Approach to Learning

At Kettering Park Junior Academy we believe in creating curious learners for life. We select topics to engage our children's curiosity about the world around them, providing opportunities for learners to ask questions and discuss their learning. We build in our PARK values of Pride, Achievement, Responsibility and Kindness across all aspects of our school life to ensure that when our children leave us they are able to tackle the challenges ahead of them as resilient individuals who make a positive contribution to the world around them.

English

At Kettering Park Junior Academy, reading is placed at the heart of the school. It is our aim to engender a love of reading whilst teaching the vital comprehension skills which enable children to unlock learning for life. We support those who are still developing their decoding skills through the use of Read Write Inc Phonics.

The children receive reading and writing lessons daily, covering all National Curriculum requirements for their age group. Whole class guided reading is focussed around our expert tips to develop knowledge of fundamental reading skills. This is reinforced through weekly reciprocal reading sessions in small, adult led groups and the use of coaching books and quizzes on our online platform - Oxford Reading Buddy. Children also receive regular opportunities to apply their understanding to comprehension exercises.

Writing lessons are planned around the four main purposes of writing: to entertain, inform, persuade and discuss. We draw upon a range of approaches, including Jane Considine’s ‘sentence stacking’ to ensure children have high quality models and engaging experiences upon which to base their writing. Emphasis is placed on the writing process, with regular planning, writing and editing sequences. In addition, lessons with a specific grammar focus are taught within the context of writing units. Our discrete spelling lessons, taught weekly, investigate rules and patterns and shorter sessions to practise spellings are timetabled.

We consider parental support to be vital and encourage parents to take an active role in their child's learning journey. Homework is set on a weekly basis, and it is expected that children will read regularly at home as well as learn spelling patterns. In school, children will be rewarded for their reading at home with house dojo points. Their reading is recorded by their teacher and contributes to their class total in the reading race, with the winning class winning a trophy weekly and a book of their choice each term.

Mathematics

We have adopted the Power Maths scheme to support our teaching of maths.

Power Maths is a resource that has been designed for UK schools based on research and extensive experience of teaching and learning around the world and here in the UK. It has been designed to support and challenge all pupils, and is built on the belief that EVERYONE can learn maths successfully. In lessons concepts are broken down so that your child can master one idea without feeling overwhelmed. Students access a range of fluency, reasoning and problem solving questions which are designed to support different needs and confidence levels. Whilst also fostering a spirit of working and learning together. Each lesson includes a challenge question for children to delve deeper into a concept.

Times Tables:

Children are taught a range of strategies to learn and apply key times-tables knowledge in class.

To support your child, please download Times table Rockstars app, where practice aligned to your child’s needs is available.

Helping your child at home with maths - A Parent's guide

PE

Each class has two PE lessons each week. Teachers are supported in these lessons by a PE specialist and also receive one term per year of coaching from an external provider.

Year 4 receive swimming lessons in a 6 week block during the academic year to teach them to:

swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke]
perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations

We follow the Northamptonshire School Swimming Scheme and children are awarded certificates to celebrate their achievements.

Science

Each class has a weekly Science lesson covering all National Curriculum requirements throughout the year. Our approach to Science is to make it as real-life and practical as possible. We use weekly recaps in Science to support our students in their learning and link key concepts to previous lessons.

Computing

Computing lessons are delivered weekly following the 'Teach Computing' curriculum which is a spiral curriculum meaning it is built around an innovative progression framework where computing content has been organised into interconnected networks. The curriculum is split into four main subsections of computing; computing systems and networks, media, programming and data and information allowing students the opportunity to explore a range of different programmes through a selection of devices. In addition, computing opportunities are interwoven across other subjects to enrich learning.

The curriculum has e-safety built into in and incorporates relevant e-safety discussions and activities within lessons that link with the unit. However, all students also receive discrete e-safety lessons throughout the year. These sessions focus on staying safe online, sharing information and preventing cyberbullying. Additional information on keeping children safe online can be found here.

RE

RE is taught each week and follows the County’s Agreed Syllabus using the Discovery RE scheme of work.

PSHE and SMSC

At Kettering Park Junior Academy, we strive to ensure children leave us as well-rounded individuals. As a whole-school community, we embed Zones of Regulation to ensure children can articulate their emotions and utilise tools to regulate them. Our Jigsaw scheme follows on from this, which is delivered through a weekly PSHE lesson. Jigsaw is a unique, progressive and effective scheme of work which aims to connect the pieces of Personal, Social and Health education, Emotional Literacy, Social Skills and Spiritual Development. Children learn to relate to and value those around them and learn who they are as individuals.

Modern Foreign Languages

At Kettering Park Junior Academy we learn Spanish, which is taught fortnightly by an external specialist.

Assemblies

Each week, the children have a whole school, singing and celebration assembly. Assemblies are varied in topic and promote British Values, spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues and own PARK Values. National events are also celebrated, and the children raise money to support different charities. The children are encouraged to hold positions of responsibility in class and some children are elected to hold school positions, such as being a member of our school council or becoming house captains.

SEND

Sometimes children present with learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age. Children with such needs may need extra or different help from that given to other children. At Kettering Park Junior Academy we are very proud of our inclusive ethos. As such, our school is made up of children with a wide range of abilities, and we believe that over the years many children with SEN and/or disabilities have enjoyed their time at our school. We foster a holistic approach that has enabled the children to thrive and make good progress academically, socially and emotionally preparing the children for the next phase of their educational journey.

As a school we follow the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 and Equality Act 2010. We closely monitor how all of our children with SEND progress academically, socially and emotionally. Our aim is that children with SEND achieve their full potential just like every other child in school. This is achieved through the use of Individual Education Plans, where appropriate, meetings with teachers and parents, provision of specialist resources, accessing specialist support and targeted interventions that meet a child’s individual needs. Children with SEN and/or disabilities are fully included in all school activities including after school clubs, trips and school shows/productions.