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Trail : home / Curriculum
Our Curriculum We have a whole school theme-based curriculum which means the children are excited and motivated to learn and they can learn together sometimes across the age range. We link subjects together e.g. art with geography, history with ICT, literacy with science, etc. Creative arts and a vibrant learning environment are essential parts of our themes. We also focus on achieving the highest possible standards for all our children in the basics of literacy, maths and science. We are well equipped with computer technology too and combine high tech. learning with our Forest School status where we learn outdoors and engage with nature. Our curriculum is further enriched by visiting teachers, artists, musicians and sports teachers. We also have a cookery room where we cook a variety of foods including produce from our garden. We follow the National Curriculum in all subjects.
Writing We follow the Literacy Strategy's guidelines in terms of teaching a wide range of genres and spelling which progress through the year groups. Children are inspired in their writing by a wide range of stimuli including links with our themes for example Science Fiction stories linked with Space and Persuasive posters linked with the Seaside. Children begin to check and edit their own work in the infants and they are involved in the next steps in their learning through our learning journeys for writing which each child progresses through at their own pace. | STEP | APPROX. LEVEL | SENTENCE STRUCTURE AND PUCTUATION | TEXT STRUCTURE | COMPOSITION AND EFFECT | | 1 | 1B | I begin to use full stops and capital letters | I link some of my ideas with 'and'. | I use ideas linked to a story or discussion. | | 2 | 1A/2C | I use full stops and capital letters most of the time. | I develop my ideas in short sections | I choose words to make my writing better. | | 3 | 2B | I link my ideas with different words like 'then', 'because', 'but' and 'so' as well as 'and'. | I use narrative and non-narrative styles of writing. | I use exciting words to make the reader interested. | | 4 | 2A/3C | I write using sentences which make sense and are grammatically correct. | I can write a simple story with a beginning, middle and end. | I can describe characters and use vocabulary to entertain the reader. | | 5 | 3B | I can use a range of connectives and punctuation between sentences. | I can write using sentences that are sequenced logically to extend ideas. | I can develop characters and setting using speech, adjectives and adverbs in a consistent style. | | 6 | 3A/4C | I can use longer complex and compound sentences with a range of connectives. | My writing has a beginning, middle and end which are clearly linked with a good pace. | I use imaginative and effective vocabulary with good development of characters through their interaction. | | 7 | 4B | I write in complex sentences with adventurous connectives and commas separating clauses | My writing is well-paced with the beginning, middle and end being clearly linked and logical. | I develop detailed settings and characters with vocabulary selected carefully to create effect. | | 8 | 4A/5C | I use a wide range of punctuation including brackets and semi-colons being used mid-sentence. | I use paragraphs to organise my ideas. | I develop characters through their thoughts and feelings. I have a clear awareness of my audience | | 9 | 5B/5A | I use a wide range of punctuation including brackets and semi-colons used mid-sentence. | I use a variety of appropriate layouts, sentences lengths and structures according to my purpose and audience. | I use highly adventurous and technical vocabulary where appropriate. | Reading Children are taught to read using systematic synthetic phonics based on Letters and Sounds. They are encouraged to also use other cues to decode texts. Children throughout school from YR to Y6 are grouped according to ability to learn phonics and spelling to aid, in the first instance, their reading followed by their spelling. These groups are small as all class based staff take a small group of children to ensure teaching is focused. Activities are interactive, investigative and fun. In Foundation stage children initially read books from the Rigby Star scheme which is based on phonics and this links with what they are learning in school. Following this they read books from Oxford Reading Tree. As they reach the upper levels of Oxford Reading Tree they broaden their reading with a range of early readers from Collins, Puffin and a wide range of publishers. Children read their reading books 1:1 with adults in school on a regular basis with those children who find reading more difficult receiving additional support and encouragement. All children in school are also grouped by ability into guided reading groups where they work with their teachers on focused reading activities. We place a high value on reading and enthusing the children about books. All the children spend time in the school library at least once a week and choose books from the library to take home along with their reading book. We also hold regular reading events such as World Book Day activity days, inviting parents in to read with the children, buddied reading between older and younger children and visits from authors, poets and story tellers. Speaking and Listening We believe that developing good listening skills and the ability to articulate thoughts are vital and children are engaged in plentiful discussions as whole school, classes, groups and in pairs as well as drama activities and forest school or outdoor learning activities which give rise to an enormous amount of high quality talk! Children have weekly assembly and PSHE themes which they discuss and learn the conventions of discussion and asking questions.
In maths we follow the Primary National Strategy guidelines and use a wide range of approaches and resources to enhance children's learning and appeal to different learning styles. We place a high emphasis on the children having a thorough understanding of number and calculation and learning mental maths skills and knowledge that will help them throughout their lives. Children know their next steps with regard to mental maths knowledge through their Learning Journeys:
| Mental Maths Targets Recall & Counting | | Step 1 | Recall: ~ 1 more than a number within 10 ~ 1 less than a number within 10 Count: ~ Forwards to 20 ~ Backwards from 20 | | Step 2 | Recall: ~ 1 more than a number within 20 ~ 1 less than a number within 20 Derive: ~ Pairs of numbers to total 10 Count: ~ In 2s,5s and 10s ~ Forwards to 100 in 1s | | Step 3 | Recall: ~ all pairs of numbers totalling 10 ~ addition and subtraction facts for all numbers to at least 5 Derive: ~ multiples of 2, 5 and 10 to the tenth multiple Count: ~ Backwards from 100 in 1s | | Step 4 | Recall: ~ addition and subtraction facts for all numbers within 10 ~ all pairs of numbers totalling 20 ~ doubles of all numbers to at least 10, e.g. 7 + 7 ~ multiplication facts for the 2, 5 and 10 times-tables Derive: ~ division facts for the 2,5 and 10 times-tables Count: ~ in 3s and 4s forwards ~ to 200 in 1s ~ in 10s to 1000 | | Step 5 | Recall: ~ all pairs of numbers with a total within 20, e.g. 13 + 7 or 12 + 6 ~ all pairs of multiples of 10 with totals up to 100, e.g. 30 + 70 or 40 + 60 ~ doubles of all numbers to 20 and the corresponding halves ~ multiplication facts for the 2, 5 and 10 times-tables and corresponding division facts Derive: ~ multiplication facts for the 3 and 4 times tables Count: ~ in 3s and 4s backwards ~ backwards within 200 in 1s ~ backwards in 10s from 1000 | | Step 6 | Recall: ~ addition and subtraction facts for each number within 20 ~ sums and differences of multiples of 10, e.g. 70 + 20 or 80 - 30 ~ Pairs of numbers totalling 100 ~ multiplication facts for the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 times tables and the corresponding division facts Derive: ~ multiplication facts for 6 and 8 times tables Count: ~ to 1000 in 1s ~ in 6s and 8s | | Step 7 | Recall ~ number pairs that total 100 e.g. 46 + 54 ~ multiplication facts for the 2,3,4,5,6,8 and 10 times tables and the corresponding division facts Derive: ~ multiplication facts for 7 and 9 times tables Count ~ in 0.1s forwards and backwards ~ in 7s and 9s | | Step 8 | Recall: ~ multiplication facts up to 10 x 10 and the corresponding division facts Derive: ~ sums and differences of pairs of multiples of 10, 100 or 1000 ~ doubles of multiples of 10 and 100 and corresponding halves Count: ~ within 10000 in 1s ,10s and 100s including crossing boundaries. | | Step 9 | Recall: ~ multiples of 10 up to the tenth multiple e.g. 70 x 4 Derive: ~ sums and differences of decimals, e.g. 6.5 ± 2.7 ~ doubles and halves of decimals, e.g. half of 5.6 Count: ~ in tenths, hundredths, thousandths | | Step 10 | Derive: ~ multiplication and division facts involving decimals, e.g. 0.8 x 7 and 4.8 ÷ 6 ~ multiplication and division facts using 2 multiples of 10 e.g. 80 x 40 or 2400 ÷ 60 ~ squares of numbers to 12 x 12 and the corresponding squares of multiples of 10 Count: ~ in tenths, hundredths, thousandths in larger step sizes forwards and backwards, e.g. 2.31, 2.34, 2.37..... |
Science and Design Technology (D.T.) |
Science is taught covering biological, chemical and physical aspects on a rolling programme from Year 1. We make good use of our grounds in studying plants, mini-beasts and habitats as our pond and garden are full of wildlife. Children enjoy practical investigations and often use their science knowledge to inform a Design Technology project for example, their knowledge of electrical circuits to design a game which lights up. We have a kitchen for the children to use in school so they have plentiful opportunities to cook including making recipes using produce from our garden. Our science learning is integrated with our themed curriculum for example, when we study Rainforests theme we study habitats and food chains.
Information and Communication Technology (I.C.T) |
The children learn about communicating and presenting information through slide shows, leaflets and email using visuals and sound; about finding out information through the internet; about interpreting information from graphs, databases and spreadsheets and about control and modelling technology. All of our ICT learning is integrated with our themed curriculum and the children have access to laptops and PCs so that a whole class can be engaged in ICT at the same time.
We study a skills based curriculum in these subjects linked with our themes. For example, for our Local Area theme we study local history and geography field work skills of mapping and orienteering. We bring the subjects alive through drama and outdoor learning as well as visitors to school and trips.
We teach a wide range of games including football, hockey, rounders, cricket, rugby and netball building skills from Reception class upwards. We have a hall where we do gymnastics and dance as well as our large outdoors areas for all outdoor games.
We study all major religions in the world following the Lancashire RE syllabus and the children learn about tolerance and diversity as well as about specific customs and practices within different religions and cultures.
We have a specialist music teacher who teaches the children in their classes every week. We also place a high value on singing and learning new songs in singing assembly every week. We stage a performance including singing at Christmas and in the summer for parents, grandparents and friends. The children also have the opportunity to take up free guitar lessons and private brass lessons.
PSHEE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) |
Developing children's social skills and ensuring their emotional well being is central to our ethos as a school and each week key themes such as "courage", "friends" or "ambition" form the basis of our assemblies and our PSHEE sessions in class.
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