Reepham Church of England Primary School
Curriculum Policy
Introduction:
The curriculum encompasses all of the planned activities that we organise in order to promotelearning and personal growth and development. It includes not only the formalrequirements of the National Curriculum, but also the range of activitiesthat the school organises in order to enrich the experience of the children. It alsoincludes the ‘hidden curriculum’ or what the children learn from the way they aretreated and expected to behave. We aim to teach children how to grow into positive, responsible people, who can work and co-operate with others while developingknowledge and skills, so that they achieve their true potential.Sat behind our Curriculum will be the teaching of our Christian Values, British Values, Safety and Aspirations for all.
Our Curriculum statement:
We aim to ensure that all of our children are best prepared for life! Underpinning the curriculum at Reepham Church of England Primary School is thebelief that by engaging pupils with exciting activities, learning will become an adventure that pupils will stay on for life. Where pupils lead their learning, they will achieve their full potential. We will be a ‘thinking school’ where all children and adults will be encouraged to ask questions and think about their learning, what they are learning and the greater world.We will have aspirations for all, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, religion or ability! We have a Christian commitment to ensure our pupils are challenged to think spiritually and leave school equipped to think about the ‘larger’ questions relating to faith and spirituality.
Aims and objectives:
The aims of our school curriculum are:
To enable all children to learn and develop their skills to the bestof their ability;
To promote high standards of reading, writing and maths;
To promote a positive attitude towards learning, so that childrenenjoy coming to school, and acquire a solid basis for lifelonglearning;
To teach children the core skills of literacy, numeracy, science and computer skills;
To enable children to be creative and to develop their own thinking;
To enable children to recognise and utilise their own best learningstyle;
To teach children about their developing world, including how theirenvironment and society have changed over time;
To help children understand Britain’s values, culture and heritage;
To enable children to be positive citizens in their community andwider society;
To fulfil all the requirements of the National Curriculum and theLincolnshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education;
To help children understand the importance of truth and fairness,so that they grow up committed to equal opportunities for all;
To enable children to have respect for themselves and high selfesteem,and to be able to live and work co-operatively with others;
To think about faith and spirituality, to have the confidence to talk about it openly and answer larger questions;
To leave school, loving learning, and be excited to continue their education at secondary school;
To leave Reepham Church of England Primary School best prepared for life.
Teaching and Learning Approaches:
We recognize that children learn more effectively when the education experiences they receive in school are of a meaningful and practical nature and when many of the starting points for study are firmly based in first hand experiences.
We have chosen an integrated approach to the curriculum where skills learnt within one subject can be used and developed purposefully in the study of another. A large part of the studies undertaken by the children will therefore relate in some way to the class topics. These studies need to be carefully chosen and regularly reviewed to deliver the required curriculum through first hand experience wherever possible. This means making use of the locality and the grounds and bringing artefacts and nature into the classroom and the use of drama and investigation. As children are unique individuals with their own specific educational needs, aptitudes and learning styles, we are ‘child centred’ in our approach within the study structure. We need to be flexible enough to take into account the different avenues of interest and study that can be generated by the topic.
We will periodically survey pupils and parents to find out their interests and use these ideas as the basis of our curriculum.
We will look at how each study topic relates to our pupils, how it can be enhanced with visits to interesting places and if we can bring in inspirational guest teachers/speakers.
We will value pupils learning from each other; talk partners, time to think and pupils setting their own next steps will be integral within our school curriculum.Problem solving, research and thinking skills together with creativity should play an important role within the school and children should be expected to draw on subject knowledge and skills to complete their task.
The Curriculum is planned effectively, providing continuity and progress. It promotes an enjoyment of learning and a commitment to learning and achievement. Through the provision of rich and varied activities, we aim to:
encourage the best possible progress and the highest attainment for all pupils;
enable pupils to make connections across different areas of learning;
help pupils to think creatively and solve problems;
develop pupils’ capacity to learn and work independently and collaboratively;
enable pupils to respond positively to opportunities, challenges and responsibility;
enable pupils to acquire and develop a broad range of knowledge, skills andunderstanding.
Personalised Learning:
We recognise that all children must be offered a learning experience which matches their individual needs and is challenging and supportive to enable every individual to achieve their full potential. The child must be given every encouragement to play a positive role in their present and future community. Differentiation is realised through – task, outcome, support by adult or resources, different groupings such as ability, mixed ability or pairs and ranges from children with significant special needs to those who are most able.
Curriculum content:
The school provides a curriculum which strives to develop the work of individual children according to their age and ability. The school has developed a curriculum plan which incorporates the current statutory National Curriculum subjects of English, Mathematics, Science, Design Technology, Information and Communications Technology, History, Geography, Modern Foreign Language, Art and Design, Music and Physical Education. Also included in the Curriculum are Religious Education, and Personal, Social and Health Education (including Citizenship and Sex Education).
Our curriculum is planned around termly areas of study, as developed from pupil interest, all subjects are planned along this theme with the notable acceptation of Literacy, Maths, PSHE, RE and PE where at times they may link, but we will not ‘force’ subjects into a study/topic if they do not ‘fit’. Likewise across the curriculum we may have stand-alone skills lessons, or themed days.
Safety:
Throughout our curriculum we will teach our pupils how to be safe, this will range from planned lessons, to using available opportunities throughout the curriculum (for example discussing e-safety when using the internet, that ovens get hot in DT or seat belt safety when reading a book that has a scene in a car).
We will plan to have safeguarding aspects covered termly and this will include Collective Worship themes. Every term e-safety (including Cyber Bullying) will be covered.
British Values:
Throughout our curriculum we will teach pupils to respect and uphold our British Values of Democracy, Rule of Law, Respect & Tolerance, Equality of Opportunity, Freedom of Speech and the Right to live Free From Persecution.
We will also have regular Collective Worships that cover the British Values and link them to our Christian Values.
Each term we will have a chosen spiritual and moral value; this will be linked to the religion which is the topic in RE. We will plan to discuss this value throughout the term across the curriculum, as we believe pupils need to think about these greater questions and what it means to be spiritual and moral.
Christian Values:
As a Church of England School we will uphold our Anglican Values. This will include relating topics and content to the teachings of Jesus Christ and stories from the Bible. We will encourage pupils of all faiths, and of no faith, to think spiritually and morally. We will be a safe place for religious discussion and debate. We will ensure all pupils understand the Holy Trinity and how it relates to a modern world.
The National Curriculum:
We follow the statutory National Curriculum for authority maintained schools.
Reepham Church of EnglandPrimary School puts a strong emphasis on Literacy (English) skills and Numeracy (Maths) skills. Our daily timetable gives extra weight to these core subjects, which form the foundation of our mornings.Other subjects may be more hands on to keep our learning fun and creative.
English:
The study of English develops children’s abilities to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes, using language to learn and communicate ideas, views and feelings. We focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar as well as presentation and handwriting. English enables children to express themselves creatively and imaginatively, as they become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama, as well as non-fiction and media texts. Children gain an understanding of how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Children use their knowledge, skills and understanding in speaking and listening, reading and writing across a range of different situations.
The aims of teaching English are:
To enable children to speak clearly and audibly, and to take account of their listeners;
To encourage children to listen carefully to others, in order to identify the main points of what they have heard and respond appropriately;
To show children how to adapt their speech to a wide range of circumstances and demands;
To teach children effective communication, both verbal and non-verbal, through a variety of drama activities;
To teach children phonics through a structured programme in order to support their reading and writing;
To help them become confident, independent readers,through an appropriate focus on word-, sentence- and text-level knowledge;
To develop enthusiastic and reflective readers, through contact with a wide variety of texts;
To foster the enjoyment of writing, and a recognition of its value;
To encourage accurate and meaningful writing, be it fiction or non-fiction;
To have high quality spelling, punctuation and grammar skills;
To improve the planning, drafting and editing of their written work.
The long term planning of English follows year group guidelines as presented in the National Curriculum. Short term planning takes into account pupils abilities and will be aspirational in nature.
All children take part in guided reading and will read to an adult as they work through the scheme.
Phonics is taught daily from EYFS until pupils are competent with these skills. We follow the Letters and Sounds strategy, but use advice laid out in the Read Write Inc (RWI) program. All children are tracked until they have ‘left’ Phase 6 and their progress is closely monitored. There are ‘catch up’ programs in place for children seen to be falling behind. Children entering KS2 without secure phonic knowledge continue to take part in the daily phonics session and other intervention programs.
Mathematics:
Mathematics equips pupils with the uniquely powerful set of tools to understand and change the world. These tools include logical reasoning, problem solving skills and the ability to think in abstract ways.
Mathematics is important in everyday life. It is integral to all aspects of life and with this in mind we endeavour to ensure that children develop a healthy and enthusiastic attitude towards mathematics that will stay with them.
Our pupils should:
Have a sense of the size of a number and where it fits into the number system;
Know by recall number facts such as number bonds, multiplication tables, doubles and halves;
Use what they know by recall to figure out numbers mentally;
Calculate accurately and efficiently(both mentally and in writing) drawing on a range of calculation strategies;
Make sense of number problems, including non routine problems, and recognise the operations needed to solve them;
Explain their methods and reasoning using correct mathematical terms;
Judge whether their answers are reasonable and have strategies for checking them where necessary;
Suggest suitable units for measuring and make sensible estimates of measurements;
Explain and make predictions from the numbers in graphs, diagrams, charts and tables;
Develop spatial awareness and an understanding of the properties of 2d and 3d shapes.
At Reepham Church of England Primary School we recognise the importance of establishing a secure foundation in mental calculation and recall of number facts before standard written methods are introduced. We consider Mathematical Vocabulary when planning to help determine the appropriate terminology to use in our teaching and children are expected to use it in their verbal and written explanations.
Mathematics contributes to many subjects and it is important the children are given opportunities to apply and use Mathematics in real contexts. However due to the nature of Mathematics it is usually (but not exclusively) taught outside of the termly topic/study theme.
Science and Foundation Subjects:
When we plan our topics/studies we ensure that Scientific Enquiry and Science Key Skills are usually used as the arch that binds the topic/study. We teach children how to investigate in Science as well as core facts and concepts as outlined in the National Curriculum. Science is taught so that children begin to make sense of the world in which they live. The skills of planning, observing, investigating, recording, predicting, evaluating and communicating are included in this subject. Studies/topics for areas of Science, History and Geography have been carefully planned by all members of staff so that all areas of content and skills are covered, well balanced and provide continuity and progression. Science provides a cycle of topics and progression of the National Curriculum. History provides a chronological progression at Key Stage 2, covering enquiry skills, key events, key people and historical sources.Geography covers skills of mapping, weather and themes including the locality and contrasting places at home and abroad. Art and Design technology skills are incorporated throughout topics/studies and focus on design, safely creating a ‘product’ and evaluation, as well as looking at famous people from the field.
We have a very hands on approach to Science and Foundation Subjects; this kinaesthetic approach sees pupils learning through doing and talking about their findings. This enables us to focus our teaching and complements our morning focus on Literacy and Maths.
Computer Skills are deeply rooted throughout all teaching and learning as we believe these are vital skills that children will use throughout their life.
We have mapped our curriculum topics so they follow a 2 year rolling program in Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2. These topics encompass key skills from the National Curriculum to ensure coverage. This is also monitored through pupil self-assessment and key skills assessment tracking. We use this overview as long and medium term planning. It will not be used to constrain innovation, creativity and pupil interest. An overview of these topics can be seen on our website, following the ‘Curriculum’ tab.
Our Class topics are:
Key Stage 1 / (Year 1 &2)Year A / Year B
All about me / Marvellous Me
To Infinity & Beyond / Let’s Celebrate
Into the Wild / Splish, Splash, Splosh
Dungeons & Dragons / Land Before Time
Whatever the weather / Up The Beanstalk
Time Detectives / Art Attack
Lower Key Stage 2 / (Year 3 &4)
Year A / Year B
Go With The Flow
(Vikings & Rivers) / Great British
(Geography & History)
The Empire Strikes
(Romans) / Tomb Raiders
(Egyptian’s)
Round the World / The Wild West
Upper Key Stage 2 / (Year 5 &6)
Year A / Year B
Bombers
(WW2, Local History) / Yellow Bellies
(Local History & Geography)
Mayas/ Peak & Pinnacles / Gruesome Greeks
Survivor
(Stone Age – DT) / Carnival
(South America)
Orders are subject to change, over riding topics are subject to be amended to meet a specific cohort needs or to align with National events. If this happens National Curriculum objectives are always covered.
As a maintained school we ensure we meet the requirements of the National Curriculum which can be found in detail at:
Specialist Teaching: