FAIRFIELD SCHOOL

Juniors / Key Stage 2

Children spend 4 years in our junior department (KS2), moving through Year 3 (aged 7 turning 8), Year 4 (aged 8 turning 9), Year 5 (aged 9 turning 10) and Year 6 (aged 10 turning 11).

The school day runs 8.30am to 3.30pm. The junior curriculum includes the following subjects:

• Maths
• English
• Science
• History
• Geography
• Spanish 
• Latin 
• PE/sport
• RE
• Music
• Art and Design
• Design and Technology
• Computing and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), including Relationships Education (RsE)

Cross-curricular links and breadth of curriculum are very strong features of our curriculum, which is approached through whole school themes; these are carefully rotated to avoid repetition. Some whole school themes have been: Let's Remember 1900-1930 (including the nation’s focus on the centenary of the outbreak and end of the First World War), Ice and Fire, Britain as a Maritime Nation. The curriculum is further enhanced by an extensive programme of trips and visiting speakers.

Sport is taught by specialist teachers. Swimming is a weekly activity and there is an extremely wide choice of extra-curricular activities after school, from Lego to cookery, rugby to songwriting.

Residential trips, all with a different focus, are introduced from Year 3, when the children spend one night away; in Years 4 and 5, they spend two nights away and Year 6 children spend a week on their trip, taking part in a variety of outdoor pursuits which include abseiling, zip wire, trapeze and initiative exercises, to name just a few!

Our junior children take part in the whole school Carol Service, which is led by Year 6. They also take a class assembly each term and perform a drama production in the spring term. Year 6 children lead our Founders’ Day service, our Easter Service, Remembrance Day Service and perform a Shakespeare production in the summer term, which is followed by Leavers’ Supper.

The Reading Buddy system continues throughout the school and the children forge strong friendships across year groups; these friendships are further enhanced by the House system. We have 3 Houses: Brunel, Cabot and Hannah More—and all children are allocated a House when they start in EYFS. Competitions take place throughout the year, including Sports Day in the summer term. 

Year 6 is a special year for our children, during which they assume their place as leaders of the school, School Council Leaders, Librarians, House Prefects. They develop and mature in so many ways over the year, a year which culminates in their residential trip and Leavers’ Assembly.

School Captains are appointed from Year 6 and all of our Year 6 children take on the role of House Prefects, carrying out various responsibilities within the school community. In addition, each year group has its own designated responsibilities, thus developing and strengthening our sense of community and responsibility to each other.

The curriculum and activities offered in each year group build on the foundations laid previously and extend the children’s capabilities and experiences so that by the age of 11, they are fully prepared to move on to the next stage of their education. They have learned to be self-motivated, to give of their best in everything they do and they have healthy self-esteem and strong self-belief. 

The majority of our children carry on in the independent sector and move on to one of the Bristol independent senior schools at age 11. A few children transfer to the maintained sector and attend their local senior school. We have an outstanding record for preparing our Year 6 children for the next stage of their education (100% success rate for entry to Year 7) and have developed excellent relationships with the local and Bristol independent senior schools. We do not recommend that parents try to circumvent entrance test procedures by moving their child before Year 6; this is most definitely not in the best interests of the child and is unnecessary given our rigorous preparation and consistently successful results. 

Key Stage 2 Assessment

A combination of regular formative and summative assessment is used to track children's progress throughout the school. 

We use both formative and summative assessment to inform our planning and to ensure that all pupils receive the appropriate level of challenge or support to enable them to fulfil their potential. 

All pupils at Fairfield from Year 1 to Year 6 are assessed termly using standardised tests in reading, spelling, mathematics and English and annually in verbal and non-verbal reasoning. The results of these assessments are used to track progress and inform planning.

In Years 3, 4 and 5 we also use additional tests to assess pupils’ progress in maths and English, together with our traditional internal assessments which provide us with comparative data. We use this information to inform planning and track pupils’ progress. We no longer participate in the SATs assessments.

"Thank you for everything I am now and everything I can be in the future."

"I really love Fairfield!"

"I really enjoy it here. As soon as I started here I knew I would have a great time."

"Fairfield is a kind school as they teach us to be friendly. Everyone gives people respect. They celebrate your achievements."

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