Children in the Primary phase at The Rosewood School are taught exclusively online. Lessons are live, hosted via Zoom, and we use a number of tools and resources to make the lessons interactive. We maintain a focus on handwriting in all lessons rather than typing via IT, and so children share their handwritten work with us using a device called an Osmo, and then share their completed work daily by uploading an image of it to ‘Class Dojo’. This work is then assessed and subsequent teaching and learning is planned for. Feedback to pupils is in the most part verbal and immediate, but feedback is also recorded via Class Dojo for pupils and parents to read.
In our curriculum is English, Maths, Science, Art, ICT, PSHE, and Music, which all follow the National Curriculum. English lessons are generally focused on bespoke teaching rather than a set curriculum (i.e., the identification of gaps in knowledge and addressing those gaps). We follow White Rose for our Maths teaching and use White Rose resources, however, it may not follow the specific learning for the term that White Rose has set out; it depends on the make-up of cohort and any gaps in learning.
We have two classes, Elm 1 and Elm 2, which are notionally Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 respectively. However, we take a stage not age approach, and pupils may be placed in different groups in relation to their peers. We will generally try to keep children within socially appropriate groups and encourage communication and interaction between them.
Pupils have a reading session each day. Dependent on the stage of the learner they will join one of three groups: a phonics group, a Key Stage 1 reading group, and a Key Stage 2 reading group. Many of the pupils who attend The Rosewood School have had significant amounts of time off school due to health and as a result may have gaps in their reading, and so are not grouped solely by age. We follow the ‘Twinkl’ Systematic Synthetic Phonics program, which we chose as many resources can be accessed and shared online, lending itself well to this form of teaching.
We hold a weekly assembly each Monday that covers aspects of the PSHE and RE curriculum, as well as notable topics meant to broaden our pupils’ cultural understanding of the world.
School days within the Primary phase are Monday to Thursday. On Friday, we ask that a pupil’s home school maintain some form of interaction with them, depending on what their health allows. This may be going into school to visit their teacher and friends, or if they are unable to, attending a lesson or assembly remotely, having a phone call with a key staff member, a video call with their friends – anything that helps maintain a positive link with the school.
Our Primary teachers are Mr Trim, Mrs Smith, and Mr Fewtrell.
