Academic

At Gateways, we aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum which is both stimulating and enjoyable for the pupils. We cover the National Curriculum, adding elements such as French from Transition and Latin in Year 6. The subjects taught at Junior level include:

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Art
• Design and Technology
• French
• Geography
• History
• Religious Education
• ICT
• Latin
• Music
• Physical Education
• Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).

Our teaching is exciting and well structured, and our planning addresses the needs of each child. Sets are used when teaching Maths and English to enable effective teaching for every child. Physical Education and Music are taught by well-qualified specialist teachers.

The children are encouraged to become independent learners, be confident in their own skills and use all resources appropriately, including ICT. We place great importance on reading and the development of good reading practice.

Homework provides valuable consolidation of work covered during the day. It is planned to ensure a balance of subjects and workload throughout the week.

Assessment is integral to the learning process. Teachers continually use their professional judgment and expertise to identify formative assessment opportunities. The techniques of observation, questioning, marking, reporting and evaluating are part of this process. Assessment provides a basis for the sharing of success between pupils, teachers, parents and the wider community. It is a continuous process by which teachers find out about their pupils’ capabilities and achievements. Assessment is used to identify future targets for the class, group and individual as appropriate, and to identify children’s strengths and weaknesses.

We have an ‘open door’ policy and parents are welcome to arrange a time to discuss their child’s progress at any time throughout the year. Progress reviews are provided in the Autumn and Spring Terms and formal parent consultations are arranged. A detailed summative report is sent to parents in the Summer Term.