Curriculum-Gallery (ID 1011)

• Art and Design
  Art and Design

  At Bramley Oak Academy, it is evident that the subject of Art and Design pose increasing benefits in all aspects of children’s four major areas of development. This in turn has positive impacts with their academic achievements, whilst meeting individual SEMH (Social Emotional Mental Health) needs. Children at Bramley Oak are able to freely explore and express their ideas, in order to be inquisitive and modern day learners.

  As a school, we encourage children to explore and develop their creative enquires through an array of mediums and practical learning such as the intention of inspiring unique final pieces. Art and design lessons at Bramley Oak stretch children’s thinking and decision making skills, empowering our children to express their thoughts, feelings and understanding that meet their cognitive and SEMH needs. Bramley Oak are guided by Kapow Primary scheme of work, to enhance and develop our planning, progression and expertise within our art and design curriculum. We have adapted and sequenced our learning in order to meet the needs of every child to ensure success. Art and design is taught as a discreet subject and sequenced throughout the year to ensure that children have opportunities to revisit learning, whilst making connections to past and present learning, such as Outdoor Learning, PSHE or PE.

  Implementation

  Bramley Oak’s art and design curriculum is aligned with the National Curriculum. Each topic is taught in a block rotation, which encourages children to learn at a controlled pace; promoting development of new knowledge and skills within the topic block. The different strands in each unit generate a variety of skills and knowledge; motivating children to present skills using an array of mediums (such as photography, live art and sculpting), whilst referring to artistic influences relevant to the skill in hand. All units are adapted to ensure pupils can access age-appropriate content regardless of their academic levels to build and sustain high engagement, whilst providing appropriate challenges within the subject content. Key learning and vocabulary are tailored in order to support children in their acquisition of knowledge and retrieval practice; supporting and promoting with independence and individuality.

  Impact

  The impact of our curriculum leads to pupils being able to explore and express their ideas both practically and verbally. Pupils are involved in and are expressing their evaluation, dialogue and decision making about the quality of their outcomes and the improvements they need to make. This supports them in making decisions and talking confidently about their learning journey, helping them develop stronger metacognitive skills. Moreover, in addition formative assessment throughout the lesson means that teachers are able to support children and provide further challenges where appropriate. Overall, through our art and design curriculum children develop their creativity, self-expression and problem-solving skills. These skills are paramount in children’s overall SEMH development and wellbeing. The curriculum provides a space for all students to enhance their personal growth and self confidence in a curriculum where there is no right answer. This encouragement of expression improves the student’s confidence to engage across all subjects.

• Computing
  ,
  Computing

  Computing at Bramley Oak Academy intends to develop inquisitive thinkers and problem solvers through the Purple Mash Curriculum. As pupils progress through the curriculum we support their development in understanding the advantages and disadvantages associated with online experiences, we want children to develop as respectful, responsible and confident users of technology, aware of measures that can be taken to keep themselves and others safe online.

  Implementation

  Our scheme of work for Computing is adapted from the ‘Purple Mash’ Curriculum and is broken into 3 strands: computer science, information technology and digital literacy. This allows pupils to explore coding, online safety, information technology including spreadsheets, word processing, modelling, animation, presenting, databases and graphing.

  Computing is taught through the use of our iPads once a week and lessons are adapted, through formative assessment in the classroom, to ensure that all starting points enable pupils to access the curriculum. A key part of implementing our computing curriculum is to ensure that our pupils are safe online. As such we support this through PSHE and assemblies.

  Impact

  Pupils at Bramley Oak Academy are able to use technology safely. They are able to explore and creatively develop their own ideas using a range of technologies and software and find solutions to digital problems. But most importantly pupils are able to see how technology and their safe use has a place in the digital world.

• English
  English

  At Bramley Oak Academy, we want every pupil to be inspired by their love of reading and writing and equipped with the skills necessary to clearly express their thoughts, feelings and ideas in speaking and writing. We aim to consistently revisit and review prior knowledge and provide opportunities for pupils to practice skills to ensure they are securely embedded and that pupils are engaged and curious about their next English lesson.

  The teaching of all aspects of English is a priority across the curriculum. We promote speaking and listening opportunities so that pupils build their confidence in basic language skills to enable them to communicate effectively, preparing them for their future journey through education and beyond. A language-rich environment enables the children to access all areas of the school curriculum through a specialist understanding of vocabulary in each subject area.

  Our English curriculum ensures explicit teaching of *spelling, grammar and handwriting so that children leave Bramley Oak Academy with a legible and consistent handwriting style, the ability to spell more confidently, able to make phonetically plausible attempts at new words and able to use grammar techniques to enhance their writing.

  Our intentions:

  • To ensure that every child becomes a reader, writer, and confident speaker.
  • To inspire in each child a love of language, reading, writing, and high-quality literature.
  • To provide an English Curriculum that is sequenced progressively and cumulatively to develop the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

  Implementation

  Our English Curriculum is packed with high quality books to engage all pupils; provide rich, memorable learning experiences and creative approaches. It is progressive, but mindful of previously acquired skills, as well as gaps in learning. We use the Power of Reading (PoR) developed by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) to support our planning, which places literature at the heart of the learning and is built on many years of research and best practice. This approach develops reading comprehension, writing composition, development in vocabulary and language, and fosters a whole school love of reading and writing. English units of work last between 1 and 2 weeks and are centred on a high quality text. Pupils are given the opportunity to practice writing in a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres across the year and this spiral approach to writing means children revisit learning, including grammar, which in turn builds their confidence and fills their gaps in understanding.

  Our curriculum has a common thread of high-quality vocabulary. We introduce key vocabulary throughout the week in each subject area, when appropriate, which supports their language development. These words are shared in advance through our half termly curriculum maps which are sent home at the start of term. Specifically in English, the vocabulary chosen links to the genre of writing or the text being studied. This then further supports each child’s reading and writing progression and understanding. Any language gaps identified, or language needs and disorders stated in a pupil’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are support through a range of strategies and approaches across the school. These needs are supported by 1:1 SALT intervention, specific teaching of vocabulary, the use of success criteria to break down steps and expectations into smaller manageable instructions, movement breaks, the management of cognitive load, over learning and interleaved learning for success and building confidence.

  We teach Grammar discreetly at the start of English lessons for our pupils to develop their knowledge and vocabulary. This grammar teaching links to the genre of writing being studied as well as gaps in children’s understanding shown during formative assessment. The learning for this is then incorporated within the English lesson which follows, by modelling its use when discussing the genre of writing and the model text. This is to give our pupils the opportunity to practise their skills in a meaningful and contextualised way.

  Spoken language is of high importance so that children leave Bramley Oak Academy being able to verbalise their ideas, opinions and feelings confidently. To develop speaking and listening, we use a range of forms included in the PoR scheme. This takes many forms, such as drama, balanced arguments (debate) and performance (for example, when studying poetry or when studying different aspects of History).

  Handwriting is taught explicitly each day at Bramley Oak Academy, using the Nelson handwriting scheme. When a child joins Bramley Oak Academy, their handwriting is formatively assessed so that they are accurately supported in their letter formation development and/or their joined handwriting style. Writing resources used across the curriculum have been chosen to further support their handwriting development in each subject.

  *Spelling will be taught using the RWI Spelling scheme from September 2023. Explicit spelling teaching will be given to those pupils who are accessing the Accelerated Reader scheme of Reading, including common exception words and spelling rules linking to their academic ability. Pupils accessing the RWI Phonics scheme are taught spelling during their discrete phonics sessions each day.

  Impact

  The pupils at Bramley Oak Academy are empowered with the confidence in their English understanding and the application of their skill. Pupils are able to express their thinking clearly using correct grammatical knowledge and clear handwriting and correct spelling. By focusing on spoken language they can articulate themselves clearly and this supports their ability to formulate opinions, confidently discuss, question and explore literature and texts. This we believe will have life changing impact on their future successes.

• Geography
  Geography

  Intent

  At Bramley Oak Academy, our Geography curriculum:

  • harnesses children’s natural curiosity in the world around them
  • fosters a love of learning through engaging and meaningful lessons
  • equips students with the appropriate geographical knowledge and skills to have an awareness and understanding of their place in the world
  • prepares students to be well rounded world citizens with a strong sense of identity and respect for diversity, culture and the environment

  Implementation

  At Bramley Oak Academy we teach the National Curriculum through a programme that is adapted to meet the needs of our learners. This includes:

  • Multisensory, immersive and practical learning experiences that are meaningful and contextual for students to ensure high levels of engagement and learning. This includes the use of resources, technology, the school grounds and trips into the local area and beyond.
  • Allowing students to access the lesson content and to show their learning in a range of ways in line with their EHCPs and Special Educational Needs.
  • The use of Rising Stars Geography to support progression of skills and knowledge across topics and year groups.
  • Teaching students how to ask and answer questions that encourage them to think critically about the world around them.
  • Continuously building on prior knowledge and utilising opportunities for retrieval and repetition.
  • Regular formative assessment which informs the direction of the learning.
  • Clear learning intentions taught in small, manageable steps to reduce cognitive overload.
  • Utilising the special interests of the students to increase engagement and desire to learn.
  • Teaching geography half termly (alternating with history) to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum.
  • Adaptations that take into consideration differing abilities in reading, writing and Maths and remove these as barriers.

  Impact

  The impact of our well adapted curriculum is that all students are able to make progress in geography during their time at Bramley Oak Academy. Teachers feel confident and skilled at planning and delivering the content of the Geography National Curriculum, with the support of Rising Stars Geography, in a way that is well suited and adapted to our learners. Regular use of formative assessment and retrieval practice, means teachers are able to support pupils responsively and fill gaps in their knowledge, or to explore in further depth where appropriate, across all stages of the National Curriculum despite the chronological age of the learner.

• History
  History

  Intent

  At Bramley Oak Academy, our history curriculum:

  • harnesses children’s natural curiosity in the world around them
  • fosters a love of learning through engaging and meaningful lessons
  • equips students with a chronological awareness of the past and how it has impacted the present day
  • prepares students to be well rounded world citizens who are culturally aware and able to think critically about world history

  Implementation

  At Bramley Oak Academy we teach the National Curriculum through a programme that is adapted to meet the needs of our learners. This includes:

  • Multisensory, immersive and practical learning experiences that are meaningful and contextual for students to ensure high levels of engagement and learning. This includes the use of resources, artefacts, historical sources, technology, the school grounds and trips into the local area and beyond.
  • Allowing students to access the lesson content and to show their learning in a range of ways in line with their EHCPs and Special Educational Needs.
  • The use of Rising Stars History to support progression of skills and knowledge across topics and year groups.
  • Teaching students how to ask and answer questions that encourage them to think critically about the history of their country and the wider world.
  • Continuously building on prior knowledge and utilising opportunities for retrieval and repetition.
  • Regular formative assessment which informs the direction of the learning.
  • Clear learning intentions taught in small, manageable steps to reduce cognitive overload.
  • Utilising the special interests of the students to increase engagement and desire to learn.
  • Teaching history half termly (alternating with geography) to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum.
  • Adaptations that take into consideration differing abilities in reading, writing and Maths and remove these as barriers.

  Impact

  The impact of our well adapted curriculum is that all students are able to make progress in history during their time at Bramley Oak Academy. Teachers feel confident and skilled at planning and delivering the content of the History National Curriculum, with the support of Rising Stars History, in a way that is well suited and adapted to our learners. Regular use of formative assessment and retrieval practice, means teachers are able to support pupils responsively and fill gaps in their knowledge, or to explore in further depth where appropriate, across all stages of the National Curriculum despite the chronological age of the learner.

• Mathematics
  Mathematics

  Intent

  At Bramley Oak Academy we want our pupil to be enthused and empowered by mathematics; to see the value and importance of it and be able to apply it in our everyday world. We aim for our pupils to be confident mathematicians who are fluent in recall of number facts and mathematical procedures. To be able to understand concepts which allow them to reason and problem solve in a range of contexts using mathematical vocabulary. To develop a love of mathematics by giving them the opportunity to develop perseverance and a positive mind-set leading to resilient learners where they embrace challenge and have confidence to use the mathematical knowledge and skills they have learned.

  Implementation

  At Bramley Oak, we continue to adapt our curriculum with the principles of teaching and pedagogy and our pupils at the forefront of our minds. We follow the White Rose Maths scheme and have adopted the Yorkshire Maths Hub scheme of learning for mixed age teaching. This enables us to successfully link topics and offer all pupils the opportunity to learn, revise, embed and challenge concepts. We understand that our pupils need maximum opportunities to over learn and so our adapted scheme gives them this time. We break down areas of the mathematics curriculum so that there are occasions for going back to prior topics, this means that pupil who have secured their understanding in a particular year are exposed to and are working at an appropriate level to challenge and maintain progress. All year groups work within the same Maths topic so that pupil do not miss opportunities as they make progress.

  Maths lessons are adapted by teachers to give adequate time for retrieval practise of prior learning, opportunity for practising fluency through show-me boards, concrete manipulative work, and pictorial representations, think-bounce-pounce questioning, maths talk (with mathematical vocabulary modelled), deliberate mistakes and common misconceptions. This gives pupil’s confidence in their skills to process and embed knowledge and skills. Pupils are provided time to deliberately practise these skills with minimal variation to ensure understanding. Each child has exposure to reasoning and problem solving opportunities in their Maths lessons.

  Teachers have a clear knowledge and understanding of each child in their class and are able to adapt and offer support, scaffolding and challenge as appropriate. In order to engage our pupils and help them understand maths in their everyday world, we plan practical and immersive activities which complement our curriculum and give pupil the confidence to apply their learning in practically and tangibly.

  Opportunities for retrieval are built into the school. One-to-one interventions are conducted with pupil, chosen according to summative assessment, in carefully planned and focussed interventions with the Intervention Team; ensuring that pupil do not fall through the gaps and continue to make progress and attain in their learning. Pupil are assessed using both formative and summative methods. In each and every lesson, teachers use their expertise in questioning, feedback and low stakes activities (such as exit cards) to assess a child’s understanding and as a result; teaching is adapted to scaffold or challenge moving forward. Feedback is given in the moment.

  Impact

  Pupils at Bramley Oak Academy are able to use a range of strategies and resources to support their learning and make good progress from their individual starting points; closing the gaps in their learning and pushing forward in their attainment. Bramley Oak learners will be confident in their abilities, resilient and receptive to challenge in their learning and develop their self-esteem in their ability and attitude towards mathematics and their wider school experience.

• Music
  Music

  At Bramley Oak, we understand the importance Music can have in the personal development of our pupils. Music has a positive impact on children's mental well-being, and plays a vital role in the development of their minds and creativity which supports their academic achievements. Pupils who are happy and creative are better prepared to find success in their learning, whilst being able to concentrate better, explore and express ideas and be inquisitive learners.

  We encourage our pupils to be creative, explore new ideas, and develop the confidence to experiment using instruments and technology to inspire. We want music lessons at Bramley Oak to encourage our pupils to take risks, explore and experiment, and understand the process leading to a final product. We encourage curiosity and we utilise questioning in the journey to ultimately helping every pupil secure new understanding, vocabulary, skills and ideas.

  Our music teachers from Surrey Arts have a coherently planned and sequenced curriculum adapted to the needs of every child at Bramley Oak, encompassing the child-centred learning approach that we strive for within our culture and curriculum. Music is taught as a discrete subject in half-termly sequences twice a year to each class.​

  Implementation

  At Bramley, our Music curriculum is aligned with the KS1 and some elements of the KS2 National Curriculum and taught to ensure that they have opportunities to use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes through solfege and developing an understanding of the elements of pitch and rhythm. We enable the pupils to experiment with various instruments and Garageband to explore tuned and untuned instrumental sounds. They use these skills to combine sounds and explore music skills creatively through music composition and beat making. Our music teachers from Surrey Arts promote the subject's enjoyment by creating opportunities to build on learnt skills whilst drawing on various musical influences.

  Musical vocabulary is a critical component of music lessons and is explored using instruments and musical pieces to secure understanding. We ensure all units are adapted to ensure pupils can access age-appropriate content regardless of their literacy levels to build and sustain high engagement and appropriate challenge of the subject content. These detail the critical learning and vocabulary pupils will need to support them in their acquisition of knowledge and act as a retrieval practice tool, which helps with independence.

  Impact

  The impact of our curriculum leads to pupils being able to explore and express their ideas both practically and verbally. Pupils are involved in the evaluation, dialogue and decision-making about the quality of their compositions and the improvements they need to make, giving them both control and ownership over the final product. This supports them in making decisions and talking confidently about their learning journey, helping them develop more vital metacognitive skills. They will also build a more knowledgeable cultural capital as they learn about great musicians throughout time and their cultural impact. Formative assessment throughout the lesson means that teachers can support pupils and provide further challenges where appropriate and evaluation at the end of the learning.

• Physical Education
  Physical Education

  At Bramley Oak we know that physical activity has a positive impact on children’s mental well-being as well as their physical health and this has a positive impact on their academic achievements. Pupils who are happy and healthy will find learning easier, be able to concentrate better, have more energy, and because of this, PE and extra-curricular sports clubs is held in high regard at Bramley Oak Academy.

  Our PE curriculum is thoughtfully planned and delivered to ensure that every pupil develops the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to succeed and enjoy taking part. Through our PE lessons, pupils will learn how physical activity can help them to stay healthy and they also learn what healthy means. We aim for our pupils to develop the lifelong skills and enjoyment of physical activity, sport, and games so that they can live a healthy and active life, both now and in the future.

  Implementation

  Pupils are taught once a week in class groups, the key skills needed and given plenty of opportunities to practice and enjoy taking part in a wide range of sports throughout the year, including football, basketball, swimming, tennis, athletics, gymnastics and cricket.

  Our PE curriculum provides pupils with opportunities to explore the fundamental skills of movement, balance, coordination and agility. Lessons are carefully adapted to provide the right level of challenge for all pupils and enable all pupils to fully participate, make good progress whilst enjoying developing new skills. We use Complete PE as a foundation for our planning. This is then thoughtfully adapted and personalised for each class. This programme supports our pupils as they are able to access and watch tutorial mini clips of children demonstrating skills before the key learning message is adapted and modelled by staff, supporting pupils in their confidence to have a go and try new things.

  We endeavour to reinforce our core values of WORLD through our teaching of PE as pupils are encouraged and supported to Work together and be Optimistic as they develop their resilience and self-regulation, particularly when learning to deal with competition in a healthy way. We support our pupils to be creative, work collaboratively and be competitive in order that they take measured risks and challenge themselves to achieve their goals. In this way, we equally celebrate individual success and teamwork, endeavour, and achievement.

  Pupils are provided with competitive opportunities throughout the year in PE lessons and our end of year Sports Day, which is supported by parents. Throughout the year we take part in a range of activities to enhance our PE curriculum, including climbing at Craggy Island, swimming, football and basketball clubs. This enhances strength and co-ordination enabling pupils to implement new skills whilst taking measured risk taking.

  Impact

  Pupils are able to develop skills and confidence in new sports whilst taking great pleasure in being physically active. PE helps our pupils develop an understanding of how to take part and be in a team, such that they can evaluate when they make a decision how it can best support the team. Our aim is for all children to leave Bramley Oak Academy with a genuine love of physical activity, and the knowledge that keeping their bodies and minds fit and healthy can have a big impact upon sense of self.

• PSHE
  PSHE

  At Bramley Oak, our PSHE education is a planned programme of learning though which pupils acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives now and in the future as individuals. Our aim is for the pupils to develop an understanding of how their actions affect others, that people may behave differently and that they must demonstrate empathy for all, as well as the British Values of The Rule of Law, Individual Liberty and Respect and Tolerance. We want our pupils to be able to make healthy choices and take responsibility for their actions. This is embedded through our core values.

  The PSHE curriculum is designed to increase our pupils’ self-confidence and aspirations by reflecting on the growth they have already made. By accessing PSHE they will be able to identify what makes them an individual, their strengths, skills, and abilities and how they can establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle and look after their physical and mental wellbeing. The new skills pupils learn will support them in developing their understating and empathy for others and self-regulation strategies within Bramley Oak and onto their next phase of education.

  Implementation

  At Bramley oak we follow the SCARF progression produced by Coram Life Education. SCARF (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship) is a scheme of learning consisting of modules which run through the year and every class follows the same topic at the same time. These topics consist include, Me and My Relationships, Keeping Safe, Rights and Respect, Being my Best, Growing and Changing.

  At the beginning of every topic, pupils complete a pre assessment which they will repeat at the end of the half term. This demonstrates the progress in the depth of understanding throughout the block of learning. Pupils capture their learning journey in their PSHE books or Tapestry, although the majority of the learning is about the experience, discussion and reflection.

  The lessons use a variety of approaches such as role play, discussion, debate, and games. Key vocabulary is introduced in every lesson and supported by knowledge organisers, also containing key questions to enhance progress in this subject area. PSHE activities are designed to facilitate opportunities to develop confidence and resilience as well as communication and collaboration skills. Although we teach PSHE as a discreet subject, every pupil’s social and emotional development is intrinsic to our everyday communications and interactions. Relationships and Health Education (RHE) is an integral part of the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) curriculum.

  Impact

  The impact of the curriculum can be demonstrated through pupils talking confidently about their learning experiences and values. Through carefully planned and resourced lessons, PSHE develops our pupils’ cultural capital by improving their knowledge, skills and attributes needed to protect and enhance their wellbeing. Through PSHE, pupils at Bramley Oak learn how to stay safe and healthy, build and maintain successful relationships and become active citizens, responsibly participating in the society around them. Pupils will have the opportunities to create personal understanding while exploring and challenging a range of ideas.

• Reading and Phonics
  Reading and Phonics

  At Bramley Oak Academy, we strive to support all children to become fluent, lifelong readers by empowering them to use a range of skills to support themselves in accessing this important life skill with confidence. We endeavour to provide all children with a variety of opportunities to listen to and read high-quality texts, be exposed to a language rich environment and enjoy reading for pleasure.

  Implementation

  Reading for Pleasure and reading experiences

  At Bramley Oak Academy we feel strongly that children should hear a high-quality text read to them each day by their teacher. Pupils in all classes have daily access to high quality story time which ensures that reading is correctly modelled to children, as well as giving them the opportunity to discuss content and to enjoy being read to. Pupil voice is key, as the class share their views and interests to aid the selection of these books. These sessions include a ‘Myon’ recorded story and a story read by an adult from the class.

  Each half term, each class is provided with a number of non-fiction texts linking to the class Science and Humanities topics. These are displayed in each classroom and children are encouraged to read these texts to support their cross-curricular learning. Every class has an engaging book corner which is filled with books for pleasure, AR books or phonics books and a ‘familiar book box’ to support the children’s confidence with reading. Children visit the school library to change their books and classes are timetabled to visit this space weekly, which further supports the children’s engagement with reading for pleasure.

  Throughout the school year, the importance of reading is enhanced through assemblies, competitions, World Book Day and book bag raffle ticket collections in order to support the growing reading culture at Bramley Oak Academy.

  Reading schemes

  At Bramley Oak Academy, all pupils complete a phonics placement assessment upon entry. We use the Read, Write, Inc Phonics scheme followed by the Accelerated Reader scheme once a child has completed the phonics programme. Read, Write, Inc provides a highly effective approach to decoding print. Phonics is taught in structured daily lessons to children who have been assessed as needing the scheme.We follow the programme progression, using the high-quality resources and books and adhering to the mantras, which make the programme what it is. We adapted and personalised the implementation of this scheme to ensure that we meet the needs of the individual readers in our school. Following the programme in this way enables us to be confident that we are providing an effective systematic synthetic approach to the teaching of Phonics across the school.During Phonics sessions, children access and read fully decodable Read, Write Inc books, which give them an opportunity to practice their decoding, prosody and comprehension skills where appropriate. They implement their new learning straight away by being presented with opportunities to practise using the sound to read and write words, phrases or sentences as appropriate.

  Pupils who have passed the Phonics assessments are assessed using Star Reader. Star Reader supports pupils in selecting an appropriately challenging book within their Z-Code range using Accelerated Reader (AR). Pupils will complete a quiz upon completing an AR book, providing further opportunities for comprehension practice. Pupils take home a matched AR book and a book for pleasure and are also able to access Myon from school or home. Myon is an online library with access to over 7000 books; pupils can use Myon to read a matched AR book or a book for pleasure which can become accessible through the inbuilt audio feature

  Pupils’ progress is continually reviewed to allow planning for gaps and interventions to ensure that there is sufficient challenge available for those who are ready to progress sooner. The National Phonics screening check is performed in June for pupils in Year 1, this is also an opportunity for a recheck for pupils in Year 2 who did not pass the previous year. The purpose of the screening check is to confirm that pupils have learnt phonic decoding to an age-appropriate standard. Parents are invited in to discuss the Phonics screening check at the start of the summer term and to develop an understanding of how they can support their children at home in advance of this, the appropriateness of this check for each pupil will be assessed by the school and this process will be overseen by the Head of School. If the check is not suitable for a pupil, this will be discussed with the parent or carer.

  VIPERS Comprehension

  At BRAMLEY OAK ACADEMY, we use VIPERS (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explaining, Retrieval and Sequencing/Summarising) to ensure that we are asking our pupils a broad range of questions to support our pupils in developing a range of comprehension skills including those that require deeper and profound thinking. These question stems are used by staff and sent home as a resource for parents to use to further support with home reading.

  Home reading

  We carefully monitor pupils’ reading at home and encourage parents to be active and engaged with us to support their child’s ongoing development. Pupils take home a book which either matches their reading ability which could include a familiar phonics book or a book linked to their AR Z-Code or a book which sparks their interest that they would like to share with someone at home. At Bramley Oak Academy we hold termly Reading Support Workshops, where parents are invited in to discuss how reading is taught in school and how parents can support the development of their child’s reading at home, through practice and the use of our home reading resources. We also set up an information station during Academic Review Day (ARD) where a member of the reading team will be able to share resources, answer questions and provide the support our parents need to be able to be confident in helping their children learn to read at home. There are incentives for children bringing in their book bags and for reading at home to further motivate our pupils.

  Impact

  Through the phonics scheme, pupils learn the importance of being able to read. This is supported by class stories, home and individual reading. Using VIPERS, pupils are able to find their voice, formulate opinions and are able to confidently discuss, question and explore literature and texts. This affords them the opportunities to use these skills across the curriculum, ultimately having a true impact on their life and future success.

• Religious Studies
  Religious Studies

  At Bramley Oak Academy, our Religious Education curriculum:

  • Harnesses children’s natural curiosity in the world around them
  • Fosters a love of learning through engaging and meaningful lessons
  • Equips students with the appropriate knowledge and understanding of the world’s largest religions and how they shape their followers’ values, beliefs and ways of life
  • Prepares students to be culturally, spiritually and morally aware, respectful and well-rounded world citizens

  Parents have the legal right to withdraw their child from all or part of Religious Education (RE), as set out in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Parents do not need to give a reason for requesting withdrawal. Any request should be made in writing to the Headteacher. The school will invite parents to discuss the aims and content of the RE curriculum to ensure an informed decision but the school must comply with all withdrawal requests. If a pupil is withdrawn from RE, the school will provide appropriate supervision though it is not required to provide alternative teaching. Parents should note that aspects of religion or belief may arise in other curriculum areas from which there is no right of withdrawal.

  Implementation

  At Bramley Oak Academy students will progressively study the core beliefs, traditions, values and customs of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism. This includes:

  • Multisensory and immersive learning experiences that are meaningful and contextual for students to ensure high levels of engagement and learning. This includes the use of art, music, cookery, artefacts, storytelling, theatre and a range of technology.
  • Allowing students to access the lesson content and to show their learning in a range of ways in line with their EHCPs and Special Educational Needs.
  • Teaching students how to ask and answer questions that encourage them to think critically about religion and its impact on the world.
  • Half termly RE Days which immerse students in the learning.
  • Continuously building on prior knowledge and utilising opportunities for retrieval and repetition.
  • Clear learning intentions taught in small, manageable steps to reduce cognitive overload.
  • Adaptations that take into consideration differing abilities in reading, writing and Maths and remove these as barriers.

  Impact

  The impact of our well adapted RE curriculum is that all students are able to access an education in the world’s largest religions during their time at Bramley Oak Academy. Teachers feel confident and skilled at planning and delivering a Religious Education in a way that is well suited and adapted to our learners.

• Science
  Science

  Our science curriculum encourages our pupils to ask questions and supports them in discovering ways to work scientifically to seek their answers. We want our children to be ambitious and connect with science and see how science fits into everyday life and different professions.

  We encourage our pupils to understand that scientific questions can be answered in different ways and that we all continue learning no matter how much experience we have. We want our pupils to remember their science lessons as Bramley Oak, we aim to achieve this by providing practical hands-on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning and to help every pupil secure and extend their scientific knowledge and vocabulary. We use Switched on Science by Rising Stars as a base for our planning and progression and draw on the expertise within this scheme.

  Our aim is that the learning experiences we provide help our pupils to secure and extend their scientific knowledge and vocabulary. We have a coherently planned and sequenced curriculum which has been designed and developed with the need of every child at the centre of what we do. Science is taught as a discrete subject and sequenced throughout the year to ensure that children have opportunities to revisit learning across different contexts and make links with prior learning, for example at Forest School or Outdoor Learning, in PE, PSHE, or in STEAM projects. We want to equip our children so that they are prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of later life.

  Implementation

  At Bramley, our science curriculum is aligned with the National Curriculum. Our topics are taught in blocks to allow our pupils the time and space to develop their knowledge and skills and study each unit in depth. Our curriculum is progressive and is designed to allow pupils to build on prior knowledge.

  Our teachers promote enjoyment of the subject by creating opportunities for as much hands on experience as possible where our pupils can explore, question, predict, plan, carry out investigations and observations as well as conclude their findings. Our pupils learn to present their findings and learning in a range of ways, using subject specific vocabulary.

  Cross curricular links are carefully planned, for example, presenting findings in a digital format using technology; consolidating mathematical skills of Venn diagrams, charts, and graphs; taking accurate and timed measurements of capacity, mass or temperature etc using a range of instruments. Literacy is also a key component of science; however, we use effective differentiation to ensure that pupils can access age-appropriate content regardless of their literacy levels to build and sustain high engagement and appropriate challenge of the subject content.

  Retrieval practice at the start of every session provides opportunity for pupils to need to keep remembering key knowledge and vocabulary; these retrieval practice opportunities also enable pupils to see how what they are learning now connects to prior learning in different topics. We provide our pupils with knowledge organisers at the start of every topic; these detail the key learning and vocabulary pupils will need to support them in their acquisition of knowledge and act as a retrieval practice tool, which supports with independence.

  We enhance our teaching of science with additional opportunities for enrichment and engagement, for example with British Science Week (BSW). During BSW, our pupils will enjoy a week packed with investigations, research and experiments, pupils will enter competitions and take part in enrichment visits to local science centres. We will end this week with a big event, where we will also invite families in to enjoy the wonders of the exciting scientific performance.

  Intended Impact

  The impact of our curriculum leads to pupils knowing more and remembering more. Pupils are more confident to engage in this area of the curriculum and are curious about the natural world, pupils ask questions and are curious. Assessment throughout the lesson means that teachers are able to support pupils and provide further challenge where appropriate and assessment at the end of the learning using our assessment tracker tool means that any gaps in learning will be identified and used to inform further planning. Our pupils develop an understanding that Science is all around us and that discoveries and research change and improve lives every day.

  How Parents and Carers can support at home

  Here are some useful websites you can access at home to support and extend science learning:

  Key stage 1

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z6svr82

  Key stage 2

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z2pfb9q

  All children:

  https://wowscience.co.uk/

  This website allows you to search by key stage and area of science for interactive games and activities online.

  https://www.topmarks.co.uk/