The national project ‘Here I am’ is in operation throughout the school.
Together with this programme we aim to support, extend and clarify our children’s faith by:
Developing spiritual, social and moral behaviour based on firm Christian ideals.
Providing the experience of living in a community within the framework of home, school and parish.
Preparing our children for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist.
Enabling children to develop an understanding of our faith and love of liturgy, sacraments and prayer through a variety of celebration and worship.
Enabling children to acquire the foundations of faith through the teaching of doctrine in the context of their own life experiences and stage of development.
Sharing gospel values, and bringing the children to a deeper understanding and love of God.
We strive to foster a living faith, which will touch every aspect of their lives.
Parents can on request to the Head teacher withdraw their child from all or part of the religious education & collective worship curriculum.
English is a vital way of communicating in school, in public life and internationally. Literature in English is rich and influential, reflecting the experience of people from many countries and times.
In English we develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. It enables our children to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate effectively. Our aim is to enable children to learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction and media texts. We learn and explore together how language works, by looking for patterns, structures and origins. Armed with this knowledge our children can choose and adapt what they say and write to many different situations.
Key Stage One:
In English our children learn to speak confidently and listen to what others have to say. Children begin to read and write independently and with enthusiasm. They use language to explore their own experiences and imaginary worlds. Children's interest and pleasure in reading is developed as they learn to read independently and confidently. Our focus in Key Stage One is words and sentences and how they fit into whole texts and then begin to develop discussion around the text and its content, likes and dislikes. At this early stage our children enjoy and see the value of writing. They learn to communicate meaning in narrative and non-fiction texts and learn the rules and patterns for spelling and punctuation.
Key Stage Two:
During Key Stage Two our children learn to adapt the way they speak and write to suit different situations, purposes and audiences. We offer them a wide range of texts to read and then respond to different layers of meaning in them. We explore the use of language in literary and non-literary texts and learn how language works. Pupils are given the opportunity to learn how to speak in a range of contexts, taking varied roles and responding appropriately to others, what has been said and the language used. Pupils are encouraged to read enthusiastically a range of materials, and use their knowledge of words, sentences and texts to understand and respond to their meaning and subsequently analyse and discuss their ideas with others. Our children develop a growing understanding that writing is essential to thinking and learning and is enjoyable in its own right. We teach the main conventions of written English and explore how our language can be used to express meaning in many different ways. We encourage a planning, drafting and editing process to improve work and sustain both fiction and non-fiction writing.
Mathematics equips us with a uniquely powerful set of tools to understand and change the world. This includes logical reasoning, problem solving skills and the ability to think in abstract ways. Maths is vitally important in everyday life and a creative discipline.
Key Stage One:
During Key Stage One we develop children's knowledge and understanding of mathematics through practical activity, exploration and discussion. We teach the children to count, read, write and order numbers to 100 and beyond. They begin develop a range of mental calculation skills and transfer them to various to contexts. We teach aspects of shape and space through practical activity and build on their understanding of the immediate environment around them. We encourage and teach mathematical vocabulary, and then use it to talk about their work and explain strategies and reasoning when problem solving.
Key Stage Two:
During Key Stage Two children become more confident with the number system, and are encouraged to tackle problems mentally initially before any other approach. We move from counting to calculating with all the skills involved in the four rules of number. Our children are given the opportunity to explore features of shape and space and develop their measuring skills in a range of contexts. Again, mathematical language and understanding is vital as the children are challenged with activities involving diagrams and charts and data handling.
Science stimulates and excites children's natural curiosity about phenomena and events in the world around them as well as offering a level of satisfaction through knowledge. Because we link ideas with direct practical experience, it engages our children at many levels. We teach scientific method which is about developing and evaluating explanations through finding out which in turn acts as a spur to critical and creative thought. Through science we begin to understand too, how scientific ideas have contributed to change in every aspect of our lives.
Key Stage One:
At this stage our children focus on observing, exploring and questioning the world around them. We collect evidence linked to simple scientific ideas and evaluate it and consider whether tests or comparisons are fair. We share ideas in classes and groups and communicate findings through scientific language, drawings, charts and tables.
Key Stage Two:
During Key Stage Two our children investigate a wider range of topics. They begin to make links between ideas and to explain their ideas based on previous knowledge and understanding. Investigations become more systematic working in pairs, groups or classes. We encourage the use of a wide range of reference sources and discussion of work and ideas, using scientific vocabulary, diagrams charts and graphs.
Design and technology prepares our children to become participants in tomorrow's rapidly changing world. We encourage them to learn and think autonomously and be creative problem solvers either individually or as part of a team. The focus is to identify needs, wants and opportunities and then respond to them by developing a range of ideas thus creating products and systems. The children are taught the practical skills needed, and encouraged as part of the process to reflect and evaluate their own work in light of past and present designs. We hope to achieve through this discriminating and informed users of products and innovators of good future design.
During both Key Stages our children discuss their likes and dislikes when making and designing. They build on early childhood experiences of investigating objects around them and explore how familiar things work; drawing, discussing and modelling their ideas. We teach the children to work safely and responsibly. At Key Stage Two our children consider what the products are used for and the needs of the people who use them. Plans are made and they evaluate their own and others' designs. They are encouraged to draw on knowledge and understanding of other areas of the curriculum and use computers in a range of different ways.
ICT prepares children for a rapidly changing world. We use ICT tools to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information responsibly and creatively. The increased capability in the use of ICT promotes initiative and independent learning, with children being able to make informed judgements. At Key Stage One our children explore ICT and learn to use it confidently, developing and recording their own ideas. We provide a wide and varied range of suitable hardware and software. At Key Stage two children use a wider range of ICT tools and information sources to support work in other subjects. We encourage the children to research, question, amend and present their work in a variety of ways and one that will suit its audience.
History enables children to consider how the past has influenced the present and at the same time develop a chronological framework for significant events and people .In Key Stage One we teach the children about people's lives and lifestyles, They listen and respond to stories, visit museums and places of interest, watch relevant T.V and video material and then use sources of information to answer questions. They also consider how the past was different from the present. At Key Stage Two children are taught about significant people, events and places form both the recent and distant past. We study our own area, Britain and other parts of the world from various angles and viewpoints.
Geography provokes questions and answers about the natural and human world. We explore and develop knowledge of places and environments throughout the world, maps and a range of problem solving skills and investigative work in and out of the classroom. At Key Stage One our children investigate their own environment and that of a contrasting locality in the wider world. At Key Stage Two the children find out about a variety of people, places and environments both in the UK and abroad. We teach geographical skills using resources such as maps, aerial photographs, atlases and ICT sources.
Art and design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides our children with visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a unique way of responding to and understanding the world. We teach children to approach their own work through colour, form texture pattern and 3D. Through art activities children are given the opportunity to communicate what they see feel and think. They learn to make informed judgements and aesthetic and practical decisions as well as exploring the ideas and meanings in the work of others. Early experiences explore visual, tactile and sensory qualities and children begin to understand colour, shape, space, pattern and texture and use them to represent their own feelings. During Key Stage Two children develop their creativity and imagination through more complex activities. We build on skills, control of materials, tools and techniques. Children become more critically aware of the role and purpose of art, craft and design in different times and cultures by visiting galleries and exhibitions and working alongside artists in school. We hope our children become more confident as a result and are able to communicate freely what they see, feel and think.
Music is a unique form of communication, which is valued here at school. It brings together intellect and feeling and enables personal expression, reflection and emotional development. We feel it helps our children to understand themselves and relate to others as an integral part of culture, both past and present. We teach the children to listen and appreciate a wide variety of music and make their own judgements about quality. It encourages involvement at all levels, individual and communal thus developing a sense of group identity, self-discipline, creativity and fulfilment. At the early stages children listen carefully and respond physically to a wide range of music. We encourage them to play musical instruments and sing songs form memory. They explore and enjoy creating sounds and find out how sounds and silence can create effects and moods. Further up the school, our children sing songs and play instruments with increasing confidence and skill and expression. They are given opportunities to improvise, develop compositions and explore thoughts and feelings of their own and those of others.
We know that physical education develops our children's physical competence and confidence, and their ability to perform in a wide range of activities. It promotes physical skilfulness and a knowledge of the body in action. PE provides opportunities for children to be creative, competitive and to face up to different challenges as individuals, in small groups or as part of a team. We feel it provides a positive attitude towards a healthy and active lifestyle for the future. Through PE our children learn how to think in different ways to suit a wide range of creative, competitive and challenging activities. We provide them with opportunities to plan, perform and evaluate actions, ideas and performances to improve future quality and effectiveness. Through this process, children discover their aptitudes, abilities and preferences and choices. At Key Stage One, children build on their natural enthusiasm for movement and using it to further explore their world. We work and play in pairs and small groups and teach skills in watching, listening, experimenting, moving and co-ordination. At key Stage Two children enjoy being active and using their creativity and imagination in physical activity. We teach them new skills and how to use them in different ways and then link them together to make sequences of movement. We encourage the communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. The children develop a sense of achievement and recognise their own success, which in turn are celebrated as a school in collective worship time. Our school is actively involved in many county and inter-school sporting activities.
Personal, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship help to give our children the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives and in turn to become informed, active and responsible citizens. Our children take part in many activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum. We encourage and celebrate children who contribute fully to the life of the school, community and parish. We feel this kind of experience enables the children to recognise their own worth, work well with others and become responsible for themselves and the world around them. Alongside the RE programme we guide the children to reflect on spiritual, moral and social and cultural issues that are part of growing up in our ever -changing world. We explore ideas such as their responsibilities, rights and duties as individuals and as members of a wider community. We teach our children to respect others, the diversity and differences around us, so that they are armed with the necessary understanding to form effective and fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and the learning process. The younger children learn basic rules for keeping themselves healthy and safe and take some responsibility for them selves and their environment. They begin to learn about their own and other people's feelings, social skills and developing as individuals. At Key Stage Two children explore ideas such as growing and changing, the wider world and develop a sense of justice. They begin to explore concepts, which include how choices and behaviour affect others and how to take responsibility for their own learning and issues in the wider world around them.
Sex education is included in the PSHE policy, which is available in school. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from class when sex education is being taught.
