Oaklands School
Curriculum
Narratives based on ‘Being a…’
At Oaklands, we have an original approach to curriculum. We focus on learning skills in real life situations and outcomes for audiences. Children enjoying learning and therefore make more progress when it is for a real life purose.
Instead of the traditional approach of an English lesson, then a maths lesson, which we may remember from our school days, we focus on a narrative of ‘Being a…’ for a day, two days or how even long the children need.
For example, they may ‘Be a Historian’ for a day, exploring the subject approach of a historian and learning the knowledge within that subject. Another example is they may have a narrative of ‘Being a Scientist’ where they pretend they are a scientist and learn those knowledge and approaches which allows them to think like a scientist.
Find out more about each curriculum area
Mathematics
How Wide is your World?
Our Curriculum is based on developing children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding. When they leave Oaklands, we aim for our children to have become respectful citizens of the modern world with a firm understanding and interest in difference cultures and communities.
For this, we base each year group on a different region of the world. In Reception, they start locally learning about Medway and Kent and with each year move further afield. Throughout the year, the children’s topics will all be based upon their global region so over the year they will build up their knowledge and understanding of those countries.
Topic Structure
Each term, our topics follows a very clear structure. It is based on experiential learning and follows a structure of Engage, Develop, Innovate and Express.
Engage Phase
Each term, the children will engage in a Engage event such as a special activity day; visit to a specific place or a guest visiting the school.
The purpose of this phase is to engage the children’s understanding of their knowledge; provide background information for the subject or recall prior learning.
Develop phase
In this phase, the children learn and practice the specific knowledge required in the subjects covered. The children will learn following the thread of the subject and use specialist locations to help them build up and develop their knowledge in a wide range of areas of learning.
The purpose of this phase is to develop the knowledge of the children. They will know more and remember more.
Innovate and Express Phases
All the learning builds to a Innovate challenge apply the knowledge they have learnt over the term. The children then share the outcomes of their studies with other people in an Engage event.
The purpose of this phase is toe apply and demonstrate the knowledge learnt and see what the children know and what they know how to do.
Year Group Curriculum
Each year group looks at six topics over the year all situated within their global region. Each topic is made of narrative learning threads so that they develop knowledge in a broad and balanced curriculum.
As well as these, we enjoy school whole topics based on specific areas of learning or current events such as Arts Week, Book Week or our Healthy Living and Healthy Living Cultural Carnival finale at the end of the year. These are linked to World events, such as World Science Day or World Book Day so the children are part of the wider community.
for information on each Year Group’s curriculum, link on the year group’s parent handbook. These give a broad overview of the curriculum and the objectives. The staff break objectives down into small steps through their medium and short term plans so if you want more information get in touch with your class teacher.
The First Phase
In the first three years of the school, the children are developing the essential skills to being a learner. They learn how to learn; applying skills they are taught in their own activities. in this phase, there is a heavy emphasis on reading to ensure that this key skill in embedded in the children so the can access other areas of the curriculum.
The Second Phase
In the middle three years of the school, they will continue to develop their skills- esepecially in being a fluent and effective reader and mathematican. They will develop a wider range of skills across the curriculum, becoming more and more reflective and evaluative about their own skills.
The Third Phase
In the final two years of the school, the children embed their independence and apply thier skills across the curriculum. By now, the children are active parts of the school community and fulfil many roles in different ways.
If you require any additional information about the curriculum, please contact the class teacher or phase leader for your child’s phase. Contact details are in the Parent Handbooks above.
For more information regarding reading click on Being a Reader.
