstrate persistence and integrity, and celebrate their own achievements
Opportunity:
- personalised learning opportunities in subjects and enrichment activities
- experiences where creativity and flexibility are valued, the courage to try new things is fostered, and pupils are encouraged to pursue personal ambitions
Experiences through Cultural Capital:
- a varied, ambitious and inclusive educational experience
- work with the rich heritage of the local community, whilst also exposing our pupils to diversity in the wider world both nationally and internationally in order to prepare our learners as truly global and just citizens; through for example: School of Sanctuary, trips, eco club, PSHE)
- a celebration of the arts, literature, culture, historical life and sports through our extensive enrichment programme, curriculum offer, variety of trips, pupil leadership opportunities and through the competitive House system.
Community:
- a supportive, safe and vibrant community which demonstrates respectful relationships, both for each other and the School environment
- a community where people work together, developing both temperance and tolerance
The curriculum promotes an understanding of a wide range of topics. Teachers plan learning that allows pupils to embed and recall knowledge through techniques such as interweaving of topics and spaced practice. We work closely with our Infant feeder school to provide a curriculum with seamless progression, development and mastery across the settings. For each subject area, we have an overview of the curriculum journey pupils experience at CEJA in relation to each subjects Intent, Implementation and Impact.
For more detailed information of how our curriculum is implemented, please see the separate curriculum pages, where our long term programmes of study for each term are published in each subject area.
CURRICULUM IMPACT
At CEJA our pupils will:
- achieve ambitious academic success through accelerated progress
- develop a love of learning that will be a basis for their future education
- be prepared for the next step of learning and life development
- feel safe and supported in the pursuits of their ambitions
- develop resilience, creativity, and the ability and desire to be enquiring life-long learners
- acquire appreciation, knowledge and respect for their own and other cultures
- be appreciative of and experience all subject areas, including STEM and the creative arts
- have their own talents nurtured
- be confident within themselves, have a strong sense of self-worth and responsibility as global and local citizens.
- develop the qualities of:
- resilience and independence, through determination and responsibility
- justice and courage, through equality, friendship, kindness, forgiveness and respect