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.
