Curriculum

Information about our curriculum can be found below.

In addition, if anyone wishes to find out more about the curriculum the school is following, they can contact the school office on 01536 722757 or email office@stmarys.pdet.org.uk

Curriculum Intention

Long Term Curriculum Maps

Termly Theme Overviews

EYFS

Year 1/2

Year 3/4

Year 5/6

English

At St Mary’s CE Primary School, we ensure that pupils secure their key skills in English through exciting and engaging learning opportunities.

As a school we want our children to be enthusiastic, confident and lifelong readers, and if they are to achieve this, not only must we teach them the key reading skills but also foster a passion for reading! We celebrate and provide rich reading experiences at every available opportunity, so that all our children develop a love of the written word. Through the school’s promotion of reading, pupils are able to confidently explore and discuss texts in detail.

In the Early Years, pupils begin by exploring books with their peers and their teachers, using their understanding of phonics to begin the early stages of reading. Like all our classrooms, our Reception class is a language rich environment, and pupils are able to select from a range of exciting texts and engage in learning opportunities to further deepen their understanding.

The foundations established in the Early Years are built on as the children move into Key Stage One. In these year groups, teachers deepen pupils’ learning and enjoyment of texts by using a variety of questions to focus their understanding of the themes and characters presented. A range of rich texts are used, so that pupils use of vocabulary and enjoyment of reading is heightened. The breadth of our curriculum ensures that pupils have access to a wide range of poetry, fiction and non-fiction.

Reading

Here at St Mary’s we use a variety of strategies to support the teaching of reading, as all learners are individual and therefore can require different approaches to secure their skills. In recognition of this, teachers use a variety of decoding skills such as phonics and picture cues to ensure all pupils become competent and confident readers who enjoy the written word.

Independent reading books support children at an individual level, are carefully chosen by teachers to aid and challenge our pupils. We use a variety of different materials and stimulus to enable our children to develop a love of reading. Our independent reading stage books provide pupils with opportunities to engage with both fiction, poetry and non-fiction materials. In addition to independent reading, and from the end of the Early Years, all pupils have the opportunity to work in small groups with a member of staff to participate in Guided Reading. This provides pupils with further opportunities to explore challenging texts, discussing their themes to deepen their understanding.

During guided reading sessions to develop comprehension skills, children are taught using an approach called VIPERS. This ensures all the skills that are required to be an effective reader are specifically taught. These skills include vocabulary, inference, prediction, explaining and sequencing/summarising.

Phonics

Our Phonic teaching happens on a daily basis and is taught in small groups, so that it is reactive to the changing needs of learners. Our Phonics programme begins in the Early Years, as soon as the children are settled and ready. Phonics teaching then continues into Key Stage One, when the children have to complete the statutory assessment at the end of Year One.

At St Mary’s, we use the Read Write Inc programme to ensure the progressive development of skills, so that pupils can decode effectively. In their English sessions, pupils are provided with the opportunity to develop and embed these key skills.

Writing

As a school we recognise that reading is fundamental to the writing process, as children can only write successfully if they have a full understanding of the features of specific genres. Therefore, there is a strong emphasis on using children’s knowledge of texts type and language to promote good writing skills. Through exciting contexts and stimulating experiences, children are actively encouraged to develop their own style of writing. Throughout the school, visual stimulus and drama are used to inspire children’s imaginations to write. To support the writing process, teachers model examples of effective writing, so children can learn the process that will enable them to become highly skilled writers. The use of good vocabulary, chosen for effect, is highly encouraged and the children have opportunities to apply these skills throughout the curriculum.

Our pupils’ understanding of sentence structure and grammar is an important feature of the children’s learning in English. In recognition of this, punctuation and grammar is taught discretely and embedded into every aspect of the children’s learning, so that they have every opportunity to refine and enhance their skill in this area.

Spelling and Handwriting

Weekly spellings are progressive throughout the school and focus on firstly securing common year group spellings, before moving on to understanding the core spelling rules that are required to enable pupils to work out adventurous spellings.

We strive to ensure that all our pupil’s books reflect the highest of outcomes and we recognise that neat presentation is an important skill. Therefore, we have a whole school approach to handwriting, which is the cursive script. Support is provided for parents, so that they can actively encourage their child with this at home.

Mathematics

At St. Mary’s, we are committed to working towards a mastery curriculum. We believe that Mathematics teaches us how to make sense of the world around us through developing a child's fluency (ability to calculate), to reason and to solve problems. In our school, we teach our children a rich, deep and progressive curriculum. Helping children to understand and appreciate the pattern in both number and space in their everyday lives, we build a growing knowledge and understanding of the world. By developing secure foundational skills and ensuring key concepts are sound, we equip children to solve a wide range of problems and think in ways that are more abstract. Children who grasp concepts more rapidly will be extended by going into greater depth on the age-related objectives. Children who find specific concepts more difficult to grasp will be given extra support during, before and/or after lessons as capacity allows.

Teaching of Mathematics follows the National Curriculum and reflects changes introduced in 2014 for Key Stages 1 and 2 and the Curriculum for EYFS. Our curriculum follows three key principles:

Fluency

Developing children's skills through a better understanding of numbers and how to manipulate them, as well as enhancing their knowledge of mathematical concepts and procedures.

Mathematical reasoning

Children learn to follow a line of enquiry, exploring relationships and discussing general rules. They form and develop arguments about mathematical scenarios and find proof to justify their decisions.

Problem solving

By providing opportunities to apply their mathematical skills in different contexts and across a range of subject areas, children will be able to work systematically to organise information, find patterns and ultimately solutions through independent and collaborative learning.

Calculation Policies

At St Mary's we ensure that our children learn using a C-P-A approach. this means that the children will experience the mathematics using concrete (physical) equipment, in pictorial form and finally in the abstract form of numerals (numbers).

As a school we use our Calculation Policies to ensure that we can apply these principles to each of the four operations at every stage of learning and all objectives in the national curriculum.

Key Instant Recall Facts

As a school we are keen to ensure that every child has the best opportunity to achieve their potential in Maths. If the children are comfortable with the basic number facts, it leaves more of their attention free to engage with the increasingly difficult and complex mathematics as they move up through the school.

With this in mind, we have created a progression of instant recall facts that all children should be fluent in from Reception to Year 6.

Instant Recall Facts Checklist

British Values

Promoting Fundamental British Values

In accordance with The Department for Education we aim to actively promote British values in schools to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.

Our school's core Christian values work in harmony with our British Values, and through our work on developing both aspects of children's personal values-set, we encourage pupils to consider them together.

At St Mary’s Primary we actively promoting British values through challenging pupils, staff or parents who express opinions contrary to British values. We model the values through what we say and do. These values are taught explicitly through Collective Worship, PSHE and RE. We also teach British Values through planning and delivering a broad and balanced curriculum.

The Key British Values are:

democracy
rule of law
individual liberty
mutual respect
tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

How this is done at St Mary’s CE Primary:

Democracy

Provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services.
Teach pupils how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process.
Include in the curriculum information on the advantages and disadvantages of democracy and how it works in Britain.
Teach pupils the history of democracy, such as through the theme of Ancient Greece.
Encourage pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are listened to in school, such as through the School Council.
Hold ‘mock elections’ so pupils learn how to argue and defend points of view (KS2).
Help pupils to express their views, including through Prayer Space and Circle Time.
Model how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged.
Democracy is shown through history themes such as the Vikings and Saxons.
Circle Time and discussion groups.

Rule of Law

Ensure school values and expectations are clear and fair.
Classroom Code of Conduct, linked to our school's values.
Use of praise and reward to promote positive consequences.
Use of sanction to encourage pupils to take ownership of own behaviour.
Help pupils to distinguish right from wrong.
Help pupils to respect the law and the basis on which it is made.
Help pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals.
Include visits from the police across the year.
Teach pupils aspects of both civil and criminal law and discuss how this might differ from some religious laws.
E-safety

Individual Liberty

Support pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
Strong focus on pupils developing own self-discipline by replacing rules with values - supporting children to adopt them independently.
Encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights.
Model freedom of speech through pupil participation, while ensuring protection of vulnerable pupils and promoting critical analysis of evidence.
Challenge stereotypes.
Implement a strong anti-bullying culture.
E-Safety lessons throughout school.

Respect and Tolerance

Promote respect for individual differences.
Help pupils to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and ways of life, particularly through RE curriculum
Challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour.
Organise visits to places of worship.
Develop links with faith and other communities through RE and working alongside children and their families.
Learning to disagree in a respectful way.
Develop critical personal thinking skills.

Teams Classroom

Teams Classroom Parent Guide

St Mary's CofE Primary School