PYP Curriculum Framework – Molehill Primary Academy

Overview

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is a transdisciplinary curriculum framework that offers authentic learning experiences.

The PYP encourages students to learn to appreciate knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills and personal attributes as a connected whole.

OUR PROGRAMMES OF INQUIRY CORE TEXT OVERVIEW

IB World School …

Our curriculum covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum but is arranged around inquiries into six different Transdisciplinary Themes.

Molehill Primary Academy is an IB World School, authorised to deliver the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme.

The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Overview of the pyp framework

At Molehill Primary Academy we follow the National Curriculum with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme as a framework and vehicle for learning. Molehill Primary Academy is currently a candidate school and is on its way to seeking authorisation to be an IB World School in the next year. The National Curriculum outlines the skills and knowledge which will be acquired by the time our children leave primary school; the PYP is a way of framing learning in order to help children develop holistically as well as academically.

Learning is organised into six ‘Transdisciplinary Themes’ which, alongside the learner profile, provide children opportunities to acquire the knowledge and develop the skills outlined in the National Curriculum with an overall view of creating conscientious global citizens.

Pupils embark on lines of inquiry stemming from a central idea. Within the context of the Central Ideas, learners acquire the ability to demonstrate and recognise the IB Learner Attributes. The attributes promote learners to be inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective. The ethos behind the programme is to create lifelong learners who ‘develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect’. The very vast majority of the National Curriculum is covered through the framework of the IB PYP, however, where explicit skills teaching is necessary, for example, reading and phonics, this is done within discrete sessions to be then embedded through the lines of inquiry.

Molehill Primary Academy has a PAN of 45 and as a result there are some classes in the school which have a mixture of students from two year groups. As such, the foundation subjects and science are taught in a two-year cycle which ensures that all skills are covered over a two-year period.

We recognise that mathematics requires specific and prescriptive implementation which is further enhanced through the PYP Framework. There are many resources that are utilized by teachers to support them in the delivery of the mathematics National Curriculum, such as the White Rose Mathematics Scheme which focus on the mastery of key mathematical skills; however, these are resources to be accessed as opposed to rigid schemes of work. Learners at Molehill Primary Academy study mathematics to become functioning, successful adults who are able to think for themselves and thrive in the real world. Our aim is that all children will leave Molehill Primary Academy with a positive opinion of mathematics and a positive outlook on their future studies of the subject. The subject transcends cultural boundaries; its importance is universally recognised.

Pupils are provided with a wide range of opportunities both within and outside of the curriculum which expand their knowledge, experience, and interests. Impact and attendance is detailed in the co-curriculum document and learning calendar. These opportunities help us to develop all of the PYP Learner Attributes, ensuring when our pupils leave us they are ready for the next stage in education and the wider world. Working as a cohesive team is a strength at Molehill and this is modelled very effectively by the adults who work in school. Pupils are encouraged to work together regularly throughout each day, building positive relationships and working through challenges. This supports the confident and resilient learning that takes place within the Academy.

There are regular lessons that address how children can stay safe, such as e-safety, drug and alcohol workshops, the law, and gangs. These, alongside discrete PSHE/RSE lessons, ensure pupils are provided with the skills to keep themselves safe and the knowledge of what to do if they feel they are not. Our new PSHE/RSE programme of study ensures that core knowledge is broken down into manageable units in a carefully sequenced order giving opportunity to listen and respond to children’s views. This is reflected in the calm, purposeful school environment.

The Trust has provided us with the opportunity to train another ELSA to support our existing practitioner. This will mean that we have two trained in-house Emotional Literacy Support Assistants who can work directly with children and also staff and parents, offering advice to provide emotional and social skills for children who are struggling in the classroom. These colleagues also provide CPD opportunities to teachers and LSAs

Pupils have a good understanding of what it means to be a good citizen and they gain an understanding of what this means in the wider world. As part of the IB PYP, children’s ‘international mindedness’ is developed in a number of ways including classroom interactions, experiences at break times and lunch times and through assemblies. We are developing further links with IBPYP schools across the globe, and have reached out to collaborate with pupils from both Spain and Finland; this will strengthen our work with children from other countries, for a number of years we have been linked to a school in Malawi.

‘Leaders have designed a broad and highly ambitious curriculum meticulously. They have extremely high expectations of what pupils will achieve.‘ Ofsted 2023

Our pupils undertake an exciting, ambitious and diverse curriculum, thoughtfully sequenced and meticulously mapped across all subject areas.
Pupils’ mastery of reading, writing and mathematics remain at the forefront of everything we do to support them to address disadvantages and to prepare them for a highly successful adult life.
Central to our core moral purpose, leaders and teachers ensure that our curriculum is improving the life chances of all pupils regardless of their starting points or individual needs.
Curriculum planning ensures sustained progression of skills and knowledge, both vertically and horizontally.
The broad, balanced and ambitious nature of the Academy’s curriculum is continuously enhanced and developed to meet the needs of pupils at Molehill. ‘Leaders have carefully considered the knowledge and skills they want pupils to gain and have broken these down into precise steps at each stage, beginning in the early years’. Ofsted 2023
The National Curriculum is the vital foundation, and we build from this to ensure that, through the IB Primary Years Programme Framework, pupils develop the essential skills and knowledge required to be global citizens and life-long learners.
It is our ambition to ensure that our pupils benefit from and are inspired by ‘the best that is thought and said’ and as such, our curriculum evolves, is fully inclusive and is relevant to the local, national and global contexts.
We are immensely proud of our diverse community and our curriculum design centres on the recognition of our pupils as individuals, who each contribute different perspectives, experiences and knowledge and this in turn enhances the learning for others.
Our Curriculum is fully inclusive and pupils who have SEN and/or are Disadvantaged are well catered for.
‘Staff have high expectations of all pupils and ensure they all access the same high-quality curriculum. Teachers regularly check what pupils know and respond quickly to pupils’ needs using a wide range of approaches’ Ofsted 2023.
Curriculum is adapted when and where necessary, both through leadership review and development, collaborative planning and within lessons during delivery.
Our curriculum aims to ensure that pupils understand their place in the world, preparing them well for life in modern Britain.
Integral to our curriculum is our focus on pupils’ wellbeing, mental health and inclusivity and as a result, children feel safe, cared for, respected and listened to.
Throughout our curriculum there is a strong focus on children’s personal development, nurturing specific talents and cultural capital that will ensure a successful transition to secondary education and increasingly high aspiration for future careers.
Our pupil admission number is 45 per year group and therefore there are two classes in the academy which have a mixture of pupils from two year groups. As such, some foundation subjects are taught in a two-year cycle which ensures that all knowledge and skills are covered across a two-year period, aligned to each phase: KS1, LKS2 and UKS2.
At Molehill, we promote the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile Attributes to support the development of life-long learners. Our pupils are inquirers, our curriculum develops their natural curiosity and allows them to apply their thinking skills creatively and in different contexts.
We strive to ensure that, through our excellent teaching, pupils become highly articulate communicators, who act with integrity and honesty.

‘Teachers are well equipped to make the right adaptations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities’ Ofsted 2023

Teachers at Molehill demonstrate expert knowledge of pedagogy and each subject.

Highly effective implementation of the curriculum includes:
Teachers plan high quality sequences of learning which support pupils to be appropriately challenged and enables them to think, articulate, write and problem solve fluently.
Teachers create regular opportunities for pupils to engage with retrieval tasks which support knowledge to be embedded in the long term memory
Teachers implement astute and adaptive questioning which deepens understanding by developing both prior understanding as well as the learning of new concepts.
Questioning develops pupils as inquirers who take ownership of their learning through their active and collaborative engagement. It is through this process that we are developing thinking, curious, learners and this ensures that knowledge sticks.
Extended writing opportunities and deliberate practice within lessons ensure that pupils are able to independently problem solve, apply their knowledge fluently and master approaches to learning
Teachers employ Conferencing effectively to provide regular feedback which supports pupils in addressing misconceptions, enabling them to develop their conceptual understanding and apply this in different contexts. This creates highly reflective learners who engage with success criteria to self assess and make progress independently
Teachers are particularly focused on developing pupils’ reading skills. They develop fluency, enjoyment and confidence.
There is effective and appropriate implementation of digital technology to enhance learning experiences.
Teachers deliver well-structured and thought-provoking learning opportunities both in and outside of the classroom.
Teachers have strong subject knowledge which continues to be developed through regular training opportunities.
Subject Leadership professional development is a priority to ensure that leaders at all levels continue to drive progression across the broad range of subjects.
Teachers present subject matter clearly, promoting appropriate discussion about what is being taught and they astutely employ questioning to further develop knowledge.
Teachers check pupils’ understanding systematically, identify misconceptions accurately and provide clear, direct feedback. They respond and adapt their teaching as necessary to meet the individual needs of pupils.

‘Pupils’ end-of-key-stage outcomes in the past do not reflect the high achievement of pupils currently in the school. Leaders’ effective work to develop the curriculum means that pupils are learning exceptionally well.’ Ofsted 2023.

As a result of our well-constructed and well-taught curriculum, pupil outcomes at Molehill go from strength to strength. Pupils make good progress from their starting points with attainment levels rising year on year. Disadvantaged pupils also make good progress from their starting points. The pupil premium grant is used carefully and appropriately to ensure that their needs are fully met, both across the broader curriculum, and in extra-curricular provision.

Assessments across all year groups enable teachers to make astute decisions about both intent and implementation of the curriculum. From these assessments, data is meticulously analysed to ensure that pupils who need additional intervention, within classrooms, are quickly identified and effective strategies eradicate these gaps in knowledge and skills. Teachers and leaders monitor progress on a termly basis, with Progress Interviews taking place directly after Data Capture. Regular opportunities for robust moderation practices are created to ensure that all attainment and progress data is accurate. Data Capture takes place collectively to ensure that data rich discussions are well-supported by leaders.

Pupils are supported to transition to each stage of their education in a highly effective way. In each stage within the academy we plan comprehensive transition activities, including bespoke social stories for individual pupils wherever necessary. We work closely with local Secondary schools as well as external organisations, to ensure that when pupils leave the academy, they are successful in their next steps in education. This includes both academic and social preparation for the future, embedded through the PYP Framework.

Subject Specific curriculum statements

International Mindedness

International-mindedness is central to the IB mission and is a foundational principle to its educational philosophy; it is at the heart of the continuum of international education.

International-mindedness is a view of the world in which people see themselves connected to the global community and assume a sense of responsibility towards its members. It is an awareness of the interrelatedness of all nations and peoples, and is a recognition of the complexity of these. Internationally minded people appreciate and value the diversity of peoples, cultures and societies in the world. They make efforts to learn more about others and to develop empathy and solidarity towards them to achieve mutual understanding and respect (Oxfam 2105; UNESCO 2015).

Primary Years Programme (PYP) learners and their learning communities have a range of perspectives, values and traditions. The concept of international-mindedness builds on these diverse perspectives to generate a sense of common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet.

Pupils at Molehill have a good understanding of what it means to be a good citizen and they gain an understanding of what this means in the wider world. As part of the IB PYP, children’s ‘international mindedness’ is developed in a number of ways including classroom interactions, experiences at break times and lunch times, and through assemblies. We are immensely proud of our diversity and our pupils develop tolerance, respect, and a greater sense of security as a result. It also helps our pupils to learn about other languages and cultures, encouraging them to be interculturally sensitive.

We are developing further links with IBPYP schools across the globe, and have reached out to collaborate with pupils from both Spain and Finland; this will strengthen our work with children from other countries and for a number of years we have been linked to a school in Malawi. We promote and encourage pupils to take action through discussion and collaboration to help build a better and peaceful world.

Co-curricular at Molehill Primary Academy

We offer a comprehensive programme of co-curricular opportunities at Molehill Primary Academy:

Multi-Sports
Sign Language
Crochet
Puzzles
Student Council

Outdoor Learning
School Sports Teams
Mock Trials
Drama Productions
Choir

Eco Club
Music Lessons
STEM

Supporting the curriculum

Outdoor Learning

We recognise that learning experiences can be enhanced by maximising the potential of the outdoors. Our outdoor environment has huge potential for learning, and as such, learning at Molehill does not take place solely within the school buildings. We are extremely fortunate to have beautiful school grounds, featuring a large field, a wooded area, two ponds and two large playgrounds.

Student Council

Student Council provides opportunities for pupils to become actively involved in decision-making, take on leadership roles, work with others and to have a say in how Molehill develops.

Eco Club

Eco Club aims to empower students to participate and take up meaningful environmental activities and projects. It is a forum through which students can reach out to influence, engage their parents and neighbourhood communities to promote sound environmental behaviour.

Sports Team & Clubs

Football club develops a love of the game and collaborative team work for students and offers them the opportunity to focus on how sports can lead to a balanced healthy life. Multi sports club offers an opportunity to children to access a range of different sports and physical activities. It is a good way for children to explore what they enjoy and try new things. Cheerleading club also offers an opportunity to learn some basic cheerleading routines and skills, as well as to develop their communication and teamwork skills.

Artsmark

Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools and education settings, accredited by Arts Council England. Artsmark’s framework is designed to help us to embed arts, culture and creativity across our whole curriculum, celebrating our commitment to cultural education.

Young Voices

Students develop their performance skills for song and dance in preparation for a countrywide concert that takes place yearly at the O2 area in London.

Sign Language

Children are given the opportunity to learn some basic signs in British Sign Language including the alphabet, colours, numbers, days of the week and songs from a qualified British Sign Language teacher.

Crochet

Children have the opportunity to learn a new skill or develop an existing skill of crocheting and sewing. They are able to practise their fine motor skills and create something new to take home.

Puzzles

Children are able to develop their problem solving skills by working on solving a range of puzzles such as sudoku, crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, wooden puzzles and many more.

Choir

We have been excited to launch our new Molehill Choir. Our choir will showcase our KS2 singers and will have various opportunities to perform during the year. This will help develop confidence, reading and continue to foster a love of music.

Music Lessons

Each class in Key Stage 2 has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument such as the recorder and ukulele. Along with this they also develop their skills of reading and writing music, music appreciation and also the discipline needed when playing an instrument.

STEM Club

Children will complete a range of engaging challenges that encourage them to think and behave like real scientists and engineers.