At Diptford we are excited about the Primary National Strategy. The main aim of the Strategy is to continue the good progress made in raising standards and combine this with delivering a broad and rich curriculum. The strategy encourages schools to develop strengths in curriculum areas and to take ownership of the curriculum, shaping it, and making it their own. Using teachers' specific strengths and skills helps develop their ownership of the curriculum.
At Diptford we have recognised that teachers have different skills and subject specialisms. These are put to use effectively with children being taught subjects such as ICT, PE, Art and French by subject leaders. We follow the National Curriculum programmes of study for English, Mathematics, Science and Information Technology, as well as Religious Education. However, as long as we provide a broad and balanced Curriculum, we can plan to teach the other subjects without following the previously set programmes of study.
Children are tested on the National Curriculum core subjects at the end of each Key Stage. At Diptford, our children are tested at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. We also administer other national tests for monitoring purposes.
At Diptford Primary School we believe that work carried out at home, which is carefully and judiciously used, can both complement and consolidate the learning which is taking place in the classroom. Work carried out at home can provide a successful bridge between home and school, reflecting the fact that learning can take place outside the confines of the school and beyond the school day. Homework provides opportunities for supporting the partnership between home and school through parental involvement and shared information. All children have a Home/School Learning book, this is used for children's homework and as a link from home to the class teacher. More information on the book is available from the class teacher.
Children taking part in Parachute games on the Village field. The field is used to enhance the physical education and outdoor elements of the curriculum. Athletics, Sports Day, cricket, cross country running and football are examples of the types of activities the children take part in on the field.
At Diptford Primary school each class is equipped with an Interactive Whiteboard. This new technology enables images to be projected on to a touch sensitive whiteboard. In house training takes place regularly and the resource brings the curriculum to life with high quality video, text, photographs and sound. We believe that school trips are very beneficial to children's learning.
Using the 'outside' environment provides children with first hand experiences which can then be brought in to the classroom. Over the past year visits have included; Riverford Farm (pictured), Avon Dam on Dartmoor, Morwellham Quay, Paignton Zoo, the Butterfly Farm and the Pantomime. |