Your Child and The National Curriculum

The National Curriculum states your child's statutory entitlement within each subject area at each stage of his/her education.

Children in the nursery and reception class follow the Foundation Curriculum and early Learning Goals

There is an emphasis on core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science which are formally assessed at the end of each Key Stage - at 7 and 11 years of age.

Your child will have access to Information and Communications Technology. Your child will also study foundation subjects - History, Geography, Art, Music, Physical Education, Design Technology and Religious Education, MFL - French

As a school we recognise that it is extremely important that your child develops skills in literacy and numeracy. We place great emphasis on the teaching of reading, writing, speaking and listening, ability to handle number and use of mathematics in everyday life.

We have implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies across the school which ensures a structured hour of literacy and numeracy teaching every day for every child.

English

We aim to give your child the opportunity to: -

· Develop speaking and listening skills

· Develop fluent reading skills to support learning within other subject areas

· Appreciate literature and be introduced to a variety of authors and reading material

· Develop a legible and joined form of handwriting

· Be able to write for different purposes

· Be competent in the use of Standard English, punctuation and spelling.

· Use, research and handle information from a variety of sources.

We have an extensive range of resources across the school, which are graded to help children with the development of reading and writing skills. We have a well-structured reading scheme, which gives children the experience of using both look and say and phonic methods. We carefully monitor reading development and assess progress on a regular basis.

We have a home school shared reading project, which helps children to practice, and consolidate their reading skills. We often invite parents to workshops and book events, which aim to inform and involve parents in this important area of children's learning.

Mathematics

We aim to give your child the opportunity to: -

· Develop the use of mathematical vocabulary

· Become competent in the use of number

· See mathematics as relevant and important part in everyday life

· Be able to investigate in a mathematical context

· Enjoy and participate in practical activity

· Use equipment to support their learning

Mathematics is taught as a subject in its own right and also linked to other areas of the curriculum.

We have up to date resources which help to provide progression and continuity across the school. This helps children to develop their mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding in a well-pl anned and structured way.

We also use a range of equipment to ensure that children are challenged, supported and given practical experience of mathematics

Science

Is delivered across the school through a well-pl anned programme, which introduces scientific knowledge and develops children's skills, and understanding of: -

· Experimentation and Investigation of scientific concepts

· Physical Processes

· Life Processes and Living things

· Materials and their Properties

These are taught through the study of topics such as electricity, light, forces and energy, sound, materials, plants and animals, changes, earth and space, the seaside, ourselves, moving, homes, water, journeys.

Children are helped to develop their scientific understanding through practical experience, which encourages the development of investigation, experimentation skills and interpretation of results.

Science is often linked with other curriculum areas such as design technology, music, and environmental studies.

We aim that children should:

· Acquire knowledge skills and understanding about the world around them
· Apply their scientific knowledge to a variety of problem solving situations
· Hypothesise and test, investigate, organise and plan their work

Design & Technology

This is a practical based subject which gives children the opportunity to: -

Investigate, disassemble, evaluate, design, plan and make artefacts, pictures and models through the use of focused practical tasks.

It involves the use of a variety of materials including textiles, wood, food, paint, paper, construction kits and mouldable materials.

Children study:-
· Materials and Components
· Control and Mechanisms
· Structures
· Products and Applications.

Information Communications Technology - ICT

Pupils are provided with the opportunity to use a range of ICT equipment and software to communicate and handle information and to support their work in problem solving, recording and expression.

We regard ICT as a tool to support children's learning, which is often pl anned for and delivered across the curriculum alongside other subject areas - such as Maths, English, Science, History, and Geography.

Children are given the experience of using PC computers. Software supports the use and development of writing, mathematics and drawing skills. It allows children to publish their work through the use of word processing, data handling and to create images. Simulations and adventure games help with predication and speculation and problem solving.

Geography

Geography is an enquiry-based subject through which children are taught about physical and human environments.

We encourage the use of fieldwork and educational visits to support children's learning whenever possible. Children learn about: -

· Local area through a study of topics such as work and leisure, land and buildings, farming, shops and factories.

· The use of maps and plans to develop understanding about routes, symbols, direction, location, scale

· Themes such as weather, rivers and settlement, environmental change .

· The study of places on a local, regional, national and global scale.

History

History is an enquiry-based subject through which children learn about important episodes and developments in Britain's past and that of other European and non-European societies.

We aim that children will have an understanding of: -

· how life in the past was different from life today
· how and why changes occurred,
· chronology
· the use of artefacts, pictures

Children learn about :-

· Famous people - rulers, saints, artists, engineers, explorers, inventors, and pioneers.
· Festivals and customs - local and national events
· Ourselves and the passing of time, changes in dress, diet, everyday objects, houses, shops and other buildings, jobs, transport, entertainment
· Invaders and Settlers - Romans, Vikings and Anglo-Saxon life.
· Ancient Greece, & Ancient Egypt.
· Victorian Times & Tudor Times.
· Local History of Hartlepool

We often link our teaching of History to work in Geography, Religious Education and Environmental study and incorporate educational visits and fieldwork.

Art

Art is a means of communication that can help children to explore, understand, share and represent their physical and human environment.

It can be studied as a subject on its own but is often pl anned alongside other curriculum areas. It can help them to express their feelings and ideas

We aim to give children the opportunity to: -

· develop an understanding of the work of artists past and present, from different times and places

· investigate and make and evaluate through practical experience of a range of techniques and media

· explore the properties of different tools and apparatus safely

· communicate their ideas through 2D and 3D work to recognise visual elements such as pattern texture, colour, line, tone, shape, form and space in images and artefacts.

Music

Music is delivered across the school to support children's development in:-
· listening and appraising
· performing and composing

Children are given the opportunity to use percussion instruments and recognise the musical elements of pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, and structure.

They will be introduced to music in a variety of styles from different cultures and times and by well known composers and performers past and present.

Children may given the opportunity at Key Stage 2 to learn to play a brass or wind instrument through tuition by the Music Service

Physical Education

We aim that pupils should be given the opportunity to: -

· Participate in physical activity and healthy lifestyles
· Develop positive attitudes towards fair play, honest competition and good sporting behaviour
· Ensure safe practice in following rules, instructions and safety procedures

Pupils are taught Physical Education through areas of activity which include games, gymnastics activity, dance, athletic activities, outdoor adventurous activity and swimming.

Religious Education

We regard Religious Education as an essential part of every pupil's educational entitlement, which extends their understanding of the world in which they live.

Children learn about a variety of religions and the attitudes and values of different communities and faiths. They are invited to reflect and respond to the Christian teaching and explore their feelings, attitudes and values as individuals and as members of the local community and wider society.

· The children are introduced to Christian Teachings -the Bible, Old and New Testament teaching and stories,

· Laws which are important to Christians,

· Festivals in the Christian calendar

· Practices and rites of passage in the life of a Christian people.

· The church as a place of worship.

Children also learn about festivals, customs and practices of other faiths and cultures past and present.

Personal & Social & Health Education

Our Health Education programme is developed across the school through the delivery of National Curriculum and Personal and Social Education.

It covers knowledge, skills and understanding of safety, substance use and misuse, sex education, family life education, health-related exercise, food and nutrition, personal hygiene, environmental and psychological aspects of health education.

We often involve the use of outside agencies to support our programme e.g. School Nurse, Fire Brigade, Road Safety - Cycling Proficiency.

Environmental Education

We recognise the value of incorporating environmental education as a theme running across the curriculum: -

· to give relevance to areas of study - e.g. History, Geography, Science, Art, English, Maths, Religious Education
· to help children appreciate and value and care for their surroundings - within the school site and local community
· to develop community links with people who live and work in the local area
· to enrich and support curriculum areas - through the use of local experts and sites - e.g. woodlands, seashore.