British Values
British Values
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TEACHING BRITISH VALUES
At Woodford Valley Primary Academy we promote British Values through our spiritual, moral, social and cultural education which permeates through the school’s curriculum and supports the development of the ‘whole child’.
We recognise that such development is most successful when those values and attitudes are promoted by all the staff and provide a model of behaviour for our pupils.
The DfE have recently underlined the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs”
The Government set out its definition of British Values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and these values have been reiterated this year (2015). At Woodford Valley Primary Academy these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:
Democracy
Democracy is embedded within the school. Pupils are listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully with concern to each other, respecting the right of every pupil to have their opinions and voice heard. We empower our pupils by giving them opportunities to make choices about the things that they believe to be important. By valuing each ‘voice’ and by listening and responding to that voice we demonstrate that we support democracy and liberty.
Each year the pupils decide upon their class behaviour rules and the rights associated with these. All the pupils contribute to the drawing up of the rules along with the staff.
We have a school council which meets regularly with a member of staff to discuss issues raised in class council meetings. The council has access to a small budget if required and is genuinely able to effect change within the school, for example requesting new playground equipment and markings. Every pupil on the school council is voted in by their class. The Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary are voted for by every pupil. They run a campaign and the school holds a ballot.
The Rule of Law
The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced at Woodford Valley Primary Academy.
Pupils are taught the rules of the school from their induction visits in Reception. These are the school and class rules. Pupils are taught the value and the reasons behind class, school and national rules and laws: that they govern and protect us, that they involve responsibilities, and that there are consequences when laws are broken. This type of environment enables pupils to feel safe and secure; this in turn, promotes the optimum conditions for learning to take place.
Individual Liberty
Pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for pupils to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms, and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E Safety and PSHE lessons.
Mutual Respect
Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Pupils learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community, including, staff, pupils and parents, treat each other with respect.
Tolerance of those with other Faiths and Beliefs
Children can be from different faiths and cultures. We promote diversity through our celebrations of different faiths and cultures. Each person at Woodford Valley Primary Academy is respected and valued equally without regard to ability, gender, faith, heritage or race. RE and PSHE lessons reinforce messages of tolerance and respect for others. Members of different faiths are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school i.e. Diwali in school assembly.
Pupils are encouraged to experience British Culture through our curriculum themes. For example, pupils have visited: Salisbury Cathedral, theatre groups have performed plays and as a school, we take part in local sporting activities which helps to instil ‘fair play’ and engender a ’team spirit’.
Wonderful Wilsford!
Hello, Wilsford.
This term our topic is India. We will be exploring Indian culture, eating Indian food and researching the animals that live there.
Our RE work will be focused on learning about the people of God in the Old Testament. We will look in detail at Noah, looking at the qualities of his personality and his adventure with God.
In our Science Lessons we will be learning about rocks and fossils, looking at the world around us.
In art we will be drawing tigers, inspired by the art of Henri Rousseau. We will research Bengal tigers using the internet and use the information we have found out to inspire our writing. After half term we will learn about Indian elephants and make sculptures of them in our art lessons.
In the week before half term we will be going on our class residential trip to Hooke Court. We are looking forward to lots of fun, friendship and learning.
Mrs Woodley
Sand castle building
Sand castle building!
Music Curriculum
Music
Our intention within Music is to engage and inspire children to develop a love of music that will last their whole lives. We believe that Music has a vital role to play in the spiritual and cultural development of children, so at Woodford Valley, we aim to provide all children with a wide musical experience. By nurturing trust, strength and resilience in their learning, the children are given space to be creative and develop their full potential, whatever their particular strengths may be. All children have the opportunity to join in a musical community in some form throughout school, and to learn musical instruments both inside and outside the classroom.
We want all children to have the opportunity to perform, compose and experience a wide range of music. To help us implement this at Woodford Valley Academy, we use a range of resources such as Charanga and Music Express as part of our curriculum planning, as well as building whole school performances into the school diary so that performance has the space to be celebrated. We organise these resources so that the topics that the children study in music build upon prior learning and enable progression of skills. Music is taught by a Music Specialist Teacher from Reception to Year 6.
Whole School Learning Policy
Assessment
Assessment
Reception pupils are gently assessed within the first two weeks of starting school using a baseline assessment package, apart from the routine Standard Assessment Tests at age 7 and 11 and a phonic test at aged 6, no further examinations are taken. Non-Statutory tests are taken at Years 3, 4 and 5, and parents notified of their results.
Children’s progress is monitored from the moment they join school. Records are kept in all National Curriculum subjects as well as in personal and social achievements such as music or swimming. Continuous assessment is made by class teachers and careful records kept throughout the school.
Evidence if achievement is stored in personal folders within each class. At the end of each academic year parents are sent a school report and given the opportunity to view the child’s work. Regular Parents Evenings are held so that parents and teachers can discuss progress.
Children are also involved in self-assessment, and with the help of teachers, in setting targets for improvement.
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A table describing the age of pupils and the key stage to which they refer
| Key Stage | Year Group | Pupil Age(majority at the end of school year) |
| R | 5 | |
| 1 | Y1 | 6 |
| Y2 | 7 | |
| 2 | Y3 | 8 |
| Y4 | 9 | |
| Y5 | 10 | |
| Y6 | 11 | |
| 3 | Y7 | 12 |
| Y8 | 13 | |
| Y9 | 14 | |
| 4 | Y10 | 15 |
| Y11 | 16 | |
| Y12 | 17 | |
| Y13 | 18 |
Spanish
Spanish
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We want all the children to be excited and positive about languages and language learning. We will balance spoken and written language and lay the foundations for further foreign language teaching at Key Stage 3.
Knowledge of another language feeds into a better understanding of the structure of English. It is a fun way of fine tuning the ear and improving sound discrimination. Knowledge of another language is a positive advantage in the work force, especially as Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken language in the world. Further, children will increase their cultural awareness by learning about a different country, people and traditions.
We encourage pupils to be confident speakers of a new language and to build respect for each other when someone else is trying. We aim to provide children with the necessary skills to be able to communicate in Spanish at a basic level.
Spanish is a subject that has a practical application and can be used on holidays, as well as a tool in a wide range of careers. We encourage the children to enjoy their learning and to see themselves as successful linguists, which will help them at the time of deciding about carrying on learning Spanish or another language in the future.
Take a look at some videos of the children learning Spanish:
Progresssion of Spanish skills
Relationships and Sex Education
Relationships and Sex Education
We believe that Sex Education should be part of a wider policy of Personal, Social and Health Education and it is included in the teaching of these topics within the school.
Staff and Governors have recently agreed a programme for the teaching of Sex Education as a separate topic within P.H.S.E. This programme is run every two years and is offered to those children in Years 5 and 6 only. Parents are notified prior to these sessions and given the opportunity to withdraw their children from these lessons if they so wish, as this is their right since the 1993 Education Act.
Because we believe that this is an important subject, we hold an evening for parents so that they may view samples of the programme and materials to be used. We also give them a copy of the scheme of work and timetable so that they may discuss any issues that arise with their child, strongly believing that this is an area dealt best by both home and school in close collaboration.
Our school nurse also provides an after school session for Mums and Daughters, dealing solely with menstruation.
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