Curriculum Presentation for Website 3

1. Mayfield Primary School
An Overview of our Curriculum and Assessment

2. At Mayfield we continue to offer a broad curriculum that harnesses all children’s interests and allows
them a wide-ranging perspective on the world. Through exciting topics, children are exposed to new
knowledge and vocabulary, and taught the skills to build on this. Everyone in our school is a learner;
children and all staff. We know that learning is a lifelong journey which we all do together.
Toys

3. Children leave Mayfield with a broad skills and knowledge base; they are articulate,
inquisitive learners who recognise their own value and their place in the wider society.

4. ‘I have finally got control of my writing, it’s like I have leashed a horse and have power over it.’
(year 5 child) Through our curriculum we aim to ignite this passion for learning in all our
children; for academic learning, for social learning, for emotional learning.
Our curriculum is taught through
vibrant topics and we are
relentless in ensuring that children
have access to all areas of it in
order to give them the knowledge
and skills they need and deserve.
We use our surroundings and
access to establishments locally to
promote all children’s ‘cultural
capital’.

5. Over the last five years we have written and updated our own curriculum,
and subject leaders have a clear understanding of the progression of their
subjects. Through professional learning and teacher to teacher support,
subject leaders advise colleagues in the delivery of the curriculum.
History
Mayfield
Assessment Criteria
English, Maths
and Communication

6. At Mayfield we teach maths through a Maths Mastery approach. A brief explanation of this is below:
• Mastering maths means pupils acquiring a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject.
• The phrase ‘teaching for mastery’ describes the elements of classroom practice and school organisation that
combine to give pupils the best chances of mastering maths.
• Achieving mastery means acquiring a solid enough understanding of the maths that’s been taught to enable
pupils to move on to more advanced material.
The following slide describes ways in which maths is taught at Mayfield and you can follow the link to find out
further information click here
Maths

7. How are Maths
Lessons Taught at
Mayfield?
Maths
Speaking and Listening – Children are
given frequent opportunities to discuss
their mathematical thinking.
Models and Images – To support
children’s conceptual understanding
we use a range of models and images,
including Numicon, straws, bead
strings, place value counters, number
lines, fraction boxes, Dienes’
apparatus.
Cross-Curricular Maths – Many
aspects of the curriculum, especially
Measurement, Geometry and
Statistics are taught through a cross-
curricular approach. There are
particularly strong links with
Computing, Science, Geography and
Art.
Discrete Maths Lessons – Most of the
number aspects of the curriculum are
taught through discrete Maths lessons. Our
mastery approach to teaching mathematics
means that we focus on topics, such as
place value or addition, for a longer period
of time to enable pupils to gain a deeper
understanding of the mathematical
concepts. Children are given opportunities
to develop fluency, reason mathematically
and solve problems.
Counting Sessions – To develop
children’s fluency short counting
sessions take place daily in FS/KS1 and
frequently in KS2. Children practise
counting forwards and backwards and in
steps of different sizes, including
fractions and decimals in later years.

8. English - Reading Our Approach to Reading
At Mayfield we strive to empower children to develop the
confidence to read for pleasure. Reading for pleasure is
promoted throughout the school.
• We are fortunate enough to have a well-stocked and
spacious library at the heart of the school. Families are
welcome to share books in the library after school on
Tuesdays and Thursdays until 4.30pm.
• Y2 to Y6 have special reading areas outside their classrooms
to help them engage with the books they enjoy.
• Each class explores a range of authors and genres through
class books shared by teachers in story time.
• We encourage children to recommend books to one another
through reading sessions and assemblies.
• From Y1 all children have a book buddy from another year
group to share their reading and writing with.
• Our “reading superheroes” scheme encourages children to
challenge themselves to try different types of books to earn
special bronze, silver, gold and platinum wristbands.
• We love celebrating World Book Day every year, and also
celebrate a whole week dedicated to reading in book week.
VIPERS: To teach reading and
comprehension we use a range
of quality texts and activities to
engage and inspire, as well as
developing children’s skills as
readers and writers. To support
the teaching and learning of
the reading content domains
laid out in the National
Curriculum, we have adopted
the reading VIPERS from “The
Literacy Shed”. VIPERS covers
the key comprehension skills
that are taught in both Key
Stage 1 and 2. They enrich
reading skills and learning
across the curriculum.

9. English - Writing
Our pupils enjoy learning writing in
many different ways. Children learn to
base their writing on books. One of our
approaches to teaching writing is called
‘planning through quality texts’. In
these lessons, children read books
linked to their topics as the stimulus for
contextualised grammar teaching which
builds up to a longer piece of writing
each week. Teachers model writing
using the events in the book to
generate ideas for whole class
writing. Another one of our methods is
called Talk for Writing. This active
approach not only gets pupils moving,
but also offers them opportunities to
explore a range of texts and to become
immersed in them before they start to
innovate their own versions.
Offering a purpose for writing and
platforms to share it is important for
motivating children to write. We
celebrate children’s work through
shared readings and performances in
class, displays, assemblies, learning
journals, class books and publishing
work on our new inspiring authors’
blog.
We aim to inspire children to enjoy
writing through experiences and
imaginative play and planning. We
offer this through the use of high
quality literature, films and pictures to
stimulate imagination, as well as
learning outdoors and exciting trips
related to topic learning.
Talk for Writing is a specialist approach
to teaching writing developed by Pie
Corbett. This approach follows a
sequence from designing actions to
represent words to using ideas to
create an original piece of work.
Spelling, punctuation and grammar
work is promoted throughout through
the use of games and activities which
use examples from texts to reinforce
understanding.
Our Approach to Writing

10. English – Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling
We teach GPS through reading and
writing, and endeavour to give context
to GPS concepts. Games and activities
are also an important part of GPS
learning at Mayfield!
We use a range of methods to practise
and investigate spellings and spelling
rules and patterns.
Spelling Shed:
All children have a Spelling Shed
account which can be used at school
and at home to play games and practise
spellings from Key Stage 1 and Key
Stage 2 spelling lists.
!
?
:
noun
clause
parenthesis
adjective
Our Approach to Grammar, Punctuation
and Spelling (GPS)

11. Our Approach to Phonics
At Mayfield, phonics is taught
through Visual Phonics: a
specially adapted version of
‘Letters and Sounds’ which
incorporates BSL (British Sign
Language). Phonics is taught
daily in Reception and KS1
through songs, stories and
activities indoors and
outdoors. In KS2, special
provisions are in place to
support those children who
require consolidation of
phonics in order to access
their learning.
For more information about
phonics at Mayfield, please
visit the phonics area of our
website: Phonics
English -Phonics

12. Science
Plants
How is Science Taught at
Mayfield?
Science teaching is linked,
wherever possible, to the
topic in each year
group. This means that
sometimes the topic is very
science based, such as in Y1
in Spring 2 where our topic
is “Amazing Animals”. In
other topics, such as
Romans in Year 4, children
link their learning about
states of matter to Roman
history. Lessons can be
distinct or more cross
curricular.
Working scientifically
Living things and their environments
Animals including humans
Materials and their properties
Light and sound
Seasonal changes
Earth and space
Forces and magnets
Electricity

13. Working scientifically…
… is threaded throughout the different scientific topics in
each year group and wherever possible science is taught
through practical investigation and experiments.
Children are taught how to:
• Question, plan and recognise and control variables
• Use equipment to make observations
• Conduct and record experiments
• Report and present findings from enquiries and experiments
• Draw conclusions from experiments and evaluate their
methods and findings
Science

14. OTrack
We use on an online assessment tool to record both formative
assessments (ongoing assessment from children’s books, conversations
conversations in the classroom, teachers observations etc) and
summative assessments (outcomes of test papers, independent
writing and other tasks). This allows us to readily track the children’s
progress, identify where there are gaps in learning and inform planning.
Assessment

15. Statutory Assessments
Throughout your child’s school career they will expected to participate in statutory
assessments unless they are identified as being exempt.
These assessments are reported externally to the DfE and to the Education
at Cambridgeshire County Council.
The Assessments are as follows:
• Reception - Baseline Assessment on entry.
• Reception - End of Year Profile.
• Year1- Phonics Screening Check (usually in June).
• Year 2 – Teachers assessments in reading, writing and maths against the National
Curriculum end of year expectations.
• Year 4 – Multiplication Test (to commence from summer 2022)
• Year 6 – SATs tests in reading, writing, grammar/punctuation and spelling, and
maths.
These assessments are an integral part of school life. The children are well prepared for any
independent tests they undertake, and all other external assessments are completed in a way that
recognises both the specific needs of individual children and the age and stage they are at in their
school career.
Assessment

16. Our core values underpin our approach
to learning within school. The language
of the core values is understood by both
adults and children within our school,
and we celebrate both formally and
informally when we have seen these
demonstrated. Weekly Headteacher
certificates are awarded to children
identifying how they have exemplified a
specific core value and we have special
weeks or terms where we focus on
promoting an individual core value.
Core Values

17. A whole school focus on a
core value:
On our return to school in
September 2020 we
introduced a new core
of ‘#positivity’. Each class
were tasked with creating a
collaborative collage in
response to the value. The
collages from each class
have been put together to
create a wall hanging for
hall, representing our return
to being together after the
initial lockdown.
Core Values

18. We provide a shed full of
resources, a shelter, den
building equipment and
we have a ‘secret garden’
with logs, trees and a
pond.
We ask teachers to not
over plan these sessions,
but instead be led by the
children.
Out and About
In order to support the well-being
of our children, and in recognition
that learning happens in different
places and in different ways, each
class takes their learning outside
for at least half a day each week.
Learning in the great outdoors (whatever
the weather)…

19. Spirals of Inquiry
Spirals is about genuinely making time to listen
to the children to find out what is going on in
their learning, what the barriers are and then
making changes so that they can see that their
voice is heard. Spirals requires educators to
keep going back to the question ‘what is going
on for the learner?’ and to respond to the
answer by adapting their practice as needed.
Spirals of Inquiry is a researched based
approach to teaching and learning that
originates from Canada.

20. Spirals of Inquiry
Whilst the teachers meet with individual classes
the remaining children complete a range of child
led activities. Over the last two years these have
developed and we have reflected on and adapted
activities to suit particular cohorts. An example of
a successful activity is that of year six children
planning a PE lesson for year one children.
Following this session they deliver the lesson in
pairs to groups of children, and assess the progress
that is made.
Spirals Week: During termly
Spirals week teachers are able
to spend half an hour with
every child in their class to
talk through learning journals
and asking specific spirals
questions. These
conversations allow teachers
to understand the strengths
and needs of each child more
deeply, to identify specific
barriers to learning, and to
adapt teaching to support
children. It allows teachers to
check whether previous
adaptations have supported
children’s learning journeys
and to reflect on next steps.

21. Mayfield Primary School
Curriculum
Follow this link to our Mayfield Curriculum Tree
to find out more about our approach to teaching
and learning.