Curriculum

Curriculum Intent

The curriculum at Bentley Heath offers a breadth of experience and context coupled with a depth of knowledge and understanding. Our vision to be ‘Rooted in Jesus, and Fruitful in Mission and Service’ means we seek to teach every child key knowledge with specific skills that seek to help and develop those less fortunate.

We are a school that develops the whole child to go into the world with a strong social consciousness and desire to serve based upon a firm foundation of mutual love and respect.

Through our curriculum, we aim to:

• promote high standards in all individual subject disciplines, through enjoyment and enquiry
• enable children to acquire knowledge and key skills across each area of the curriculum
• enable children to be confident in the use of technology in a range of subjects
• promote an understanding of our own and others spirituality, identity and diversity
• promote physical and mental development and an awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle
• enable pupils to develop moral sensibility through carefully taught values, within a Christian ethos
• develop the personal and social skills of each child
• prepare pupils well for transition and the opportunities, responsibilities and experience of adult life.

Enrichment

Our curriculum is enriched in a number of ways, to enhance our children’s cultural capital, but also to give them meaningful experiences of learning which will last a lifetime. These vary between interactive workshops run in school, such as Bollywood dancing and animal encounters, to trips to local cultural centres like the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Our Year 6 children go to Red Ridge in Wales for a weeklong residential trip to develop independence, resilience and a sense of togetherness.

Assessment

Alongside current key assessment milestones (Baseline, end of Foundation Stage, Phonics, KS1, Multiplication Check, KS2) children will also be routinely assessed through standardised tests (NFER) in Reading and Maths on a termly basis.  Half termly Pupil Progress meetings ensure we discuss the progress and attainment of each child so we can support them appropriately.

Good or better progress at Bentley Heath means that children know more and remember more and this is measured against the objectives set out in their year group curriculum and their starting points. For example, child who achieves all of the objectives in Year 1 and then again meets all of the objectives in Year 2 has made good progress. Many pupils at Bentley Heath make accelerated rates of progress (better than good). This means that, against their starting points and curriculum, they have exceeded the expectation. For example, they may achieve all of the objectives in Year 1 and then go on to be working at Greater Depth against the objectives by the end of Year 2. For children working to a personalised curriculum due to an identified special educational need, good or accelerated progress will be measured against individual starting points.

We are developing annual data captures for the non-core subjects, which will give us a robust understanding of those children who have met year group expectations or are exceeding year group expectations in individual subject disciplines.

For any curriculum queries, please contact the school office.

The right of withdrawal from Religious Education
Parents have the legal right to withdraw their children religious education on the grounds of conscience. However, the right of withdrawal does not extend to other areas of the curriculum when, as may happen on occasion, spontaneous questions on religious matters are raised by pupils or there are issues related to religion that arise in other subjects such as history or citizenship. We would ask any parent considering this to contact the head teacher to discuss
any concerns or anxieties about the policy, provision and practice of religious education at Bentley Heath.