Key Stage 1 and 2 Curriculum

CURRICULUM  INTENT

 

                                                                 From the smallest seeds grow the biggest trees

                                                                                    OUR CHRISTIAN VISION

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. A man plants the seed in his field.  That seed is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes a tree, big enough for the wild birds to come and make nests in its branches.”

Matthew 13:31-32, International Children’s Bible

We believe each child is like a mustard seed, growing and thriving in our Church school family.  All children are nurtured here and flourish through our teaching and care.  We empower children to seek out the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life; children are inspired to be the best that they can be. Everyone is valued and able to grow in the love of God.

                                                                           Whoever you are, you are welcome here

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Our school vision is delivered through a curriculum that is adapted to meet the needs of each cohort through regular review as well as:

  • Preparing children to become effective citizens by developing their social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding and decision making through their learning including Values Education.
  • Embracing children’s love of the natural world through quality opportunities to  learn outside and benefit from our rural surroundings.
  • Developing children’s creativity by giving them chances to express themselves.
  • Providing opportunities for children to discover and develop their skills and talents through our academic and wider curriculum working as an individual and collaboratively.

Our Values Education permeates the whole school ethos with values being taught in Collective Worship and recognised throughout the day.  Values Education gives children a social, moral and spiritual framework to shape their actions and behaviour towards others.

Our curriculum is delivered within a culture of  inclusion and high expectations for all pupils.  All pupils are included in every opportunity to enable them to achieve well.  This reflects the requirements for inclusion and equality as set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2014 and Equality Act 2010.

 

IMPLEMENTATION

We achieve our curriculum intent by:

  • Providing a broad rich curriculum that includes the National Curriculum
  • Providing context for learning through a subject based approach  with cross curricular links
  • Prioritising early reading development
  • Providing opportunities for children to apply their English and Mathematical skills across the curriculum
  • Ensuring that key, subject specific concepts are revisited throughout the school, so that children make connections and deepen their knowledge
  • Ensuring all children have equal opportunities and access to enrichment activities 
  • Adapting the curriculum and teaching approaches to meet individual learning needs
  • Ensuring opportunities for children to develop their language for learning, skills to discuss, debate and express themselves
  • Providing opportunities to learn through hands on, practical, investigative, creative and problem solving activities

In Key Stage 1 and 2 our classes are mixed age classes i.e. Year 1/2 and Year 3/4.  For English and Maths the year groups are taught separately where appropriate with the support of a teaching assistant.  Science. RE and the Foundation subjects are taught with a 2 year rolling programme.  

English

We intend for children to develop a lifelong love of reading and become effective writers confidently communicating ideas, opinions and thoughts.  Children have many opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills across the curriculum.

Phonics and Reading:

Our planning is based on Pearson’s Bug Club Phonics.  Children are taught the phases building on previous knowledge.  As they progress through the school children select fiction, non-fiction and poetry books from colour bands, these are linked initially to the phonic phases.  Children are also read to by adults from high quality texts.

Phonics Programme

Writing, Reading, Grammar and Punctuation:

We adapt Hamilton Trust planning to deliver text based teaching of writing, reading, grammar and punctuation that enables children to build on their knowledge and skills.  We also seek cross-curricular links for children to further develop their creativity.

English CYCLE A and B KS1 and 2

Handwriting:

In EYFS and Key Stage 1 our teaching of handwriting is linked to our phonics teaching.  This enables children to learn letter formation in a meaningful way.  Children begin to join in Year 2.   Key Stage 2 uses the Penpals scheme as a resource building on Key Stage 1 and facilitating children’s recording across the whole curriculum.

Spelling:

Spelling is taught through English and homework. 

Maths

We intend for children to develop a love of mathematics, to be interested, curious and creative, and to be able to solve problems using mathematics.  They will be able to reason about maths and become increasingly fluent in their mathematical skills.

Mathematics is a highly interconnected subject that is essential to everyday life, the world of work and a vital foundation for understanding the world about us.

Our schools follow the Maths for Mastery approach across the school and use White Rose planning to support this and teach the National Curriculum programmes of study.  Children to develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of mathematics through high quality and creative maths lessons.

Maths will be brought into other curriculum areas wherever possible, so children can apply their skills across a wide range of subjects; embedding maths into their whole school life. 

EYFS, KS1 and KS2 Maths Overview and Progression

National Curriculum Progression-Primary

Science, History, Geography, Art and Design and Design and Technology

We have selected the Cornerstones Curriculum to teach Science, History, Geography, Art and Design and Design and Technology.  The ‘Big Ideas’ that thread through the curriculum support the delivery of our vision.

Big Ideas

  • Preparing children to become effective citizens by developing their social, moral, spiritual and cultural  understanding and decision making through their learning including Values Education. Humankind, Place and Space, Change, Significance
  • Embracing children’s love of the natural world through quality opportunities to  learn outside and benefit from our rural surroundings. Nature, Change, Materials, Processes
  • Developing children’s creativity by giving them chances to express themselves. Creativity
  • Providing opportunities for children to discover and develop their skills and talents through our academic and wider curriculum working as an individual and collaboratively. Investigation, Comparison

The foundation subjects are taught through termly topics which build on children’s knowledge and skills from Y1 to Y4.

CYCLE A OVERVIEW

CYCLE B OVERVIEW

Science

We intend for children to explore and discover the world around them, deepening their understanding of the world we live in.  Through scientific enquiry, children ask questions, investigate and use scientific vocabulary. 

Science is taught discretely and the National Curriculum programmes of study where possible have been positioned in our curriculum to complement the main foundation subject topic.  This enables children to make progress and deepen their learning within Science and over time make wider connections across the curriculum.

History 

We intend for children to develop an understanding of the past and how it has shaped the way we live today.

The National Curriculum programmes of study are taught through history specific topics.  

The history curriculum is planned so that skills are revisited and further developed over time.  Children’s historical knowledge and understanding are deepened because ‘Big Ideas’ threads, that will help children develop as Historians, are revisited through each topic from Year 1 to Year 4

 

Geography

We intend for children to develop as global citizens through a growing understanding of the wider world community in which they are living and our impact on our environment.

The geography curriculum has been designed to cover the National Curriculum programmes of study through geography specific topics.  .

Art and Design

We intend for children to express their own creativity, develop their own skills and techniques and use a variety of media.   Children have opportunities to explore and appreciate the work of a range of artists.

Design and Technology

We intend for children to be inquisitive about the world in which they live. Children  explore and investigate design examples and use this understanding in their work.

Children incrementally develop and apply their skills as they progress through the school.

Computing

We intend for children to be knowledgeable and proficient in the use of IT.  There is a clear and intentional focus to teach children to be safe in their use of technology and online.

Computing is taught discretely to enable the National Curriculum programmes of study to be sequenced, developing skills and knowledge progressively across the year groups.  There are opportunities for children to apply their learning in other subjects.

We use the Purple Mash scheme and have adapted it for our school.

CYCLE A KS1 and 2 Computing

CYCLE B KS1 and 2 Computing

Music

We intend for children to enjoy, appreciate and express themselves through music and singing.

Music is taught discretely using a scheme which supports the sequential development of skills and knowledge over the year groups 1-4.  

Knowledge _ Skills – Year 1

Knowledge _ Skills – Year 2

Knowledge _ Skills – Year 3

Knowledge _ Skills – Year 4

P.E.

We intend for all children to develop a lifelong enjoyment of physical activity, fitness and healthy living.  Children are supported and the curriculum is adapted to enable all children to participate fully.

Children learn to work together and challenge themselves as individuals through the PE curriculum.  The PE curriculum consists of units of work for gymnastics, games, dance, athletics and, for Key Stage 2, outdoor adventurous activities.  Year 4 children have a six week block of swimming lessons.

At our schools we take a holistic approach to  supporting children’s physical development (balance, co-ordination, sense of self in space) and we have adopted a scheme specifically for this purpose.

Children have access to both intra and inter-school competitions. 

2022-23

CYCLE A PE KS1

CYCLE A PE KS2

2023-24

CYCLE B PE KS1

CYCLE B PE KS2

R.E.

We intend for children to develop their understanding and knowledge of themselves and other people in the local, national and global community.

Children:

  • Explore questions of identity: who am I? Where do I fit in? What influences shape me? 
  • Discover a range of accounts of the meanings humans find in life
  • Develop their own sense of meaning
  • Consider how human values are often common and humane, but also often distinctive in the ways they are expressed and practised

As a Central Bedfordshire maintained school we follow the agreed syllabus for Central Bedfordshire, Beds Borough and Luton.  

As a Church school we also integrate the Understanding Christianity resource into the syllabus.

CYCLE A and B RE KS1 and 2

PSHE (including RSE)

We intend for children  to develop their perception of themselves and others as well as building resilience, in a holistic way.

Children explore in depth the overarching concepts of relationships, health and wellbeing and living in the wider world.  Staying safe is a golden thread throughout our PSHE.

As a Church school we have  included specific teaching linked to the Diocese of Bristol’s resource Goodness and Mercy.  We also link the the concepts to the Church of England’s vision for education.

The statutory requirements for sex and relationships education are taught through the PSHE and Science curriculum.

CYCLE A and B EYFS to KS2 PSHE

KS2 Modern Foreign Language

We intend for children to delight in the use of language to communicate. At our schools we teach children in Key Stage 2 French.  Our goal is to  prepare children for the MFL curriculum in Year 5.  

We do this through an emphasis on:

  • Listening and understanding
  • Pattern and sound of language
  • Speaking
  • Vocabulary
  • Simple reading and writing

2022-23

CYCLE A KS2 French

2023-24

CYCLE B French KS2

IMPACT

We take pride in achieving our outcomes. Through the careful planning and teaching of a variety of lessons children leave with a high standard of English and Maths that ensures they can access the curriculum as it becomes more challenging and rapid in the next stage of their education. They have started to show a passion for learning in a variety of subject areas, which we hope will help inform their future choices linked to exam success and career options. Most importantly, the children leave us feeling valued and respected. They enjoy learning and are capable of achieving and striving for success. We have encouraged our pupils to be tolerant, inquisitive and active learners.

Impact is measured over the year in a number of ways. We use a rigorous monitoring system across the whole school to ensure we are meeting the needs of the children and that they are reaching their full potential. This is done not only through data collection and data meetings, but also using our detailed teaching and learning monitoring schedule. This ensures that senior leaders and subject leaders are using pupil voice; drop ins, book looks and planning scrutiny effectively to monitor classroom practice, pupils engagement and attainment. Needs are identified and addressed quickly by adapting the curriculum.  This information is also used to inform further curriculum developments as annually we review our curriculum provision to ensure it is the very best for our pupils and meets the needs of our growing community.

Our schools are forward thinking and progressive, we work each year to ensure the utmost success. We look to improve and evolve through our own professional development and learning. This ensures our children get access to some of the best and most up to date practice and methods.

If you would like to know more about our curriculum please contact the individual school:

Dunton VC Lower School

office@duntonschool.co.uk

01767 312154

Wrestlingworth VC Lower School

office@wrestlingworthschool.co.uk

01767 631249