Curriculum
At Rayne, we have designed a bespoke curriculum for every subject that is relevant to our pupils. Every subject is ambitious, engaging and relevant. For example, in science, given that increasingly, students decline to take up science for A Levels, because they do not see its relevance, the curriculum at Rayne, makes science engaging and specifically focusses on science capital (the relevance of science to our everyday lives). Examples are highlighted in most lessons. For example, in year 5, when separating solids, we make links with the milling of wheat in flour mills. We also link history topics to our local heritage, exploring Roman settlements, Norman fortifications and lives of WWI soldiers and suffragettes in and from the village.
Our vision: lies at the heart of our curriculum:
At Rayne Primary and Nursery school, we are:
- inclusive
- ambitious
- open-minded
It is therefore important to us to deliver our curriculum with high expectations, ensuring that no child is left behind. We are therefore focussed on six core principles for curriculum design and a further six principles lie behind our curriculum delivery:
Rosenshine’s principles
In order to achieve our intentions for all, lessons should be delivered using Rosenshine’s principles of instruction.
Changemaker’s Curriculum
At Rayne, we believe that every child can be a changemaker in relation to global issues, specific
ally in relation to equality and environmental issues. In the curricula of each subject, we have made explicit links to enhance children’s knowledge and understanding of
- environmental impact issues
- equality issues (cultural awareness & diversity)
and have provided opportunities for pupils to take projects to make a difference thereon. Curriculum overviews and lesson sequences make it clear that it is part of the changemaker’s curriculum because the changemakers Symbol is used. This is not an add-on but an integral part of our curriculum.
No Outsiders
In addition to incorporating the Changemakers’ Curriculum into all subjects, we also follow No Outsiders - an educational program that teaches children about diversity and acceptance in their communities. It's designed to promote inclusive education and community cohesion by exploring issues through picture books (one lesson per half term) and whole school assemblies.
Substantive and disciplinary knowledge
In every subject, leaders have curated the curriculum so that both the substantive knowledge (facts and knowledge) are set out alongside the disciplinary knowledge (knowing how the experts in that subject think) and there is progression thereon from one topic to the next and one year group to the next. Children are expected to acquire both the substantive and disciplinary knowledge of each subject’s curriculum.
SEND at Rayne Primary and Nursery School
Our curriculum is designed to provide inclusive and ambitious lessons that meet the needs of all learners, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We focus on creating a supportive learning environment by using Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction, which guide our teaching strategies to ensure that lessons are clear, engaging, and accessible for SEND students.
A key element of our SEND support is scaffolding, where we apply the "just enough and just in time" approach. This means we provide support that is tailored to the specific needs of students, ensuring that they receive the right amount of assistance at the right time to promote independence and confidence in their learning.
Where Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) are available, we adopt a pyramid approach to scaffold learning effectively. This approach involves a layered system of support:
- Self-Scaffolding: Encouraging students to use strategies and tools they already know to work independently, building confidence in their ability to solve problems and complete tasks on their own.
- Prompting: Prompts encourage pupils to draw on their own knowledge but refrain from suggesting a specific strategy.
- Clueing: Offering subtle hints that nudge students toward the right answer or approach, while still allowing them to make their own discoveries.
- Modelling: Demonstrating a task or concept for students, showing them the steps involved in completing a task so they can follow along and replicate the process.
- Correcting: Offering constructive feedback to help students refine their understanding and correct misconceptions, ensuring continuous growth and development.
By following this structured, layered approach to support, we aim to create a learning environment where SEND students can thrive, engage with the curriculum meaningfully, and progress at their own pace.