Curriculum
The National Curriculum sets out what we have to teach in our school, it doesn’t tell us how we have to teach it.
At Kingston St Mary Church of England Primary School we aim to provide a broad, balanced education for all within a Christian framework.
INTENT
Our aim, through our curriculum, is to develop children who know how to live together in a community, show one another kindness and friendship and who are responsible, honest and respectful global citizens. We want to build resilience in pupils, giving them the mind-set to persevere to achieve their emotional, physical and academic potential.
Whilst being closely aligned to the National Curriculum our curriculum is distinct from it because of the content we choose and opportunities we provide. It is taught in both single and mixed year groups. It is planned to teach knowledge and skills and to provide learning experiences which will build resilience and independence; encourage children to think creatively, explore and be curious, take risks, feel safe to make mistakes and work together. It will give them the tools to be confident children, ready for the next stage in their educational and personal journey.
We aspire for every pupil to achieve at least age-related expectations across the curriculum as well as in reading, writing and mathematics unless a pupil’s disability or learning need is such that this is not possible. We expect every pupil to make good progress across the curriculum.
IMPLEMENTATION
The majority of subjects in the Kingston St Mary Curriculum are mapped out in a two year rolling programme for each phase: Reception & Key Stage 1; Years 3 & 4 and Years 5 & 6. It is mapped to build in progression within each phase and over time so that children can make links and logically build their knowledge and understanding of the world and their place in it. Some subjects are taught in cohorts.
Knowledge Organisers are used in Science, History and Geography, to plan for the key knowledge, vocabulary and skills to be taught and developed within units of work. Teachers will use cross-curricular links where possible and plan for engaging experiences to bring richness and depth to pupils’ learning. Different learning opportunities, for example educational videos, visitors and trips, will be used to inspire pupils, keep them engaged with their learning and accommodate the different learning needs and styles of pupils. These will be appropriate for the interest levels and stage of pupils, yet flexible enough to allow for the academic rigor needed to challenge the most-able and support those with additional learning needs.
Phonics
We have adopted the ‘Read, Write Inc’ phonics programme to give our pupils the best possible start to their learning. Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 take part in daily phonics lessons until completion of the Read, Write Inc Programme. Children in Key Stage 2 will continue to participate in phonics lessons if they have not reached the required level of attainment.
Extra-curricular activities
We provide extra-curricular activities for pupils to enhance their learning; these include after-school clubs and educational trips and visits. Extra-curricular activities are designed to enhance pupils’ learning experience, form personal connections between pupils and their peers, and teach skills essential for life after school.
IMPACT
The success of our curriculum can be measured by a variety of factors including: