The person responsible for developing the curriculum at our school is Mr D Taylor.
At Yew Tree it is our intention that our curriculum is balanced, provoking intellectual curiosity through building knowledge, extending opportunities to raise aspiration by having high expectations for all.
Our curriculum is designed to ensure all learners are confident and resilient life-long learners. Ensuring each child continually practises taking risks; learning from mistakes and persevering towards their most ambitious goals with the qualities of mind empowering them to face any challenge. Children achieving whatever they put their mind to is at the heart of their learning journey at our school and beyond.
We plan for outdoor learning, external visitors and enrichment trips to support and enhance our learning opportunities, to ensure that learning is always first-hand where possible. In addition, we plan a wide-range of extra – curricular activities that we offer to our learners, including physical and creative opportunities outside of the curriculum.
Our curriculum has the National Curriculum at its core, takes into account current research and focuses on the development of reading, oracy, and a rich bank of vocabulary to open doors. This ensures learners have the cultural capital to confidently and competently take their place in society: developing critical thinking and the ability to express their own thoughts, feelings and ideas.
At Yew Tree we believe that children can achieve personal excellence through the teaching and modelling of our core values of determination, resilience, empowerment, adventure, motivation, being beautifully behaved, inclusive and generous, which drive all aspects of school life. We provide learners with their own learning toolkit through our vision to DREAM BIG for Excellence for All
Our school curriculum is broad, balanced and meets both local and national requirements. Children start in the Foundation Stage following the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework 2021.
In Key Stages 1 and 2, all subjects of the 2014 National Curriculum
– English, Mathematics, Science, Computing, History, Music, Geography, Art, PE, MFL (KS 2) and Design Technology are taught.
For further details about the National Curriculum, or to view a copy of it, please click the link below:
National Curriculum 2014
In addition RE and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) are included. The RE curriculum follows a Local Authority agreed syllabus. The daily act of collective worship is broadly Christian in character and our Tuesday assemblies are often led by members of the ministry team from St Mary’s Church and we visit the church regularly for events such as Harvest Festival. In line with LA guidelines parents may request that children are withdrawn from RE and assemblies. PSHE is taught through the combination of 3Dimensions scheme of work and additional elements related to local and regional community needs.
The Governors of the school feel that Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) should be a continuing aspect of education throughout the school. Provision for Science and Health Education will enable pupils to understand the process of growing up. An RSE unit will be taught to pupils in Years 5 & 6. In line with the LA policy parents will be consulted and have the option to withdraw their children from these lessons.
Whilst our priority is to ensure that pupils master basic skills in English, Maths and Computing, we also recognise the importance of a broad and balanced curriculum that ensures pupils develop their skills in all aspects of learning. With this in mind, we collaboratively, with Children, Parents, Carers, Staff and Governors, developed our Learning Tree Curriculum.
Please click on the link below to view a copy of the topics studied by each Key Stage/Year Group
Our school teaches phonics based on the Read Write Inc, we have a variety of reading schemes including Oxford Reading Tree. We teach a number of subjects through a creative, topic-based curriculum which we have found helps to make children’s learning more enjoyable and less abstract – and therefore more effective!
The Governors of the school feel that Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) should be a continuing aspect of education throughout the school. Provision for Science and Health Education will enable pupils to understand the process of growing up. An RSE
unit will be taught to pupils in Years 5 & 6. In line with the LA policy parents will be consulted and have the option to withdraw their children from these lessons.
Below are documents that will give you some information about how and what your child we be learning this year as part of the National Curriculum 2014:
For further information on our curriculum please contact the School Main Office.
For further details about the National Curriculum, or to view a copy of it, parents/carers may click the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum
Yew Tree Primary Academy
The Avenue
Halewood
L26 1UU
Tel: 0151 477 8950
Email: school@yewtreeknowsley.co.uk