The School Curriculum

Photograph shows programmable 'BeeBots' used in the IT club.


We believe that every child should receive an excellent education. The children are taught a broad and balanced curriculum, which allows them to develop their skills and knowledge in all areas of the curriculum. Our Teaching and Learning Policy can be found on our Policy Page.

To view a word document detailing the curriculum activities planned for each year group this term please click here.

We want to ensure children develop a love of learning, so lessons are fun and stimulating and encourage the children to be actively involved in their own learning. Visit our Science Day page for examples of some of the ways our children learn.

Our children also enjoy a wide range of sporting activities, visit our Sports Page for more details.

The Foundation Stage Guidance
Our youngest children, in their first class, will be taught the Foundation Stage Curriculum.
There are six areas of learning:
1) Communication, Language and Literacy
2) Mathematical Understanding
3) Knowledge and Understanding of the World
4) Physical Development
5) Creative Development
6) Personal and Social development

In Foundation Stage, The Foundation Stage Profile enables the staff to ensure that each child is making progress against the expectations and this will be shared with parents at the end of the year.

The National Curriculum
In Years One and Two, the children will be taught the National Curriculum and will study English, Maths, Science, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Religious Education, History, Geography, Design Technology, Art, Music and Physical Education.

The framework of the National curriculum is used when planning our schemes of work for the children. Programmes of study in all curriculum areas at Key Stage 1 are covered.

The Literacy Hour takes place daily throughout the school. The National Numeracy strategy has also been fully implemented throughout the school.

Emphasis is placed on attainment in the basic skills of reading, writing and maths. Our aims are for the children to:

  • Read fluently and accurately, with understanding and feeling.
  • Develop a legible style of handwriting and a good standard of spelling and punctuation.
  • Communicate clearly and confidently in speech and writing.
  • Listen attentively and with understanding.
  • Learn how to acquire information from various sources and to record information and findings in various ways.
  • Understand the application of mathematical ideas in various situations in the home, classroom, school and local area.
  • Observe living and inanimate things and to recognise characteristics such as pattern and order.
  • Investigate basic scientific ideas.
  • Solve problems.
  • To have knowledge of the everyday uses of IT in the world around them. To achieve IT capability at the appropriate level for their Key Stage.
  • Develop self awareness and sensitivity to others. To acquire a set of moral values and to develop habits of self-discipline and acceptable behaviour.
  • Be aware of other times and places, and link them with local events.
  • Enjoy a wide variety of aesthetic activities such as music, drama, art and craft.
  • Develop agility and physical co-ordination. To have confidence in physical activity and to be able to express feeling through movement.

SATs and Assessment
In Years One and Two, teacher assessments are made regularly to monitor progress in English, Maths, Science and ICT. We will share their targets with you at Parents Meetings. At the end of Year Two, the children will be more formally assessed and take Standardised Assessments Tasks (SATs), which will give parents information about their child's chievements against class and national averages.

In all assessments, the children are wholly unaware of the procedure being anything other than every day school work - we do not put pressure on the children in any way.
 
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
We also ensure every child is supported and challenged as they explore and develop their personal, social, emotional, cultural, physical and spiritual skills. We aim to prepare children to play an active role as good citizens, to feel confident about who they are, to show respect for others and to develop healthy and safe life-styles.

Part of this important programme includes sex and relationship education, citizenship and drugs education. All policies are available for parents to see in school.

Parents have a right to withdraw their child from sex education if desired - please put your wishes in writing addressed to the Headteacher.

Our Personal, Social and Health Education Policy can be found on our Policy Page.
 
Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship
As a church school, we embrace the teaching of Religious Education and use the locally agreed Berkshire syllabus to support our teaching. Teaching focuses on the stories, festivals, traditions and meaning of Christianity and other world religions. Children are encouraged to understand that others may hold beliefs that are different from their own.

Every child participates in an act of Collective Worship every day. We invite parents to join us for special occasions, such as class assemblies, Harvest and Easter Celebrations. Parents can choose to withdraw their child from all or part of RE or Collective Worship - please put your wishes in writing addressed to the Headteacher.

Our Religious Education Policy can be found on our Policy Page.
 
Special Educational Needs and More Able Children
At Polehampton CE Infant School we believe that all children need to be taught according to their individual needs. The levels of attainment set by the National Curriculum help to ensure that we present our most able children with challenging tasks whilst working alongside children of their own age. Some children, however, may be identified as having special educational needs. If a child is experiencing difficulties in the classroom, parents will be consulted and procedures of assessment and identification of special needs will be implemented in accordance with the school's policy on Special Educational Needs and the DFE Code of Practice. Full details are available from the school.

We have a designated Special Needs Co-coordinator and a governor who has responsibility for monitoring SEN provision within the school. Teachers and the co-ordinator work closely to provide relevant individual education plans for each child. Educational Psychologists and other advisory personnel are consulted as necessary. Parents will be regularly informed of progress and encouraged to work closely with the teachers supporting their child. We have an experienced and committed staff of Teaching Assistants who work regularly with children in the classroom under the direction of the teachers, who are able to give additional support where appropriate.

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