Our Curriculum Statement 2022/23
We provide our children with engaging learning experiences as identified in our "Curriculum Overviews". The curriculum is reflective and flexible, linked to the children's needs and progress. Please see your child's Year Group webpage for up to date information and evidence of the inspiring learning in their classrooms.
Our Curriculum Rationale
At Springfield Primary School we deliver a high quality curriculum which is broad and balanced with cohesive coverage of The National Curriculum objectives. We provide a curriculum which is relevant to our children so that they can develop an understanding of themselves, the people around them, where they live, the local area and their place within the wider world.
From whatever their starting points are, our curriculum prepares pupils to build on each stage of their educational journey. The curriculum incorporates ‘Learning Launch pads’ which are themes unique to each year group but are linked and therefore allow our pupils to make connections in their learning by creating networks of knowledge and opportunities to practise key skills. We believe that all areas of our curriculum can benefit from the outdoors and we take every opportunity to move learning beyond the classroom.
Most of all, our curriculum recognises children as individuals. We want what we offer to be meaningful, engaging and inclusive so as develop enquiring minds and a deep love of learning.
Our Learning Launch Pads
Our Curriculum Intent
At Springfield Primary School, our curriculum:
The TASC Curriculum
Our History, Geography, Art and Design Technology curriculum at Springfield is organised to engage the children as active learners, developing their knowledge, subject skills as well as their self confidence and self esteem. The TASC approach is designed to make learning relevant, exciting and stimulating. It enables our pupils to ask questions, seek answers, present their findings and evaluate their learning.
What is TASC?
Thinking Actively in a Social Context. TASC is a universal, inclusive, and well proven framework for teaching, problem-solving and thinking skills. Developed by Belle Wallace (from 1980 ff.), the TASC Framework is in line with what neuroscience tells us about how the brain works, and, consequently, how all children (and adults!) learn.
Why does Springfield use TASC?
· It promotes inclusive learning
· Delivers the Every Child Matters government agenda
· Expands and improve provision for Gifted and Talented pupils
· Inspires creativity and develops cross-curricular problem-solving
· Improves Assessment for Learning
TASC provides teachers with a framework that supports pupil thinking and creative problem-solving. It also creates confident, creative, independent learners. It is not another initiative. It can be used to structure the work the children are doing to help children achieve.
Does TASC work with all children?
TASC works across all subjects, ages and cultures and is gender neutral. TASC gives less able children a framework for their thinking and allows gifted children to ‘fly’. It has been used to help under-achieving schools turn themselves round, works with pupils of all ages from Nursery children to A Level students and adult learners.
What are the principles of using TASC?
The principles of TASC are the principles of good learning:
· We think best when we are relaxed, reflective and working with our hands. Many of us like to share our thinking but we may sometimes want to develop an idea on our own.
· Thinking is not a linear process. Expert thinkers are flexible and resilient, so you can jump from segment to segment of the TASC Wheel, miss stages out, revisit previous segments or work in a different order.
· You are allowed to think whatever you want, so you can’t be wrong. You may wish to rethink as you go, refining and adapting ideas. You may use other people’s ideas and piggy-back your own thinking onto them.
Maths Curriculum
Maths at Springfield teaches for mastery, using a range of resources and teaching expertise. Each year group adopts a ‘small-step approach’ to maths learning with CPA (concrete, pictoral and abstract) approaches at its core. Children are challenged to achieve their best through lessons that focus on guided practice, peer practice and independent work.
This year we have been working really hard to modify our medium and long term planning to incorporate all our elements of teaching for mastery including new developments with the National Centre of Excellent Teaching in Mathematics (NCETM)
Update:
Key stage One are now into their second year of NCETM’s ‘mastering number’ scheme which focuses on building number sense and fluency in maths – underpinning learning in maths lessons.
Key stage Two: Commencing in September 2023, Years 4 & 5 will be implementing NCETM’s ‘Mastering number for KS2’ with a focus on ‘multiplicative relationships’ in order to develop and build on key learning throughout KS2.
Please see below more information on how Springfield teach for mastery in mathematics and what this means.
If you would like any more information or have any questions regarding any of the curriculum please email us as springfield.admin@trafford.gov.uk