Academic
Pinewood provides a broad and balanced curriculum that engages, excites and challenges pupils from 3 to 13. It provides knowledge, skills and understanding appropriate to age and aptitude, enabling pupils to develop, progress and achieve, and then gain entry into their chosen senior schools.
A carefully planned and monitored curriculum ensures that learning is continuous and that pupils make good progress. It enriches the learning experience for pupils beyond the usual confines of the National Curriculum, 11+ and Common Entrance.
Underpinning the curriculum are principles such as challenge, breadth, initiative, confidence and a sense of community. These work to provide an academically challenging environment which is vibrant, stimulating and most importantly, personalised to suit individual pupil potential. Pupils are encouraged to take ownership of their work, fostering independence and instilling a lifelong love of learning.
The Curriculum
The Early Years Foundation stage adheres to the DfES Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage which includes six areas of learning:
Personal, Social & Emotional Development, Communication, Language & Literacy, Mathematical Development, Knowledge & Understanding of the World, Physical Development and Creative Development.
In the Foundation Stage, and in Pre-Prep, the school adopts an inter-disciplinary topic approach to curriculum planning, alongside a range of QCA units that reflect the Key Stage One National Curriculum. The curriculum is planned carefully to ensure there is full and coherent coverage of all aspects of the Curriculum and early learning goals, and that there is planned progression in all curriculum areas, which includes the teaching of French from Year 1.
The Prep school is divided into three, two-year bandings: Lower School (Years 3 & 4), Middle School (Years 5 & 6), and Upper School (Years 7 & 8) and pupils are given the opportunity to experience a wide variety of subjects: History, Geography, Religious Studies, French, Latin, ICT, Drama, Art, Design Technology, PE, Games, current affairs and PSHCE as well as English, Mathematics and Science. As an IAPS school, we pride ourselves on the breadth as well as the depth of the curriculum we offer.
In Years 7 and 8 the Curriculum accords to the Common Entrance syllabus composed by ISEB. Some pupils may go beyond this in preparation for academic scholarships.
The academic curriculum is extended beyond the classroom with a range of visits, speakers, and curriculum days promoting the idea that learning is all around, and fostering an inquisitive nature about the world. It offers opportunities to exercise initiative and responsibility for learning and decision-making, promoting ideas of teamwork and co-operation.
Our Life Skills (PSHE & C) takes place during the week for Pre-Prep and Lower School pupils and on a Saturday for Years 5-8, along with two further academic lessons, the Kaleidoscope talks programme, chapel, lunch and games.
Extra-Curricular Preparation
Pupils from Year 1 onwards receive weekly prep. In Year 1 and 2 this takes the form of a range of English activities, e.g. reading and spelling, and a range of maths activities.
This continues in Years 3 and 4 with the addition of some French vocabulary. In the summer of Year 3 and continuing through Year 4 some more formal written Preps particularly in Maths and English may be set.
Prep is intended to be set for children from Year 5 to Year 8 as work continuing on from recent lessons or as practice for skills and knowledge recently acquired. Prep time is from 4.35pm until 5.25pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesday after games is available for children to catch up or read if they are not going home.
Extension and Support
The curriculum at Pinewood is designed to be accessed by all pupils who attend the school. If it is necessary to modify some pupils’ access to the curriculum, in order to meet their individual needs, then this is done with parental consultation.
If a pupil has learning difficulties, Pinewood does all it can to meet these individual needs through the school’s Learning Support Department. This is carefully overseen by the Head of Learning Support who liaises with staff responsible for the individual pupil’s needs. The Learning Support Department can provide in-class support, support away from the classroom, IEPs and guidance to the class teachers. Similarly, children who have English as an additional language are catered for by the Learning Support Department.
If a pupil is identified as Gifted and Talented, Pinewood does all it can to meet their needs through the school's Enrichment Department. This is carefully overseen by the Head of Enrichment and the Director of Education. The Enrichment Department can provide in class support, support away from the classroom, IEPs and guidance to the class teachers.
Setting and Assessment
Pupils have varied lessons with their form tutor or class teacher and also benefit greatly from a range of specialist teaching to include Science, ICT, French, Latin, Music and Art. Classes are small, work is differentiated and streaming and setting are used. Children are carefully set within a maximum 45 strong year group according to ability. This allows children to achieve at the speed that suits them best and offers an individual, personalised learning approach. From Year 3 pupils are organized into 3 sets for English and Maths, in Year 4 pupils are also set for Science. The higher up the school the more subjects are set.
A range of assessment both formal and informal is carried out during a pupil’s time at Pinewood. Parents receive regular progress and termly reports, which detail achievement and effort. The strong tutorial system, academic and pastoral, ensures that every child's success is celebrated and rewarded, whilst those pupils whose reports identify areas that are challenging, are helped and supported. There are formal Academic evenings and Parents' Meetings during the year and regular and open communication is encouraged between home and school.
Facilities include general classrooms with Smart boards throughout the school. The school has a well equipped ICT suite and all classrooms have additional PCs linked to the school intranet and internet. There are two purpose built Science labs equipped with further PCs and specialist equipment such as data-loggers. There is a dedicated music school, an art studio and DT workshop, a performing arts theatre and gymnasium, a dedicated Pre-Prep and EYFS library, a dedicated Prep School library, an Enrichment room and a Learning Skills unit.
For information on subject departments, please see our individual subject pages.
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Accreditations
Contact Pinewood School
Pinewood,
Bourton, Shrivenham,
Wiltshire, SN6 8HZ
Telephone 01793 782205