Key Stage 1
Curriculum
We have ensured that all skills from the new National Curriculum https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum are interwoven throughout the core subjects, Maths and English, as well as the foundation subjects throughout the year. One topic might allow for more art/DT and music to be taught (e.g. Toy Story) while another topic may cover more history and geography skills (e.g. On the Move). Curriculum maps for each half term will be placed on the school’s website under the relevant year group. Our curriculum reflects our Academy Values; Resilience, Empathy, Ambition, Creativity and Honesty.
Maths
In Years 1-6 we use ‘Effective Maths’ which allows for depth of understanding in the key concepts of Maths. Maths teaching is enhanced across the school through the use of regular maths meetings which allow for rehearsal and consolidation of maths facts.
English
Reading
Children are taught to decode text and read for meaning through a number of opportunities during their day to day life at school. From Reception to Year 2 all children learn to decode text through phonics. From Year 1, children are able to hone their comprehension skills through daily guided reading lessons. Additionally, children are allocated (and take home) colour banded books of different reading skills levels as they work through the school. We encourage parents to read with children at home from Reception, starting with ten minutes a day increasing to around twenty or thirty minutes a day depending on the child’s age and ability. Within each band there are a range of fiction and non-fiction books from a wide range of reading schemes and non-scheme books. Children are also encouraged to read for pleasure and can access a wider range of books from their reading areas.
Phonics
Phonics is taught to all children in daily sessions that are tailored to each child’s ability starting in Reception and continuing throughout Year 1 and Year 2. We follow Ruth Miskin’s ‘Read Write Inc’ scheme of phonics. Children are taught in ability groups across the year groups to enable focused development of their phonics knowledge and application.
For more information go to: http://www.ruthmiskin.com/en/
Writing
Writing is taught through a ‘Talk for Writing’ approach where children are immersed in a shared text and then innovate and develop their writing after this.
Handwriting
We teach cursive handwriting from Reception to Year 2. Handwriting is taught discretely and applied during phonics and all other curriculum subjects.
For more information about the handwriting scheme we follow go to:
PE & Music
P.E. and music are taught by specialist teachers to allow for the children’s skills to be developed.
