Headteacher's Welcome
Welcome to Oakfield, a school with a difference, that makes a difference!
We are excited to have the opportunity to introduce you to our unique and inspiring learning community, you will probably already notice that we're "informally formal" in our approach; it's important that we show who we are, even through how we communicate.
At Oakfield, we pride ourselves on being more than just a school. We are a community of learners, teachers, and families who share a passion for education and a commitment to excellence. Our approach to learning is built on a foundation of kindness, respect, and high expectations, and we strive to create an environment where every student feels valued and supported.
Our school is renowned for its culture, ethos, and community focus. We believe that schools should be welcoming places, where children feel safe, happy, and inspired to learn. Our staff are dedicated and passionate educators who work tirelessly to create a positive learning environment that fosters curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.
Whether it's through our Forest School curriculum, enrichment activities, or personalised learning approach, we aim to develop children of good character who achieve excellence. We believe that learning should be exciting and that children should have the opportunity to explore their interests and passions beyond the classroom. We are proud of the diverse range of opportunities we offer our children and we think you will be too!
Mr Mitton
Oakfield on a page!
Our purpose...
We want to build children of...
Good Character
Who achieve...
Academic Excellence
Our curriculum intent...
When we made big changes to its curriculum in 2019, we asked different people what they wanted for our pupils. Parents told us they wanted their children to be happy and healthy, while children said they wanted to have fun while learning. Our community wanted children to give back and contribute positively, and our staff wanted children to do well academically.
These were condensed into our four 'Ls' (if you like, you could call these our curriculum drivers) and built our development from these.
Live
We want to help pupils get ready for their future by teaching them things that will be useful and help them succeed in life.
Love
We want pupils to feel good about themselves, love learning new things, care about their community, and have positive relationships with others.
Laugh
We want pupils to have fun, learn to laugh with their friends, build a sense of humour and have fun.
Learn
We want pupils to learn as much as they can, discover new things, be curious, creative, independent, and strong, so they can be the best they can be.
Looking for more detail?
At Oakfield, our curriculum intent is to provide a broad and balanced education that is ambitious, inclusive and prepares our pupils for life beyond school.
A broad and balanced curriculum provides children with a comprehensive education that goes beyond academic knowledge. It is designed to develop their spiritual, moral, social, and cultural awareness, as well as to prepare them for the future. The curriculum plan should be coherent, well thought-out, and published for everyone to see.
Additionally, our curriculum includes a daily act of coming together to reflect and an invitation to worship as well as Personal, Social, Health Education and Relationships and Sex Education.
Our academic and personal curriculum is also supported by cultural capital. Cultural capital is a critical aspect of education that goes beyond giving children access to cultural events and experiences (although these are also important to help our children to become 'cultured'). Michael Young from Cambridge University argues Cultural Capital is powerful knowledge, which includes understanding the stories and history behind cultural artefacts and events, it is what provides children with an advantage in life. Some students may have access to this knowledge at home, while others may never acquire it unless it is provided to them in school. Therefore, it is essential to close the knowledge gap and provide all our children with the opportunity to gain cultural capital.
We use evidence-informed research-based approaches (such as cognitive load theory, principles of instruction and threshold concepts) to deliver a curriculum that is focused, curious, creative, independent, self-managed, resilient, empathetic, and reflective.
We aim to ensure pupils enjoy learning and feel prepared for life after school. At Oakfield, we strive to enable our children to leave as skilled and well-rounded individuals, successfully prepared to take on the challenge of secondary school and adulthood.
Our curriculum is designed to support the development of good character and academic excellence to best prepare pupils for their future and enable them to make a positive contribution to their communities.
Academic Excellence...
We know that...
Learning involves changing our long-term memory. When children learn something new, their long-term memory helps them remember it for a long time.
Academic learning is challenging. Children need to work hard and put in effort to be successful in school.
Working memory is limited. Children's working memory helps them hold and process information in the short-term.
Novices and experts think differently than experts. People who are just starting to learn something think differently than people who know a lot about it.
Processing information helps us remember it. When children learn new information, it helps them remember it better if they process it in different ways.
Cognitive load can be reduced to make learning easier. Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental effort required to complete a task.
Feedback should be helpful to the learner. Feedback from teachers should be constructive and provide children with specific information about what they need to improve on. Feedback should also be timely and actionable, so that children can use it to improve their learning.
Assessments should align with the curriculum intent and be manageable. Assessments should be designed to measure how well children are learning the things that are most important for them to know. They should also be manageable, so that children can demonstrate what they know without feeling overwhelmed.
Adaptations to teaching methods and materials should be manageable. Teachers may need to adapt their teaching methods or materials to help children learn more effectively. These adaptations should be manageable and designed to meet the specific needs of each child.
Different subjects require specific teaching methods to maximize learning. Different subjects, like maths or science, require specific teaching methods to help children learn most effectively.
Therefore we...
Follow a structured process when we teach so that learning is divided between four different and distinct phases.
Engage: Teachers use interesting and exciting activities like games, stories, and hands-on projects to ignite learning, spark curiosity and hook children in.
Develop: In this phase, teachers focus on teaching children the knowledge they need to be successful. To achieve this, they recap on previous learning, provide clear explanations of what students are expected to learn, using examples and non-examples to illustrate key concepts, provide guided and independent practice opportunities, give immediate and specific feedback, use a variety of instructional strategies, and review and summarise key concepts.
Innovate: This is where pupils apply their learning, for example by solving a problem in small groups. This helps them to use their knowledge in different ways.
Express: Finally, children show what they know! Teachers help children reflect on what they have learned and celebrate their progress. Families are invited into school every half-term to look at books, displays, see presentations from children, talk informally with staff and take part in their own activities that children develop.
What subjects are taught and when?
EYFS
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): This stage is for children aged 3-5 and covers the period before children start formal schooling. The EYFS curriculum focuses on seven areas of learning: communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design.
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 1 (KS1): This stage is for children aged 5-7 and covers the first two years of primary school.
The KS1 national curriculum includes English, mathematics, science, computing, design and technology, history, geography, art and design, music, physical education.
We also teach personal, social, health education, religious education and of course, Forest school.
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2 (KS2): This stage is for children aged 7-11 and covers the last four years of primary school.
The KS2 national curriculum includes the subjects taught at KS1 and also introduces a second language (French).
We also teach personal, social, health education, religious education and of course, Forest school.
Our Drivers Explained...
Live - Preparing children for life.
We believe in preparing children for life, helping them to find their place in the world.
We do this by ensuring the things we do have a purpose beyond our school boundaries and ensure we keep things relevant.
Love - Love ourselves, learning, our community, and each other
We want children to love themselves, being confident, proud and happy individuals.
We want children to love learning, finding something that they have passion for and excites them.
We want children to love where they live, taking care of their environment and people around them.
Laugh - At themselves and with each other
We want to develop children who have a sense of humour, can be confident to laugh at themselves, the staff and with others.
We want learning to be fun - hands-on and inspiring.
Sometimes we even do things just for fun, to make lasting positive memories.
Learn - More than you ever thought was possible
We want learning that focuses on developing children who are confident readers, writers and mathematicians.
We want learning that extends beyond the academic and truly values a wide range of subjects.
We want children to learn HOW to think, not WHAT to think.
Personal Curriculum
Our OWL Leader, Mrs Isaac (2020)
Positive Behaviour Choices
Our school believes that positive relationships are the key to promoting good behaviour. This means building positive relationships between pupils, staff, and families. We want everyone to feel valued and respected, and we work hard to create a welcoming and supportive environment where everyone can thrive.
To support positive behaviour, we have clear routines in place that provide structure and organisation to the school day. We believe that routines help children feel secure and know what is expected of them.
We also have clear rules that we expect everyone to follow.
Be Safe
Be Ready
Be Your Best
Be Respectful
Be Here
Our approach to behaviour is based on the idea that everyone can be their best and achieve their goals when they feel safe, supported, and respected
Thrive
The Thrive Approach is an effective and evidence-based way of supporting children's personal development.
We profile all our children routinely to help us identify those who would benefit from class, group or individual support sessions.
Through its emphasis on building resilience and emotional intelligence, Thrive helps children and young people develop a strong sense of self, enabling them to navigate challenges and setbacks with greater ease. This is particularly important in today's fast-paced and ever-changing world, where children may face a range of stressors and pressures.
By providing practical tools and strategies, such as mindfulness techniques and relaxation exercises, Thrive helps children and young people develop the skills they need to manage their emotions and regulate their behaviour. These skills not only help them cope with difficult situations but also enable them to build stronger and more positive relationships with others.
Thrive also emphasises the importance of positive relationships and building a sense of belonging and community, which is vital for personal development and well-being.
British Values
Democracy: We teach our children about the importance of democracy and the democratic process. We encourage pupils to express their opinions and respect the opinions of others. We also provide opportunities for children to participate in the decision-making processes of the school such as when voting for the school council and their ambassadors.
Rule of Law: We teach the importance of following rules and laws, both within the school and in wider society. We promote the idea that rules and laws are in place to protect individuals and ensure a fair and just society.
Individual Liberty: We promote the importance of individual liberty and the right to freedom of speech, thought, and action. We encourage children to express themselves, while also promoting respect for the rights and freedoms of others.
Mutual Respect: We promote mutual respect and tolerance towards those with different beliefs, cultures, and backgrounds. We teach our children to celebrate diversity and to value the contributions of all members of our school community.
Tolerance: We promote tolerance towards those with different beliefs, cultures, and backgrounds. We encourage students to explore and understand different cultures and to respect the beliefs and values of others.
Looking for more detail?
"When the adults change, everything changes" influenced our thinking and approach to supporting our character development. It refers to the idea that when teachers and parents change their approach to supporting children's learning, it can have a big impact on children's behaviour, motivation, and success. This means that when teachers and parents work together to create a positive, supportive environment that promotes learning, children are more likely to feel safe, valued, and engaged in their learning.
For parents, this means that they can have a big impact on their child's learning by being actively involved in their education and working collaboratively with their child's teachers. This might involve things like communicating regularly with the teacher, attending consultations, and supporting their child's learning at home.
By working together with teachers, parents can help create a positive learning environment that supports their child's academic and personal success.