Core Subjects
Early Reading
At Kettering Buccleuch Academy we aim to create a stimulating environment in which children are actively encouraged to enjoy books, and are motivated to want to read independently. We strive to ensure that our children become successful, fluent readers by the end of Key Stage One. We believe that this is achievable through high quality, discrete teaching of phonics. Our children should read effectively for different purposes, across all subjects, and acquire the key phonics skills and understand the rules governing the structure of language.
Year one teach phonics daily using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression.
Reading
At Kettering Buccleuch Academy (Primary) we know that English is a fundamental life skill. English develops children’s ability to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes. Children are enabled to express themselves creatively and imaginatively as they become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama, as well as of non-fiction and media texts. Children gain an understanding of how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Children use their knowledge, skills and understanding in speaking and writing across a range of different situations. We aim for our children to write as readers and read as writers. The Reading Journey is underpinned by the ethos of the teacher being the reading expert. This enables children to be immersed by high-quality text, not having a roof put on their learning because of their reading age.
Writing
To teach the skills of writing in KS1 and KS2 at Kettering Buccleuch Academy (Primary), we use a genre driven approach which covers a balance of non-fiction and narrative. To ensure that the children enjoy and progress in English, we use engaging, interesting texts and topics to inspire our units of work. When children start in year 1, a rotation of activities is used up to Christmas while children’s independence is still being developed. Each year group has an overview of genres to be taught in each term which is followed to ensure adequate coverage.
Gov.uk National Curriculum
Click here to see our Secondary English curriculum
At KBA, we believe that being a confident and able mathematician is essential in ensuring that our pupils are given the best life chances possible. We understand that maths is vital for making sense of the world around us by seeing patterns and making connections. Our goal is that our pupils develop a curiosity about maths, which is seen, most importantly, as a matrix of skills and knowledge. In maths, we teach to mastery. This ensures that no child is left behind. If a concept is not understood, we reteach it but in a different way.
At KBA, we have adopted the White Rose Maths curriculum.
Gov.uk National Curriculum
Click here to see our Secondary Maths curriculum
Science
The principal focus of science teaching is to enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. In the Early Years they will be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice. They will develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions, including observing changes over a period of time for example planting bulbs, noticing patterns in nature, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using written and visual resources or by asking another person. They will learn simple scientific language which they will use in their written work as well as when share their ideas during class, home and topic talk.
Click here to see our Secondary Science curriculum
Enrichment
The curriculum is enriched by children bringing in learning from home, participating in end of term Expos, visiting educational and natural areas of interest, visitors to school demonstrating and sharing their knowledge and skills and having the opportunity to participate in after and before school activities that are either organised by the academy or by local groups and organisations.
PSHE
PSHE long term map
Parental guidance link 1
Parental guidance link 2
Equality in our curriculum
We are committed to having a balanced and fair curriculum. We believe that our pupils should be exposed to ideas and concepts that may challenge their understanding to help ensure that pupils learn to become more accepting and inclusive of others. Challenging concepts will be delivered in a way that prevents discrimination and instead promotes inclusive attitudes. We will also respect the right of parents to withdraw their children from classes which pose conflicts to their own beliefs.
The curriculum is crucial to tackling inequalities for pupils including gender stereotyping, preventing bullying and raising attainment for certain groups. The principles of equality and diversity are embedded in our academic and social curriculum. Positive and proactive steps will be taken to prevent discrimination against, or victimisation of, any young person in the provision of education or access to any benefit, facility or service including educational trips, work experience and leisure activities.
The equality duty supports good education and improves pupil outcomes. It helps us as a school to identify priorities such as underperformance, poor progression and bullying. It does this by requiring us to collate evidence, take a look at the issues and consider taking action to improve the experience of different groups of pupils. It then helps us to focus on what can be done to tackle these issues and to improve outcomes by developing measurable equality objectives.
At KBA we have rigorous systems for monitoring educational standards and challenging any underperformance; our responsibility in this equality duty is scheduled as part of this rigorous process. For further information regarding this please read our detailed equality duty guidance on the secondary part of the website.
How is the curriculum made accessible to those children with disabilities or Special Educational Needs?
Most of our students follow a traditional curriculum, however a small number of learners have a more personalised learning journeys to meet their individual needs. Making reasonable adjustments through assessing and planning is at the forefront of our provision. Our school is a safe and accessible building and it is welcoming to the whole community. All safeguarding procedures and risk assessments are in place and adhered to by all staff.
To ensure all children flourish and reach their true potential our reasonable adjustments are made on an individual basis in collaboration with the class teacher, the child and the parents.
- We endeavour to make reasonable adaptations to ensure that all pupils have access to the school curriculum. We do this through using a tracking system that allows us to assess and teach through small steps. We revisit learning through practising and reinforcing new concepts. We ensure further resources are in place for children with additional needs such as visual timetables and practical resources.
- Our aim is to support pupils to achieve their full potential despite any difficulty or disability they may have. We work alongside physio and occupational therapy to ensure plans around disabilities are in place if the need is a physical one. We make adjustments to the classroom to ensure children with ADHD and ASD have appropriate provision and can reach their true potential. This could be in the form of a work station, timers, rewards.
- Transition is something we plan very carefully towards. We ensure that staff are fully aware of pupil’s individual needs and teach in a way that is appropriate for them. We use a process of Quality First Teaching which enables the teacher to lead the provision, in consultation with the SENCO and other professionals. Our ethos is based on inclusion with a high level of expectations.
- Our six principles of nurture form the basis of well-being in the classroom. We provide opportunities for pupils to develop confidence, self-esteem and resilience.
- We pride ourselves in building and maintain positive relationships with parents and families. We work in partnership with parents/carers, pupils and external agencies to cater for children’s special educational needs and disabilities. Our open door policy ensures that parents are fully included in the decision process and their voice is valued at all steps.
- We work alongside nurseries, childminders and pre-school provision in order to invest in Early Identification. Our Early years leader is an assistant head and is fully invested in supporting children with additional needs. We identify special educational needs at the earliest opportunity to ensure early intervention and support.
- Our school is part of the TaMHs project and we are working our way to a Gold accreditation. This reflects our commitment and passion for supporting well-being and mental health. Training opportunities with Educational Psychologists enable us to regularly review policy and practice in order to achieve the best outcomes for all our pupils
More details on how we adapt information, our environment and curriculum can be found in the SEND Information Report on our website and in our Accessibility Policy.
Religion and Worldviews
Coherent and sequenced substantive knowledge of religion and worldviews represented in Britain and the wider world, selected to build pupils’ understanding through three vertical concepts. These vertical concepts build a thematic narrative and provide context across diverse worldviews, as well as using small steps to help pupils gain a deep understanding of complex, abstract ideas:
Giving something up for the benefit of someone else is a recurring concept across religious & non-religious worldviews and takes many different forms. What motivates human action and what are the societal and personal consequences?
One of the unique qualities of human intelligence through time has been our quest for knowledge and meaning. How have religion and belief impacted on humanity’s search for “Truth”? How do beliefs impact human behaviour? What is it reasonable to believe?
Human beings exist in, and are influenced by, their place in time and their geographical, political and social context (Person, Time & Place). Everyone is different, so how have our diversities been influenced by our personal context? What influences a personal worldview?
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A Worldviews approach provides opportunities for all pupils to see themselves reflected in the curriculum, but also to be taken beyond their own experiences. The Religion & Worldviews curriculum teaches pupils about diversity within and between beliefs, cultures and worldviews from across the world, and seeks to teach the skills and knowledge to hold respectful and informed conversations about religion and belief; to be religiously literate.
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A conscious inclusion of vocabulary and substantive content that recognises the need to decolonise teaching materials in a meaningful and accessible way.
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A scholarly approach to the core disciplinary knowledge of theology, philosophy and social sciences, developing pupils’ ability to hold the types of conversation and to apply the methods and processes of theologians, philosophers and social scientists.
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A curiosity and openminded approach to the worldviews of others and a reflective consciousness of their own worldview.