North West London

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW Highlighting best practice

pupils are given the opportunity to maximise their full potential. We used the opportunity of the new curriculum in 2014 to review our provision – we wanted to ensure that our curriculum matched our context – and curriculum topics have been chosen to reflect our locality. For example The Rise of Metroland is a topic that begins with a study of Victorian London but moves into the growth of the Metropolitan line during the subsequent century. Our pupils are challenged in fun and exciting ways through a curriculum that offers real-life and purposeful learning opportunities, first-hand experiences and regular opportunities to learn outside the classroom via a range of educational visits, curriculum workshops and residential trips. We recently built a Celtic roundhouse in our grounds and developed our own forest space alongside. In addition, we maintain a strong emphasis on PE, sport and the creative arts. We were in the first round of schools to achieve the School Games Platinum Award – only 103 schools nationally have achieved this. Pupils have performance opportunities within each academic year as well as a range of opportunities to learn a musical instrument, join the school choir or take part in the school orchestra. Final thoughts Our vision drives everything we do. We are tenacious, determined and passionate about providing a range of opportunities for students – so each child can find their “spark”. Our inclusivity is important to us, as is continuing to embed our culture of learning. Viewing this culture across the whole community – pupils, staff, parents, governors and external agencies – is crucial to our ongoing success as a school.

Creative outdoor play – the children made a see-saw using a pallet balancing on a tyre

Recipe for Change has guided our improvements to the indoor lunchtime experience for children. A transformation has occurred with the organisation of pupils into family groups and pre-arranged sittings. Pupils now enjoy a positive social experience in the dining room with a focus on creating an environment that resembles a restaurant, not a canteen. As part of this journey we have worked hard to embed a strong culture of learning amongst staff which has been facilitated by embarking on a journey of developing Lesson Study as a vehicle for professional development. Staff collaborate on key areas of action research, which involves developing research themes, engaging in peer observation and participating in structured learning conversations. This can lead to small incremental tweaks to improve practice, while our approach to staff appraisal has changed so there is a greater emphasis on performance development as opposed to performance management. Enriched curriculum Our pupils are offered a curriculum that is broad, balanced, exciting and creative. Teaching staff are flexible, innovative and reflective in their approach to teaching, which ensures

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Our curriculum aims to spark a love of learning in all and to ignite the fire so that children become active learners

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54 | WEST LODGE PRIMARY SCHOOL