Four Oaks Primary School

At Four Oaks, we have always prided ourselves in providing opportunities for our children that they would not necessarily have an opportunity to experience. This could be for a variety of reasons such as cost or something that families may not have considered before. We want to open up our children’s horizons, encourage them to try many new and varied experiences so they can make informed choices about what they would like to explore in more depth and also to give them the confidence to try other new ventures.   We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up enabled to believe in a ‘I can’ attitude. We want them to embody our core values: we all “strive to be the best we can be”.

There is a broad and balanced curriculum. Children’s experience of culture and the arts in not limited by their socio-economic background. We want to equip pupils with not only the minimum statutory requirements of the National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. Please see examples and pupils’ quotes for each subject area. Pupils have a good understanding of our ‘Golden [British] Values’ which is at the heart of everything we do and this prepares them well for life in Britain.

Pupils’ enjoyment of learning is of paramount importance. Four Oaks is justly proud of its extensive curriculum. It is proud that pupils are happy and confident in their work. Our ethos is that children should be encouraged to enjoy learning in a secure environment and that, in primary school, it is the development of an enquiring mind, leading to positive academic progress, which is particularly important. Four Oaks Primary School is well resourced with outstanding facilities. Pupils say that they believe that the environment and the resources available to them, including visiting speakers and teachers, play a significant part in enhancing their enjoyment of lessons. We enrich the children’s time in our school with memorable experiences and provide opportunities which may otherwise be out of reach. We firmly believe that developing well rounded, lifelong learners is not just about what happens in the classroom, it is about the added value we offer that will really inspire our children.

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. Subject matter and skills can be revisited. We believe that by crafting our curriculum this way, we improve the potential for our children to retain what they have been taught, to alter their long-term memory and thus improve the rates of progress they make. 

The curriculum at Four Oaks Primary School is based upon the 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England, which provides a broad framework and outlines the knowledge and skills taught in each Key Stage. Teachers plan lessons based on both the required curriculum coverage and the children’s interests. A variety of teaching approaches are used based on teacher judgement, ensuring progression of knowledge and skills from year group to year group. Cross curricular opportunities often provide opportunities to enhance the learning of all pupils through investigations, analysing sources, writing extended pieces, etc.

An assessment timetable for Reading, Writing and Mathematics is in place for summative assessment. How confidently pupils have grasped individual skills are analysed. This information is used to track progress and plan next steps which may include revisiting particular concepts.

For other subjects, the teachers complete tracking documents which detail any pupils who have not fully grasped a concept or skill. It is not uncommon for there to be a nil return or a very small number of pupils listed. Any pupil who has not confidently grasped a skill or knowledge will be supported through one or more of the following interventions:

Through purposeful monitoring, evaluation and assessment, we ensure that children’s learning follows the coherent learning sequences that we have planned in all areas of our curriculum. Children develop core knowledge and skills in all subjects and apply these skills learnt in other aspects of life and learning. They achieve well, fulfilling their potential and are fully prepared for the next stage in their education journey. Children read widely and often, with fluency and comprehension. 

We use assessment to judge the impact of our curriculum on children’s progress and attainment.  In order to effectively plan the next steps in a child’s educational journey, both summative and formative assessments play a part in identifying what knowledge and skills children have mastered and any gaps in their learning that need addressing.  Summative assessment data is collected at key points in the year and provides information about the impact of our curriculum on children’s progress and attainment. The way summative assessment data is collected varies between the core and foundation subjects: 

Summative assessment data is collected at key points in the year and provides information about the impact of our curriculum on children’s progress and attainment. The way summative assessment data is collected varies between the core and foundation subjects: 

• English and Maths summative assessment and data collections are completed three times a year. These assessments are recorded as standardised test scores generated by the NFER termly tests and mock SATs papers in Year 2 and Year 6. Analysis of assessments helps to inform next steps in learning.  
• Foundation subjects and science assessments are completed at the end of a unit of work. Judgements are recorded on separate templates for each subject area. Only children who have not achieved the objectives for the unit of work are identified on foundation subject trackers. If a child does not appear in the tracker, then they have been identified as working at the expected standard in that unit of work.

Assessing for Greater depth in the Foundation Subjects and Science: Children can only be assessed as working at GD for skills, not knowledge.  In subjects such as PE/MFL the judgement of GD will be verified by a ‘specialist teacher’ (e.g. sports coach or language specialist) who will be invited to observe a child complete a particular skill.  

For other subjects, a colleague, such as the subject leader(s), will be consulted for a ‘second opinion’ when judging a child as working at GD within their subject area (e.g. history/ science etc.). This moderation of work between the class teacher and subject leader allows children who are working at GD to be identified accurately.

Assessment Policy