Curriculum Intent

The curriculum at James Bateman is rich in knowledge.

James Bateman Middle School provides opportunities for all our pupils through our curriculum and wider educational opportunities. Our intent is to ensure that all pupils make outstanding progress and that our curriculum will remove any barriers that may affect their learning.

Subject-specifically, the curriculum is built around a progression model that ensures pupils incrementally gain deep knowledge and skills that are fundamental to each subject. Purposeful assessment is integral to the curriculum to ensure knowledge is fully embedded and highlights areas for development.

Throughout the curriculum there is a strong emphasis on developing;

• a ‘love of learning’.
• readiness, resilience and respectfulness: the skills required to be a productive member a diverse 21st century society
• an understanding of ‘British Values’ and the implications for life in modern day Britain.
• pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural learning.
• independence and enabling pupils to become creative, critical thinkers.
• an understanding of the importance, through the careers programme, of the opportunities available to pupils once they leave school.

At the heart of the school is the focus on broadening pupils’ cultural horizons to ensure they are able to continue to the next stage of their educational journey.

Implementation

Students start by building on their French skills from first schools: widening their vocabulary and using ‘language detective’ skills to see patterns and make links between language and grammatical structures.

From Y6 students switch to German in preparation for language learning at the High School.  They are encouraged to explore links between structures and vocabulary in different languages to aid comprehension and communication.

Students are encouraged to work both collaboratively and independently; referring back to what they already know and applying it to new contexts and situations thus deepening their knowledge and skills.

In Y8 students are offered the opportunity to visit Germany and apply their language comprehension and communication skills.

Impact

Ready, resilient, respectful

Emphasis is based on critical thinking and questioning which helps students gain in comprehension and communication skills.  Students learn how to adapt language, see links, add detail, and become ever more independent in their use of structures and vocabulary.  They are encouraged to work effectively with partners not necessarily of their choosing – an invaluable skill for the world of work.

Evidence of knowledge/skills.

 

Assessment of students’ learning in languages is an ongoing monitoring of the students’ understanding, knowledge, and skills by the class teacher, throughout lessons.  There are regular recall and recap tasks, as well as skills-based tasks such as listing vocabulary, correcting errors, making changes to model sentences, translation and adding detail to simple sentences.  Formal listening and reading assessments take place at the end of every second topic and all four communication skills are informally assessed in lessons.

Student voice.

Students will demonstrate a positive attitude towards language learning.  They will articulate their understanding during review and retrieval of learning.

Please click here to view our Autumn 1 term Knowledge Organisers

Please click here to view the MFL Progression Map