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Merryhills Primary School

Download individual curriculums for each year:

Curriculum

At Merryhills, we want our children to become active, independent learners and offer a rich and differentiated curriculum that will enable every child to reach their potential. We provide a wide range of activities that will ensure educational development and provide opportunities for all pupils, including our most able and those with special educational needs, to challenge themselves and make decisions about their learning.

The Early Years Foundation Stage document and the National Curriculum underpin all our curriculum planning and delivery, along with the renewed Literacy and Numeracy frameworks. All children take part in daily English and Maths activities and other subject areas are taught through cross-curricular themes. Spanish is taught in Years 3-6.
The subjects covered by the National Curriculum are:

Teachers plan the children’s learning using a wide range of resources, including the latest ICT equipment, and group the children in a variety of ways. At the beginning of every term parents are informed about the curriculum which their child will be following so that they can support this work at home. We enhance the curriculum by inviting visitors to school e.g. musicians, poets and authors, and we also arrange to take all our classes out on regular visits to the local area and other places of interest.

Wherever possible the curriculum is supported by educational trips and visits and each year group will participate in at least two trips a year. Making use of local public transport facilities means that the cost of trips can be kept to a minimum and the benefits of offsite learning can be even greater. There are also two opportunities for your children to take part in a residential trip – one in Year 4 (2 nights away) and one in Year 6 (5 nights away). During these residentials your children will develop independence and teambuilding skills which will support their learning back in school. Before any trip (with the exception of local walks) we will write to you giving details and requesting a voluntary contribution towards the cost of the visit. Any parent experiencing difficulty in meeting the cost of the contribution should arrange to meet the Headteacher.

Class teachers try to make the most of our excellent external environment to support their teaching in all areas of the curriculum. We have excellent outdoor sports facilities as well as a conservation area, an allotment plot and wooded areas.

Gifted and talented is a term used to refer to pupils who show a particular aptitude in any area of the curriculum. It is also used to recognise other attributes pupils may have such as sophisticated social skills. The school seeks to provide a variety of opportunities where identified pupils have the opportunity to develop their gifts and talents.

Homework

Homework, which includes home-reading, is linked to learning that is taking place in lessons. It helps to extend or reinforce concepts taught in school, develop children’s organisational skills and encourage them to become independent and self motivated learners.

We regularly have curriculum weeks where the whole school will focus on a particular curriculum area for the week and this may result in an exhibition of work or demonstration for parents and families. Last year we had a book week, a maths evening and an internet awareness week. Children in Y1 and Y4 also worked on a BFI film project culminating in the making of a short animated film.

Extra-curricular activities

There are many lunchtime activities and after school clubs for the children to enjoy. Details about these clubs are sent out to the relevant year groups and parents/carers must give their permission before a child can attend an after school club. There are currently clubs for football, netball, rugby, dance, art, choir, drama, gymnastics and cricket.

Assemblies

All classes take part in a daily assembly which includes: an achievement assembly (where we celebrate individual, class or school achievements), a class assembly and key stage assemblies. We use drama, music, singing and stories in our assemblies and will often ask children to reflect on the theme.

If any family wishes to exclude their child from our assemblies they must put this request in writing to the Headteacher.

School Council

We have an active School Council at Merryhills, which meets regularly and contributes to the management decisions of the school. Class representatives from Years 1-6 meet with a member of staff and they discuss a variety of topics. We are hoping that the council will soon have a small budget each year to decide their own priorities for improvement.

SEN and Inclusion

There have been some important changes in the provision for children with special educational needs. A new Code of Practice was introduced in January 2002 giving the opportunity for children who have previously attended special schools to be educated at a mainstream school like Merryhills. We very much welcome this change and we endeavour to meet the needs of all children wishing to attend our school if at all possible.

Children with statements of special educational need are supported by our teaching staff and learning support assistants.

The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator works closely with staff and parents to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our statemented children and others who have additional needs. The SENCO is supported by our Educational Psychologist and other LEA services, e.g. The Speech and Language Service.

For pupils with mobility difficulties access is limited to the ground floor of the building but as we continue to improve our premises, accessibility is an important consideration.

Assessment

A clear assessment policy outlines the ways in which assessment information is gathered and recorded. Use of teacher assessment assists the pupils in reflecting on their own work and provides feedback to children regarding the next steps to take. Targets are set at the beginning of the year for each pupil. A formal teacher assessment is carried out each term to ensure that children are making appropriate progress.

The following statutory assessments and optional SATs are undertaken:

Further assessments may be carried out for pupils with Special Educational Needs.

Learning Conversations take place regularly during the academic year between you, your child and his/her teacher, providing a forum for a three-way discussion about your child’s progress.

If you have any concerns regarding your child’s progress please contact the class teacher who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Reports

Each year you will receive a written report on your child’s progress and achievements during the year and be offered an opportunity to discuss it with the class teacher.