The core skill base to our curriculum is Oracy, Reading, Writing and Maths and these skills are explicitly taught throughout our curriculum and in discrete lessons, by class teachers, under the guidance of the subject leaders.

Oracy is embedded within our curriculum from our work as a Voice 21 school. Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language, within and beyond school. Oracy is a powerful tool for learning; it empowers pupils to have a better understanding of themselves, others and the world around them. Through the development of Oracy skills at Pennine View, we also support pupils to be able to develop healthy, positive relationships and make and keep friends.  Pupils learn to express themselves confidently which enables them to thrive and also navigate conflicts in their relationships in a positive and productive way.

Reading is a vital skill that all our pupils learn before they leave Pennine View.  We read for pleasure, to develop our learning and as an essential lifeskill.  Systematic Synthetic Phonics is used to enable pupils to decode and encode written language.  We have interventions in place that overcome barriers to reading, whether neurological or physical. The school environment is reading-rich with a well-stocked library of high-quality texts and each classroom has a reading area.  Pupils in Lower School have phonics lessons four times a week, as do pupils in Upper School who need further phonics teaching.  Drop Everything and Read sessions take place daily where everyone can immerse themselves in the joy of reading.

Writing skills develop from oracy and reading. Our language-rich curriculum and environment develop vocabulary and grammatical skills with writing being taught and practiced daily.  Written communication is another vital life-skill that all our pupils need for successful futures. Writing features as a communication and note-taking tool across the majority of lessons and as the outcome for English learning, where each week leads to a quality writing outcome with purpose and clarity of audience.  English lessons each week develop from contextual learning, then exploration and vocabulary development through reading and drama, through to drafting and final writing outcomes.

Maths is taught 4 times each week by class teachers, under the guidance of the subject leader.  Pupils follow the maths Scheme Of Work which ensures pupils are working at an appropriate level of challenge with opportunities to practice fluency and apply through reasoning and problem solving. The ultimate goal in maths is for pupils to leave Pennine View with the key mathematical skills that support everyday life, feeling confident and proud of their achievements.  Pupils need these core skills to live a fulfilling and successful life.  Our maths curriculum is designed in such a way that all pupils are able to engage in, and find success with, mathematics. 

Schemes of Work in each subject area ensure that we have a broad and balanced curriculum at Pennine View that reflects our vision and values to meet the needs of our pupils, both over the course of Year 3 to Year 11 and into adulthood. The Long Term Plan ensures sufficient coverage across each subject over time and supports our pupils to know more and remember more to broaden knowledge and provoke interest and excitement. It is continually reviewed to ensure it provides the best foundation for high quality teaching and learning in order to maximise our pupil’s life chances and economic well-being in adulthood.