Curriculum

Trust T & L guidance.pdf

Intent

At the heart of our work at West View Primary School is PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education). Our aim is to provide a curriculum which extends learning beyond the academic, technical or vocational, supporting our pupils to develop resilience, confidence and independence and which helps them know how to keep physically and mentally healthy and safe. We recognise that children learn best when they feel safe, secure and all their basic needs are being met.

At each stage of education, we prepare pupils for future success through planned transition and careers education. By developing their understanding of the school’s core values as well as fundamental British values, we model how to be responsible, respectful, active citizens who contribute positively to an increasingly diverse society.

A key driver of our curriculum is vocabulary and language acquisition, taught and developed through our rich reading curriculum. By exposing pupils to a range of texts we foster their love for reading, promote knowledge acquisition and develop understanding about the world.

 

Implementation

At West View Primary School, we teach the statutory programmes of study from the National Curriculum, but with a “local” approach. Our aim is to ensure our pupils learn about their immediate locality in relation to other places and to be proud of where they come from. When teachers plan their projects, they take the approach of beginning locally and working outwards.

English and maths are taught daily. Science, maths and English are taught discretely, however our teachers are very experienced at developing these skills through a range of other subjects. We are constantly refining and improving our cross-curricular approach which is driven by reading: creating as many links between subjects as possible.

Projects are mapped out into long term plans, then subsequent individual lessons are planned in response to assessment for learning. Teachers endeavour to begin each new project with an engaging activity such as an educational visit or by inviting a guest speaker. Projects often culminate with an opportunity for children to express their learning. This could be through a class assembly where parents are invited in.

 

Impact

Formative assessment takes place in every lesson. Adults are very effective at observing and questioning children in order to find out their strengths and what needs teaching next. Reading, writing and mathematics are assessed frequently using set criteria set out in year groups.

Science and foundation subjects are assessed termly using criteria based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which were developed by each subject co-ordinator based on the requirements laid out in the National Curriculum. Formative assessment is done on a lesson-by-lesson basis, helping to form a judgement about a pupil’s achievement against the KPIs.

The school has an assessment schedule which sets out which assessments take place and when. Low stakes testing such as quizzes, “pop tests” and Time Tables Rock Stars are carried out frequently by teachers to help pupils practise, retrieve and revisit previously-taught knowledge.

Summative testing takes place termly (or half termly) in certain year groups. Information collected is used to inform teacher judgements. The outcomes of tests are used to identify pupils’ targets and next steps for learning; thus informing teachers’ planning.

 

English

The children follow the guidelines set out in the National Curriculum for English which covers three main areas:

• Spoken Language
• Reading
• Writing

 

Spoken Language

In school we encourage purposeful talk and attentive listening. Our aim is to encourage children to express themselves confidently, politely and purposefully by increasing their vocabulary, ranging from describing their immediate world and feelings to developing a broader, deeper and richer vocabulary. Teachers endeavour to provide constructive feedback on spoken language and listening, not only to improve pupils’ knowledge and skills but also to establish secure foundations for effective spoken language in their studies at primary school, helping them to achieve in secondary education and beyond.

 

Reading

English literature is a fundamental part of the National Curriculum. All staff endeavour to nurture a love of reading; our aim is to provide all children with the tools they need to foster a love of reading, whatever their literary experience or knowledge. We believe that reading for pleasure should be a fundamental part of childhood and lifelong learning whatever the child’s ability, background or culture. We use a wide variety of picture, story and reference books, specifically selected to engage our pupils. At all times when reading, we encourage children to think about and discuss what they have read. Once they have reached a good level of competence, this is used to help them with their learning in other areas of the curriculum. This in turn will make a huge contribution to their educational achievement.

 

Writing

From the moment children begin making marks, we encourage them to see themselves as real writers, writing confidently and meaningfully in a wide range of situations, for different audiences. As their skills develop, there is a growing emphasis placed on accurate use of grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) as well as presentation. Our teachers pride themselves on how well they create purposeful writing opportunities, linking to novels and a wide range of topics of interest.

Handwriting Policy.pdf

 

Reading

Reading is the core to the curriculum, underpinning the other subjects that we teach. Children are exposed to a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts and are encouraged to explore these during lessons and in their own time. Reading systems within school teach the skills that are required to not only decode new words but to understand the other skills that are needed to be a successful reader. Reading is encouraged at home, using our Boom Reader app, and incentives are put in place for children to enjoy doing so. Our aim is to develop children who have a passion for reading and are able to apply these skills across the curriculum.

Initially, children read phonics-based texts until they are confident to decode unfamiliar words. A comprehensive list of our progressive schemes are outlined in the overviews below:

Reading for Pleasure

‘Reading for pleasure is the single most important indicator of a child’s success.’ (OECD 2002)

At West View Primary School, we highly value reading for pleasure and work hard as a school to grow our enjoyment for reading. We read to children every day across school using a range of high-quality texts and picture books. We choose these books carefully as we want children to experience a wide range of books, including books that reflect the children at West View and our local community as well as those that cover themes such as diversity, LGBTQ+ and other cultures.

In Nursery, Reception and Year 1, children have access to the reading corner every day in their discovery time and the books are continually refreshed. We are currently re-developing our school library after it was previously used as a teaching space.

Children across the school have regular opportunities to engage with a wide range of Reading for Pleasure events such as author visits, workshops and involvement in national and global celebrations such as World Book Day.

Early Years

Children in Nursery are given the opportunity to acquire basic book handling skills and to start to develop comprehension skills. When your child is ready to start reading independently, we give them their first reading book. In school, we use a range of phonetically decodable books to develop children’s reading. All of our books are matched to the phonic sounds children learn in their daily phonic lessons with the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised scheme. In Early Years, we use the following schemes which are phonetically decodable:

• Collins Big Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised

 

Key Stage One

In Key Stage 1, we build upon the experiences from Early Years. We aim to develop the skills already built and allow them to progress further. We also still use a range of matched phonetically decodable books throughout Key Stage 1. We believe that children need to experience a wide range of books at all levels of reading to continue to foster their interest in books and allow experience of different genres, characters, layout, font or topic. In Key Stage 1, we use the following schemes which are phonetically decodable:

• Collins Big Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised

Children will then move on to:

• Rigby Red Star
• Bug Club (brown and lime band)

Key Stage Two

In Key Stage 2, children continue to have access to these schemes and structured books to support their reading. Children continue to read books from a range of genres; this fosters ownership of reading and encourages them to form their own opinions about books. In Key Stage 2, we use the following schemes which are phonetically decodable:

• Collins Big Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Rapid Catch Up 7+ Books

Children will then move on to:

• Bug Club
• Oxford Tree Tops

By the end of Key Stage 2, most children are fluent, independent readers who have strong opinions about what they choose to read. If your child is secure in reading, they will be encouraged to choose books from their class selection of books or Key Stage 2 library. These books have a similar level of reading challenge but may be different types of text, containing a range of characters, layout, font or topic.

Maths

Teaching maths for mastery involves using a wide range of models and approaches that help pupils to develop a deep and secure knowledge and understanding of mathematics at each stage of their learning so that, by the end of every school year, pupils will have acquired mastery of the mathematical facts and concepts they’ve been taught. To support us in the teaching of maths mastery, we use White Rose schemes of learning. These long term plans support progression from year group to year group. More information about the schemes of learning for each year group can be found following the link below:

https://whiterosemaths.com/resources/schemes-of-learning/primary-sols/

Our aim in mathematics is to give children the confidence to use number and language effectively, and to develop their skills to reason and solve everyday problems. Children learn by doing so we try to adopt a practical approach whenever possible. As they progress through the school, children are taught formal methods to help them with arithmetic. All of our children are taught the programmes of study set out in the National Curriculum for mathematics which include:

• Using and applying maths (reasoning and problem-solving)
• Number and algebra
• Geometry
• Statistics

Times Table knowledge supports mathematics understanding, methods and procedures. All pupils have a Times Table Rockstars Login, which we encourage they use at home to work on their times tables: https://ttrockstars.com/login

Some useful links full of great maths resources:
Tim’s teaching tools
Maths Bot
Topmarks
Maths Zone

Calculation Policy 2023

Science

Children are naturally curious and are encouraged from a very early age to explore and ask questions about the world around them. This is something we aim to build upon and further develop through the teaching of Science at West View. We aim to develop children’s scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through a range of exciting and stimulating lessons based on the Biology, Chemistry and Physics elements of Science. We are also keen to ensure that children are ‘future ready’, therefore we aim to develop their understanding of the importance of science in everyday life (both today and in the ever-changing future). In the Early Years, Science is taught through topics and projects linked to the world around us. Across KS1 and KS2, Science is taught through discrete weekly lessons but also through cross-curricular projects when appropriate. We aim to use a hands-on approach, incorporating exploratory learning wherever possible, carrying out at least one scientific investigation per half term. We find that the children quickly gain confidence in using and applying these skills, finding science both enjoyable and exciting. Scientific experiences are drawn from a whole range of subject areas but throughout school we also aim to follow the 5 key scientific skills in all our lessons:

• Explaining Science
• Classification
• Designing Experiments
• Data, Tables and Graphs
• Making Conclusions

 

Foundation Subjects

Art

Art skills are taught through half termly cross-curricular projects. Work is often displayed in classrooms, halls and in art exhibitions which gives children a sense of pride and feeling of success. The school provides many opportunities for children to develop imaginatively and make decisions both in group work and individually. The children can explore a wide range of materials, looking at shape, texture, size, patterns and change, which involves team discussion and making judgements of their work.

Art is not only important in encouraging original thought but it also helps in development of experiences in other areas of the curriculum, creating a visually literate and discerning society. We have reintroduced the use of sketchbooks from Year1 to Year 6 in order to demonstrate progress throughout their school career. A great emphasis is placed on learning about the works of famous artists.

 

Design and Technology

Design & Technology is taught through half-termly cross curricular projects that follow the guidelines set out in the National Curriculum for Technology which includes problem solving using practical methods. Children work with wood, plastic, food, textiles and many other materials. They work in groups discussing, planning, drawing and building together.

From the beginning of their time in school the children are involved in the basic skills of technology, for example using containers for different purposes, putting bricks into patterns and building structures. As they develop, the work they produce becomes more refined and the problems they tackle are more adventurous. Movement is an important part of technology as well as healthy eating.

 

Computing

Computing at West View Primary is separated into three strands: digital citizenship, digital literacy and computational thinking. Through the integration of these strands the children are able to get a rounded approach to computing.

 

Computing across school

Children have good access to different hardware and software across school, these are used to teach various elements of the computing curriculum and enhance the children’s understanding. By building on the knowledge they have, we are able to develop a deeper understanding of what coding, computational thinking and logical reasoning are; alongside digital literacy and digital citizenship.

Early Years Children

• Code-a-pillar
• Beebot
• Purplemash access

Key Stage One Children

• Code-a-pillar
• Beebot
• Purplemash access
• iPad access
• Laptops

Key Stage Two Children

• Blue-bot
• Purplemash access
• iPad access
• Laptops
• Lego Wedo 2.0
• K’nex (STEM)

Children are taught in discrete computing lessons to ensure the computational strand of computing is taught effectively, whereas the digital literacy element is used in a cross – curricular way to reinforce the purpose of each program and how it could be used in the wider world.

 

Geography

Our aims in Geography are to broaden children’s knowledge and experiences of the world in which they live, and to give them an idea of how human and physical geography have influenced and shaped present-day life. We want our pupils to know about where they live in relation to the rest of the country, the UK and the world. Whenever we learn about somewhere beyond Hartlepool, we want our pupils to know how it relates back to their own locality. We want to encourage our pupils to develop a positive view of their locality and their town, and be proud of where they are from. Through geography, our pupils will learn about the diversity of the region and gain an understanding of why the coast can be a brilliant place to live. We will endeavour to develop their geographical skills through real-life experiences whenever it is feasible to do so.

We begin from the child’s own experiences at home, in their family and at school. This is followed by the study of local areas and often includes out of school visits. We are in an ideal region for the study of local history and geographical features because of easy access to castles, cathedrals, coastlines and early settlements. We use DVDs, photographs, models and artefacts from museums and libraries to further support our work.

The curriculum places particular emphasis on learning and understanding key topographical vocabulary which is something we are embracing at West View. Each classroom displays key vocabulary which is linked to the key human and physical features of an area the children are studying.

We hope that our pupils will become enthusiastic geographers and will enjoy the many opportunities provided to explore locations, develop their geographical skills and improve their understanding of both human and physical geography.

 

History

Our aims in History are to broaden children’s knowledge and experiences of the world in which they live, and to give them an idea of how past events have influenced and shaped present-day life.

We begin from the child’s own experience such as home, family and school. This is followed by the study of local areas and often includes out of school visits. We are in an ideal region for the study of local history and geographical features with its easy access to castles, cathedrals, coastlines, early settlements and other aspects of the present and past. We use DVDs, photographs, models and artefacts from museums and libraries to support this work.

The curriculum places particular emphasis on learning the chronology (time order) of significant events which is something we are embracing at West View. Each classroom displays a timeline which is populated as events are studies in order that children learn about periods of time in relation to others.

 

Music

We aim to encourage an enjoyment and understanding of music. Our pupils are encouraged to make their own music with both bought and handmade instruments. They also learn to compose, edit and print their own music using ICT.

Singing is an integral part of our day. We sing a variety of modern and traditional hymns in assemblies from a range of sources including Out of the Ark. We have a wide selection of tuned and untuned percussion instruments to accompany music work. Key Stage 2 children in school benefit from being given the opportunity to be part of a choir (Glee Club) which performs at annual festivals and local events. This allows the children to sing and perform with other children from neighbouring primary and secondary schools: it is an excellent enrichment experience.

For a number of years, expert provision has been provided by local organisations such as Tees Valley Music Service and Distant Drumming in the form of whole class tuition and live musical performances. Various instruments have been taught such as ukulele, guitar, Taiko drumming, marching band drums and recorder.

 

MFL

At West View Primary School, we believe that all children should be given the opportunities and experiences to acquire and develop language skills while broadening their awareness of other countries and cultures. We believe in celebrating differences while appreciating all the influences they bring to our modern society.

We aim to do this in an enjoyable, cross curricular way using music and technology to support their learning. The children begin to learn French in KS1 through songs and classroom vocabulary, progressing to reading and writing French throughout KS2.

Alongside our French curriculum, the children are introduced to a variety of cultures and languages through our greeting of the week and our themed days. Currently, we are working towards our Bronze International Award with an aim to join together with some international schools to help further the children’s cultural awareness.

 

PE

Our School Vision for PE

Our vision at West View Primary School is to ensure all pupils leave us physically literate and with the knowledge, skills and motivation necessary to equip them for a healthy, active lifestyle and lifelong participation in physical activity and sport. We believe high quality PE provides an opportunity to develop the child as a whole. We adopt a multi-ability approach to help them to become independent learners focusing on: Thinking Me, Social Me, Healthy Me, and Physical Me. We want our pupils to take charge of their own learning and have the self-belief to challenge themselves.

 

Early Years overview

In the Reception Class (EYFS), opportunities are provided for children to be active and to develop their co-ordination, control and movement through moving and handling activities which involve the use of a range of equipment and involve different spatial experiences.

 

Key Stage 1 overview

Pupils should develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.

Pupils should be taught to:

• master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities
• participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending
• perform dances using simple movement patterns.

 

Key Stage 2 overview

Pupils should continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They should enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They should develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.

Pupils should be taught to:

• use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
• play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and tennis], and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
• develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance [for example, through athletics and gymnastics]
• perform dances using a range of movement patterns
• take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
• compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best.

 

PSHCE

The aim of our PSHCE curriculum is to extend learning beyond the academic, technical or vocational, supporting our children to develop their character – including their resilience, confidence and independence – and help them know how to keep physically and mentally healthy and safe. We aim to ensure that at each stage of education, we prepare children for future success through planned transition. By developing their understanding of the school’s core values as well as of British values, we will strive to prepare our children for life in modern Britain: we will equip them to be responsible, respectful, active citizens who contribute positively to society.

Our school places great emphasis on developing pupils’ understanding of SMSC (social, moral, spiritual and cultural awareness) and places great importance on raising children’s self-esteem and confidence, as well as teaching them how to stay safe and healthy, including being e-safe.

We use projects in Year 3 and Year 4 such as Roots of Empathy and Young Leaders to reinforce British values and our school core values. Older children in Year 5 and Year 6 receive a tailored programme of SRE (Sex and Relationship Education) which is delivered by teachers and the school nurse service. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from SRE but this rarely happens. Teachers take into consideration the age and maturity of the children concerned and have due regard to moral considerations and the value of family life.

Each of our PSHCE lessons are based around our three school rules: READY, RESPECTFUL, SAFE
and our school core values: HONESTY, RESPECT, DETERMINATION, TEAM WORK, SELF BELIEF and PASSION.

Our ultimate aim is for our children to: DREAM BIG, AIM HIGH, SHINE BRIGHT

RE

Religious Education is provided in the school within the framework of the Hartlepool Agreed Syllabus for Religious education (2020 – as recommended by the Hartlepool SACRE) in accordance with the 1944 Education Act. R.E. is an open and broad subject which explores a range of religious and non-religious world views – it is an academic subject with rigour.

The R.E curriculum at West View is multi-faith, and recognises the place of Christianity and other principle religious in the UK – non-religious world views are also included. In accordance with the 1996 Education Act (section 375) the R.E. curriculum at West View ‘shall reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking into account the teaching and practices of other principles religions represented in Great Britain’.

We promote the tolerance of different cultures and religions, as well as mutual respect – 2 core British Values – through the teaching of R.E, and build on the moral education of our students as supported to our school’s core values. We have strong links with our local Church of England: Holy Trinity, where we hold multiple services each year.

Parents have the right to withdraw from all or part of RE – a discussion with Mrs Haylock (Executive Head Teacher) or Miss Furness (Acting Head Teacher) should be had before the agreement of any withdrawal.

For further information about our curriculum, please contact Miss Lauren Furness (Acting Headteacher) or Mrs Alison Morgan (Acting Deputy Headteacher)

 

Curriculum Overviews

Art & Design Curriculum Content
Computing Curriculum Content
DT Curriculum Content
Geography Curriculum Content
History Curriculum Content
Languages Curriculum Content
Music Curriculum Content
PE Curriculum Content
PSHE Overview years 22 23.docx updated
Religious Education Curriculum

 

Curriculum Long Term Plans

EYFS Curriculum
Year 1 English LTP 2022-2023
Year 1 Reading Spine 2022-2023
Year 2 English LTP 2022-23
Year 2 Reading Spine 2022-2023
Year 3 English LTP 2022 23
Year 3 Reading Spine 2022-2023
Year 4 English LTP 2022 23
Year 4 Reading Spine 2022-2023
Year 5 English LTP 2022-23
Year 5 Reading Spine 2022-2023
Year 6 English LTP 2022-23
Year 6 Reading Spine 2022-2023