Curriculum Overview/ Long Term Planning Documents

"Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think."

Albert Einstein

At Shottery St Andrew’s CofE Primary we have planned a progressive, localised curriculum which is designed to inspire our pupils. Our two-year rolling curriculum has been carefully planned and structured and is mapped coherently and deliberately to build knowledge and skills year on year whilst making links between subjects and reinforcing key concepts and vocabulary and ensuring full coverage of the National Curriculum. SMSC links and Fundamental British Values are carefully interweaved throughout our curriculum. Each half term has either a history or a geography focus and where possible class texts are linked to encourage a strong love of reading.

Our long-term plans and curriculum policy is available on the website. They will give you more information about each area of the curriculum.

We aim to give our pupils a breadth of experiences through:

· Outdoor learning - we have access to the school orchard, Shottery brook, the River Avon and local amenities. We look to enrich opportunities through visits and visitors to widen children's understanding and skills.

· Communities (local, global and cultural perspective) - through our connections with The Royal Shakespeare Company, links to businesses, other schools in the locality to develop the pupils as global citizens.

· Healthy living and sport - we love sport at Shottery St Andrew’s and are in the process of developing the pupils as sports leaders so they can learn to develop our curriculum and playtimes. Again, we link with local schools, invite visitors in and look for opportunities to promote healthy living.

· Use of technologies - the pupils have access to laptops, Chrome books and iPads.

· Creative arts - we participate in Stratford Literary Festival, Shakespeare's Birthday celebrations, invite visitors such as artists to share skills, look for opportunities to extend the children's musical ability e.g. Year 2 learn to play the recorder, Year 3/4 learn to play the glockenspiel and Year 5/6 learn to play the Ukulele.

· High expectations & academic standards are key to our curriculum development. We teach the children that they can achieve whatever they want to achieve. We help them to develop their skills and knowledge in all areas.

Central to our whole curriculum are the core subjects - English, Maths and Science. We follow key objectives as set out in The National Curriculum (2014)

We have fidelity to the phonics scheme, Sounds Write; use The Literacy Tree as a foundation for writing, speaking and listening and reading; White Rose Maths as a foundation for Maths Mastery teaching; Kapow for Science; Purple Mash for Computing; Charanga for Music; and Kapow Primary for History, Geography, Art and Design and DT.

Staff use Rosenshine Principles to deliver an effective approach to instruction in the class, including daily reviews, small steps, questioning, live modelling, guided practice, scaffolding and weekly and monthly reviews.

English is taught every day with a strong focus on acquiring excellent key skills, phonics, keywords and spelling as well as covering other aspects of the National Curriculum. We follow a text based curriculum, using high-quality, ambitious texts to inspire and excite pupils. Children are encouraged to listen carefully and speak with confidence. They read from a wide variety of books and develop their reading skills using reading VIPERS as part of their whole class reading. Throughout the school we encourage excellence in handwriting and presentation.

Maths is also taught every day during maths lessons and also as part of our theme, where strategically planned. Pupils develop their understanding through a variety of small-step, sequenced activities. There is a strong emphasis on mental calculation and fluency. Children are encouraged to develop the ability to solve problems and use their maths skills in everyday situations. Children also have a separate fluency session each day.

Scientific enquiry skills are developed throughout each science topic. Children cover life processes, materials and physical processes. Investigations are carried out, enabling pupils to gather, analyse, and consider evidence. Children are encouraged to develop scientific skills, knowledge and vocabulary.

Art and design follows the Kapow Primary scheme. Children use a variety of mediums, materials and techniques and are introduced to famous artists. Artwork is displayed with pride around the school.

History is taught in all classes following the Kapow Primary scheme. Children are encouraged to think, question and acquire knowledge of key historical events. Primary and secondary sources are used to develop children’s understanding of the past and how it influences the present. Children learn to evaluate from photographs, census returns and the internet to argue their point of view. Geography looks at the natural and human world through the study of contrasting places. Children are encouraged to hypothesise, analyse and develop decision making skills. Geography inspires children to think about their place in the world.

Music offers many opportunities for singing and playing instruments. Following Charanga, as a foundation for teaching, the children enjoy weekly music lessons and have an opportunity to play in small music groups and can have individual lessons too. In Year 2, all children learn to play the recorder; in Year 3 and 4, all children learn to play the glockenspiel and in Year 5 and 6, all children learn to play the ukulele.

In Physical Education, pupils develop individual and team skills and an awareness of health and fitness. Activities include dance, gymnastics, games sessions, outdoor activities, athletics and swimming. Sports coaches, from Fitt4Kids, are employed for specialised coaching in all year groups. KS2 also have the opportunity for swimming lessons throughout the year.

We follow the Warwickshire SACRE for teaching Religious Education, covering Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism, giving children knowledge and understanding of different faiths and contributing towards their spiritual, personal and social development.

In Computing, pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Teachers follow Purple Mash as a foundation for teaching the computing curriculum. Pupils learn how to use, express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology. Online safety is a key focus and learning how to keep safe when using different digital technologies is paramount.

In KS2, children learn to speak French in their Modern Foreign Languages lessons. The school has chosen to focus on French Language and culture and specific French lessons are delivered by class teachers using the Kapow scheme.

PSHE, Citizenship and RSE is taught in all years through relevant themes using the Jigsaw Scheme of work.

The key priorities are:

Emotions

Celebrating difference

Dreams and goals

Healthy lifestyles

Positive relationships

Bodies and changes

In the summer term, children from EYFS-Year 6 take part in RSE lessons.

Real life situations – children have a careers pathway to follow from Reception to Year Six. We look for opportunities for them to develop themselves in the business world and have an bi-annual Enterprise Week, where the children work in classes to grow £10. Children are able to develop business plans, calculate outgoings and learn about profit margins.

Balance of independence and teamwork is key to their learning. Every child is in a house team and enjoys healthy competition. For example they play each other in house sports and other schools in competitive matches.

Spirituality & reflection - mindfulness sessions, opportunities for debate, the big questions, promoting mental health & well-being.

Cultural - we visit different places of worship or invite visitors in, explore different cultures, follow Warwickshire RE syllabus to ensure all children have opportunities to ask questions and understand about different religions and beliefs. We also have a bi-annual Multi-Cultural week.

Courageous Advocacy—throughout the year, each class raises money for a local / national charity. Our children have an excellent grasp on the meaning of belonging to a local and global community and the sense of responsibility that comes with belonging. Thereby developing their ability to empathise and make a small sacrifice to benefit others. Together we consider the beauty and fragility of our environment, the actions we take, and the impact these actions may have on the well-being of everyone. Our school community and curriculum actively embraces a responsibility for the world in which we live.

We are diligent to show our connection with, and care for, the world in which we all live and care for the people who live in it:

· Charities of significance to our children;

· Strong links with St Andrew's Church;

· Student Council who seek the views of pupils as to which causes we want to support;

· Developing links with schools locally;

· Strong FSSA with community events such as Christmas and Summer Fayres, discos and film nights;

· School advertises and supports local events;

· Strong links with local pre-schools and nurseries;

· Head Teacher writes school newsletters for the school and local community

· Strong links with the Mayor of Stratford upon Avon

Community links with Stratford Herald Newspaper to reach out to the community

Long term planning - 2023-2024