The
Curriculum
When
we speak of the curriculum we
are talking of the learning experiences
that are present for each child.
When planning our curriculum we
take into the account the uniqueness
of each child and his/her individual
needs. St.Mary's aims to provide
a broadly balanced curriculum
in line with the Northern Ireland
Education Order 1989.
The Revised
N I Curriculum is being introduced gradually over a period of time to all age
groups. In 2007/2008 – Years 1 and 5 are involved in a pilot year of the
programme. Academic year 2008/2009 sees Years 2 and 6 come on board whilst Years
3, 4 and 7 will follow in 2009/2010.
There are
three stages in the Revised Primary Curriculum:
The
Foundation Stage Years 1 and 2
Key Stage 1: Years 3 and 4
Key
Stage 2: Years 5,6 and 7
The
curriculum is set out in six Areas of Learning. Although the Areas of Learning
are set out separately teachers will, where appropriate, integrate learning
across the six areas to make connections for children.
The Areas
are:
-
Language and Literacy (including Talking and Listening, Reading and Writing);
-
Mathematics and Numeracy
-
The Arts (including Art and Design, Drama and Music);
-
The World Around Us (focusing on the development of knowledge, skills and understanding in Geography, History and Science and Technology);
-
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding (focusing on emotional development, social skills, learning to learn, health, relationships and sexuality education and mutual understanding in the local and global community);
-
Physical Education (focusing on the development of knowledge, skills and understanding through play and a range of physical activities).
Religious
Education
Our
Religious Education programme
is based on the " Alive O " Programme.
This is a complete programme,
which prepares your children for
participation in the Liturgy and
the Sacraments of Reconciliation
(P3), Communion (P4) and Confirmation
(P7).
Religious life
in the school includes assemblies,
hymn singing, celebration of the
Mass, Sacraments and other services.
It should be remembered that Religious
Education is not confined to the
timetabled programme within the
school but pervades the whole
life of the school.
Our Parish Priest
is a regular visitor to the school.
Parents who may
wish to withdraw their child/children
from RE or collective worship
can request to do so by appointment
with the Principal.
Special
Educational Needs
Children
with special educational needs
are identified as early as possible.
Every effort will be made to accommodate
these children within their classroom
with the support of their class
teacher, classroom assistants,
Special Needs Co-ordinator and
other relevant outside agencies
(Medical, social, educational,
psychological etc.)
Parents will
always be consulted before any
formal processes are set in motion
by the school.
Assessment,
Reporting and Record Keeping
Assessment
is an integral part of the school.
Monitoring children's progress
has always been a big responsibility
of our teachers. It is used to
establish what a child can do
and to assist the teacher in planning
appropriate activities for each
child. In addition to regular
observation and marking of children's
work a range of assessment test
are utilised by the school. These
include Reading, Spelling, Numeracy
tests and a range of writing tasks.
Children are formally assessed
in English and mathematics at
the end of each Key Stage. Children's
achievements are reported to parents
at the end of P4 and P7. Parents
will be kept fully informed of
any other developments regarding
assessment
Records of each child's attainment
and work samples are passed on
to each successive teacher. Parents
are kept well informed of their
children's progress. Parents are
invited to a curriculum meeting
with their child's teacher in
the second term where they can
discuss their child's progress.
If a parent has a particular matter
of concern, further meetings can
be arranged by contacting the
teacher. The child's annual Record
of Achievement is issued in the
third term. Parents will be kept
fully informed of any other developments
regarding assessment.
Homework
Homework
is regarded as an integral part
of every pupil's learning. It
extends the child's learning from
class to home and forges a positive
link between home and school and
between parents and teachers.
Homework can also develop independent
learning skills and allows time
for the practice, application
and consolidation of what has
been learnt at school.
Parents are fully
informed of homework requirements.
There will be a graded increase
in the amount of homework set
as your child progresses through
the school.
Homework will
reflect the varying abilities
of our pupils and it will take
different forms ranging from written
responses, numerical exercises,
investigative and research work,
learning spellings and tables
and daily reading practice. Parents
are encouraged to show an active
interest in their child's work.
This is not to suggest that the
parent should spend time altering,
correcting or completing the child's
work but rather discuss it and
suggest how it might be done differently
or improved.
Above all other subjects, reading
is a crucial aspect of school
work and needs to be encouraged
at all times. A child's written
skills reflect the attitude to
reading; a child who reads widely
and with enthusiasm is often able
to translate this into written
work. It is important for a parent
to try and read with their child
as much as possible.
It is suggested that time spent
on reading and homework should
be:
| Primary One
to Three |
10 to 30 minutes |
| Primary Four
to Seven |
30 to 45 minutes |
| No homework
is set at the weekends. |
Information about End of Key Stage
Assessment Outcomes
The tables below
shows the proportion of pupils (expressed as a percentage) of pupils in the
final year of Key Stage 1 with their achievements in English and mathematics and
the equivalent figures for N Ireland in the school year 2006-2007.
|
Key Stage 1
English |
Attainment levels
|
|
W |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
St Mary’s %
N Ireland % |
-
0.34%
|
-
5.33% |
100%
56.64% |
-
37.69% |
|
Key Stage 1
Maths |
Attainment levels
|
|
W |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
St Mary’s %
N Ireland % |
-
0.42% |
-
4.91% |
86%
49.94% |
14%
44.73% |
One child is equivalent to 14 % in the St Mary’s
KS1 summary.
The tables below shows the
proportion of pupils (expressed as a percentage) of pupils in the final year of
Key Stage 2 with their achievements in English and mathematics and the
equivalent figures for N Ireland in the school year 2004-2005.
|
Key Stage 2
English |
Attainment levels
|
|
W |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
St Mary’s %
N Ireland % |
-
0.04%
|
-
0.41% |
9%
3.67% |
36%
19.96% |
55%
52.89 % |
-
23.02% |
|
Key Stage 2
Maths |
Attainment levels
|
|
W |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
St Mary’s %
N Ireland % |
-
0.06% |
-
0.40% |
9%
3.03% |
27%
18.21% |
55%
38.53% |
9%
39.77% |
One child is equivalent to 9% in the St Mary’s KS2
summary.
