Curriculum
Our curriculum is based around the National Curriculum 2014.
Overview
The national curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and secondary schools so children learn the same things. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject.
Follow this link to the Department of Education website.
Please use the links below to find out what our children will be taught.
In 2014 a new National Curriculum was introduced which covers a broad range of subjects to be taught to all children, including: English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Art and Design, Music, Design and Technology, French, Physical Education/Sport, Information Technology, Religious Studies and Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship(PSHCE). Content is based on this new Primary National Curriculum. We teach phonics for reading and writing in Reception using the “Read Write Inc” scheme alongside our other learning. Children who need some revision or further support in their learning in Phonics are also taught using the “Read Write Inc” approach.
As we are a Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary school, at St Peter’s Religious Education is a core academic subject. It also provides opportunities for children to understand what it means to be a religious believer in the world today and to encounter the values of the Christian community of the school that they are a part of. Religious Education in our school is taught using the Leeds and York Diocesan Syllabus.
Our curriculum is continually reviewed and enhanced to ensure that it is flexible and responsive to the children’s needs. This ensures there is a relevant context for learning. The blend of discrete subjects, such as literacy and mathematics, enriched by a wide range of other experiences, provides a vibrant mix that supports pupils’ learning. We have high expectations of both staff and pupils and always endeavour to achieve outstanding outcomes.
Our curriculum maps identify key learning skills for each year group throughout the whole academic year and ensure full pupil entitlement to the national primary curriculum during their time with us at St Peter’s. This overview is broken down into medium-term plans for each unit of work. The teachers apply their subject expertise to support the planning and ensure that high-quality learning experiences are identified and delivered.
Our Curriculum
please expand the topics below for more information
Art and Design
British Values
Collective Worship
Collective Worship at St Peter’s Brafferton CE VA Primary School
An opportunity for children to participate in a daily act of worship is an important part of our provision at St Peter’s Brafferton. The Christian foundation of St Peter’s Brafferton as a church school means that worship is a central focus for our living out our Christian vision and values. St Peter’s Brafferton has close connections with the local parish and worshipping community at St Peter’s church, and we enjoy its support and encouragement. Worship is, therefore, an area of our church school life which presents special opportunities to promote spiritual and religious development and has the potential to contribute to the nurturing of faith, providing a means by which all pupils – both those of the faith and those from other backgrounds – may understand more about the Christian faith, while experiencing and learning about worship and what it means to those who take part
Although provision of daily collective worship is statutory, parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from this act. If any parent or carer wishes to do so, please contact the Head Teacher to discuss alternative arrangements.
Click here to read a copy of our Collective Worship Policy
Design and Technology
Drama / Performing Arts
Early Years
Intent
At St Peter’s Brafferton we aim to provide children from the age of two to five with a happy, vibrant foundation which fosters a love of learning. Our intention is to offer an enriched curriculum providing children with a wide range of new and exciting experiences. We develop the children’s social and emotional wellbeing through nurturing environments, positive relationships with adults and peers and strong links with parents. We embrace our school’s Christian values of kindness, inclusivity and community.
Our aims:
- To offer stimulating and inspiring provision where children feel safe and secure enough to take informed risks within their learning and play
- To encourage children to develop independence and develop interests within a nurtured, enabling environment
- To promote valuable curriculum opportunities both inside and outside
- To have the highest expectations for all children and provide them with an unlimited opportunity for development
- To understand that every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured
- Parents/Guardians feel informed and supported about their children’s learning journey
Implementation
We follow the EYFS curriculum and develop the Characteristics of Effective Learning. We have a strong emphasis on the Prime areas of learning: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development as these are important foundations for children to feel confident, to take risks and interact with the world around them.
Within both of our Early Years settings each area of learning and development is implemented through purposeful play, including a mix of planned adult-led activities as well as child-initiated activities. Children’s individual needs, interests, and stages of development are taken into account to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience. Purposeful play opportunities are planned to present new knowledge in meaningful contexts to expand children’s schemas.
- Both settings have a carefully designed curriculum, which includes children’s interests and is supported through Development matters. In Helperbees, the planning is themed initially with a new story each week, which guides some of the provision. The staff within Helperbees create a board of learning that has happened within the setting which is then shared with parents. In Class 1, the Reception children have the opportunity to help design their own curriculum and sometimes the children join in with the Year 1 learning. Reception children have a circle time and share what they would like to learn about, or the curriculum ideas are sourced from observations from adults. We then take the children’s ideas and include planned activities and provision for learning opportunities within their chosen theme.
- Reading is an important part of our curriculum to develop a love of reading and promote mark making/writing opportunities. Each setting values the significance of daily Storytime. Each week in Helperbees, the children will be introduced to a new book. In Class 1, the reception children have ‘Super Six/Fab Five’ hand-picked books each half term exploring vocabulary choices, understanding of the world and to develop comprehension skills. Books explored in Helperbees and Class 1 will be embedded in our provision through activities, story sessions and on display for children to access independently. Through this, children begin to internalise new vocabulary, language patterns and begin to retell stories.
- To deliver quality phonics provision we have fidelity to Read Write Inc. Reception children are taught through daily sessions. Pre-school children are initially exposed to oral discrimination of sounds and when they are deemed ready the children are introduced to the Nursery section of Read Write Inc.
- In Mathematics, we are inspired by the White Rose Scheme supported with the NCETM Number blocks planning. Reception children focus on a number for a week or two, investigating everything regarding the number including number bonds, formation and what is the number made up of. This can be for the numeral itself, to the money represented or the name of the shape with the same number of sides.
- We record ‘wow’ moments using the online journal ‘Evidence Me’, some of these observations are shared and interacted with parents.
- Outside learning is considered very valuable and important to our children’s holistic development. Additionally, Helperbees and Class 1 children both have half termly slots to attend weekly forest schools’ sessions
- Our children have opportunities to explore the local area and further afield from inviting visitors in, attending church, going on school visits and being a part of the wider and local community
- Our inclusive approach means that all children learn together, but we have a range of additional intervention and support for children who may not be reaching their potential or are showing a greater depth of understanding and need further challenge.
- Transitions entering and transferring within our setting is of vital importance to our children’s wellbeing. Staff within Helperbees offer a flexible transition, working closely with parents to settle the children into the provision. This is achieved through options such as staggered starts or stay and play sessions. Children that enter our Reception class are from both our internal preschool provision and through external providers. Both Early Years settings work closely together to make transition into Reception a simple process. Children aged 3-4 have opportunities throughout the year to come and visit and play within the Class 1 environment. Helperbees and Class 1 also experience joint events together. The Class 1 teacher visits both the internal and external nurseries to see children within their current setting building relationships as soon as possible
- Throughout the year children are tracked termly on our school’s internal tracker (Insight) to show their progress and development across the seven areas of learning. These judgements are informed from observations, discussions and shared within pupil progress meetings
- In Reception, children take part in weekly PE sessions, music sessions and singing sessions which promote skills in Expressive Arts and Design and Physical Development
Impact
- Children will feel happy, valued and safe within our environment
- Children will have positive and nurtured relationships with staff
- Parents will have positive relationships with staff from an open communication
- Children will have developed positive learning attitudes and be curious about the world around them and seek to find out more
- The foundations provided will have prepared the children for KS1 particularly within the prime areas of the EYFS framework
- Children will have the skills and experiences to tackle and overcome challenges, including managing conflict
- In Helperbees, when a child reaches the age of two, their key worker completes a two-year progress check. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requires that parents and carers must be supplied with a short-written summary of their child’s development in the three prime learning and development areas of the EYFS: Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Physical Development; and Communication and Language, when the child is aged between 24-36 months. This means that caregivers to the child are aware of any emerging needs and the progress that the child has made.
- At the end of the Reception year, all children are formally assessed against the 17 Early Learning Goals (ELG) creating an Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP). This is based upon ongoing observations, written records, and parental/carer communications. This information is then communicated to parents and carers in the child’s end of year report where there is opportunity for it to be discussed with the class teacher. In preparation for transition this information is then shared within the Class 1 team. The EYFSP results are reported to Local Authority, who monitor and moderate the judgments made
What do you like most about being in Helperbees/Reception?
Sky – “Lots of storytimes”
Wilf – “Seeing my friends”
Annabelle – “Being busy with lots of things to do”
Lexi – “Pretending in the kitchen”
Finn Cooke – “Singing lots of songs”
Flossie – “Making things”
Sophia – “Playing outside, painting and the mud kitchen”
Austin – “Going on the bus for trips”
Frankie – “DINOSAURS”
Ethne “Drawing and writing my name”
Bobbie “Drawing pictures”
English
INTENT:
At St. Peter’s C of E VA Primary School, we aim for all our children to become confident, fluent writers who enjoy writing and can independently use the wide range of writing tools they have developed whilst on their writing journey with us. The children will learn to write clearly, accurately, and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences. Children will find writing engaging and enjoyable by writing based around a range of exciting stimuli and understand the importance of writing as a life-long skill. Children will be exposed to a wide range of high-quality texts, from a wide range of genres and subject areas. This will encourage confidence in a range of writing styles, embedding ambitious vocabulary and will ensure the children have a secure understanding of what is expected of writing across the curriculum.
A St. Peter’s Brafferton pupils will:
- be confident in speaking and listening, communicating their understanding and ideas clearly and using discussion to boost their learning.
- secure phonic knowledge to decode words easily and read them aloud fluently and accurately.
- use their phonetic knowledge to write accurately and build high quality sentences.
- explore the content of a range of texts to ensure full understanding of what they have read.
- become confident, enthusiastic, independent, and reflective readers who develop a habit of reading a variety of texts for both pleasure and information.
- write clearly and coherently, adapting language and style in a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
- write ambitiously and confidently by planning, rehearsing aloud, drafting and editing their writing.
- know and understand appropriate grammatical terms and use these accurately and consistently.
- make fair critical responses about their own work, that of their peers, to develop their skills of reflection and editing
- produce clearly formed, legible handwriting and to take pride in the presentation of their work.
IMPLEMENTATION:
At St. Peter’s Brafferton, we ensure that all children see themselves as a writer and can take pleasure from the writing process. IN line with the National Curriculum (2014), we ensure that all children are taught the grammar, punctuation and spelling objectives required for their year group. Early writing and reading are taught through the Read, Write Inc. Phonics scheme and following on from that, we use ‘The Write Stuff’ from Year 2 through to Year 6. The Write Stuff is the work of the teacher, author and education consultant Jane Considine and brings clarity to the mechanics of writing and provides clear systems through which to focus the writer’s attention.
We use a combination of carefully selected fiction and non-fiction units, to ensure full genre coverage and provide children with the experience of a wide range of high-quality texts and authors. In our lessons, teachers follow a repeated pattern of ‘Initiate’, ‘Model’ and ‘Enable’ whereby they use the three zones of writing to provide a consistent whole school systematic approach to writing carefully constructed sentences.
The Fantastics offer 9 lenses with which to structure ideas and target children’s thinking. This supports children in developing variety in their writing by focussing on the vocabulary used, initiating ideas, provoking thoughts, and igniting imaginations.
The Grammaristics focus on the importance of accurate grammar where tools are taught and used immediately to help children develop fascination around language so that they can manipulate and carefully structure words into sentences.
The Boomtastics focus on the art of writing, using a range of literary devices and techniques to make careful choices, playing with language to add flair to our writing and achieve various intentional impacts on our reader, painting vivid pictures through our word choices.
High expectations are coupled with careful monitoring and scaffolding, ‘holding the hands’ of our children and looking at the mathematics of a sentence so that they feel ready to write independently using the wide range of writing tools they have been trained to use.
Acquiring and building language and vocabulary is important to us at St. Peter’s and through our writing lessons, we aim to support children in widening their vocabulary and improving their confidence in using this vocabulary in their work. We achieve this through techniques such as ‘Picture Power’, ‘Shades of Meaning’ and focussing on the sentences ‘Intent’.
IMPACT:
Children will be respected as an individual writer, provided with regular opportunities to make individual choices and encouraged to develop their own creativity. Regular practise of key writing skills will provide children with the confidence to apply these in a range of independent situations whereby they have the chance to show what they have internalised. The range of writing experiences we provide, will enable all children to enjoy writing more, remember more and be able to produce more developed, mature pieces of writing.
Geography
Geography Curriculum Statement – Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intent
At St. Peter’s we aim for a high quality geography curriculum which inspires a curiosity and fascination about the natural and human aspects of the world. Children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it
Our teaching equips pupils with knowledge about places and people; resources in the environment; physical and human processes; formation and use of landscapes.
We also want children to develop geographical skills: collecting and analysing data; using maps, globes, aerial photographs and digital mapping to name and identify countries, continents and oceans; and communicating information in a variety of ways.
We want children to enjoy and love learning about geography by gaining this knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits.
We have high expectations of all children and we encourage children to challenge themselves, persevere and pursue success.
Implementation
Geography at St. Peter’s is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. Dependent upon class structures, Geography is planned and taught over a two or three year rolling program. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children.
Teachers identify the key knowledge and skills of each block and ensure progression throughout each year group across the school. At the beginning of each block, children are able to convey what they know already as well as what they would like to find out. Consideration is given to how greater depth will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported to flourish in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.
Cross curricular outcomes in geography are specifically planned for and school trips, fieldwork and visitors into school are provided to give first hand experiences, which enhance children’s understanding of the world beyond their locality. The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in reception to have an ‘Understanding of the World; people and communities, the world and technology’ by the end of the academic year
Impact
As children progress throughout the school, they will have developed the geographical knowledge and skills to help them explore, navigate and understand the world around them and their place in it. Outcomes in books evidence a broad and balanced geography curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of key skills and knowledge. Children’s knowledge and skills will develop progressively as they move through the school, not only to enable them to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum but to prepare them to become competent geographers in secondary education.
History
History Curriculum Statement – Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intent
At St. Peter’s the study of history ignites children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world. Through finding out about how and why the world, our country, culture and local community have developed over time, children understand how the past influences the present.
History enables children to develop a context for their growing sense of identity and a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. What they learn through history can influence their decisions about personal choices, attitudes and values.
We want children to enjoy and love learning about history, by gaining this knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of educational visits and visitors into school.
We have high expectations of all children and we encourage children to challenge themselves, persevere and pursue success.
Implementation
At St. Peter’s History is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. Dependent upon class structures, History is planned and taught over a two or three year rolling program. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children.
Teachers identify the key knowledge and skills of each block and ensure progression throughout each year group across the school. They assess and adapt learning for all children so all children including SEND, PP, and children with EAL are supported and challenged at their level enabling them to flourish in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.
Cross curricular outcomes in history are specifically planned for and school trips, and experience days with visitors into school are provided to give first hand experiences, which enhance children’s learning.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in reception to have an ‘Understanding of the World; people and communities, the world and technology’ by the end of the academic year
Impact
Outcomes in books and pupil voice evidence a broad and balanced history curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of key skills and knowledge. Children’s knowledge and skills will develop progressively as they move through the school, not only to enable them to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum but to prepare them to become competent historians in secondary education. As historians, it is hoped that children will learn lessons from history to influence the decisions they make in their lives in the future.
ICT / Computer
Maths
Impact. Intent and Implementation
Maths Overview
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Intent:
Mathematics is important in everyday life, allowing us to make sense of the world around us. It gives us confidence in dealing with number and in understanding shape, position and movement. It enables us to think abstractly, model real-life situations and make generalisations, and equips us with the skills we need to interpret and analyse information, assess risk and make informed decisions. Learning mathematics gives pupils access to the wider curriculum and further encourages a mindset to ‘learn for life’.
We follow the progression of the 2014 National Curriculum and EYFS curriculum.
Aims
- Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
- Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Implementation:
The content and principles of the 2014 Maths Curriculum content is delivered through White Rose Maths and Maths No Problem.
- A clear and comprehensive long term plan (White Rose Maths) in line with the National Curriculum, alongside cycles of lessons which carefully plan for progression and depth.
- Teaching and learning plans for the concrete, visual and abstract approach as recommended by White Rose so that there are practical, problem solving opportunities within maths on a daily basis.
- Maths in the Early Years can be seen through areas of provision and as a whole group with daily counting
- Mental maths is taught on a daily basis focussing on key number skills such as number bonds and times tables
- Early bird maths takes place every day from 8.45am. This focuses on White Rose Maths ‘Flashbacks’.
- Additional support in place for SEN and disadvantaged pupils to enable them to access the curriculum at the appropriate level.
- Differentiation is achieved by emphasising deep knowledge and through individual support and intervention, mixed ability pairings to challenge and extend all and focus groups where needed. Chilli challenges are offered to all children so they can select work that challenges them.
- Learning logs/White Rose overviews – children have access to maths vocabulary and meanings on the class working wall. This helps the children to understand and readily apply their written, mathematical and verbal communication skills.
- Children reflect on previous learning through revisiting feedback, ‘flashback’ questions and regular quizzes. They build on prior knowledge and link ideas together, enabling them to question and learn through enquiry.
- Teachers reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in Mathematics and continually challenge children to reach greater depth/their personal target.
- The large majority of children progress through the curriculum content at the same pace
- Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual and procedural knowledge and assess children regularly to identify those requiring intervention, so that all children keep up.
- Maths links are made across other subject areas such as science, art, DT, computing and PE. We ensure we make links across the curriculum where appropriate.
Impact:
- Children will achieve age related expectations in Maths at the end of their cohort year with an increased percentage of children achieving greater depth.
- SEN and disadvantaged tracked and monitored to ensure key skills are acquired.
- Children will retain knowledge that is pertinent to Maths with a real life context.
- Children will be able to question ideas and reflect on knowledge.
- Pupils will make links across various curriculum areas and use their maths knowledge and skills to enhance work in English and Science.
- Children talk positively about their learning in Maths and are eager to learn more!
Modern Foreign Languages
Personal ,Social, Health, & Citizenship Education (PSHCE)
Physical Education
Religious Education
As a Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Religious Education forms a key part of our curriculum. Learning about other religions and cultures, as well as our own, helps children to understand more about the world we live in. Our curriculum for RE explores Christianity deeply using ‘Understanding Christianity’ and is based on a themed approach to build on children’s understanding, as well as exploring Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Hinduism.
At St Peter’s, Religious Education is a core academic subject, but also provides opportunity for children to understand what it means to be a religious believer in the world today and to encounter the values of the Christian community of the school that they are a part of. Religious Education in our school is taught in accordance with the aims of the Leeds and York Diocesan Syllabus.
Our Religious Education supports children to recognise and act on the insights, principles, beliefs, attitudes and values that will influence, inspire or guide them in life.
Pupils have the opportunity to:
- Learn about and from the life, teaching and example of Jesus Christ through the Gospels
- Explore and discover Christianity locally, nationally and globally
- Recognise and learn from diversity within Christianity.
- See the Christian faith in the context of religious diversity, learning about and from other major religions and beliefs in the UK
- Face the challenges of diversity with respect
- Access a wide range of resources and artefacts
Science
Click here to view Science Long Term Plan
Intent
Science teaching at St Peter’s Brafferton aims to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and also an understanding of the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.
Scientific enquiry skills are embedded in each unit the children study and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. Our curriculum is arranged to allow children to revisit topics over their time at school to provide sequential learning, enabling them to deepen their knowledge over time.
All children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, as well as being encouraged to question the world around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific-based questions. Pupils are encouraged to use scientific argument and reasoning skills when discussing ideas which helps them identify how an idea is supported or refuted by evidence. Specialist vocabulary for topics is taught and built up, and effective questioning to communicate ideas is encouraged. Concepts taught are reinforced by focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that pupils learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions. Our love of reading is embedded in our Science curriculum, through our linked texts.
Implementation:
As part of this planning process, teachers need to plan the following:
A cycle of lessons for each subject, which carefully plans for progression and depth;
A low stakes quiz which is tested regularly to support learners’ ability to block learning and increase space in the working memory;
Challenge questions for pupils to apply their learning in a philosophical/open manner;
Trips and visits from experts who will enhance the learning experience
Impact:
Our Science Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. If children are keeping up with the curriculum, they are deemed to be making good or better progress. In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes;
A celebration of learning for each term which demonstrates progression across the school;
Tracking of knowledge in pre and post learning quizzes;
Pupil discussions about their learning.