Curriculum
We encourage higher expectations through higher levels of support
Excellent teaching is at the core of our pupils’ success and our teaching staff benefit from the expertise and support of the Coventry and Central Warwickshire Teaching School Hub hosted at our sponsor school, Lawrence Sheriff School.
We deliver adaptive, Quality First Teaching (QFT) that encourages higher expectations through higher levels of support for all pupils to succeed and includes personalising learning to the individual needs of pupils, strategies to support the learning of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and a robust tracking and monitoring system.
The curriculum builds on the national curriculum but adds depth, breadth and enrichment, and nurtures a love of learning at every opportunity. We aim to broaden pupils’ knowledge and experience, increase pupils’ abilities to learn for themselves, build self-esteem and self-management and promote the development of good relationships. Central to our philosophy is a desire that pupils are happy and enjoy their time at school and a highly enriching curriculum is a fundamental way in which we seek to achieve this aim.
The Griffin Primary’s Curriculum Intent:
What we want for your children by the time they leave The Griffin Primary School
The Griffin Primary’s Curriculum:
At The Griffin Primary School, we provide a knowledge-rich and knowledge-engaged curriculum based around the Cornerstones Curriculum.
Our Phonics Scheme:
At The Griffin Primary School, we follow the validated systematic synthetic phonics programme ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised.’ Children have daily phonics sessions, following the Little Wandle progression, from Autumn term in Reception. This continues daily through Year 1 and then Year 2 children will have revision as necessary. This progression is based on ongoing assessment and also the Phonics Screening Check at the end of Year 1.
Children learn 4 new phonemes and their corresponding graphemes each week. On Friday they review the week’s learning to help build their fluency. This teach and review cycle continues throughout the scheme so that the children are always reviewing their learning. Half-termly assessments will take place through Reception and Year 1 to help inform future teaching and identify any children that may need some extra support. Daily assessment for learning takes place to help us quickly identify children that need additional ‘keep up’ sessions, so that we can offer immediate support rather than waiting until the end of term. If your child is part of an additional ‘keep up’ session, it will be a few minutes during an afternoon where they will play a game or review some graphemes or words that they need support with. We will let you know if there is anything we would like to you support with at home.
We hold a Phonics evening in September for Reception Parents to take you through the scheme, how we teach in school and how you can support at home. As this is an essential part of your child’s learning we would like to see as many parents attending as possible and so will run a hybrid meeting – in the school and also remotely.
There is a lot of support for parents through this programme and so for support with any aspect eg. the pronunciation of the phonemes taught, please see the videos in the ‘parents’ section of the Little Wandle website.
Parents’ Section of Little Wandle
Our Early Reading:
Little Wandle also provides fabulous books for your children to read. They will work on these during reading sessions on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in school. These sessions will focus on decoding (the ability to apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including knowledge of letter patterns, to correctly pronounce written words), prosidy (reading with expression – widely considered to be one of the hallmarks of the achievement of reading fluency), and comprehension (the ability to apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including knowledge of letter patterns, to correctly pronounce written words). On Thursday and Friday, the book the children have been working on in school will come home for the children to share with you and ‘show-off’ what they can read.
Children will also bring home two types of reading book each week:
A reading practice book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently and it has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading. Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.
This will come home on a Thursday, and must be returned on the following Monday.
A sharing book. In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together and you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!
There is a lot of support for parents through this programme and so for support with any aspect e.g. the pronunciation of the phonemes taught. Please see the links below for further information.
Parents’ Section of Little Wandle
LIVE MARKING
Feedback is provided at the point of teaching rather than distance marking, in line with evidence which supports this as the most effective method and which will also minimise unnecessary workloads for our staff. Children are encouraged to see feedback as an important part of the learning process and to value mistakes as a chance to make progress.
ENRICHMENT
The curriculum is enhanced with a wide range of school clubs and activities and opportunities to celebrate learning with families such as assemblies and open days. Traditional school events such as nativities, music concerts and sports days are regular features of the school year.
PASTORAL CARE
Pastoral care is of the highest quality, sustaining high levels of pupil self-esteem and well-being to maximise progress for all.
SEND
Mrs Hine is the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), working alongside the SENCO from Lawrence Sheriff School and External Consultants in Special Educational Needs to ensure that we are ready to meet the needs of all children from day one. In partnership with parents, we will work to support any child with additional needs to the best of our ability, so that they make progress within our setting.