Sowing the Seeds for a Flourishing Future

Our Curriculum Design

At Englefield we want our children to be stimulated, excited and challenged so they feel a real sense of achievement and joy in learning new things. We provide a broad range of experiences and opportunities across the curriculum and beyond which enable children to learn together within and across age groups, supporting and learning from each other. We want our children to develop life skills to enable them to become active and positive citizens.

Our curriculum is designed to enable and support our pupils to achieve ARE or better through quality teaching of clear subject content in all areas. We help our pupils to make expected or better progress in all areas by following a clear progression model.

All pupils, including those with additional needs, follow a broad curriculum which ensures that the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum are met.  The curriculum includes the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science, together with Computing, Geography, History, Art, DT, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education and PSHE/Citizenship.  Pupils are also taught a modern foreign language (French) throughout the school.

A love of reading is high on the agenda at Englefield. A strong emphasis on the teaching of reading and phonics in Key Stage 1 gives children the necessary building blocks to become confident and independent learners. This emphasis on reading continues into Key stage 2 where we encourage pupils to read from a wide range of genres and help them to develop more in-depth comprehension skills.

Through our curriculum we aim to teach children the skills to enable them to be independent, resilient and determined. It is important for them to 'wobble' (this shows that they are learning) but they must also know what they can do to help themselves to move on.

In addition to the curriculum in the classroom, we also value the contribution that outdoor learning can make to the development of the whole child. Learning in exciting and different ways out in our beautiful local environment is a part of our school week which the children love.

English

English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.

Aims

The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils: 

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language 
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

At Englefield Primary School,  English taught as a discrete subject through a daily lesson; grammar (where pupils are taught specific skills) and spelling may be taught outside the normal English lesson. Using the resource 'Power of Reading' puts English and books in particular,  at the heart of curriculum planning so that subject matter from other curriculum areas is available as content or stimulus for speaking, listening, reading and writing. All curriculum areas will involve some aspects of English.

We encourage pupils to talk about, share and explain their ideas in most lessons through our 'think, pair, share' activities; this builds their vocabulary, develops their use of sentence structure and helps pupils to rehearse what they might later write.

Pupils are given plenty of opportunities to read for themselves and to hear texts read to them. They are taught higher-level comprehension skills as they move through the school to enable them to engage more deeply with texts and understand how authors use words and grammatical structures to get their meaning across.

Developing writing stamina is as important as understanding and using a range of different writing styles. We give our pupils the regular opportunity to write at length in a  range of styles, using a range of stimuli. All of our writers are the encouraged to edit their writing using purple pens during the writing process.

Phonics

At Englefield CE Primary School we strive to ensure all children become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage One. The school uses the teaching sequence from Schofield and Sims' 'My Letters and Sounds' and employs various games and other activities to teach the sounds in a fun and engaging way. Our principal aim is to develop the children’s phonological awareness, ability to segment and blend words and read more challenging words on sight - to become fluent readers!

 Aims

• To teach children aural discrimination, phonemic awareness and rhyme awareness in order to encourage good spelling.
• To encourage repetition and consolidation, so that spelling becomes automatic.
• To encourage children to segment and blend.

 Objectives

• To learn to read and write all 44 graphemes in the English language.
• To teach children specific strategies to help them remember tricky words.
• To ensure that the teaching of phonics is lively, interactive and investigative.
• To encourage children to apply their phonic skills in all curriculum areas.

Maths

Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education at Englefield CE Primary School therefore enables mathematicians to flourish. It provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. We nurture all children as individuals to love mathematics!

Aims

The National Curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:

• 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

Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. The programmes of study are, by necessity, organised into apparently distinct units (Number – Place Value, Geometry – Position and Direction) but pupils grow in their learning to enable them to rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. They are given opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects. In addition to this, other mathematical opportunities are exploited which enable mathematics to flourish for all children. This include Maths Challenges where mathematicians compete at an inter-school and intra-school level, other Subject Study Days often held at local Secondary schools when our mathematicians have to apply their mathematical knowledge across the curriculum e.g. Design Technology at Pangbourne College and day and residential trips near and far. 

The expectation is that the majority of pupils at Englefield will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly should be challenged through being offered rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content. Mathematics Clubs for younger and older children can be provided to broaden this development. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material should consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice, before moving on. 

Science

At Englefield CE Primary School, science is taught each term using units of work which often link to our class topic work; where they don't, science will be taught discretely. Each teacher ensures that the plans for their phase fully cover the requirements of the National Curriculum. Children are encouraged to think about their own understanding of the world around them, to ask questions and to explore and find the answers to these questions through investigations. Investigative science is the core element of the science curriculum and at least fifty percent of science taught is practical investigation. Children are taught how to ask a question and then test this through a planned investigation which involves making a prediction, keeping it fair by changing the one variable they are testing for, using a range of equipment safely, to measure and record their results, draw conclusions from these and then present their results.

A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.

Aims

The National Curriculum for science aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
• are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future

Computing

A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils grow in their use of information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate and digitally safe – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

Aims

The National Curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:

• can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
• can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
• can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
• are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

At Englefield, we use Purple Mash to support our computing curriculum.

History 

A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

Aims

The National Curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils: 

• know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world 
• know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind 
• gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses 
• understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed 
• gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

At Englefield, pupils are taught on a two year rolling cycle which means some historical topics cannot be taught chronologically. Teachers have planned topics carefully so that pupils are able to build on previous knowledge and their historical skills develop over time. To support the planning process, Key Stage History is used as a teaching resource, providing pupils with access to a wide range of engaging activities and a variety of high quality primary and secondary sources. Pupils also have access to museum artefacts boxes which bring topics to life; visits to suitable historical sites are planned into the topics and visitors are booked to come and work with the children to support pupils' understanding using experts. At Englefield, Black History is woven through appropriate topics and a week of dedicated time is given to exploring suitable themes and famous individuals. History is generally taught for three terms out of six, with Geography lessons being taught in the other three. In addition to this, Power of Reading texts and stories are used as a vehicle to deepen pupils contextual understanding of the time periods studied. 

Geography

A high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Aims

The National Curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils: 

• develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes 
• understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time 
• are competent in the geographical skills needed to: collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes, interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

At Englefield Primary School, Geography is taught as a discrete subject - usually for half a term at a time. The other half term is generally History learning. Pupils learn about the immediate locality and the world as a whole in Key Stage 1 and progress to learning about Europe and the Americas in Key Stage Two. Pupils use their fieldwork skills both within school lessons, during woodland learning in Key Stage 1 and at yearly residentials in Key Stage 2. Power of Reading texts are used thoughtfully to add depth to children's understanding of Geographical concepts throughout the year, these are often supplemented with high quality texts and picture books which enhance pupils' learning. 

RE

Art and Design 

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Aims

The National Curriculum for art and design aims to ensure that all pupils:

• produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
• become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques
• evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
• know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms

At Englefield CE Primary, all children learn key skills and have a clear view of how to progress their artwork. We focus in detail on the three areas of drawing, painting and sculpture across all year groups and ensure that all children have well planned regular opportunities to show progression over their time at school. Additionally, different year groups then focus on other art, craft and design techniques to extend their skills. Each child has their own sketchbook to record in, which moves with them through the school. They can then reflect and evaluate previous work. Through careful, well-structured and progressive planning, children are taught the two separate parts of practical art and design – the knowledge needed and the processes by which art is created. Children have regular opportunities to discuss different styles of art and think critically about works by various artists and designers. Children are encouraged to express themselves through their art and to see that everyone’s opinion is valued. Children at Englefield CE Primary also have regular opportunities to take part in art clubs and local competitions to further develop their interest and skills.

Design Technology

Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject at Englefield. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values, echoing our school vision and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Planning of design technology from Years 1-6, is supported by the D.T. Association 'Projects on a Page' and Kapow in the Early Years. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

Aims

The National Curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils grow and flourish to:

• develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
• build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
• critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
• understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook

Music

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.

Aims

The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
• learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations. 

Music at Englefield offers children an exciting and creative learning opportunity. Pupils are given the chance to sing tunefully, listen and move to different styles of music, create their own rhythms and write them down using different types of notation, play a range of percussion instruments and compose simple music, for example to provide a soundtrack to poetry or a story. We use the online Charanga scheme to support our music tuition. Children are able to pursue instrumental tuition with peripatetic teachers from Berkshire Music Trust and elsewhere and this is strongly encouraged.  Children in Years 3 and 4 get one year of class instrumental tuition free of charge through Berkshire Music Trust; in recent years they have learned to play the tenor horn, cornet, fife and ukulele.  Our KS2 pupils all come together in the summer term (alternate years) to play in our school band which is a great way for them to play their instrument of choice alongside others.

Physical Education

At Englefield our aim is to provide a high quality physical education as an integral part of a child’s educational development, so that all children to grow and flourish physically both in competitive sport and physically demanding activities. In addition to this we nurture other opportunities which enable our pupils to become physically confident, supporting their health and fitness, whilst embedding many school values, including fairness and respect.

Aims 

Children are encouraged, nurtured and provided with the means to learn that physical activity is a vital part of their educational development. Through our provision we nurture and nourish children’s physical development so that they:

• develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities (indoor and outdoor);
• are physically active for sustained periods of time;
• engage positively in physical activity both in and beyond school;
• find love of life by being active - nurturing joy and a passion for a particular sport of their choosing;
• lead healthy, active lives;
• see the benefits that physical activity can have on their learning across the curriculum;
• develop skills in team work, collaboration, sportsmanship and leadership;
• understand the importance of fair play, respect and equity of play;
• engage in competitive sports and activities;
• live our school values, centred on love, by taking part in physical activity both competitive and non-competitive.

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)

PSHE provides children with the chance to develop their social and emotional skills as well as knowledge of key topics such as healthy relationships, health issues, safety and dangers. All pupils are taught relationships and sex education (RSE) at an age-appropriate level. We use the Jigsaw scheme to plan and teach our PSHE curriculum; this incorporates activities such as 'calm me' time and circle time which the children love.

Citizenship

Citizenship is part of preparing children for adult life.  They are able to explore what is meant by citizenship, key skills and ideas relating to society.  Children are encouraged to develop a strong sense of identity and heritage alongside awareness of the diversity of our world. British Values are also covered under this heading, including a recognition of the importance of democracy and the rule of law.

Modern Foreign Languages

Children in all years are taught French; this can take the form of a formal lesson but is often integrated across different subjects & areas. The focus is on spoken, conversational French however older pupils will be expected to write down common phrases and understand different forms of common verbs.

Spirituality

Spirituality relates to the search for the meaning and purpose of life, finding the joy in simple things and learning how to 'become more human'. Young children seem to have an innate awareness of the world around them and how it makes them feel. They naturally move to music, stop to look at a cobweb covered in dew, get excited by a rainbow. Our aim is to capitalize on this natural urge and develop each child's understanding of their place in the world. We hope that our children leave us still finding 'awe and wonder' in the world around them and understanding the role they can play in maintaining a positIve mental state and embracing the future with hope and confidence.

Homework

We encourage independent learning - children taking responsibility for their own work. We have a creative approach to homework which reflects developments within education and the range of learning styles that children use, such as ICT.  Each child will have a “Shared Learning Book” containing the school guidelines on reading, spellings and times tables and a homework grid which has a variety of activities for each class topic.  All children are expected to complete their weekly tasks as well as at least one activity per week from the activity grid; we offer all children the opportunity to do something more creative and individualised and to be able to work on projects as a family. 

Outdoor Learning

As a school, we believe strongly that lessons should be interesting and stimulating with a focus on practical application. Outdoor Learning provides for all of these.

Taking a child into the woods or out to the pond to develop their skills in literacy, numeracy, science or art can be really beneficial, enabling the learning to be fully embedded. It can also leave lasting memories.

At Englefield, 'Woodland Learning' is a weekly activity for pupils in FS2 and KS1. They go out to the local woodland or meadow areas of the Englefield Estate to cover different areas of the curriculum in a practical and investigative way. Many of our pupils consider this the highlight of their week.

Our older pupils are taken out for specific lesson and topics and their residential trips also encompass outdoor and adventurous activities.

Withdrawal

Parents are entitled to withdraw their child from RE and from the Sex Education part of RSE; we would however strongly recommend that all pupils participate in both these vital areas of learning. We live in an ever-changing society and having a good knowledge and understanding of the views and beliefs of others, as well as an understanding of how their own bodies work, will help pupils to live confidently and happily alongside others.