Curriculum Overview
A bespoke curriculum
Children come to school to learn and at Beech Hill Primary School we work hard to provide opportunities for children to do their best. We actively celebrate the fact that we are a culturally and ethnically diverse school. We seek to encapsulate a broad and balanced curriculum based upon a wealth of vocabulary exposure in a language-rich learning environment.
In common with all community schools, we follow the National Curriculum.
English (writing and reading) and Maths are taught each day. Other curriculum areas are covered at various intervals during the term.
At the start of each new academic year, Year Team Achievement Managers (YTAMS) hold curriculum briefings for parents/carers, providing an overview of subjects/topics, trips/wow factors, homework and expectations for their respective year groups. Every term, a curriculum newsletter will be issued to communicate further information about what children in each year group are learning.
For more information on your child’s learning, please click on the year group icon for the desired year group.
Wow factors
Beech Hill Primary School have designed our curriculum to incorporate a range of ‘wow factors’ where learning is brought to life through trips and experiences, simultaneously developing our pupils’ cultural capital. We believe that experiences enhance learning and raise aspirations. Additionally, we offer an extensive range of free after school clubs and activities, click here to see a list of the clubs currently running.
How we teach reading
Teaching children to read is one of the most important aspects of every child’s learning. Please refer to Approaches to Reading for a detailed narrative as to how we teach reading in each year group.
Phonics
Phonics is taught systematically throughout the school. Please refer to:Approaches to Reading for a detailed narrative as to how we teach phonics at Beech Hill Primary School.
Phonics is delivered in accordance with the: Letters and Sounds programme:
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
A number of our staff are trained to deliver a Talking Partners scheme. This is a programme designed to improve the way children communicate across the curriculum, enabling them to be independent and skilful speakers and listeners.
We also have two members of staff dedicated to supporting children who are new to English – one within each key stage.
We are currently working with colleagues from the Bell Foundation on how to improve and support language acquisition within our school. In classes we use Communication in Print to support and develop vocabulary and language skills.
Physical Education
PE is an important subject. We are fortunate to have a team of sports instructors, two good-sized halls and, a recent addition to the school, a MUGA pitch which consists of all-weather basketball and football pitches. Recently, we also introduced a new fitness area consisting of gym equipment which can be used during PE lessons and play times.
All of our children participate in PE and we host a number of sporting activities and clubs during lunch times and after school.
During year four, all pupils attend swimming lessons. Additional swimming session are also in place for SEND pupils.
Religious Education (as required under the 1996 Education Act.)
In our teaching of Religious Education, we follow the Agreed Luton Syllabus. Children are encouraged to reflect on emotions, moral codes, relationships, the wonders of life, religious stories and beliefs and festivals. These experiences help them to develop thoughtful and sensitive attitudes to all aspects of religious life.
Homework
We encourage children to read to parents/carers as often as possible throughout their time at school. We also encourage parents/carers to share books and stories with children, thus modelling the skill of reading, alongside promoting a love for reading.
Children will receive homework (learning logs) at regular intervals during the term. We encourage parents/carers and their children to work together in order develop language skills and understanding of the topics studied.
Year Leaders will share expectations with parents about homework during curriculum briefings, but as a quick reference:
- Early Years: a mixture of sounds and words as well as a home reading book and learning log. Around ten minutes of homework per evening.
- Years 1 and 2: Around an hour of homework each week. We encourage children to read every day and complete the activity in their learning log.
- Years 3 and 4: Equivalent of twenty minutes of homework each night. On the whole, this is related to English, maths, reading and their learning log activity.
- Years 5 and 6: Children in Years 5 and 6 are expected to do the equivalent of thirty minutes of homework each night. On the whole, this is related to English and maths targets, reading and their learning log activity.
Assessment
Assessment is a continual process and is used by teachers and staff to plan the next learning steps for your child. Teachers and staff use observations of children and evidence from their work to make assessments. This will also include the outcomes of both statutory and end of unit assessment/tests. The progress made by each child is closely monitored by teachers and senior staff on a termly basis.
Year 2:
During Year 2, children have statutory end of Key Stage 1 assessments. These are a combination of class teacher performance judgements, coupled with the completion of statutory tests (SATs). The overall teacher assessments are reported to parents/carers at the end of the academic year.
Year 6:
At the end of Year 6, pupils will undertake statutory, externally marked, end of Key Stage 2 assessments (SATs) in English and mathematics. Writing and science outcomes are based upon internally and/or externally moderated class teacher performance judgments. Results are reported to parents/carers at the end of the academic year.
Reports throughout the year
Parents/carers will receive two written academic reports during the school year. The first, and main, report will be sent home before the end of the spring term; this will then be discussed during parents’/carers’ consultation evenings. A second, summary report will be sent home the end of academic year; parents/carers are welcome to discuss the contents of the report during the informal parents’/carers’ drop-in session held in July.
Parent consultation meetings
There will be a termly opportunity for parents/carers to meet the staff. At these meetings, parents/carers can discuss their child’s progress and attainment, interventions (where applicable) and how parents/carers can work collaboratively with the school to support learning at home.
Discussions around progress and attainment are warmly welcomed at any point during the school year. Parents/carers can liaise with class teachers to arrange additional appointments between designated parents’/carers’ evenings.
Additional needs
At Beech Hill, we pride ourselves upon delivering an inclusive education. For more information about our provision, please click here.