The Chiltern Curriculum Statement: Intent
At Chiltern Primary school we are ambitious for our children; we offer a broad, balanced and diverse curriculum that builds knowledge and skills from the starting points in order to enrich the children’s lives and build the foundations for a lifelong learning.
Our curriculum is enhanced by an enrichment offer- trips, visitors and hands on experiences- to bring learning to life with a focus on developing oracy so our pupils can communicate their learning to others: they understand and explain who they are, where they come, what might their futures might entail.
Our curriculum celebrates cultural and individual differences, showing acceptance and interest in the diverse world that they we live in. Through celebrating diversity, we ensure that our pupils are truly global citizens with a keen interest to build respectful, peaceful and prosperous futures.
The Chiltern Curriculum Statement: Implementation
Core Subjects
Phonics and Reading
We teach phonics using ‘Sounds-Write’ which is a systematic, synthetic phonics programme. It teaches all the key elements of conceptual understanding, factual knowledge, and the three essential skills of blending, segmenting and phoneme manipulation necessary for learning to read and spell and it does so on a daily basis until all children achieve the automaticity that underlies the fluency of every successful reader. Our children are supported by high quality reading books that align to the ‘Sounds-Write’. They are further supported by coloured banded reading books at their own reading level plus a wealth of books that can be shared for pleasure.
Higher order reading skills are taught through Booktalk which focuses on the importance of deepening understanding through developing key reading strategies. This is based on whole-class modelling and shared reading, as well as effective guided and one-to-one teaching, to deepen children’s understanding and engagement.
Writing
Writing is taught using the ‘Literacy Shed’ approach. It is powerful because it is based on the principles of how people learn. It enables children to read and write independently for a variety of audiences and purposes within different subjects. A key feature is that children internalise the language structures needed to write through ‘talking the text’, as well as close reading. The approach moves from dependence towards independence, with the teacher using shared and guided teaching to develop the ability in children to write creatively and powerfully.
Maths
We teach Maths using ‘White Rose’, a teaching for mastery approach that sparks curiosity and excitement and nurtures confidence in maths. It is built around a small step design that models and supports all children to build a deep understanding of Maths concepts through a concrete – pictorial – abstract approach. In addition, children have further opportunities to develop their fluency, arithmetic, reasoning and problem-solving skills which supports their Maths learning.
Science
Science is taught weekly throughout the school to develop children’s scientific knowledge and understanding. The curriculum follows the progression of knowledge and skills, as set out in the National Curriculum. At Chiltern we create a secure, fun and caring learning environment with hands on practical experiences. We make full use of our outdoor environment, as well as planning trips, events and celebrations in order to enrich our science provision.
Foundation Subjects
History and Geography are taught throughout the school year as discrete subjects in order to develop children’s subject specific skills and knowledge in depth. They develop the skills to work as historians and geographers, building on their knowledge of key concepts that are specific to improving the cultural capital of our children.
These subjects are taught discretely using the schemes described below:
- PE
- Music
- French
- PSHE
- R.E.
- Computing
- Handwriting
Art & Design
Art and Design is taught using the Access Art scheme. Art is taught weekly. This scheme was chosen as it enables children to develop a love of art, with detailed progression, highly quality CPD for staff and a range of diverse artists to stimulate ideas and creativity.
Design and Technology
The school have implemented the Kapow scheme of work for Design and Technology. The scheme was chosen as it has clear progression across the school, CPD for teachers and a wide range of exciting projects for the children. We teach DT every half term.
P.E.
"Twinkl" is a basis for the schools PE curriculum. The foundations of the scheme are based on the fundamental movement skills agility, balance and co-ordination. Healthy competition and cooperative learning are encouraged and broader essential holistic skills are also taught. In addition, children take part in gymnastics, dance and athletics and are taught to play a variety of sports.
Music
We use the online platform Charanga to support our music teaching. The learning within this scheme is based on listening and appraising, musical activities, creating and exploring, as well as singing playing instruments and performing.
French
This is taught using the scheme Catherine Cheater. It includes interactive PowerPoints with all instances of French speaking pre-recorded using a native speaker to ensure correct pronunciation. It also includes fun and exciting interactive games that the children love!
PSHE
Through our Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education our children develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. These skills and attributes help pupils to stay healthy, safe and prepare them for life and work in modern Britain. It also includes guidance on relationships and teaches them about the British values: democracy; the rule of law; individual liberty; mutual respect; and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.
R.E.
The Northamptonshire agreed syllabus is used to teach R.E. at Chiltern Primary School. Through the RE curriculum, we provide opportunities to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of world religions. Children develop their knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other religions and consider how the beliefs of others impact on their lives and the lives of other. Children can also explore their own beliefs (not necessarily religious). Children appreciate and respect the different cultures in Great Britain.
Computing
The Chiltern Computing curriculum is based on a spiral curriculum, drawing on the programme of study from the National Curriculum. Themes are revisited regularly (at least once in each year group), and pupils revisit each theme through a new unit that consolidates and builds on prior learning.
The Computing 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.
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. Exploratory tasks foster a deeper understanding of a concept, encouraging pupils to apply their learning in different contexts and make connections.
Handwriting
This is taught systematically using ‘Kinetic Letters’. This uses the following four threads: making bodies stronger; learning the letters; holding the pencil; and flow and fluency. It enables children to develop legible handwriting that is produced quickly and automatically. With the development of automaticity, handwriting becomes a valuable tool and not a hindrance to learning.