Curriculum

 

 


Marlcliffe School Primary Curriculum

 

Our Key Curriculum Drivers

Our key curriculum drivers are Healthy Individuals, Confident Communicators, Aspirational Learners, and Global Citizens and these are integral parts of our curriculum planning, curriculum delivery, our daily activities and planned opportunities. The drivers are carefully tailored to the needs of the community we serve and the context in which we work. With these drivers at the forefront, we are able to ensure our curriculum is carefully planned to meet the needs of our children, making certain that they achieve in the fullest sense. 

 

Marlcliffe Curriculum Drivers.PNGMarlcliffe Curriculum Drivers Info(1).PNG

 

Intent

At Marlcliffe Primary School our intent is to provide an engaging and relevant curriculum which develops the children’s skills and helps them learn about the wider world, thoroughly preparing them for secondary education. Our curriculum is built around the objectives set out in the National Curriculum which covers the following subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, Computing, History, Geography, Art and Design, Design Technology, Music, Physical Education, Languages and Citizenship. Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) and Religious Education (RE) are also part of our curriculum.

Implementation

Each phase (Y1 and Y2, Y3 and Y4, Y5 and Y6) undertakes a two year cycle of half- termly topics. They are designed to promote the children’s interest and allow them to develop their understanding within different subject areas through a shared context. We believe that this develops children’s independence and resourcefulness so that they can utilise their strengths in one subject area to overcome challenges and achieve in another.

Alongside our commitment to providing an enjoyable and interesting curriculum, we also have a rigorous approach to progress. The objectives set out in the National Curriculum have been appropriately assigned to different year groups making sure that as a child moves through Marlcliffe Primary they are continually developing new knowledge, whilst also having the opportunity to consolidate the skills that they have already learned.

Rigorous curriculum reviews are undertaken by all teaching staff to ensure that the National Curriculum is fully implemented and planning and resources match their objectives. Moreover, at Marlcliffe Primary we are fully committed to responding to children’s interests and world events and therefore topics may change temporarily.

We utilise a variety of ICT to inspire and support the children as well as providing them with different ways of sharing their learning. Foundation Stage use Tapestry to share learning with parents and carers and they can comment and post home learning themselves; Key Stage 1 and 2 utilise a variety of software and websites to support home-school learning such Spelling Shed, SeeSaw, BBC ReviseWise and Times Tables Rockstars.

Impact

We ensure the children are able to share their understanding and successes in a variety of ways; children at our school are given a variety of opportunities to showcase their achievements. Home learning walls, show and tell, displays, exhibitions and blogs all contribute to the children knowing that their learning is valued and celebrated.

In addition, we aspire to provide children with memorable experiences: educational visits, expert visitors to school, residential visits such as Kingswood Activity Centre in Y4 and a week-long trip in Y6, community events, and lots of practical learning.

We believe that the carefully-crafted curriculum at Marlcliffe Primary gives our children the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed and prepares them for the rigours of their continuing learning journey.

 

Promoting Equality

At Marlcliffe Primary School we are proud to provide a safe, stimulating and inclusive learning environment where every member of our community is valued and respected. Our broad, balanced, creative curriculum and enrichment activities provide opportunities for everyone to achieve and succeed. We celebrate our achievements, gifts and cultural diversity, irrespective of individual differences within the protected categories of the Equality Act of 2010.

Together we take pride in making a positive contribution to our school and the wider community.

We aim to provide every child with access to a broad and balanced education. This includes the National Curriculum in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

At Marlcliffe Primary School we are committed to equality. We aim for every child to fulfil their potential. Our school is committed to anti-discriminatory practice to promote equality of opportunity and valuing diversity for all children and families.

We aim to:

* Provide a secure and accessible environment in which all our children can flourish and in which all contributions are considered and valued.
* Include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity.
* Provide positive non-stereotyping information about gender roles, diverse ethnic and cultural groups and disabled people.
* Improve our knowledge and understanding of issues of anti-discriminatory practice, promoting equality and valuing diversity.
* Make inclusion a thread that runs through all of the activities of the school.

Please see our curriculum overviews for more information

Additional Information

Please click on the link below to view our whole school overview of topics and information on how our curriculum is designed. More detailed information is sent home each term and can also be found on the links on the class pages of this website.

The BBC has created the following website to help parents and carers to support their children’s education and has information about the national curriculum as well as Class Clips and Learner Guides: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education.

The Department for Education guidance about the school curriculum can be found at https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum

 

Expressive Arts

Ethos

At Marlcliffe Primary we believe that Expressive Arts education means creating a creative and visual thinker. Developing visual processing and a specific set of thinking skills can support other areas of learning. All children need a broad and balanced education which includes Arts education, in order to prepare them for a future in our society. Without the Arts our world would be a much blander and less colourful place! The UK’s creative industries are now worth £84.1 billion per year to the UK economy.

In terms of a child’s education, Expressive Arts encourage a child’s use of imagination and creativity. They can use their experiences and transform them through the Arts, using their previous knowledge, memories and ideas. Expressive Arts allow children to make new connections and explore their imagination.

Expressive Arts also helps a child to express their feelings, communicating both to themselves and others. This could be seen as therapeutic or for more conceptual purposes, expressing their concerns and ideas.

Creating the Arts encourages us to think about and understand the world visually, instead of being restricted to words. Visual thinking helps children learn other subjects and is a skill used in a wide variety of professions, including the Sciences as well as the Arts.

It also children to explore and test out ideas with their pictures, developing problem solving (such as how to represent a 3D object in 2D form; which information to include and which to leave out of a picture etc.). This in turn develops concentration and tenacity.

Expressive Arts education encourages children to observe much more closely, and makes them better observers of detail in the world around them.

Finally, creativity within the Expressive Art helps foster educational independence and also ownership of something that is entirely theirs, without it having to be judged by others.

Opportunities

Each year Marlcliffe holds a whole school Expressive Arts event, usually at the end of the summer term. Activities include Art, D.T., Music, Drama and Dance.  

Indeed, many links are made with the local community, such as Young Voices (choir), Sheffield Young Artist of the year, local sports coaching and 'Active Archie' (local sports events). 

All Year Four children are given free tuition in the clarinet, and can carry these lessons on in future years if they so wish. 

Pupil Premium children are offered extra sporting opportunites, free music tuition and extra swimming coaching.

 

 

If you require additional information about the school's curriculum please speak to your child's class teacher or contact the school office.

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Marcliffe Primary School
Marlcliffe Primary School
Marlcliffe Road
Sheffield
S6 4AJ
Main Contact:Steph Hanson, School Manager