The Curriculum
The school's curriculum is all the planned activities that we organise in order to promote learning and personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the various extra-curricular activities that the school organises in order to enrich the children's experience. Our teaching incorporates the National Numeracy and Literacy strategies at all levels.
It also includes the 'hidden curriculum' - what the children learn from the way they are treated and expected to behave. We want children to grow into positive, responsible people, who can work and co-operate with others while at the same time developing their knowledge and skills, in order to achieve their true potential.
Our curriculum aims to promote not only the children's academic development, but also their social, moral, spiritual, cultural and emotional development. It is a continually developing area of everyday school life. We seek the highest standards of attainment for all our children. We also value the breadth of the curriculum that we provide. We aim to foster creativity in our children, and to help them become independent learners. Above all, we believe in making learning fun.
Our Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils are all taught through a structured timetable, with certain areas led by specialist teachers.
All pupils in the School are fortunate to be taught in smaller than average class sizes, so that the teacher is able to focus on individual learning patterns and styles. We have a healthy pupil-to-adult ratio at all levels.
Assessment
As a ‘feeder school' for the local Independent secondary schools, the different types of assessment form an important part of our practice at Oaklands.
Our Reception classes (Transition) are assessed through the Foundation Stage Profile during the year. Pupils from Year 1 to 6 sit NFER tests in English and Mathematics in the Summer Term. These provide national curriculum levels and enable us to track children's progress.
Our Key Stage 2 pupils (Years 3-6) are given tests during the year and exams in the Summer.
Towards the top of Key Stage 2 we try to prepare our pupils as thoroughly as possible for the next stage and their syllabus has been designed to meet the requirements of Local Independent School Entrance Examinations for eleven year olds.
Homework
We expect the best possible results from our pupils at every age and this inevitably involves daily home work, which is seen as an important part of our work pattern. It is introduced in the Lower School in the form of reading practice and as reinforcement of class lessons (often a Maths sheet or simple writing exercise). In Key Stage 2 it takes on more structure, reinforcing as well as making more demands upon the children with different Maths and English tasks. We expect our Year 6 pupils to study for one hour every night in preparation for their major examinations.
Each pupil from Year 3 to Year 6 has a Homework Diary, which is used as a home-school link. Homework is written into the diary every day and parents sign it each day when this has been completed.
Religious Education and Assemblies
Although Oaklands has a Christian ethos, we welcome children from all denominations and faiths. Religious Education is part of our curriculum from Nursery and our teaching reflects the religious composition of the School, informing children about the Christian, Moslem, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist faiths. Our Assemblies tend to be ecumenical and moralistic in approach. We have three weekly assemblies, which are designed to promote our children's spiritual, moral, cultural and social development.
Educational Visits
During the school year various visits are organised to enhance the curriculum. These may include visits to museums, theatres, farms or historial sites/buildings. We invite a variety of outside educational agencies into the school to enrich and stimulate learning: History off the Page, Christian Drama Resource Centre, School Nurse, Artists.
Two activity visits are organised during the year. Children in Years 4 and 5 are able to go away for a long weekend in preparation for the longer Year 6 week away in May. Both these visits are designed to introduce new physical and mental challenges to the children and are also excellent for developing their team-building strategies.
All educational visits carred out off-site are subject to the most rigorous risk-assessment, which is carried out by the Group Leader. This is in accordance with our Group Health and Safety Policy.
Extra-Curricular Activities
We organise a wide range of extra-curricular activities which are an optional extra, subject to availability and the age of the child. Children may take part in the following clubs: Athletics, Cross-Country, Dance, French, Football, Hockey, Netball, Speech and Drama, Computers, Craft and Art. We attend regular competitions organised with the local Independent Schools in Athletics, Cross-Country, Netball and Swimming. Speech and Drama pupils sit annual L.A.M.D.A. examinations.
