Curriculum Vision 2019
Where Curriculum Intent meets our School Vision and Values…
To create a learning culture where children develop a lifelong personal interest in the subjects being studied.
For learning to be irresistible and for the school to foster children’s natural curiosity and to open up a wide range of opportunities which broaden horizons beyond the every day.
In our school the curriculum is delivered in a range of ways that encourage children to develop life skills such as common sense, resilience, logical thinking, independence and collaboration. We aim to ensure children acquire transferable skills and skills that are sought by employers, bearing in mind that the employment we are preparing them for after school may not exist yet in this ever – changing world. We aim to develop behaviours which are conducive to learning and a work ethic that will last long into adulthood.
Our curriculum is broken down into the traditional subject areas and a variety of topics are covered within these subjects. Subject specific vocabulary is used in context and this is linked to the key skills and knowledge being taught. In each topic a hook is used to capture the children’s attention. This might take the form of a visit or visitor, an enrichment of the curriculum and will inspire curiosity and the desire to learn more, making learning irresistible. As a result we see interested, highly engaged children and children applying their learning across and between subjects. Key Literacy texts are linked to subject specialisms and texts are used that reflect learning challenge, that allow struggles and debate; books which provide opportunities to develop reasoning, exploration, research, hypothesis all from which conclusions can be drawn.
We are currently reviewing provision in all subject areas and are excited about the new skills and knowledge progression maps which are well underway. The children have already been working on the new History, Geography, Art and Design and Design Technology Curriculums since January and early indications are that we have got this right and it is igniting their interest and desire to learn.
We are in the process of rewriting PSHE and PE at the moment. Computing and RE are next in line, followed by the other subject areas. We are taking time to get this right and the complete new ‘Progression in Skills and Knowledge Curriculum’ for Coldfair Green Children, written around our locality and the needs and interests of our young learners, will be fully in place from September 2019. We are very excited about this work and happy to talk about it further to all interested parties. Please do contact the school directly if you would like to come in and talk to us more about it or see it in action in the classrooms. We will be holding regular curriculum drop in sessions so you can find out more about the things your children are learning about and the ways in which these are taught.
The National Curriculum
At Coldfair Green we follow the National Curriculum as laid down in 2014. We teach Literacy and Mathematics in the mornings and the remainder of the curriculum is taught through a themed curriculum, including all of the foundation subjects. Science is taught discretely in single year groups. The themes have been discussed with the children through the School Council and tailored carefully to ensure the statutory curriculum content is covered in an interesting and engaging way and through topics that the children stated they wanted to learn about. We aim to make all learning irresistible!
Long Term Curriculum Plan New from September 2019 … under development and coming soon. Keep an eye on the newsletter for the opportunity to come in and see the curriculum we are developing and trialling in the Spring and Summer of 2019.
Long Term Curriculum Plan 2015 – 2019
Curriculum Plan 2015-2016 (KS1)
Curriculum Plan 2015-2016 (KS2)
Curriculum Plan 2016-2017 (KS1)
Curriculum Plan 2016-2017 (KS2)
Curriculum Plan 2017-2018 (KS1)
Curriculum Plan 2017-2018 (KS2)
Curriculum Plan 2018-2019 (KS1)
Curriculum Plan 2018-2019 (KS2)
English is taught within the framework of the National Curriculum.
Speaking & Listening
Speaking and listening are vital skills for developing vocabulary and grammar and underpin reading and writing. They are taught and modelled by adults across the school. Staff have high expectations of how children speak and listen carefully to the spoken word; they support children in developing their competence and confidence in the spoken language through our talk for writing approach. The use of Standard English is encouraged in the classroom environment. Opportunities are created for talk in a range of contexts and forms: whole class discussion, small group discussion, paired discussion, individual contribution, role play etc. The quality of a child’s speaking and listening is fundamental to his/her ability to communicate effectively. This not only enhances self-confidence, but helps the child to explain, generalise, analyse and draw conclusions.
Reading is taught through whole-class guided reading sessions, in addition to independent reading sessions where children can practise and consolidate skills. Whole-class guided reading supports children in applying their decoding and comprehension skills, whilst giving teachers an opportunity to show children great examples of writing and unpick the features of these that make the writing so good. It is also a good opportunity for teachers to show children ‘live’ grammar being used in the text they are reading. When taking part in whole-class guided reading, children’s skills are developed through a combination of discussion, example and written answers.
Teaching staff use a combination of Jolly Phonics and Letters and Sounds to structure phonics in the early years. All KS1 children have a daily phonics sessions in class with those needing extra intervention catered for in smaller groups. This enables extra support for those who need it and allows class teachers to stretch the more able. This promotes a strong and systematic emphasis on the teaching of synthetic phonics to aid the teaching and learning of reading.
The school has a large selection of reading material that is used in conjunction with work on phonics (letter sounds), word recognition and other sub-skills to teach reading. In the early stages children are encouraged to share story and picture books with parents, alongside structured reading schemes.
Reading and work relevant to its many sub-skills is undertaken every day during English lessons. Children learning to read are encouraged to take their reading book or work home daily. This is monitored by a home/school reading diary, in which parents and adults in school write comments.
From emerging writing in their early school years, we aim for children to enjoy writing in many forms, both formal and informal, fiction and non-fiction by the time they leave us in Year 6.
Children are given real purpose for their writing, making it meaningful and engaging. We use Pie Corbett’s ‘Talk for Writing’ approach, which enables children to internalise the language of writing and effectively imitate it, writing from concrete experience and with confidence and enthusiasm.
From starting with copy writing and writing co-operatively with the teacher, we aim for children to be writing independently in many forms by the time they leave. Creative writing of stories and poems, reporting, description, letter writing, diaries, summarising, note-making etc. are some of the forms taught in conjunction with structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation and presentation. Writing is taught every day during literacy and skills are reinforced in cross-curricular work.
Children start to join their handwriting in Year 2 and progress to using a pen when they are consistently forming joined letters. By the time they leave children should be able to write competently in a joined style.
The areas of study in history are very wide-ranging. As well as learning some factual content from British and World history, children will be taught to look for, interpret and analyse evidence. The history curriculum has been designed to allow children to acquire the necessary skills to handle a range of sources, evidence and artifacts in order to explore significant periods in world history. Vocabulary will be developed and used to describe and explain events and significant individuals as well as to make comparisons between the past and present. Visits and trips will be used to enhance the learning experience and provide opportunities to develop an understanding of historical events.
Many geographical skills will be developed as part of the geography curriculum. Children will study different areas of the world which will allow them to compare locations as well as cultures. Map skills will be developed, allowing children to interpret information and make reasonable judgments about the area of study. Debates and role play activities will provide the opportunity for children to explore their own views and opinions. Field work and trips are used to give context to factual information and to inspire the children in their learning.
RE is essential for all children, of all abilities, all backgrounds and all faiths. At Coldfair Green, children learn about different religions, belief systems and rituals. RE teaching seeks to encourage empathy, generosity and compassion, whilst supporting pupils to develop respect for others and challenge prejudices. In addition to dedicated RE Days that take place every half term, religious learning can take place in assemblies that are sometimes led by a visitor.
Arrangements for the act of collective worship and for religious education are made by the school in accordance with the Education Acts and the Suffolk Syllabus. They are non-denominational but basically Christian in principle. Children also learn about other world religions. Parents may withdraw their children from R.E. and arrangements for worship. It would be helpful if such requests were made to the headteacher in writing.
PSHE education cannot exist in isolation. At Coldfair Green Primary School it is part of a whole school approach. Our curriculum provides a range of opportunities during PSHE enrichment afternoons, assemblies, visiting speakers and practical activities for children to make links to other areas of learning and explore a wide range of social, moral, cultural and behavioural issues.
Pupils learn about themselves as individuals and as members of a community, building on their own experiences for personal, social and emotional development. They learn rules and skills for keeping themselves safe, healthy and for behaving well. They learn to develop independence, responsibility and self-confidence, learning important social skills like sharing, taking turns, playing, helping others, resolving simple arguments and resisting bullying. Citizenship and promoting British values also form an integral part of our curriculum.
PSHE makes children aware of diverse beliefs, values and attitudes that individuals and societies hold. They help pupils to develop themselves, their understanding of the world and their ability to communicate their feelings. PSHE helps children to acquire British values and attitudes which are necessary if they are to make sense of their experiences within school and life itself, value themselves, respect others, appreciate differences and diversity and feel confident and informed as a British citizen. P.S.H.E.is enhanced by awareness days and visits such as: the Childline team, E-Safety team and Anti-bullying day.
Mathematics is taught through the National Curriculum. Daily maths lessons incorporate fluency, reasoning and problem solving and children work from a concrete approach (using a wide range of manipulatives – concrete apparatus, such as numicon, bead strings and counters to name a few) towards a pictorial and then a more abstract approach. This ensures children really grasp the fundamental concepts of mathematics such as number, place value and the four operations. In becoming numerate, children learn to use different strategies to solve problems. The school adheres to the Evolution Academy Trust calculation policy, which the maths lead and other teachers have worked to create with colleagues in the other EAT schools so that there is a consistency of approach across all of the Trust’s schools.
Through building up a body of key knowledge and concepts, children are encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They will be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring and predict how things might behave and will analyse causes. Investigation forms a key part of our science curriculum.
Drama plays an important part of life at our school. Annual performances, including the Midsummer Festival, Christmas Nativity, Harvest Festival and end of year drama productions, enable the whole school to participate as a unit reciting poetry, choral speech or enacting plays. The school has close links with The Red House, Aldeburgh; Snape Maltings Music for Schools Programmes and The Royal Hospital School Big Sing Choirs as well as with Jubilee Opera, Aldeburgh. Many of our children take part in a wide variety of musical theatre performance opportunities whilst they are pupils at the school.
All children take part in P.E. every week unless they are unable to do so for medical reasons. P.E. is concerned with the development of skillful body management in learning gymnastics, basic game skills, dance and movement. All pupils will have at least one six week block of swimming sessions every year (Year 1—Year 6).
The school encourages cycling by facilitating the Bikeability course to all Year 5 pupils.
All children experience music making, singing, listening to and composing music. Private lessons using school violins and brass instruments are available and can be arranged outside of school hours through the school’s contacts with local peripatetic teachers. The school choir has performed in several different venues. Through use of Charanga children learn the elements of music such as timbre, pitch and dynamics. Singing is an important part of our curriculum and all children learn a wide range of traditional, cultural and more modern music and songs. There are strong links with Jubilee Opera, Snape Maltings and The Royal Hospital School Big Sing Choir. Over the course of 2019 and 2020 the school is rewriting its music curriculum and there will be opportunities for children to learn a different musical instrument in each year they attend the school.
We experience art as a way to stimulate creativity and imagination. Pupils use colour, form, texture, pattern and different materials and processes to communicate what they see, think and feel. They explore the work of different artists and whenever possible, we invite artists to work with the children in school.
Children have the opportunity to design, make and test simple models and constructions using a range of materials. All children learn the skills necessary to construct, de-construct and interpret constructions. They practise ‘making’ skills, use construction kits and learn simple food preparation. Each year a design enterprise day is held to make products for school fairs.
A high proportion of our lessons include using computers and digital technology. We extend children’s learning and school communication through interactive activities. The new curriculum content for Computing includes programs such as Scratch for example. Lessons are delivered in an interactive and highly engaging way using computers and a range of digital technology. Children are given opportunities across the curriculum to apply a range of basic computer skills and are exposed to other opportunities, through visits and visitors, to stay upt o date with current practice as well as growth and changes in technology and computer science.
Sex and Relationships Education
We teach SRE to our Year 5 and Year 6 children following Suffolk guidelines. Parents are given the opportunity to withdraw their children from these sessions. A general policy statement, agreed by governors and teachers, is available.
Modern Foreign Languages
Coldfair Green School teaches French as part of the National Curriculum in Key Stage 2. The children learn songs, games, simple vocabulary and conversational responses in French using interactive resources.
French Curriculum Overview Dec 2017