This is a Good School

Ofsted says "Pupils are highly engaged and enjoy learning"

Teaching is good

"Teachers are expert in the subjects they teach."

Governance is strong

"Adults share an in depth understanding of the latest safeguarding risks that pupils may face."

Pupils achieve well

"Provision for children in the early years is particularly strong."

Pupils' behaviour is good

"Behaviour in lessons is excellent. Children are kind."

Teaching is good

"Assessment is used well. There is a huge array of activities on offer."

Curriculum design is inspiring

"The curriculum is coherent and well sequenced."

Pupils achieve well

"Leaders and staff are united in their ambition for pupils to succeed."

Pupils' behaviour is good

"The high-quality relationships between staff and pupils contribute to a positive learning culture."

Curriculum

The Athelstan Trust Curriculum Statement

The Athelstan Trust is a community of schools that work together to ensure that all our students and staff feel valued and are challenged to fulfil their potential. The work across our schools is underpinned by a shared vision to be Caring, Collaborative and Excellent.

We respect and value the individual nature and ethos of our schools while believing we are more effective when we work together and support each other. We believe that successful schools are rooted in their local community and comprehensive in their intake. We aim to celebrate spiritual and creative diversity, success, and lifelong learning. We are inclusive and collaborative and promote a culture of openness and integrity.
The Athelstan Trust Curriculum is based on the requirements of the National Curriculum. The Curriculum is under constant review and will vary in each school depending on local needs and context. All Schools within the Trust share the same overarching principles.

The new ‘National Curriculum in England Framework’ (September 2013)

“3.1 The national curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

3.2 The national curriculum is just one element in the education of every child. There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the national curriculum specifications. The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.”

www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum

Leighterton Curriculum

At Leighterton Primary School our intention is that our curriculum extends opportunity, raises aspiration, opens children’s eyes to the world beyond their immediate environment, enables our children to live happy, healthy and productive lives and inspires children to learn more. We promote growth mindset so that children have the confidence to learn through any mistakes and we aim to develop a passion for learning and provide a wealth of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom, using our spacious school site and our local area and beyond. 

We believe that whilst we base our curriculum on the National Curriculum, it is one that is broad, balanced and is ambitious for all. It is exciting, relevant, meaningful and responds to the needs of the individuals within our learning community, enabling them to shine academically and flourish socially, emotionally, morally and culturally.  Our pupils are able to participate in a wide range of learning experiences through stimulating and focussed activities, developing an interest in learning through creative and enjoyable work.  Often when children are working on a project, their learning encompasses several subject areas both academically and socially.

Through termly topics, all children engage in memorable experiences to enhance their learning, and further develop their knowledge and understanding, helping to develop their cultural capital. This could be, for example, a visit to a place, such as Caerleon Castle; a visitor into school, such as the School Beat Officer; a ‘Wow day’; a practical activity or experience led by school staff; or a theatre performance, such as watching ‘The Lorax’.

Central to all of the above, and to our curriculum design, is an expectation of well thought out quality first teaching and learning, delivered by all. The teaching team use our curriculum progression documents to ensure that learning is sequenced so that children build knowledge and skills over time – both within the year group curriculum, but also building on, and making connections with, prior knowledge from earlier years in school. Our teaching team ensure there are plenty of opportunities for the children to practise and apply this knowledge in a range of different contexts, so that they achieve deep, long term learning. 

We aim to prepare our children for the next stage of their learning journey and provide them with the skills to be successful.

If you would like to find out more about our curriculum, please contact us via the school office.

The Foundation Stage (Reception)

The Reception Year is a vital transition between home and school.  During this first year the children follow the “Foundation Stage” curriculum, which helps them secure a good basis on which to build future learning.  The Foundation Stage is organised into seven areas of learning: Communication and  Language Development; Literacy Development; Mathematics; Understanding the World; Expressive Arts and Design; Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Physical Development.

Much of their early learning is through play, enabling children to discover and gain knowledge at first hand, as well as acquiring basic skills in literacy and numeracy.  We provide a rich and varied range of experiences to encourage children to become enthusiastic, inquisitive and independent learners.  In this way children are well equipped with the skills and knowledge required for the National Curriculum, which they start as they move into Year One.

Throughout the Reception Year the children are assessed against the Foundation Stage Profile.  This assessment is mainly observation-based and is used to build a picture of the children’s skills and abilities.

Letters and Sounds are used as the phonics scheme in EYFS.

Key Stage One

In Years One and Two, children are taught the National Curriculum through topic-based work. For five to seven year olds, learning consists of active, practical activities so that children develop their skills and knowledge through experience and investigation.  Opportunities are provided for children to discuss and develop their ideas with a teacher or support assistant and children record their ideas. Adults encourage children to discover for themselves through careful questioning to extend the children’s learning.

The classroom has specific areas of learning, to ensure consistency of approach across the key stage. Children have access to a writing area, book corner, mathematics area, role play, art and craft area, sand or water exploration, computers, construction equipment and outdoor garden areas.

At the end of Year Two pupils are given a Teacher Assessment that is submitted to the Local Authority.  To support teachers in making their judgments, the pupils carry out a range of standardised tests, sometimes known as SATs.  These tests are used in conjunction with other assessments including observations, work samples and other informal tests.

Letters and Sounds are used as the phonics scheme in key Stage One

Key Stage Two

There are four year groups in Key Stage Two, taught in two classes.   The children are taught in a variety of groupings, whole class, ability grouped and in small groups when appropriate.  We endeavour to develop the children’s learning skills through encouraging them to initiate their own questions and use a wide variety of sources to find the answers and present this information to their peers.  English and mathematics are taught daily.

The curriculum is based around broad topics that encompass a range of subjects.  Cross-curricular links are made wherever possible to provide meaningful contexts in which the children can apply their learning, literacy and numeracy skills.

There is national testing in May for Year 6 children.  Individual results are published to parents showing the standard the child has reached in relation to the nationally expected achievements for that age group.  A general summary is also published to show the progress of the whole year group.  A copy of the most up to date results is included in this prospectus. 

Maths at Leighterton

Secondary Transfer

The parents of the children in Year 6 are given the opportunity to choose their secondary school.  Each of the local secondary schools gives the parents an opportunity to visit and make an informed choice regarding their child’s next school.

We have good links with the local secondary schools and the pupils are invited  to ‘Link Days’ in June of Year 6, as a taster of what is to come. Staff from secondary schools also visit our school and make contact with the pupils transferring to their schools. Transfer from primary to secondary can be an anxious time for both pupils and parents; we aim to keep this to a minimum. If you have any worries or queries regarding this matter please contact us at school.