Curriculum
We deliver a broad and balanced curriculum through the delivery of Religious Education and the National Curriculum. Each subject area is well planned and monitored to ensure progression and continuity of learning for all pupils across the school. How and what your child is taught will be communicated to you by class teacher in a meeting at the beginning of the school year and via termly curriculum newsletters. Each area of the curriculum has a policy document and these are available to all parents in the main school corridor.
Children’s education is divided up into the following five stages:
Foundation Stage 3-5 Years
Key Stage One from 5-7 Years
Key Stage Two from 7-11 Years
The teaching and learning for the Early Years Foundation Stage is organised into areas of experience rather than individual subjects. These areas are as follows:
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The teaching and learning for the other Key Stages consists of 10 subjects which make up the National Curriculum. These are:
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And in Key stage 2 pupils also learn a Modern Foreign language (MFL)
Organisation of the Curriculum
Our curriculum has undergone major development and is now taught through a ‘topic’ based approach. Children study a new topic every half term; recent topics have included “Treasure, ”Rainforest” “Food.”
Topics often include an offsite visit to enhance the depth of learning.
During the morning children are generally taught two/three subjects which could be any of the ten National Curriculum subjects. In the afternoon the children usually have two/three lessons; however our timetables change constantly and are flexible enough to allow the teachers to explore subjects in more depth and to develop links between subjects. ICT is taught throughout all subjects and we are very fortunate to have an ICT suite with 30 computers and have recently purchased 30 laptops. This means that each class has identified times each week for learning & developing specific ICT skills. Whilst using the National Curriculum and other statutory documentation we have adapted schemes of work for each subject, which details exactly what is taught to each year group on a progressive basis.
Literacy
We believe that literacy is the door through which children access all other areas of the curriculum. We use the National Literacy Strategy Framework for the teaching of literacy and this gives detailed aims for teaching reading and writing. Our aim is to provide our children with the skills needed to be able to communicate and convey meaning clearly and accurately, through the spoken word and in written form. We wish them to be able to speak with fluency, understanding and expression.
They are taught to develop a clear, legible style of handwriting and to write well in a range of styles with a high level of spelling, grammar and punctuation. We also encourage our children to take an interest in and to appreciate literacy in all its forms for future learning and pleasure.
Children are taught:
Speaking and Listening: The children are taught to think about what they say, choose the right words, listen to others before they speak, talk with others and share ideas. They take different roles in drama, tell stories, read a loud and describe events and experiences to develop them into confident speakers.
Phonics: We use a very successful and enjoyable method of teaching phonics called “letters and sounds” It is a multi-sensory programme that combines the sound made by a letter with a fun action. Under this system the children learn their sounds very quickly and begin to read and write independently at a very early age.
Reading: The teaching of reading includes instructing children how to focus on words and sentences and how they fit into whole sentences and they fit into whole texts. Children are encouraged to work out the meaning of what they read and say and what they like and dislike about a text. They have a wealth of books to choose from including stor ies, plays, and poems information texts in print and on computer screens. They also regularly use dictionaries and encyclopaedias.
Writing: Children are taught to write in many different styles and formats. They compose stories, poems, notes, lists, captions, records, messages and instructions. They learn how to use punctuation to show the meaning of sentences, and discover that thinking about the patterns of letters and sounds helps them to spell words correctly.
Handwriting: We teach our children a simple a continuous cursive style of handwriting. This means that they are taught each letter with a ‘lead on’ and ‘lead off’. This policy results in a high standard of handwriting both in its speed and appearance.
Mathematics
We believe that numeracy is an essential life skill and also a very exciting subject if taught in the right way. Mathematics is not just a collection of skills; it is a way of thinking! We work hard to develop children’s confidence and competence with numbers and measures. Children are taught mental computational methods from the early years and we place a big emphasis on the teaching and learning of number bonds and timetables.
We use the national Numeracy Strategy Framework for teaching mathematics as it offers children a secure foundation in numeracy. The framework gives detailed aims for teaching maths, which is taught during a daily maths lesson for all pupils.
Children are taught about:
Number: Our children are taught to count, calculate, solve simple problems and make simple lists, tables and charts.
Shape, Space and Measure: The children learn all about the features of common shapes such as triangles, rectangles, squares, cubes and hexagons. They describe position s, directions and movements such as right angles. They work and measure with units of time, length, weight and capacity.
Using and Applying Mathematics: this section ties all of the mathematical strands together as children have to use their knowledge and understanding to solve problems. They communicate their thinking and results using objects, pictures, diagrams, words, numbers and symbols.
Science
The world of science holds a great fascination for children. Our children accumulate scientific knowledge about plants, animals, materials and forces, sound, light and space. They also learn how to design their own investigations and interpret their findings in order to draw conclusions. We have a magnitude of resources for science as well as a beautiful wild pond area and garden which children use in science lessons as well as other curriculum subjects.
In Science lessons children look at and explore:
Life processes and living things: The children learn about familiar animals and plants.
Materials and their properties: Children carry out a multitude of investigations on materials such as
wood, paper and rock to discover their different characteristics.
Physical processes: The children are taught simple ideas in physics through experiences with electrici
ty, forces, lights and sounds.
Scientific Enquiry: Children are taught how to hypothesise, investigate, interpret findings and draw conclusions. They are encouraged to think about the tests and comparisons they have used and decide whether or not they were a fair way to help answer the questions. The children communicate their findings and understanding using scientific language, drawings, charts and tables.
ICT
ICT is an essential and continually developing part of our curriculum. We believe strongly that for children to function in the wider world they need to be confident and able to use the most up to date technological devices. Each classroom has at least one computer and in addition to this we have 2 laptop trolleys that every class uses regularly to develop specific skills.
Children are also encouraged to use digital cameras , interactive whiteboards, music stations, roamers as well as many other forms of technology.
The children experience activities which:
Religious Education
The school aims to meet the requirements of the Education Reform Act 1988.
Religious Education at our school is far more than simply learning about the major world religions. We
encourage children to express and develop their own feelings of compassion, humanity, respect and care for all others regard less of religious denomination. We attach great importance to children’s personal, emotional and spiritual development as we strongly believe that children need to be able to appreciate
the awe and wonder of the world in which we live in order to lead a fulfilled and happy life.
Stoke Primary School adheres to the agreed syllabus by the local authority and the majority of our teaching about religion is thematic and reflects the multicultural nature of our country and of the wider world.
Our school is not affiliated to a particular religious denomination; however we have established good links with all of the local churches, and their leaders, who regularly come in to school to talk to the children and to take assemblies. In this multi-ethnic area, we respect religious beliefs of all our children, and welcome help and advice from parents.
We respect the right of parents to withdraw their child from all part of religious worship. If you wish to withdraw your child please speak to the Head teacher to discuss arrangements.
History
In History we aim to arouse children’s awareness and interest in the past. We encourage them to ask an
d answer historical questions such as ‘What was it like then’ History helps shed light on these big questions and introduces children to an unfamiliar but important world – the past. We use a variety of resources to bring history to life and we have visitors in who talk to the children about such things as the war and to compare toys and games children played with many years ago.
In History children learn to place events in chronological order and about the lives of famous men, women and children from the history of Britain and the wider world. We also look at significant events such as Remembrance Day.
Geography
In Geography children begin by exploring their local environment. They are given opportunities to draw
simple pictorial maps, follow directions and observe and describe their local surroundings. Children learn to use geographical skills and resources including maps and plans to find out about places.
They find out:
Design and Technology
We give children the opportunity through Design and Technology to investigate how familiar products and objects actually work. By answering questions such as ‘is this the right tool for the job’ they learn how to solve practical problems skilfully, creatively and with imagination.
Children are taught to:
Art and Design
At Stoke Primary children are encouraged to stimulate their imaginations and creativity through Art and Design. They study different sorts of artwork such as murals and sculptures. They also learn how art, craft and design can enrich their lives by developing a love of art and are encouraged to discuss how it makes us feel and think.
Children are taught to:
Physical Education
We know how important keeping fit is and try to instil the importance of regular exercise in the children. In Physical Education, children learn that it is fun to stay in shape and that everybody’s contribution is of value. The children also learn important skills such as to prepare for and recover from exercise and what happens to their body when they exercise.
Physical Education is divided into three main strands:
Music
Children are encouraged to explore their ideas and feelings by moving to music, creating patterns of sound, singing playing instruments and being aware of musical elements such as steady beat, pitch and tempo. They explore sounds and create their own short compositions both inside the classroom and even outside in the school grounds! They learn to listen carefully, finding out and describing how sounds can change; for example getting higher, lower, louder and quieter. They experience a wide range of music from different times and cultures and are encouraged to describe how it makes them feel.We are very fortunate to have a choir and music club.
Modern Foreign Language
We recognise and embrace cultural diversity and support community cohesion. In Key Stage 1, children a
re given the opportunity to experience a variety of different cultures and are encouraged to use different languages for greetings. More formal foreign language lessons begin in years 3 and 4 with French and during Years 5 and 6, children learn Spanish.
Personal Social and Health Education
We place high value on this aspect of a child’s education. We teach our children to have high self esteem and confidence and instil in them that getting things wrong is part of the learning process. In PSHE children learn about life skills and about their own rights, duties and responsibilities but also about the rights and responsibilities of others. Through our PSHE teaching we help them to respect and value the richness and diversity of our society and give them guidance on how to be a good citizen in modern society.
Sex education comes under the umbrella of PSHE however it centres more on attitudes, feelings and relationships rather than the biological ‘fact of life’.
Children are taught personal skills such as how to:
Assessment
We strive to teach all children according to their individual needs and ability and we use a thorough assessment process to help us achieve this goal. The children are regularly assessed by the teachers in all areas of the curriculum and this information is used to monitor progress, provide additional help if needed, provide more challenge if a child is identified as gifted and talented and to identify the next learning step. More detailed information on our assessment procedures can be found in the policy which is available to all parents.
Reporting to Parents
At Stoke Primary School we have introduced a system of Assertive Mentoring which puts the children in the centre of our teaching and their learning. You will hear more about this system in our introduction for new parents.
We encourage all children and parents to adopt positive attitudes re attendance, punctuality, behaviour, homework and effort which enables the children to develop positive attitudes to support them in their future lives.
Each term you will receive a report about your child’s progress and be invited into school during the school day to talk with your child and their teacher about the report and how you can support their targets for future learning. We do offer later appointments for working parents.
Our children really look forward to this meeting and we have received positive comments from our parents who are now able to understand national curriculum levels and expectations.
Something Special
The pupils say “We think that our school is very special” here are some of the reasons why.
School Clubs
We offer a wide range of school clubs and the list is constantly extending. We currently offer:
Computer Club
Homework Club
Art and Craft
Multi sports
Football
Tag Rugby
Netball
Smileys
We have also developed another strategy to encourage excellent work, attitude and behaviour. Children can earn smileys for excellence in all areas. They earn them for themselves and for their class. Children receive bronze, silver and gold awards. Class rewards can be chosen by the class themselves and may include :
Karaoke - Ready Steady Cook - Rounder’s - Magazine - Chat Room - Pop up Cards - Mystery Games – Bingo – Library -disco –bowling -trip out.
Sharing Assembly
Every Friday morning we have an assembly to for each class to share with parents their learning and achievements throughout the week. Class stars of the week are also announced Please come and join us – your children really look forward to seeing you.
Bringing the Curriculum Alive
We try to make our curriculum exciting and alive. We have held a number of special events including:
Artists in school
Theatre productions
International day
World book day
Visitors from different faiths & cultures
Guide dogs & vets
We have many more of these special events planned for the future.
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