Equality in Teaching and learning

Here at Evercreech CofE Primary School, we provide all our pupils with the opportunity to succeed at each level of their education and reach their personal best.

 We do this by:

• Ensuring equality of access for all pupils and preparing them for life in a diverse society through carefully considered curriculum and enrichment opportunities
• Using materials that reflect the diversity of the school, population and local community without stereotyping
• Promoting attitudes and values that challenge any discriminatory behaviour or prejudice
• Providing opportunities for pupils to appreciate their own culture and celebrate the diversity of other cultures
• Seeking to involve all parents in supporting their child’s education
• Utilising teaching approaches appropriate for the whole school population which are inclusive and reflective of our pupils.

Evercreech CofE Primary is now part of the Preston Primary Academy Trust (1st December 2024).

Our approach to the National Curriculum

We aim to provide a rich, broad and balanced curriculum full of experiences that interests and challenges all pupils through their seven years of schooling with us. We have purposely redesigned our curriculum so that it provides a blend of key skills and knowledge which are built on in a progressive way as our pupils move through school.

Curriculum design

On entry to school, the Early Years Foundation Stage makes a crucial contribution to children’s early development and learning.  We provide children with a rich variety of teaching and learning experiences that are appropriate to their needs.  The Foundation Stage focuses on developing key learning skills such as listening, speaking, resilience, self-confidence and building positive working relationships with others.  There are seven areas of learning and development in the Foundation Stage; they are all important and interconnected through our rich learning environment and skilled staff.  

There are seven key areas under the revised EYFS Framework that came into effect from 1st September 2021:

The 3 Prime areas are:

• Personal, social & emotional development.

• Communication & language.

• Physical development.

There are 4 specific areas:

• Literacy 

• Mathematics 

• Understanding the World 

• Expressive arts & design

We are blessed with ample outdoor space and our EYFS outdoor is integral to our Foundation Stage curriculum.  Activities are carefully planned for and available each day to link to themes of learning.  The teaching to achieve these early learning goals will be through first-hand experience and structured play opportunities.  The areas of experience will be linked to the National Curriculum.  The teacher and teaching assistants will keep records on children’s experiences and attainments with assessments of  developmental and learning needs throughout the school year through observations and Tapestry.  We work hard to encourage children to develop a love of reading and develop their communication and mathematical skills from the very beginning through adult led oracy opportunities and structured activities.  

Young children who cannot read or write often express their ideas and feelings through play. It is an important way of developing new skills and building up relationships with other children both individually and in groups.  Reading is taught through structured reading schemes supplemented with a wide range of other books.  We follow a structured approach to the teaching of phonics using Unlocking Letters and Sounds.  Books are used in a structured way to allow children many opportunities for consolidation of key vocabulary and develop their language acquisition skills.

We encourage parents to work with their child at home by hearing them read on a daily basis.  We are always pleased to discuss ways in which parents can help their child at each stage of their reading development and offer parental workshops on reading and phonics during the Autumn term of EYFS.  Our aim is to make all children feel secure and confident within the school environment and to develop a sense of achievement through learning, finding it to be a pleasurable and rewarding experience.

As children move into Key Stage 1 and 2, children follow the National Curriculum.  This means that they follow nationally agreed programmes of study in: Maths, English, Science, Computing, Art, Music, PE, History, Geography, Design Technology and the Somerset agreed syllabus for RE inc. Understanding Christianity.  There are greater opportunities to make cross-curricular links to offer children context to their learning, thus aiding progression.  We aim to provide a stimulating, creative, broad and balanced learning journey for all children as they progress through the school irrespective of their learning needs.

Teachers use formative and summative assessments for all children at various points to ensure their continued progression. Interventions are rapid and aim to ensure that misconceptions are addressed rapidly.

Phonics & Reading Schemes

Our school uses the Unlocking Letters and Sounds scheme (ULS) to provide an enjoyable and effective learning experience for our pupils in Foundation and Key Stage 1. The scheme has been successfully embedded into the school, and it enables our children to become proficient readers who can recognise letter sounds to aid reading development.

Books are both decodable and non-decodable and linked to the ULS reading schemes; these books are used in both EYFS and Key Stage 1. This allows our pupils to progressively build their vocabulary and comprehension skills as they practise reading keywords and become increasingly fluent readers.

Curriculum enrichment opportunities

Our ambition is that the curriculum here at Evercreech CofE Primary School is to offer enriched learning opportunities to develop our children as well-rounded citizens who are ready for the next stage of their learning journey. To this end, we plan to offer our children regular and varied trips out of school as well as visitors linked to their learning. In addition, we strive to offer residential visits to enhance their learning and develop wellbeing and personal development. 

Oracy opportunities

Every year group in the school has the opportunity to be in a play ranging from Nativity productions in EYFS and KS1 alongside performance opportunities for every year group in KS2.

Extra Curricular Clubs

We have purposely developed our extra-curricular provision in the form of after-school clubs is carefully designed to allow every child in our school to sample something which will appeal to them. Clubs such as sports, arts and crafts and hand-bells enable all of our pupils to experience of being taught something new on a weekly basis. The vast majority of our after-school clubs are free to parents. From January 2025, we offer our children the chance to take part in intra school competitions such as netball which further enriches their experience with us.

Any further information on our curriculum may be obtained by contacting the school directly where we will be happy to discuss this with you.  Please contact the School Office to speak to Mrs Hann (Headteacher).