Our Curriculum (2)

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Our Curriculum We strive to ensure that our children receive the very highest standards of education within caring, distinctive Christian community. Below is our vision for what we want our children to be. These are followed by our school values that form the central pillar, running through all we do and are framed within the two great commandments of loving God and loving your neighbour.

Our Children

• Are confident to explore ideas, to be independent learners, and enjoy taking on the challenge of learning

• Have strong values, sense of equality and have both the ability and desire to make the world a better place for all

• Show perseverance in learning • Make connections between what they have learnt, as well as connect what they

don’t yet know with the knowledge and skills that they do have • Are able to make sense of the world both locally and globally • Look forward and back – evaluate what they have done before and reflectively plan

next steps • Work collaboratively, showing ability to ask questions, negotiate and evaluate and

build on the responses of others • Show curiosity and creativity • Are engaged in their learning • Have a high esteem and understand that they can positively influence their futures

Our Curriculum and Teaching

• Are rooted in the belief that all pupils should enjoy learning and can be successful • Inspire and challenge learners of all abilities and strive to remove any barriers • Allow teachers to use their deep subject knowledge and pedagogical skill to engage

children as partners in learning, acting quickly to adjust their teaching in response to pupils’ needs

• Secure high standards in all subjects • Develop children’s skills and mastery of areas of study so that they can apply what

they have learnt in any subject across the whole of their learning • Develop a sense of ‘flow’ in lessons where pupils are able to work with autonomy

and skill so that they are motivated to produce high quality work • Excite pupils’ imaginations and emphasise the interconnectedness of learning • Promote independence of thought and creativity of mind through a wide range of

learning approaches • Provide high quality, timely feedback to both pupils and staff allowing all to better

understand how to further improve • Draw in parents as their child’s co-educators, engaging them and increasing their

capacity to support their child’s learning.

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• Form a Christian community which is concerned with the development of people’s mind, body and spirit, and which nurtures a distinctive understanding of what it is to be fully human

Our children sharing in the long term future of our community by planting a tree at St

Eustachius Church How we deliver our curriculum As with most schools in England we follow the National Curriculum, which sets out minimum standards and breadth of study for each subject to be covered. Our curriculum is one of skills and knowledge and is supported by Edison Learning’s ‘Connected Curriculum’. Through it we aim to enthuse the children, engage them in their learning, enable all pupils to succeed and challenge children to excel. Our aim is that all pupils experience ‘flow’ in their learning where they experience the perfect balance of high skill level and high challenge so that all pupils are able to show a high degree of autonomy, engagement and, ultimately, success and enjoyment. Overriding aims of the curriculum Throughout all topics there is significant consideration given to how the children will develop their basic reading, writing and numerical skills as well as a development of our core value for the term. We have looked closely at the skills and key knowledge that the children should develop so that they can become life long learners, and well rounded, adaptable individuals that are prepared to achieve well in later life. It is also of vital importance that the children develop a good understanding of the fundamental values of British life with an emphasis on:

Democracy The rule of law

Individual liberty Mutual respect

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

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These are developed alongside our core Christian Values which underpin and are central to all that we do in school:

Forgiveness Respect

Joy Love

Self Discipline Our approach to planning and delivering our curriculum is as follows:

Pre-Learning Task/ Learning Conversation After considering the curriculum map and their main foci for the term but before completing their medium term planning teachers complete a pre-learning task or learning conversation with the children. This allows teachers to ensure that they pitch their planning so that it both supports and challenges the children in their class. It also allows the teacher to share ideas about the topic with their children and to allow them to express areas that they are interested in that can be built into planning. It is important that this task is built on some

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knowledge of the topic so that we are not asking children what more they want to find out about a topic that they nothing about. Planning and Teaching Each topic starts with a big question or focus such as: Has there ever been a better time to live? To ensure that the National Curriculum is covered in detail and depth each unit has a key focus such as science and DT. English and mathematics, RE, PE and languages are all taught discretely although there are often links to the topics and so teachers plan these in. Teachers work with the children to develop and deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding through the topic and ensure that key knowledge and skills are covered to allow all children to be enthused and engaged in their learning and challenged so that all children can excel. For more information about the way we teach please see our teaching and learning policy. Reflection At the end of a topic the teacher will undertake a reflection exercise with the children so that they and the teacher can think about all they have learned, how they have developed as learners and what they need to do to improve as learners. It also enables the teachers to pick up and address any misconceptions with the children. Curriculum Maps We have a spiralling curriculum. This ensures that even though children may spend more than one year in a particular class they will, in general, not repeat the same topic. It also means that when children return to a topic area, such as in science, there is a clear progression in expectations of knowledge, understanding and skills. Our curriculum maps are published on the school website. Occasionally the school will have whole school topics such as geography and history in the news. Subjects covered and not covered as part of a topic All National Curriculum subjects for each class are plotted onto a curriculum map and teachers spend time considering how the different subjects can be linked under the key topic title for the term. These are drawn together into a planning mind map with the main theme of the topic in the centre and key outcomes around the outside. From this, teachers consider the key skills and knowledge that the children will develop on their way to producing the main outcomes. Some areas of study or subjects may not lend themselves readily to be part of a thematic approach and so these are planned for discretely with the same attention to deepening the knowledge and skills that the children will develop in that subject during the term. Curriculum Area summaries Below are brief summaries for each of the subjects that we teach in school. EnglishEnglish is a vital way of communicating in school, in public life and internationally. It enables children to learn how to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others effectively. In studying English pupils develop skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing (including punctuation and grammar) spelling and handwriting. Where possible these skills are developed through linking the teaching of English with other curriculum areas. Children are encouraged to read readily in school. We expect them to read confidently in all subjects by the end of school and to share books with parents on a

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regular basis. When reading children are developing fluency, understanding and a sense of reading for pleasure. Our teachers use the Devon Units as well as other resources in order to deliver high quality English lessons that allow our pupils to become fluent readers and writers. In EYFS and KS1 as well as for those children who need it in KS2 children are taught phonics. Phonics is taught primarily through the ‘Letters and Sounds’ materials although other resources may be used to support the teaching. Read Write Inc. materials are used to provide intervention for those children who need to catch up. A range of decodable and non-decodable books are used with the children until they become fluent and are able to read freely.

MathematicsMathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.Through our teaching of mathematics we aim that children:

▪ become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.

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▪ reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language

▪ can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Children are given a daily maths lesson and they are also taught to see maths in other subjects and indeed, all around them.

Children in Reception Class discovering how their maths skills fit into all sorts of other curriculum areas – in this case in designing, preparing and making healthy smoothies.

ScienceScience stimulates and excites pupils’ curiosity about phenomena and events in the world around them. Science links direct practical experience with ideas so it can engage learners at many levels. During the teaching of science a strong emphasis is placed on helping children to:

▪ Develop an understanding of the nature, process and methods of science such as predicting, estimating, measuring, fair testing, hypothesising, and drawing conclusions;

▪ Knowledge and conceptual understanding of biology, chemistry and physics and

▪ Understanding of scientific uses in the world around them.

Science is planned and taught in conjunction with the Connected Curriculum but, as a school we have also made the choice to keep in some of the units of work that have been

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taken out of the new National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 such as light, electricity and forces.

ComputingComputing is concerned with how computers and computer systems work, and how they are designed and programmed. There are three main aspects of the computing curriculum that we follow: computer science, information technology and digital literacy. Pupils studying computing will gain an understanding of computational systems of differing kinds. Computational thinking allows children to solve problems, work analytically, design systems, and understand the power and limits of human and machine intelligence. Pupils who can think computationally are better able to conceptualize, understand and use computer-based technology, and so are better prepared for today’s world and the future. Computing is a practical subject, in which invention and resourcefulness are encouraged. The ideas of computing are applied to understanding real-world systems and creating purposeful products. This combination of principles, practice and invention makes computing an extraordinarily useful and intensely creative subject, suffused with excitement. We also ensure that our children are responsible users of ICT and know how to keep themselves safe when on the internet and using social media. The teachers plan work with the help of a scheme of learning called Switched On and through guidance in the Connected Curriculum. Religious Education (RE) and Collective WorshipRE is taught in accordance with the Diocese of Exeter Agreed Syllabus for RE and our own scheme of work. Alongside Christianity, children study three other major religions, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism.We have daily acts of collective worship (assembly) that are led by school staff and representatives of local churches. Once a week we have a ‘family worship’ where we celebrate the achievements of the children with family and friends. We have key services in St Eustachius church.Parents are able to withdraw their child from RE or collective worship but should discuss this with the headteacher.Design Technology (DT)DT prepares children to participate in a world of rapidly changing technology. Everything we use in our day-to-day lives – from forks to food and hats to houses – has been designed. Finding out more about how these objects are designed and made helps children to make sense of the world around them. By designing and making their own products, children learn: practical skills, finding out how things work, making products that are useful and look good and ways of thinking and working, like coming up with ideas, solving problems and working as a team. Through our teaching of design technology children learn to:

● develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world

● build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users

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● critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others

● understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

Art Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. We teach art through key termly themes which are set out on our school subject and class curriculum maps.

Through our teaching of art children learn to:

§ produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences

§ become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques

§ evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design

§ know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

To support the planning and delivery of art lessons teachers use a range of resources including the Suffolk scheme of learning.

Foreign LanguageFrench is delivered through termly blocked immersion projects. The main scheme that we use is Niveau Bleu although teachers use other resources to support the teaching of languages. Language teaching is performed through a wide range of singing, role play and speaking and listening activities. Currently French is taught to the children in Key Stage 2.HistoryIn history children will gain a coherent knowledge of the past of Britain and the wider world. The key areas developed through the teaching of history are chronological understanding, knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past, historical interpretation and enquiry and being able to organise and communicate their findings. For the younger children the historical themes they explore are related to their own experiences such as homes, toys and the seaside. Our aim is to ensure that we equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh

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evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Our teaching of history should help children to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships with different groups, as well as their own identities and the challenges of their time. KS1 children will learn about changes within living memory and beyond, as well as the lives of significant characters and events, through work on topics like the change of toys over time, and holidays now and in the past. At KS2 children will be studying early British history (starting with the Stone Age) up to 1066 through a range of topic-based units, plus one aspect or theme of British history beyond 1066. In addition they will learn about a range of early civilizations around the world, including one non-European culture. Teachers use The Connected Curriculum materials to help with their planning and will often incorporate the use of school trips into their topic.GeographyWe believe that geography should fill pupils with curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. In lessons we aim that children develop knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.We aim to ensure that children:

▪ develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes

▪ understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time

▪ are competent in the geographical skills needed to:▪ collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of

fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes▪ interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes,

aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)▪ communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps,

numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

Teachers use The Connected Curriculum materials to help them plan for geography.MusicThe teaching of music develops children’s ability to listen and appreciate a wide variety of music and to make judgments about musical quality. They are encouraged to take an active

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role in listening to, composing and performing music. As a school we greatly value the contribution music makes to everyday life and strive to involve as many children as possible in musical activities. The children in Key Stage 2 take part in a biannual show and in both Key Stages children are able to have extra-curricular music lessons on either the violin, guitar, ukulele or piano. There are opportunities for children to attend concerts. The school runs a choir for KS1 and KS2 and also benefits from whole class instrument lessons for example in 2015 all of the children in year 5 and 6 learned to play the violin for a term before hosting a concert for parents. Music is taught using a range of resources such as Music Express and the Connected Curriculum.

Parents watching some of our violinists

Personal, social and health education and citizenshipPSHE&C helps to give pupils the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy independent lives and to become informed, active and responsible citizens. ‘Circle time’ is an integral part of the PSHE&C teaching when children are able to express their views and opinions on concerns they may have. Drugs Education and Sex and Relationship Education are part of PSHE&C teaching. Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning materials, along with materials from Health for Life, Devon Scheme of Learning and the Connected Curriculum form the basis of teachers’ structured planning and they also respond to issues that are revealed in the class ‘worry box’ or other issues that arise during the school day.

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Some of our children on their arrival at Paddington Station during their Year 5

residential trip to London Forest SchoolThe philosophy of forest schools is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences. Each week the children in different classes have a forest school session where they enjoy cooperation games whilst learning a great deal about the outdoors and taking part in construction projects, problem solving and the occasional toasting of marshmallows over an open fire! We aim to do forest school whatever the weather. Physical Education (PE)In PE children develop their physical competence and confidence as well as their ability to perform in a range of activities such as gymnastics, games, dance, athletics and swimming. PE provides opportunities for children to be physically active for sustained periods of time, creative, competitive and to tackle challenges as individuals, groups and in teams. It also promotes positive attitudes towards active and healthy lifestyles. We aim for children to be able to experience a wide range of competitive situations and excel in an activity that is suited to them. We aim to provide extra-curricular clubs that allow children to excel in team sports or individual sports depending on their preferred style. During our residential trips children take part in a wide range of outdoor and adventurous activities.