Ashbrow School

Working Together for Children and Families

Ash Meadow Close, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD2 1EX

office@ashbrowschool.org.uk

01484 452128

About Us

School Vision

At Ashbrow School, every child succeeds, regardless of background or need. We are outcomes-focused, nurturing all of our pupils to fulfil their potential and be happy, tolerant and healthy global citizens. Our children leave us feeling eager, curious and well-equipped for the next step of their journey.

Intent

What are we trying to achieve? 

We aim for our pupils to become self-motivated, successful learners, driven by our school drivers of communication, ambition, respect and enterprise. These promote healthy learning habits and good decisions.

We aim to provide a curriculum that embraces the diversity of our community, whilst at the same time connecting our pupils with an ambitious global community that celebrates difference and raises aspirations.

We aim to enhance our curriculum using high quality resources, including our bespoke outdoor learning offer. These exciting experiences bring learning to life, expand our children’s horizons and enable risk-taking in a controlled environment.

We want our pupils to achieve well and make good progress in all areas of the curriculum, regardless of their starting points.

We aim to celebrate difference, insisting that everyone is included and supported to achieve success.

We are determined that our pupils will enjoy reading widely, for both study and pleasure.

 

 

Implementation

How do we organise learning? 

  • We teach the knowledge and skills of the National Curriculum, including the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.
  • Pupils write for a range of purposes across the curriculum, through our three-phase approach of Reading > Toolkit > Writing. A high quality literature spine, the discrete teaching of grammar and punctuation, and a range of good age-related models for pupils’ own compositions underpins this.
  • Phonics is taught using the Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Revised scheme, ensuring absolute consistency and fidelity of approach. Pupils apply their phonics knowledge through regular guided reading sessions, utilising Little Wandle books that are matched precisely to the relevant phase of learning.
  • Our teaching of reading across school focuses on developing fluency, promoting comprehension and inspiring a love of reading.
  • Maths is taught within the DfE approved ‘Power Maths’ framework, utilising textbooks and a ‘concrete-pictorial-abstract’ sequence to develop mathematical fluency and reasoning.
  • Pupils are supported and encouraged to work collaboratively at every opportunity, to communicate their ideas and therefore develop their oracy skills.

Engage – Learners are ‘hooked in’ with a memorable experience to provide a context for learning. We ask questions to find out the children’s interests and spark their curiosity and sense of adventure, motivating them for subsequent learning within the unit.

Develop – We teach the children key facts and information to deepen their knowledge and understanding across the curriculum. We provide creative opportunities for making and doing, and there is always time for consolidation.

Innovate – We provide our children with imaginative scenarios and encourage creative thinking to apply previously learned skills. We encourage enterprise and independent thinking through collaborative working and problem solving.

Express – We develop our environments to encourage reflective talk and create opportunities for shared evaluation. We always celebrate and share children’s successes as well as identify next steps for learning.

 

Our outdoor curriculum also provides a range of unique experiences for our children.  All children have the opportunity to care for and study our bees and hens, and through gardening, ceramics and cycling they gain knowledge, practical skills and understanding to complement the work done in the classroom- as well as inspiring them to develop passions, interests and aspirations for the future.

Our 4 School Drivers (CARE) are experienced and practiced regularly throughout the curriculum, and they are explored further through weekly assemblies: 

Communication

I can contribute and exchange ideas.

Ambition

I am keen to achieve.

Respect

I consider the thoughts and feelings of others.

Enterprise

I am eager to take part in new and challenging projects.

Impact

How do we know we are achieving our aims?

  • Attainment - the number of children working at age-related expectations by the end of key stage 2 is broadly in line with national averages.
  • Progress - the progress pupils make is at least good for all groups.
  • Greater Depth – the number of children achieving a Greater Depth standard is increasing.
  • Inclusion - children from all groups access learning alongside their peers. Teachers make reasonable adjustments to support where needed.
  • Engagement - children are well engaged and enthusiastic about learning, acquiring and applying key knowledge and understanding across the curriculum. Ultimately, they love learning.

Mission Statement

Their minds and their futures are entrusted in our hands for a few brief years of childhood.  We must do all in our power to serve them well

Pugh, C. 1996 Contemporary Issues in the Early Years