Our Curriculum is built around the 2014 National Curriculum Programmes of Study and EYFS Development Matters. It is underpinned by our learning philosophies of the Rights Respecting Curriculum and Growth Mindset. We believe that children learn best when they are confident to ‘have a go’ and understand that they can learn from mistakes. We want children to know themselves as learners and how best to learn. We also believe that children learn well when they are engaged and excited about what they are learning.
English
At Churchfield, children are helped to develop a love of reading, clear phonic strategies and taught to be skilful and imaginative writers.
Read Write Inc
In EYFS and KS1 we teach English, including phonics using the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme.
When using RWI to read, the children will:
- learn that sounds are represented by written letters;
- learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/ letter groups using simple picture prompts;
- learn how to blend sounds;
- learn to read using Fred Talk;
- read lively stories featuring words they have learned to sound out; and
- show that they comprehend the stories by answering questions.
Literacy and Language
In Years 2 – 6 we use the Literacy and Language scheme, which is an in-depth English programme designed to develop children into confident speakers and willing writers. During English lessons, children have the opportunity to develop their spoken language capabilities and improve their listening skills through a wide range of activities.
KS2 Literacy and Language Overview
We further enhance this development through:
- Small focused groups;
- 1:1 interventions;
- Specialist programs;
- Big Write;
- Creating a love of reading and writing for purpose and pleasure.
Language Development
The development of children’s language is crucial to their success across the curriculum. We want all children to be excellent communicators, to listen actively and to speak with confidence.
We firmly believe that language is the key to learning within our environment. Reading, speaking, listening and writing are closely linked and that is, on the whole, how they are treated within the school. We recognise the need for all pupils to speak, read and write Standard English fluently and accurately, while acknowledging that a pupil’s own dialect, or other language is of prime importance.
Reading:
The curriculum in our school gives a high profile to reading for pleasure. We acknowledge children access stories, poems and other texts when their minds and imaginations are fully engaged. We have found that immersing children in a range of creative activities before reading means that they are fully prepared, and excited, about the reading journey ahead of them.
We have a well resourced library that children visit every week to choose rich texts to read at home.
National Curriculum English Programme of Study
Writing
In the Early years we encourage children to read their mark making to adults and this Emergent Writing is valued and displayed. Writing is also integrated into Phonics sessions to ensure children can link sounds to letters. Children continue to develop their skills through Shared Writing, Modelled Writing, Independent and Guided Writing. As they develop in knowledge and confidence, children are encouraged to write at greater length, in a wider range of forms and for a range of purposes. The systematic teaching of spelling and handwriting improves the accuracy of their work.
Children will be taught to:
- segment words into their constituent phonemes and represent these using letters;
- use a range of approaches to spell irregular words; write independently and creatively for purpose, pleasure and learning;
- make stylistic choices about their writing, including vocabulary and use of structural, grammatical and presentational features;
- use a range of punctuation correctly;
- use different styles of handwriting for different purposes with a range of media, developing a consistent and personal legible style;
- select from a wide range of ICT programs to present text effectively and communicate information and ideas.
Please click here to download and view Long term literacy and phonics in EYFS.
Attention is paid throughout the school to the formal structures of English, grammatical detail, punctuation and spelling (See details in Teaching guide for the grammar into writing philosophy: – year by year progression in writing).
To support our teaching of writing we use the Renewed Framework, New Curriculum and Ros Wilson’s strategies. Teachers model writing strategies and the use of phonics and spelling strategies in shared writing sessions. Guided writing sessions are used to target specific needs of both groups and individuals, whilst children have opportunities to write at length in extended independent writing sessions at the end of each unit.
The children are given frequent opportunities in school to write in different contexts using quality texts as a model and for a variety of purposes and audiences. There are many opportunities for children to improve their writing inspired by drama techniques and film clips. They may be asked to produce their writing on their own or as part of group. Children will also be given the opportunity to use ICT for their writing.
We aim to develop the children’s ability to produce well structured, detailed writing in which the meaning is made clear and which engages the interest of the reader.
Handwriting
We encourage children to develop fluent, clear and legible joined up writing. In EYFS children are taught to print letters and form them correctly. From Year 1 children are taught a cursive script, using Letter Join. Children work hard to achieve a pen licence in KS2; this encourages them to take care in their presentation and pride in their work.
Maths
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children are taught numbers, shape, space and measure. They are encouraged to explore these areas through nursery rhymes, stories, role-play and a range of practical activities, in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments. Quality provision in maths is provided and child initiated play is observed and supported by staff in order to move pupils on immediately.
We use Numicon to support children’s concepts of numbers and information on this can be found by clicking here
We use Maths no problem from Years 1 – 6. This approach incorporates the use of resources, problem solving and group work, the Primary Series is child-centred and fun to teach. With a focus on teaching maths for mastery, the series is designed to improve the maths confidence of both teachers and learners.
The whole class works through the programme of study at the same pace with ample time on each topic before moving on. Ideas are revisited at higher levels as the curriculum spirals through the years.
Differentiated Activities
Tasks and activities are designed to be easy for pupils to enter while still containing challenging components. For advanced learners, the textbooks also contain non-routine questions for pupils to develop their higher-order thinking skills.
Some children will work in smaller groups with a skilled adult to enable them to learn the parts of the programme they may have missed previously.
Problem Solving
Lessons and activities are designed to be taught using problem-solving approaches to encourage pupils’ higher-level thinking. The focus is on working with pupils’ core competencies, building on what they know to develop their relational understanding, based on Richard Skemp’s work.
Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) Approach
Based on Jerome Bruner’s work, pupils learn new concepts initially using concrete examples, such as counters, then progress to drawing pictorial representations before finally using more abstract symbols, such as the equals sign.
Variation
The questions and examples are carefully varied by expert authors to encourage pupils to think about the maths. Rather than provide mechanical repetition, the examples are designed to deepen pupils’ understanding and reveal misconceptions.
Maths no Problem Parent videos
RE
At Churchfield, we believe that understanding one another’s religion is imperative for our pupils. We follow the Enfield SACRE’s Agreed Syllabus, which covers the six major religions of: Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism.
.Each half term, pupils learn about one of the six major religions listed above. Learning objectives within RE lessons focus on both “Learning from religion” and “Learning about religion.
Each year, pupils visit a religious place of worship to understand the practices of either their own or others’ religions. This is with the aim that pupils will have visited all six major religion’s places of worship by the time they leave primary school.
MFL
Key Stage 2 pupils have a 45 minute French lesson each week.
The curriculum that we follow is based on the guidance given in the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages and through the i languages programme.
We teach the children to know and understand how to:
- ask and answer questions;
- use correct pronunciation and intonation;
- memorise key vocabulary;
- interpret meaning;
- understand basic grammar;
- use dictionaries;
- work in pairs and groups, and communicate in the other language;
- look at life in another culture.
PE
PE is taught for two hours every week by our teachers. The aim of our PE curriculum is that pupils develop a good understanding of how to live fit and healthy lives, whilst encouraging an enjoyment of competitive sports. We achieve this by following the Enfield schemes of work and teaching children the skills needed to develop their talents in field, net and invasion games. We also provide a great deal of after School sports clubs including Football (boys and girls), Netball, Athletics, Fitness Club and Cricket.
Computing
Computing objectives are taught discretely at Churchfield using the “Switched on Computing” programme of study which includes the new core elements of programming and computational thinking from the National Curriculum. Each year children cover six units of work, one each half term. Computing also filters throughout the subjects in the form of research and publishing but in order to meet the new computing requirements discrete programming lessons are required.
This programme of study provides pupils with clear progression of skills from EYFS through to Year 6 and embeds e-Safety to ensure pupils safe and responsible use of technology.
