1. Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that more challenging activities are set to improve pupil outcomes particularly for the most able pupils at KS2, OFSTED 2017         

• More rigorous assessment, reporting and pupil progress analysis systems have been put in place
• Rigorous training for staff on how to teach for greater depth through the introduction of ‘gold work’
• To increase the percentage of pupils achieving greater depth at KS2

    2. To closely monitor the progress of pupils, in particular, the progress of vulnerable pupils through effective planning, assessment and enrichment opportunities.

Vulnerable is defined as: SEND, PP, LAC, No Reco2. To closely monitor the progress of pupils, in particular, the progress of vulnerable pupils through effective planning, assessment and enrichment opportunities. 

•   To focus on overcoming barriers to learning such as SEND, wellbeing and attendance, and ensure the provision and enrichment for vulnerable pupils such as disadvantaged and SEND is of the highest quality.
•   Continue to review English with the love of reading and explicit reading comprehension strategies.
•   Bespoke and targeted tuition support in English and maths to minimise the impact of lockdown on pupil achievement and wellbeing.
•   A language rich environment for our pupils with broad and rich curriculum opportunities.
•  To raise outcomes in writing and increase the number of children achieving greater depth in writing.

    3. To continue to develop a curriculum that champions diversity and equality

•   Sustaining and leading on our equality and diversity work for the school, wider community and local authority. 
•   Focus on celebrating equality, diversity and anti-racism in our daily practice.
•   Provide rich and broad experiences that develop resilience, self-confidence and raise aspirations.

 Pupil voice is consulted on key decisions across the school. 

 A values led curriculum that instils values such as ambition, kindness towards others, resilience, teamwork, respect as well as honesty and determination through the prism of British Values.

 Maryland’s construct of education is one of inclusion and equality and we are a model of inclusion based on equality and unique characteristics.

CURRICULUM GOAL 1 : To ensure every child is secure in English, Maths and Computing

 Core skills in English, Maths and Computing underpin all aspects of learning and provide necessary skills to become ‘future ready’.

CURRICULUM GOAL 2: To deliver a broad, balanced  and rich curriculum that creates independent, resilient critical thinkers

Our six school values underpin this ethos: teamwork, respect, kindness, courage, ambition, resilience.

CURRICULUM GOAL 3: Deliver a curriculum that champions diversity and equality 

 Pupils have a global perspective and are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Our pupils    see themselves represented in what they learn and the school itself so that equality, diversity and anti-racism are seamlessly interwoven into the curriculum.

  Feedback from our School Improvement Advisor

 Outcomes were positive

• EYFS 73%, above national
• Phonics year 91%, above national, 

 Overall strengths

The hard work and focus of the whole team in driving forward reading has been successful. The Literacy Tree scheme has been effectively led, managed and delivered. Displays throughout the school reinforce and highlight this focus on reading, leaving the visitor in no doubt this is a school celebrating a wide range of diverse literature readily available for children to read. The focus has had a very positive impact on reading at KS2 with 82% at age related expectations and 28% of children exceed expected.

The school continues to build on and champion diversity in the curriculum.

 Feedback from our School Improvement Advisor

 Outcomes were positive

• EYFS 73%, above national
• Phonics year 91%, above national, 

 Overall strengths

The hard work and focus of the whole team in driving forward reading has been successful. The Literacy Tree scheme has been effectively led, managed and delivered. Displays throughout the school reinforce and highlight this focus on reading, leaving the       visitor in no doubt this is a school celebrating a wide range of diverse literature readily available for children to read. The focus has had a very positive impact on reading at KS2 with 82% at age related expectations and 28% of children exceed expected.

The school continues to build on and champion diversity in the curriculum.

  1.NATIONAL  FOCUS: Poverty, Economic crisis & The cost of living

 Post-covid, the headlines are predominantly about the cost of living crisis and its impact on our lives and mental health. We need to see this as the new ‘pandemic’. We know that our families are suffering financially.

  Here are the last 4 years of Pupil Premium figures

  2019/20 – 102 pupils – 25% 

  2020/21 – 107 pupils – 26%

  2021/22 – 131 pupils – 34%

  2022-23 – 150 pupils – 38%

 Last year, we expanded our work on equality (so it is not just gender and race) to highlight the issue of child poverty. I want staff to remember that poverty impacts on mental health and achievement. 

 As a school we will focus on: 

• remaining vigilant, noticing signs of poverty or homelessness and reporting it straight away
• providing enrichment opportunities for all children
• signposting to our support teams, e.g. our FSW and Children’s Centre

 The school offers a wide range of services  that meets the needs of the wider community including our Children’s Centre and our Family Support Workers

 2. INTERNATIONAL FOCUS: CLIMATE CHANGE 

 We must teach our children to be future ready, to solve the complex problems our world is facing and to understand that it will take many solutions. We must teach them about WATER and POWER CONSERVATION alongside carbon reduction.

 We must teach about alternatives to fuel, such as solar power, hydrogen, biomass (waste) and wind power. The aim, as with plastic pollution, is for a change of habit the same way that people have now become used to electric cars, charging points and phasing out diesel cars. 

 For 2022-23 we will be impacted by the new heating system installed during the holidays, fuel energy costs (heating bills are set to rise even further) so too water costs and the rise in electricity bills – we use a huge amount of power due to all the electrical devices.

 So what can we do:

• saving water by using water butts
• considering how to save more water at school

 So how will we do this?

• In the Autumn term, we will have a creative project with children and parents on how they are recycling or saving water, gas, electricity. 

 Children will be encouraged to apply their creative skills which will demonstrate their developing knowledge and understanding in this topic – this may include constructing mini prototypes or producing a piece of art for example.  In order to further develop children’s confidence in   speaking about this subject children will have increased opportunities to present their findings and work to their peers and staff – all children from Year Reception to Year 6 will create, write and deliver a speech based on the following title (will be differentiated)  “Renewable energy –   what is it and how can using it make us better citizens?”.

 A range of new exciting texts will be made available to the children including ‘CLIMATE REBELS’ by Ben Lerwill. This text contains a collection of powerful stories about inspirational people across the world from many different nationalities and cultures who have inspired positive   change for sustainability – this will in-turn help to inspire our children at Maryland to create better futures for themselves. These texts will be used for a range of purposes including: guided reading, Time Owed, whole class opportunities including curriculum teaching/lessons. We are   asking staff to support this initiative by providing ideas on how to save energy in the school and looking out for exciting ways to teach this.    

 Let us make that change!

                                                                     Mrs.Lorna Jackson, MBE Headteacher September 2022