Curriculum Subjects

• Diversity. Explore and develop an understanding of artistic concepts from a wide range of cultures, using a range of skills, materials and techniques, recognising the importance of Art in their communities and in the wider world.
• Enrichment. Learning opportunities within a range of artistic contexts, to inspire all children’s engagement and enrichment.
• Ambition Each child will know that their Art has meaning and will confidently create projects, demonstrating increasingly complex knowledge and skills, after considering effective feedback

Intent

We offer a high-quality art and design education because engages, inspires and challenges pupils, equipping children with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupil progress, the children should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They also reflect and shape our history, contributing to the culture, creativity of our nation.

Implementation

Each lesson consists of the revisiting of prior knowledge and vocabulary, direct teaching of skills and techniques to help embed what has been experimented or taught. In KS1, the focus is on developing skills and especially on experimenting with resources and how these can be used safely and purposefully. In KS2, lessons still focus on developing skills and on so much more: extending, comparing, modelling skills and different techniques and thinking critically to develop a rigorous understanding of ART

Impact

Through systematic and progressive planning, we intend to encourage the children to express, explore and celebrate ideas, feelings, attitudes and values. We aim to foster originality and creativity using ART as a means of communication. Innovation and sensitivity to personal feelings and attitudes will permeate the school environment.

• Diversity – we ensure that all children have access to a range of programs that will build on past experiences
• Enrichment – high quality lessons, teaching and resources ensure that children are able and eager to learn; immersion in experiences which have secure roots in real-life scenarios and which build children’s cultural capital
• Ambition – we want children to become critical thinkers, who can adapt their skills to meet new challenges now and in later life

Intent

We offer a structured sequence of lessons, helping teachers to ensure that they have covered the skills required to meet the aims of the national curriculum. The spiral nature of the curriculum allows themes to be revisited at least yearly through new units that consolidate and build on prior learning. The style of curriculum design reduces the amount of knowledge lost through forgetting and ensures connections are made. The content allows for a broad, deep understanding of computing and how it links to children's lives. It offers a range of opportunities for consolidation, challenge and variety. This allows children to apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science. They develop analytical problem-solving skills and learn to evaluate and apply information technology. It also enables them to become responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information technology. The Computing curriculum complements and enhances a range of other subjects, such as Art, Science and Mathematics through skills learnt and vocabulary taught. This curriculum acknowledges that physical computing plays an important role in modern pedagogical approaches in computing, both as a tool to engage pupils and as a strategy to develop pupils’ understanding in more creative ways. Additionally, physical computing supports and engages a diverse range of pupils in tangible and challenging tasks.

Implementation

The Computing curriculum has been written to support all pupils. Each lesson is sequenced so that it builds on the learning from the previous lesson and, where appropriate, activities are scaffolded so that all pupils can succeed and thrive. Scaffolded activities provide pupils with extra resources, such as visual prompts, to reach the same learning objectives as the rest of the class. Exploratory tasks foster a deeper understanding of a concept, encouraging pupils to apply their learning in different contexts and make connections with other learning experiences.

As well as scaffolded activities, embedded within the lessons are a range of pedagogical strategies which support making computing topics more accessible.

The are 12 principles embodied through the curriculum can be found throughout the units of work at every key stage.

Impact

Learning in computing will be enjoyed across the school. Teachers will have high expectations and quality evidence will be presented in a variety of forms. Children will use digital and technological vocabulary accurately, alongside a progression in their technical skills. They will be confident using a range of hardware and software and will produce high-quality purposeful products. Children will see the digital world as part of their world, extending beyond school, and understand that they have choices to make. They will be confident and respectful digital citizens going on to lead happy and healthy digital lives. The reinforcement of vocabulary year-on-year will allow children to take this knowledge with them to secondary school and beyond.

The National Curriculum for Computing in England was introduced by the Department of Education in 2014. The curriculum aims to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to thrive in the digital world of today and the future. The curriculum can be broken down into 3 strands: computer science, information technology and digital literacy, with the aims of the curriculum reflecting this distinction.

• Diversity. Using creativity and originality, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own or others’ needs, values.
• Enrichment: Offering wide opportunities for broadening their experiences of DT in the wider world, and to equip them with skills for the future.
• Ambition: Acquire a broad range of subject knowledge (Mathematics, Science, Engineering, Computing and Art) and learning to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative and capable citizens. Each child will know that their DT has meaning and will confidently create high-quality products, demonstrating increasingly complex knowledge and skills.

Intent

At Chiltern, our intention is to provide to all children learning opportunities to engage in design technology. Our planning and practice are based on the National Curriculum for Design Technology.  We believe design and technology is about designing and making products for a specific user and purpose. It involves children in learning about the world we live in and developing a wide range of knowledge and skills through designing and making. It helps children to think through problems creatively, about how to organise themselves and how to use knowledge and skills to bring about change and to shape the environment.

It is the intent of Chiltern Primary School for Design Technology to be taught in all year groups through at least one topic per term, which includes one topic relating to food. Design Technology projects are often made cross curricular - linking to other subjects taught.

In short, through design and technology children become informed users of products and creative innovators. 

Implementation

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils will be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in the process of designing and making. Building on KS1 knowledge and skills, the children in KS2 will continue to design, make and evaluate their work and acquire more technical knowledge. Design and technology will be taught weekly, in half term blocks or during Design and Technology mornings/ afternoons/ days, depending on the needs of the project being worked on. All class teachers will have responsibility for planning and teaching D&T to their classes. 

Impact

Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. Through carefully planned and implemented learning activities the pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. They gain a firm foundation of knowledge and skills to see them equipped to take on further learning in High School. Pupil’s skills and knowledge are assessed ongoingly by the class teacher, throughout lessons and a summative assessment is completed termly. This informs the Design and Technology coordinator of any further areas for curriculum development, pupil support and/or training requirements for staff. EYFS pupils' progress and attainment tells us whether each individual child is below expected, at expected or above expected attainment for their age.

Intent
The intent of our EYFS curriculum is to ensure that our children develop the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude to achieve fulfilling lives. The EYFS is the start of our children’s school journey towards achieving this important purpose. We have around half of our children who have educational or emotional needs. In addition, we have a quarter who speak a language other than English so we ensure that the curriculum we deliverer is accessible by all. In the current climate we have to build in more opportunities for children to experience the social and emotional elements they might have missed by not attending Nursery. We teach to the Development Matters and the revised EYFS Framework (2021).

Implementation

We aim to achieve our curriculum intent by providing high quality teaching and learning in a language rich environment. We value, respect and care for all of our children here at Chiltern Primary. Each child is unique and brings an irreplaceable value to our classroom. We provide a curriculum which is based upon their interests and needs and links to the world around them which they know and understand. We believe that children learn best when engaged in play and incorporate the outdoor environment into the learning environment.

The EYFS Curriculum consists of the seven areas of Learning and Development; three prime and four specific areas.

Prime Areas

• The three prime areas of learning are:
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development

Specific areas:

• Mathematics
• Literacy
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

We teach a wide range of foundation subjects across the EYFS. Science investigations and curiosity is developed through our ‘Understanding the World’ themes. Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development, including studying British Values is incorporated into circle times alongside both ‘Understanding the World’ and ‘PSED’. We learn about different cultures and places in the world many times throughout the year including Chinese New Year, Christmas, Diwali and Eid celebrations. We find our families country of origin on Google Maps and love working out where we live on Google Earth! We have a wide range of variety of resources in our classroom which are sourced from many cultural backgrounds. This enhance the children’s understanding of where objects and patterns come from, especially tailored to our current cohort of children.

We use our children’s interests and curiosities to develop our topics every year. Each year, several topics will be similar (Christmas, People Who Help Us, Minibeasts, Diwali etc.) and others will be completely based on what the children would like to learn about. This ensures the curriculum here at Chiltern Primary is broad, diverse, balanced and stimulating for the children in our care.

• During independent learning we are able to encompass new ideas and thoughts there and then, in the moment. In the moment planning allows staff to harness teachable moments and use these to their advantage. Having continuous provision in our environment allows both staff and children to have resources they need at their fingertips. Pre-planned activities which link to topic and carpet time learning opportunities are given in addition to continuous provision for those children unsure of where their curiosity will take them next. In the moment planning allows staff to pick up on a child’s next steps there and then, providing a rich and communication based learning environment and ensures progression.

Each child is unique and their targets and next steps will therefore reflect the child’s age, developmental readiness and individual needs. We plan based upon children’s interests and use in the moment planning. We use information from previous observations, teacher knowledge of children and tried and tested topics such as ‘Transport’ and ‘People Who Help Us’. We try to have one maths, phonics and topic activity out each day which link to what is learnt during carpet and group times. Staff are regularly trained on topics according that year’s cohort needs, and changes in curriculum, software and safeguarding.

Characteristics of effective learning

The characteristics of effective learning describe factors that play a central role in a child’s learning and in becoming an effective learner. The characteristics of effective learning run through and underpin all 7 areas of learning and development. They represent processes rather than outcomes. The characteristics of effective learning are described below.

Playing and exploring – engagement

‘Finding out and exploring’ is concerned with the child’s open-ended hands-on experiences, which result from innate curiosity.

‘Playing with what they know’ describes how children use play to bring together their current understandings, combining, refining and exploring their ideas in imaginative ways. Representing experiences through imaginative play supports the development of narrative thought and the ability to see from other perspectives.

‘Being willing to have a go’ refers to the child initiating activities, seeking challenge, having a ‘can do’ attitude and being willing to take a risk in new experiences learning by trial and error.

Active learning - motivation

‘Being involved and concentrating’ describes the intensity of attention that arises from children engaged in following a line of interest in their activities.

‘Keeping on trying’ refers to: the importance of persistence even in the face of challenge or difficulties, an element of purposeful control which supports resilience ‘Enjoying achieving what they set out to do’ builds on the intrinsic motivation that supports long-term success. It refers to the reward of meeting one’s own goals, rather than relying on the approval of others.

 Creating and thinking critically

‘Having their own ideas’ covers the critical area of creativity, generating new ideas and approaches in all areas of endeavour. Being inventive allows children to find new problems as they seek challenge, and to explore ways of solving these.

‘Making Links’ refers to the way children use narrative and scientific modes of thought to develop and link concepts, find meaning in sequence and cause and effect.

‘Choosing ways to do things’ involves children in approaching goal-directed activities in organised ways, making choices and decisions about how to approach tasks, planning and monitoring what to do and being able to change strategies.

Impact
We track how many observations each child has each half term on Tapestry and use this to target the next half term’s focus. We also track which areas of the curriculum have the least observations tagged to them, and increase the adult led input surrounding these areas to allow full and deep coverage of the curriculum.

• Through Tapestry and Target Tracker, we are able to find gaps in children’s learning and provide opportunities for 1:1 or group sessions to address misconceptions. These interventions are recorded and reviewed half termly on Edukey. Interventions are recorded and their effectiveness monitored by the class teacher regularly.
• Children’s progress is tracked on Target Tracker and reported at the end of the year through the EYFSP.
• Next steps are also done ‘in the moment’. When an adult is interacting with a child during independent learning, they talk to the children using effective questioning to ask what that child knows, identify an area for development (understanding, misconception, vocabulary, sentence structure etc.) and then fill that gap in learning through running commentary. This enables the child to fill that gap in learning and to progress to understanding. An adult then helps that child to share their newfound understanding to check progress has been made.
• Phonics is taught through Letters and sounds. Children are tracked using a phonics tracker. Children receive 20 minutes of direct Phonics teaching each day. These groups are differentiated following half termly phonics assessments.
• Children are prepared for year one through transition booklets and meetings are held to pass on information between staff.

• Diversity Through learning a new language and culture together, our pupils’ curiosity will be stimulated, making them open-minded and tolerant of diversity.

• Enrichment. Receiving a positive, enthusiastic experience of the language and French culture will encourage pupils to learn how to continue to communicate in a different language and awaken a lifelong interest in foreign languages.

• Ambition Valuing that the learning a second language helps boost children’s cognitive development and flexibility, which helps their overall academic progress, boosting overall literacy skills.

Intent

At Chiltern Primary, we aim to stimulate pupil’s interest and curiosity and develop their knowledge and understanding of language and culture. We follow the ‘The Catherine Cheater’ Scheme of work to ensure coverage and progression across school. 

 We want children, through their study of French, to develop speaking and listening skills and a broader knowledge of grammatical structures linked to their own language. We aim to create lifelong learners with an enthusiasm for language learning and a greater awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity.

Learning a modern language (French) can broaden the horizons of our pupils, through developing both curiosity and a deeper understanding of the world around them, providing an opening to other cultures. Pupils will be able to communicate with others, both in speech and in writing, expressing thoughts, ideas, asking questions, applying grammatical structure with increasing confidence through repetition, enjoyment and independence. Children progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary. Listening skills will increase, as will reading and understanding the phonetic structure of the sounds used. Ultimately, we strive to embed the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing necessary to enable the children to use and apply their prior and new learning in a variety of contexts whilst laying the foundations for future language learning.

Implementation

Every week, at Chiltern, Key Stage 2 classes have at least a thirty minute French Lesson. Lessons should be engaging, creative and enjoyable, whilst accessible to all pupils, through the use of a variety of opportunities and learning styles. The focus being on participation and repetition, developing self-confidence.. The Catherine Cheater scheme aims to develop transferable language learning skills and grammar, rather than to teach too much vocabulary. The thinking behind the scheme is that children can go on to learn the vocabulary themselves, as we teach them the skills to use it and apply it in context.

The emphasis in Year 3 is very much on developing listening skills, closely followed by speaking. Children write progressively more, as they move up through the school. Lessons are sequenced throughout each year group, and hence throughout the school, each one, first revisiting, and then building on the previous lesson, (see Progression Map for MFL, for sequence of skills taught throughout the school). Lessons are made up of several learning parts, e.g. phonics or pronunciation, listening, reading, writing, conversation, learning a finger rhyme or a song. A typical lesson consists of a ‘prior learning activity’, whereby previous learning is recapped, to ensure that knowledge and key skills remain intact in the children’s minds. The lessons then move on to a ‘now learning’ section, in which new skills may be learned, or previous learning will be built on. New skills will then be applied in the ‘extended learning’ part of the lesson.

Between lessons, it is important for children to revise or practise using the language taught during the French lesson. Teachers are asked to spend several five minute slots, each week, to this end (parcels). To enable children to better retain concepts taught, multiple opportunities within the lessons are given for them to embed their learning. These activities include memorisation games, actions for word types or tenses, vocabulary/pronunciation repetition games and speaking and writing frames. Children are given ‘think time’ and ‘partner talk time’, to prepare spoken or written work. Dictation and whiteboard practice is used frequently, in lessons that include writing, and children are encouraged to critique each other’s work, giving constructive comments, to move each other forwards. The use of a bilingual dictionary is also encouraged.

The teaching of Modern Foreign Languages, at Chiltern is fully inclusive. We believe that even the most vulnerable children can derive particular benefit from taking part in language learning activities. Catherine Cheater lessons are planned in such a way as to encourage the full and active participation of all pupils. Work can be differentiated, and ‘scaffolded’, as appropriate to the needs of individual children, and mixed ability pairing is a feature.

All children will be challenged in their learning, and children who may already speak the language fluently, at home, will be encouraged to improve accuracy in writing and also to share their expertise in speaking, listening and cultural experiences. Children, new to the school, with English as an additional language other than French, will be immersed straight away, in the French lessons; these children often have the best language learning strategies and links to their native language will be encouraged as a tool for remembering or noticing familiar patterns or sounds. Opportunities to monitor children’s progress in Modern Foreign Languages should arise, during every French lesson, through observation of their oral and written activities. Such assessments can be used to support teaching and learning and to inform the planning of follow-on lessons. Most assessment for learning, in French, is formative. The Catherine Cheater Celebration of Success checklist will be used for teacher assessment, as will the individual pupil ten weekly assessment.

Impact

At the completion of every lesson there is a summary of what has been learned, and each lesson is structured so that repetition, revisiting of vocabulary, pronunciation or grammar occurs so the teacher and pupils can evaluate and enjoy what has been learnt, Celebrating the success of what the pupils have learned is extremely important. As a result, at the end of every 10 weeks each pupil completes a self-assessment sheet, a ‘This is what I learned in weeks …’which is completed in discussion with the teacher. It is a useful tool for teacher assessment and the next steps for the following ten weeks or year group.

As a result, the children will know more, and remember more French vocabulary.  They will have the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing necessary to enable them to use and apply their French learning in a variety of contexts and lay the foundations for future language learning. As linguists, children will learn lessons from MFL to influence the decisions they make in their lives and their understanding of different cultures.

They will be able to increase their knowledge and understanding of the wider world and connect with their own worlds by making links linguistically to their own language and English, culturally and grammatically, whilst linking up with other foundation curriculum areas such as music, geography, history and art.

When speaking they will be able to - speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures

When reading they will be able to - develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases. When writing they will be able to - broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary.

Taken from ‘What are the key features of ‘knowledge rich’ assessment for Foreign Languages?’

• Diversity - To explore, understand and form their own opinions about physical and human diversity across the planet.
• Enrichment - Relevant, hands on experiences, visitors and trips.
• Ambitious - Leaving as critical and analytical geographical thinkers.

Intent

We offer a structured sequence of quality lessons, helping children to fully-cover the skills required to meet the aims of the National Curriculum and to encourage excellence. The content allows for a broad, deep understanding of geography, and the children will link and compare their learning to their own lives. Through weaving in prior learning, the geography curriculum offers a range of opportunities for consolidation, challenge, variety and awe and wonder. This allows children to apply the fundamental principles and concepts of geography, not only in this field, but across the curriculum and beyond. They develop an understanding of the world in which they live and develop skills that allow them to research into and investigate what they would like to know. The use of first hand experiences will deepen their understanding where possible. The geography curriculum complements and enhances all other subjects, particularly in the areas of Humanities, Mathematics and Science. Studying geography will make a difference to the children’s learning across the whole of the Curriculum and will prepare them for life beyond Chiltern.

Implementation

Each lesson consists of the revisiting of prior knowledge and vocabulary, direct teaching of new skills and vocabulary, analysis of new learning and application, research and investigation, to help embed what has been taught. Through the careful sequencing of lessons, we intend to inspire pupils, to develop a love, understanding and respect of the world and see its place in their future. Cross-curricular links are also important in supporting other areas of learning. Our lesson plans and resources help children to build on prior knowledge at the same time as introducing new skills and challenges. In Key Stage 1, the children begin by learning about the 4 countries of the U.K. and learn to locate the world’s continents, seas on oceans. They have a focused study of a British seaside town, moving on to compare the U.K. with Tocuaro in Mexico. Children learn about seasonal weather patterns in the U.K. and compare this to hot and cold regions of the world. They learn key words to describe what features can be found in their local area, both human and physical and then compare and contrast this with other locations. Across all topics, they learn and revisit geographical skills such as map reading, compass directions and examining aerial photographs, and where possible fieldwork will take place. All these skills are built upon in Key Stage 2, where the children look at the U.K. in more detail, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities. They study the location of North and South America and European countries, as well as their rivers surrounding seas and oceans. A more in depth look will be taken concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities. The children further develop their mapping skills building on what was learnt in Key Stage 1, by learning to interpret what the lines on maps mean, using six figure grid references and interpreting digital technologies. Children learn about key aspects of physical geography, including climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle and they use human geography to learn about types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water. Again, fieldwork and first hand experiences will be used to enhance learning.

Impact

At Chiltern, we want to ensure that all children have access to a range of geographical experiences and we make no assumptions that children have full access to this at home. We seek to ensure that geography is seen as part of their lives, as it directly impacts our planet and the world that we live in. The skills that we have mapped out prepare them for the next stages in their education. As a result, we want all of our children be geographical thinkers. Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth's surface and the human societies spread across it. Geography seeks to understand where things are found, why they are there, and how they develop and change over time. In short, we want children to understand the aspects of physical and human geography studied and to use this knowledge to enjoy the wonders of the planet, whilst knowing how to protect it and treat it respectfully.

Learning in geography should be enjoyed across the school. Teachers will have high expectations and quality evidence will be presented in a variety of forms. Children will use geographical vocabulary accurately, alongside a progression in their technical skills. They will be confident in locating different regions of the world and able to talk about the physical and human geography of these areas, using their own skills to research and then present their findings. Children will use a range of tools to carry out investigations, complimented by fieldwork, to develop their understanding. Children will use their learning to consider issues in their local area and the U.K. extending this thought process to regions across Europe and the whole planet. The reinforcement of vocabulary year-on-year will allow children to take this knowledge with them to secondary school and beyond. We want all of our children be geographical thinkers who understand that the decisions that they and others make directly impacts on the physical and human geography of our planet. In short, we want children to understand and master geography of all sorts so that they can make informed decisions that respect and protect our planet, whilst enjoying and understanding its beauty.

• Diversity. To explore, understand and form their own opinions about diversity in the past.
• Enrichment. Relevant, hands on experiences, debates, visitors and trips.
• Ambition. Leaving as critical and analytical thinkers.

Intent

Coherently planned sequence of lessons to help teachers ensure they have progressively covered the skills and concepts required in the National Curriculum.

To develop historical skills and concepts which are transferable to whatever period of history is being studied and will equip children for future learning.

Key skills and concepts, will be revisited throughout different units, The skills are: Critical and analytical thinkers, Understanding chronology, Understand and question the impact History has on the world today.

The coverage of recent history in KS1 such as ‘The Great Fire of London’ and ‘Travel and Transport’ enables children to acquire an understanding of time, events and people in their memory and their parents’ and grandparents’ memories. For KS1, we have designed a curriculum that can be covered chronologically in reverse to allow a full opportunity for children to really grasp the difficult concept of the passing of time.

The intent in lower KS2 is that children can work in chronological order, from ancient history such as ‘The Romans” progress onto more modern history such as ‘Crime and Punishment’.

Upper KS2 allows children to repeat and embed this sequence of chronology with a wider selection of ancient history such as ‘Shang Dynasty’ and ‘Stone Age’ through to more modern history such as ‘World War II’ and ‘Leisure and Entertainment’.

The repeat in KS2 of chronological order from ancient to modern allows children to truly develop and embed a sense of time, and how civilizations were interconnected. Children start to understand how some historical events occurred concurrently in different locations, e.g. Ancient Greece and the Stone Age.

Implementation

Time line in all classrooms will be a basic general timeline – this will be in every class. This will be used to zone in to the current period of time that is being studied in that year group.

Each lesson consists of the revisiting of prior knowledge and vocabulary, direct teaching of new skills and vocabulary, analysis of new learning and application to help embed what has been taught.

Our History scheme of work will help children to build on prior knowledge at the same time as introducing new skills and challenges.

In KS1, the focus is on developing the concept of time, important people and events and how this has helped shape the world that we live in today.

In KS2, lessons still focus on embedding the concept of time, important people and events and how this has helped shape the world that we live in today, but with the addition to settlements within Britain and the complexity of changes, which have occurred.

Impact

Critical and analytical thinkers - To view the larger picture, and focus in to enable them to question, analyse, critique and conclude finer details. To question authenticity of the past.

Understanding chronology – To have an understanding of chronology, a sense of time and how events interlink with one another. To see progression throughout time and set backs.

Understand and question the impact History has on the world today – To see the past as part of their world, becoming open minded to the past, extending beyond school. Enabling them to be confident and respectful citizens who have an empathic and understanding life.

We know that maths in an interconnected subject and our curriculum ensures our children explore and develop an understanding of new mathematical skills, recognising the importance of mathematics in their communities and the wider world. We are ambitious for all and we want our leavers to feel they are confident mathematicians who are able to reason mathematically and solve problems of increasing complexity.

Intent:

We provide a structured coherent sequence of quality lessons, helping children to cover the skills required to meet the aims of the National Curriculum and to encourage excellence. As a school, we use the White Rose Maths Curriculum to implement a mastery approach. Teachers will use White Rose Maths Schemes of Learning to plan lessons, choosing suitable resources from White Rose and other providers to help children take small steps to progression. The Schemes of learning make sure topics are introduced to children in a logical order and revisited throughout the year to encourage deep learning and to ensure children have the foundational knowledge they need, before moving on to more advanced maths and tackling more challenging number problems. We use the CPA (Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract) approach to secure and build upon children’s mathematical knowledge and understanding. We have a strong focus on the use of mathematical vocabulary to enable children to articulate what they have learnt both orally and in their books. An integral part of every unit taught is the progression in skills, fluency and reasoning (application).

Implementation:

Daily maths lessons begin with Flashback 4 to help the children revise and practice prior learning. Numeracy Ninjas is introduced in Year 6 to support a fast-paced response to mental maths questions. Lessons then include teacher input, modelling of examples and opportunities to discuss misconceptions. Children complete tasks that help to develop their fluency and reasoning and there is an appropriate level of challenge for all pupils. Manipulatives are available for children to access. Throughout all maths lessons, children are encouraged to use the appropriate mathematical language to communicate their learning. For children who are not working at the expected level for their age, teachers will adapt work to ensure progress. In EYFS, Mastering Number sessions help children develop fluency in calculation and flexibility with number. Support is offered with planning and resources to ensure consistency and challenge across phases. Training needs for teachers and support staff are understood and opportunities for CPD are provided. Subject monitoring is carried out through learning walks, pupil voice questionnaires and book monitoring.

Impact:

Our aspiration is for every child to reach their age-related expectation or above whilst recognising that some children will need additional support to reach their mathematical potential. Children will be confident in their use of the CPA approach and will use their skills and knowledge accurately. Children will use the correct mathematical vocabulary and will be able to use concrete, pictorial and abstract methods to reason and make links to solve problems. Throughout all year groups, children will be encouraged to foster a love of mathematics by developing their curiosity and resilience. Ultimately, we want our children to develop an appreciation of the beauty and the power of mathematics to take them from novice to expert.

Assessment:

Assessment is an essential part of teaching and learning and it is a continuous process which is used every day at Chiltern Primary School. Within maths, formative assessment is used as a teaching tool, allowing class teachers to plan for and address misconceptions and misunderstandings. Regular formative assessment is used to feedback to children, ensuring that the children improvement and their building knowledge. This is done through: daily marking of work; analysing and addressing misconceptions; adapting planning to cater for misunderstandings; asking questions; encouraging and challenging pupil’s reasoning.

Pre and post unit assessments are carried out, in order to track pupil’s progress. These results are shared with the children so that they can have a sense of achievement and recognise their progress. These assessments also allow staff to analyse and address both individual and class misunderstandings, which may need revisiting.

• Diversity: Music is celebrated and shared at Chiltern as a universal language, that embodies creativity, emotion and expression, through our differing cultures, experiences and artistic points of view.
• Enrichment: All pupils have the opportunity to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians for life, through a high-quality education with opportunities to participate in and appreciate that music surrounds us in our lives from the past, in school and beyond.
• Ambition: To ensure that all children are engaged and inspired to develop and nurture a love of music, through a well sequenced curriculum enhancing their knowledge and skills as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

Intent

Through the study of music, pupils will become engaged and encouraged to develop a love of music, therefore developing creative individuals who can express themselves in ways that are not restrictive. At Chiltern we hope to expose children to musical experiences that ignite a passion for music. We hope to develop their self-confidence and expose them to a diverse range of musical experiences. It is our intent to make music an engaging and inspiring experience which widens their understanding of the world and develops their musical skills, preparing them for secondary school and beyond. To achieve this, children will listen and respond to diverse musical styles, discover their voices as singers and have the confidence to be performers. At Thorplands, we use the Charanga scheme to structure and support the teaching of music. We have a specialist music teacher to support the delivery of music across the school. Children then perform what they have learned at end of term performances.

Implementation

Music is mapped in accordance with the Primary National Curriculum requirements to ensure appropriate coverage of study. Music is taught with the following threshold concepts threaded through our curriculum. They build progressively to deepen knowledge, understanding and build schemas.

• Perform Understanding that music is created to be performed.
• Compose Appreciating that music is created through a process using different techniques.
• Transcribe Understanding that compositions need to be understood by others and the ways of communicating them.
• Describe Appreciating effectiveness of music and the musical elements.

In key stage one, children will be taught to use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes. Children will play tuned and untuned instruments musically. They will listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high quality live and recorded music. They will experiment with, create, select, and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.

In key stage two, Children will play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression. Children will be taught to improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music. They will listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory and use and understand staff and other musical notations. They will appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians and develop an understanding of the history of music.

Impact

The impact for learners at Chiltern will be a well-planned and sequences curriculum that is achievable in the time available. Children will build confidence through performing in front of each other, in whole-school assemblies and to wider audiences. They will play and perform in solo and in groups using their voices and playing instruments with increasing precision, control, and expression. Children will become confident singers and have appreciation for music from a wide range of cultures. They will become confident in composing and use some of their own ideas influenced by the musical experiences they have. Children will show how they work collaboratively to compose, transcribe, and perform their musical pieces and gain high quality knowledge in a range of musical genres that are taught in a sequence appropriate to their age.

Intent

We offer a structured sequence of quality lessons, helping children to fully cover the skills required to meet the aims of the National Curriculum and to encourage excellence. The content, following the systematic synthetic Little Wandle programme, prepares children for learning to read by, developing their phonic knowledge and skills. Through weaving in prior learning, the phonic curriculum at Chiltern will provide lots of opportunities to engage with books that fire their imagination and interest, motivating and exciting them to learn phonics and become competent readers. The phonic curriculum complements and enhances all other subjects, particularly making the development into fluent reading and writing easier.  Studying phonics will make a difference to the children’s learning across the whole of the Curriculum and will prepare them for life as a reader beyond Chiltern.

Implementation

Each discrete phonics lesson consists of the revisiting of prior knowledge and vocabulary, direct teaching of a new grapheme/phoneme, practice of new learning and application to help embed what has been taught.  Each lesson is followed with a daily read from books that are phonically appropriate to support and develop their reading skills. Through the systematic approach, based on prior learning, new sounds, words and grammar are taught daily. Our multisensory approach to phonics teaching is intended to capture pupils’ interests, sustain motivation and reinforce learning. In EYFS/KS1 the focus is on daily phonic lessons, building on prior knowledge, progressing through the different codes. In KS2, the focus is on understanding what they read rather than on decoding individual words.  However, for those pupils whose decoding skills are not yet secure, interventions and targeted phonic teaching will take place daily.

Impact

At Chiltern, we want to ensure that all children have a wide access to a range of fully decodable books. We seek to ensure that reading is seen as part of their lives for work, learning and play and that the skills we have mapped out prepare them for the next stages in their education. As a result, we want all of our children to be confident in their phonic knowledge, to be fluent, confident readers who are able to successfully comprehend and understand a wide range of texts.

In short, we want all pupils at Chiltern to develop a love of reading.

Quality first phonic teaching and high expectations enable our children to become confident, fluent readers and increasingly accurate spellers. Children at Chiltern will respond speedily with the correct sound to graphemes for all taught phonemes, and also recognise alternative sounds for graphemes. They will be confident blending sounds in unfamiliar words. Children will read aloud books that are initially consistent with their developing knowledge, progressing to become independent readers. Their secure knowledge of phonics will ensure our children not only hold the keys to the rest of the wider curriculum but also raise self-esteem.

In short, we want all pupils at Chiltern to be able to read fluently, with confidence and comprehension in any subject.

• Diversity. We recognise that everyone is unique, with their own special qualities and abilities and we help each other to progress.
• Enrichment. We give everyone the chance to participate in after-school clubs, competitions and encourage joining in with sport in the community.
• Ambition. We want our children to leave Chiltern physically and mentally strong, with improved academic and personal skills, because of an ongoing love of physical activity.

Intent

We provide a safe and supportive environment for children to flourish in a range of different sports and physical activities. We also understand the importance and opportunity of using PE to develop children’s personal, social, creative and thinking skills. All children have the opportunity to be physically active for sustained periods of time, we have a healthy food policy, we have a variety of PE equipment that we add to on a regular basis to ensure children have a wide range of activities in which they can develop their skills and experiences. We teach for progression in order to make sure that all children’s progress can be considered good or better by the time they leave Chiltern, we do this by differentiating activities and through teaching the children ways they can adapt the activities to better compete and improve against themselves and others. We provide opportunities for children to learn how to stay safe in the water and swim at least 25 metres in Year 4 and further opportunities for those children who haven’t achieved this in Year 5.  We do these things in order to strive to create a culture which aims to inspire children to enjoy PE, develop interpersonal skills and make progress in their physical abilities and ultimately for children to take responsibility for their own development, so that they continue in becoming active and healthy citizens for their lives after Chiltern.

Implementation

Each lesson consists of the revisiting of prior knowledge and vocabulary, direct teaching of new skills and vocabulary, analysis of new learning and application. This is achieved at levels that are appropriate to the children’s current ability. Children learn skills to adapt the activity to their current ability level, whether that is through using different equipment, changing the task, using other children to help or challenge them, but encouraging them to take ownership of an activity, which helps engagement as well as development. Through the careful sequencing of lessons, we aim to develop a wide range of abilities that can be applied to a wide range of sports, giving the children skills that will be useful to them both now and in the future. Children are given further opportunity to use and develop these skills in after school clubs, as well as a wide range of competitions throughout the year, and many children also participate in clubs outside of school, giving them even more opportunity to develop and put their talents to use.

Impact

At Chiltern, we want to give children the opportunity to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding so they can perform with confidence across a range of sports and activities, as well as to develop enjoyment of physical activity so that they go on to lead active and healthy lives. We want to ensure that all children have access to a range of resources, so that they have the opportunity to try a variety of sports and activities to build their experience and to give them a variety of ways to apply and develop the skills they have.

The physical skills include ensuring that children improve their agility, balance and coordination through early years and Key Stage One and can begin applying these skills to sports and activities in Key Stage Two. Furthermore, we want children to learn to develop their social abilities by encouraging leadership through developing others, teamwork and motivation; their personal abilities through taking responsibility for their learning and embracing challenges; their creative abilities through adapting to situations within activities, as well as adapting their own games and rules; thinking skills through analysing performances and making good decisions; as well as developing their health and fitness, through knowing how to be fit and healthy and understanding all the benefits this leads to. We want to make sure that all children make at least good progress, from whatever their starting point, in all of these areas.

We believe physical education, as well as developing important physical abilities, can play a central role in children’s health and well-being, provide them with interpersonal skills that can be used in all aspects of life, help them embrace challenges as well as providing them with a multitude of experiences and lots of enjoyment!

Learning in PE will be enjoyed across the school. Teachers will have high expectations and quality evidence will be presented in a variety of forms. Children will use PE vocabulary accurately, alongside a progression in their technical skills. They will be confident using a range of equipment and be able to apply their fundamental skills to a variety of activities. Children will see that PE, and the benefits of it, extend beyond school, with skills that are transferrable to a range of situations. They will be confident in their physical abilities and know how to improve their learning, wherever they are along that journey and go on to lead happy and healthy lives. The reinforcement of skills year-on-year will allow children to take this knowledge with them to secondary school and beyond. We also want to make sure children develop the interpersonal skills that are so important in building character and this is an area that PE creates incredible opportunities to achieve, where children can also develop their creativity, personal, social and cognitive skills on a regular basis.

• Diversity: To maintain significant and rewarding relationships based on a respect for themselves and others, at home school and the wider community.
• Enrichment: To promote learners’ emotional well-being and self-esteem through a range of experiences and visitors to support their confidence throughout their whole life.
• Ambition: To equip our learners with the knowledge, attitude and skills to stay healthy both physically and mentally. To ensure our learners become imaginative and informed thinkers who aspire to make a positive difference to the world.

Intent

Research and courses have been attended to ensure a curriculum is developed to a high standard. The findings were shared through a staff meeting. Following this staff meeting, all teachers looked at the curriculum together and decided which order would be best to teach the children in that year group. The Subject Leader then developed this into a document for all staff to follow and see the progression. Lessons are flexible; the needs of the children can be met as no class is the same. This will ensure that all children access the curriculum when it best fits them.

Implementation

How do we deliver PSHE:

• All pupils have a weekly PSHE lesson which lasts around 30-45 minutes.
• Previous learning is recapped to ensure it is embedded into children’s knowledge.
• Yearly overviews and medium term planning is given to all staff by the PSHE subject lead. This is in guidance with The PSHE Association to meet the needs of our pupils.
• We ensure parents are aware of the PSHE curriculum.
• Visitors such as emergency services and the school nurse complement our PSHE curriculum to offer additional learning.
• Assemblies are planned to cover any additional sessions that would benefit the whole school.
• Helping out Charities and learning about how our money helps and supports others.
• Subject Leader’s to support staff in delivering PSHE lessons.

In PSHE lessons:

• Children will be eager to learn
• Children have first-hand experience of the curriculum
• Children will be asking questions and having discussions about what they are learning
• Children will be good communicators as they talk and listen to each other
• Children show tolerance of each other
• Children demonstrate what they have learnt

Each lesson consists of the revisiting of prior knowledge and vocabulary, direct teaching of new skills and vocabulary, analysis of new learning and application and problem-solving to help embed what has been taught.

We follow the PSHE Association with this document highlighting the key steps for each year group. Teachers may need to refer back to previous year groups for individual children. The PSHE Association should continue to be referred to for further guidance for each teaching step. 

Impact

Our ambition is for every child to reach their PSHE potential. We want our children to have high aspirations, a belief in themselves and realise that anything is possible if they put their mind to it.

We want our pupils:

• To develop a confidence in sharing their own thoughts and opinions with others.
• To develop skills and attributes to keep themselves healthy and safe.
• To develop an attitude of a responsible global citizen.
• To show tolerance of others beliefs, religions and life choices.
• To build positive, respectful relationships with other people.

• Diversity. To explore and understand each other’s cultures, experiences and points of view
• Enrichment. To provide a language rich environment to support learning and a love of reading.
• Ambition. To become enthusiastic and reflective readers through challenging and substantial texts.

Intent

At Chiltern Primary School, we aim to promote a life-long love of reading in our pupils by encouraging children to become enthusiastic, independent and self-regulating readers, who chose to read for pleasure. It’s our priority to ensure children understand the importance of reading whilst also ensuring children are taught effectively to read with accuracy, fluency and comprehension. Our reading curriculum has been carefully selected to provide the children in our school with a rich and diverse diet of reading materials to ensure they have access to literature from a range of cultures, genres, styles and formats.

Implementation

At Chiltern, we recognise the importance of teachers and TAs being reading role models, demonstrating a love of reading and good subject knowledge. In order for children to reach their full potential, we endeavor to engage parents and encourage them to support their child/children by reading with them at home on a regular basis.

We provide language-rich classroom environments and a curriculum where children are exposed to, and actively engage with, high quality language in varying forms in a meaningful, deliberate and engaging ways. 

To support early reading, we use a synthetic phonics program called sounds write. Through this, the children learn the 44 common sounds in the English language and they learn to blend/segment them to read and spell.

Alongside this, we use Book Talk to teach the following reading skills: prediction, retrieval, sequencing/summarising, inferencing, visualising, clarifying and questioning. This enables children to read with expression, clarity and confidence, while developing a good linguistic knowledge of vocabulary and grammar and to develop a love of reading.

Impact

Children will leave Chiltern ready for the next stage of their education as enthusiastic and reflective readers. They will be competent readers, who can recommend books to their peers, have a thirst for reading a wide range of high-quality texts across the genres, participate in discussions about books and have an established love of reading for life.

• Diversity. To explore and understand the wide diversity of religion around the world and in the United Kingdom.
• Enrichment. Relevant visits to places of worships and visits/talks from religious leaders
• Ambition. Understanding and applying the beliefs of others to difficult situations and their own views.

Intent

The RE curriculum at Chiltern Primary School is organised to support the development of children’s knowledge of religious and non-religious beliefs, worldviews, practices and ways of life and enable children to make links between these. It also develops children’s knowledge and understanding of the different members of our rich and diverse community. Knowledge and skills are mapped to support children’s understanding of religion and faith and are supported by first-hand experiences, including visits to local places of worship and visits from faith communities. The RE curriculum is designed to support positive attitudes and values and encourage children to ask and answer key questions and reflect and relate their learning to their own experience. Children learn that there are those who do not hold religious beliefs and have their own philosophical perspectives, as part of our commitment to ensure mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths.

Implementation

At Chiltern, we follow Exemplar 2 from the Agreed Syllabus for SACRE Northamptonshire.

Our focus is on:

• Embedding the correct use of vocabulary relating to different religions.
• Imparting a strong awareness of the key beliefs of different religions.
• Supporting children to recognise similarities and differences between the different religions.
• Giving the children the opportunity to identify how their beliefs fit in the world.
• Developing and inspiring tolerance for other religions in the children.

Religious Education will be taught with passion, tolerance and respect. The teachers will use their subject knowledge to teach about the religions of the world with impartiality as well as to inspire a deeper interest and curiosity in the children about the world around them. Lessons will include in-depth discussions on what is being learnt about, with the children feeling able to share their own insights and ideas. Pupils will be able to talk about what they have learnt so far with confidence using the appropriate vocabulary, and show a respect for beliefs other than their own. It will be evident in children’s books that progression is being made year on year, with wider knowledge being developed as time goes on. The books will demonstrate that Religious Education is taught through different mediums, with clear cross-curricular links to Art and English. Plenary tasks at the end of lessons will incorporate Bloom’s Taxonomy to challenge children to apply what they have learnt to their own thinking.

The Subject Lead will support staff by sharing useful resources and documentation that can enhance the experiences the children receive in RE lessons. They will provide links to opportunities for improving subject knowledge and other training, as well as developing links with the religious community that can be incorporated into lessons. This will give the children the chance to experience diversity in the community and witness faith in practice. The focus for 2023-24 will be to ensure the effective teaching of the syllabus and to provide the children with opportunities to explore tactile, meaningful resources and meet people of different religions.

Impact

Our aspiration is that children at Chiltern will:

• Have a strong knowledge of the beliefs of the main world religions.
• Use appropriate vocabulary relating to different religions and faiths.
• Demonstrate tolerance towards beliefs other than their own.
• Be able to recognise similarities and differences between the main religions of the world.

In short, we want children to leave Chiltern confident in their knowledge of different religions and their own beliefs, and to be able to use this to find their place in the world. 

• Diversity.  All children irrespective of background will experience a range of science skills, knowledge and Scientists that celebrate our diverse science culture.
• Enrichment.  Children will experience hands on practical lessons that are engaging, thought provoking, inspiring and are linked to theoretical learning and everyday life.
• Ambition. Children develop and become knowledgeable, investigative and analytical thinkers with inquisitive minds who are increasingly knowledgeable about Science in the wider world and our impact upon it. Children are able to use ambitious vocabulary to discuss their Science learning.

Intent

We offer a structured sequence of quality lessons, helping children to fully cover the skills required to meet the aims of the National Curriculum and to encourage ambition and excellence. The content allows for a broad, deep understanding of Science and how it links to children's lives. Through weaving in prior learning, the Science curriculum offers a range of opportunities for consolidation, challenge, variety and awe and wonder. This allows children to apply the fundamental principles and concepts of science, not only in this field but across the Curriculum and beyond. They develop analytical problem-solving skills and learn to evaluate and apply their knowledge in science lessons and across the curriculum. It also enables them to become responsible, competent, confident investigators with a thirst for knowledge. They develop an understanding of the need for science in the world in which they live and develop skills that allow them to research into and investigate what they would like to know. The use of first-hand experiences will deepen their understanding where possible. The Science curriculum complements and enhances all other subjects, particularly in the areas of problem solving, investigating, data handling and analytical thinking. Studying Science will make a difference to the children’s learning across the whole of the Curriculum and will prepare them for life beyond Chiltern.

Implementation

Each lesson consists of the revisiting of prior knowledge and vocabulary, direct teaching of new skills and vocabulary, analysis of new learning and application, research and investigation to help embed what has been taught. Through the careful sequencing of lessons, we intend to inspire and excite pupils, to develop a love of science and the world they live in, see the place of science in the present, past and in their future and give teachers confidence. Cross-curricular links are also important in supporting other areas of learning. Our lesson plans and resources help children to build on prior knowledge at the same time as introducing new skills and challenges. The programmes of study for science are set out year-by-year for Key Stages 1 and 2. Science units are introduced mainly in KS1 and revisited and built upon through different year groups in KS2. In Key Stage 1, the learning focus is on plants, animals including humans, everyday materials, seasonal changes In Lower KS2, rocks and soils, forces and magnets, states of matter, sound, electricity and light are introduced for the first time with a link to previous learning on materials when rocks and soils are studied. Animals including humans, plants and living things and their habitats are revisited but with more complex learning objectives that build on previous learning and for different purposes. In Upper KS2 children develop their knowledge in the areas of living things and their habitats, animals including humans, properties and changes of materials, forces, electricity and light even further with more complex learning objectives, more focus on independent learning, questioning and discussion of previous learning linking to current learning. Earth and Space is a new unit taught but links heavily to previous learning on seasonal changes in Year 1 and forces in Year 3. Evolution and Inheritance in Year 6 is also a new concept but the learning links to previous learning in animals including humans’ units.

‘Working and thinking scientifically’ will always be taught through and clearly related to the substantive science content in the programmes of study. There are seven strands that will be taught throughout primary school years:

• Asking and answering questions and recognizing that they can be answered in different ways
• Making observations and taking measurements
• Engaging in practical enquiry to answer questions – setting up fair tests and making predictions
• Recording and presenting evidence
• Interpreting, answering questions and concluding
• Evaluating and raising further questions and predictions
• Communicating their findings

In Key Stage 1 the working scientifically focus is to enable pupils to be encouraged to ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways, to observe closely, to use simple equipment, to perform simple tests, to identify and classify using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions and to gather and record data to help in answering questions.

In Lower Key Stage 2, the focus for working scientifically is to enable pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. They will achieve this by asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them, setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests, making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers, gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions, recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables, reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions, using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions, identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes and using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

In Upper Key Stage 2, the principal focus for working scientifically is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. We expect children in Years 5 and 6 to do this by planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary, taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate, recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs, using test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests, reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and a degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations and identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.

Impact

At Chiltern, we want to ensure that all children have access to a high-quality, ambitious Science education that provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. We seek to ensure that Science is seen as part of their lives now and in the

future and that the skills and knowledge we have mapped out prepare them for the next stages in their education. Science in our school is about acquiring the necessary scientific knowledge and developing children’s ideas and ways of working, that enable them to answer scientific questions and make sense of the world in which they live, through investigation and using and applying process skills. As a result, we want all of our children be scientific, analytical thinkers who become resilient, independent and curious scientists who ask questions and find things out for themselves. Science teaches you how to observe, question, problem solve and become a critical thinker. It allows you to generate solutions for everyday life and helps us to answer the great mysteries of the universe. Science involves the learning of the life skills of safety, planning, questioning, creativity, curiosity, confidence, critical thinking, motivation, communication, analysing, decision making, flexibility and evaluation.

In short, we want children to be enthusiastic, confident and motivated scientific learners, enjoying the process of exploring values and ideas through Science.

• Diversity.  Writing is taught based on well-chosen texts that provide language-rich models and structures from which children can learn how writing works
• Enrichment.  high quality texts that are rich in language and content that children can relate to, which builds their cultural capital
• Ambition. Via quality texts, rich in vocabulary, we aim to expand children’s experiences and use of language

Intent

We offer a structured sequence of quality lessons, helping children to fully cover the skills required to meet the aims of the National Curriculum and to encourage excellence. Our aim at Chiltern Primary School is to encourage children to be independent writers for a range of audiences and purposes across different text types, many of which link to the Reading Curriculum. Pupils will be taught to apply their writing skills across all curriculum subjects, which have been carefully developed around quality, challenging texts. Through weaving in prior learning, the Writing curriculum offers a range of opportunities for consolidation, challenge, variety, awe and wonder. Writing is an integral part of our curriculum. Teachers use the progression map to inform medium term plans in the subject. Careful consideration is given to the sequence of the curriculum and the way in which the lessons build towards a piece of writing which showcases pupils’ acquired knowledge, skills and understanding. Teachers and the writing lead pay careful attention to the cohorts in school and tailor our curriculum to meet the needs and interests of our pupils, choosing texts that inspire and motivate pupils to learn. In turn, this establishes pupil enjoyment and engagement in the subject.

We intend that pupils learn how to understand the relationships between words, word meaning, implied meaning and figurative language, as appropriate, within writing lessons, whilst ensuring that children are supported in their spelling strategies. We teach grammar lessons as part of a three-phase cycle of writing, to ensure that pupils are provided with the opportunity to apply the knowledge of grammatical structures and terms. Medium term planning allows class teachers to effectively link grammar and punctuation with genres across the academic year.  We intend that pupils will be taught to control their speaking and writing consciously and to use correct Standard English, knowing when and how to experiment with tone and structure. Through providing children with a meaningful purpose for their writing, we aim to ensure the best outcomes for each child.

Implementation

Our English curriculum is planned around a sequence of high-quality age-appropriate texts, which challenge children as readers and provide excellent models for them as writers. We use each book to create opportunities to develop not only reading fluency and comprehension skills but also as a way to develop spelling, grammar and punctuation knowledge and understanding, which is then used and applied across the wider curriculum. Children explore the writing structure and features of different genres whilst identifying the purpose and audience. This allows them to plan and write an initial piece of work with a clear context and purpose before evaluating the effectiveness of writing and editing and redrafting. Spelling is an important skill both in and out of school. Spelling rules are explicitly taught in the classrooms as part of dictated sentences, short activities and through modelled and shared writing. There is an expectation that children will spend time at home learning their spellings. Writing is evident in every aspect of our curriculum and varying text types are taught throughout the school. The objectives of the National Curriculum are closely followed to ensure that the skills learnt in spelling, punctuation and grammar are embedded and transferred into writing. Lessons are carefully planned so that skills are taught, embedded, revisited and then developed in a sequential way which promotes learning and retention of knowledge and skills. Pupils are given a language rich curriculum and are encouraged and shown how to effectively use interesting and adventurous language in their writing. We expect and encourage children to present their work neatly, so handwriting and fine motor skills are taught throughout the school. Pupils are expected to start using a joined script later in Year 2 and continue to develop this throughout KS2.

Impact

By the time the children reach the end of our writing curriculum, they will have experienced a rich variety of the finest literature, they will have written in a range of text types and for a variety of different audiences and purposes. The impact of the curriculum will be that they become an effective communicator through the medium of writing, have developed authorial agency and are able to engage in meaningful discussions about their own work and the work of others.