Curriculum
Our curriculum develops key life skills, personal development and promotes increased opportunity. We want all children to ‘be everything they can be’ and we have designed an inclusive and imaginative curriculum that is shaped by the context of the school, children’s needs and local environment. Our curriculum promotes high standards and excellence in all areas. In addition to academic and creative subjects, we promote independence, resilience, effective communication skills and a desire to learn in a fun, caring and mutually supportive environment.
Whilst mathematics and English skills are taught discretely, most other subjects are taught in a thematic manner in order that the children make links between different areas of learning.
Mathematics
Through following the 2014 National Curriculum for Mathematics, we aim to ensure that all children:
- Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- Can reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
- Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Throughout the school, the teaching of mathematics uses the mastery approach; this involves children developing a deep understanding of mathematical content and having a variety of methods to solve any mathematical problem.
Through high quality teaching we aim to develop each child’s competence and confidence in mathematical knowledge, concepts and skill. We understand that mathematics can be explored through an array of activities and opportunities, which allow the children to acquire knowledge and skills, and build on prior learning. In addition to this, we also understand the importance of children being able to apply skills learned and acquired in mathematics to other areas of the curriculum and everyday life.
English
Through following the 2014 National Curriculum for English, we aim to ensure that all children:
- read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
- use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
- are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.
Through high quality teaching, children learn to communicate their ideas and emotions to each other, use their literacy skills to access the wider curriculum and develop culturally, emotionally, spiritually and socially. We also understand that written and spoken English can be explored through an array of literature, allowing the children to acquire knowledge and build on prior learning. We understand that the skills of spoken language are essential to participating fully as a member of society and therefore we have high expectations of literacy skills across the curriculum.
In reading, children will use excellent phonic knowledge and skills to read fluently and accurately, across a wide range of contexts throughout the curriculum. Children will use well-developed comprehension skills to increase their knowledge of information and vocabulary, through reading a rich and varied range of high quality texts. Children will leave Brougham Primary School with the motivation to read for both study and for pleasure.
Through the teaching of phonics at Brougham Primary School, children are taught the essential skills for reading. Phonics is taught daily to all children in Early Years and Year 1. It is also taught in Year 2 and Key Stage 2, when required, to support those who did not pass the screening check in Year 1 and/or the re-sit in Year 2.
In order for the children to build secure blending and segmenting skills, an effective synthetics phonics scheme is taught. Through the teaching of the early aspects of phonics in the Early Years and Read Write Inc. in Reception, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the children follow a sequential approach that develops their confidence in reading and spelling. This allows for the phonics teaching and learning to be progressive from Pre-School through to Key Stage 2. The children are taught the relationship between the phonemes and corresponding graphemes that represent them. Children can then develop their comprehension and fluency as they move through school.
Home reading is encouraged and is an integral part of the child’s development. In order to have strong communication between teachers and parents/carers, each child has a home/school reader booklet, where both the staff and parents can write comments about how the child is progressing with his/her reading. In order to promote positive attitudes towards reading, we have a golden ticket incentive scheme.
In writing, children will develop their ability to write fluently and with interesting detail on a number of topics throughout the curriculum. We will develop their vocabulary to extend details and description, along with developing their transcription skills. Writing will include a variety of sentence structures, which will be punctuated accurately. Children will understand that writing has a purpose and an audience.
We use the Hartlepool Local Authority Scheme for planning spelling, with resources taken from various sources. Spelling is taught as a discrete lesson in approximately 20 minute sessions four times per week. However, children are expected to apply their phonic knowledge across the curriculum.
The four stands of spoken language: speaking, listening, group discussion and drama permeate the whole curriculum. Interactive teaching strategies are used to engage all pupils in order to raise reading and writing standards. Children are encouraged to develop effective communication skills in readiness for later life. We aim for children to be able to speak clearly, fluently and coherently, to be able to listen attentively with understanding, pleasure and empathy and contribute to group discussions effectively. We achieve this by:
- Giving our children confidence in themselves as speakers and listeners by showing them that we value their conversations and opinions. We also encourage a respect for the views of others.
- Being aware that, as adults, we provide a model of speakers and listeners in our day-to-day interactions with them and with other adults in our school.
- Helping them to articulate their ideas and provide purposes and audiences for talk within a range of formal and informal situations and in individual, partner, group and class contexts.
- Providing opportunities to perform to a larger audience, in assemblies and productions, where children’s efforts and skills are acknowledged by staff, parents, carers, visitors and peers.
- Providing a range of experiences where children can work collaboratively and participate in opportunities to reflect on talk and explore real and imagined situations through role play, hot-seating, drama and discussions.
- Developing the children’s ability to listen with attention and understanding in all areas of the curriculum and, where necessary, asking and responding to questions appropriately.
Read Write Inc. – how we teach reading and phonics
In order for the children to build secure blending and segmenting skills, an effective synthetics phonics scheme is taught. Through the teaching of the early aspects of phonics in the Early Years and Read Write Inc. in Reception, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the children follow a sequential approach that develops their confidence in reading and spelling. This allows for the phonics teaching and learning to be progressive from Pre-School through to Key Stage 2. The children are taught the relationship between the phonemes and corresponding graphemes that represent them. Children can then develop their comprehension and fluency as they move through school.
Wider Curriculum Long Term Plans
