Archbishop Courtenay Church of England Primary School (Academy) Our Curriculum

Our new curriculum! We have taken this opportunity to revitalise our curriculum to allow for far more real life learning experiences English, mathematics and religious education remain at the core of all that we do. In addition, we are going to be teaching extensively through Science, using topics, to create a cross curricular culture of learning. With the support of Ray Morris, who is currently a member of the IEB, and The Kent Wildlife Trust, we have planned a topic for each term. The topics are as follows -

Foundation Stage and KS1 Term 1 – Using Our Senses Term 2 – Light Sources Term 3 – Grouping and Changing Materials Term 4 – Movement Term 5 – How Plants Grow & Pet Week Term 6 - Minibeasts

KS2 Y3 Term 1 – Animals including humans Term 2 – Light Term 3 – Forces and Magnets Term 4 – Rocks Term 5 – Plants Term 6 – Our School Environment Y4 Term 1 – Animals including humans Term 2 – Electricity Term 3 – Sound Term 4 – States of Matter Term 5 – Living things and their Habitats Term 6 – Our School Environment

KS2 Y5 Term 1 – Animals including humans Term 2 – Earth and Space Term 3 – Forces Term 4 – Properties and Change Term 5 – Living Things and their Habitats Term 6 – Our School Environment Y6 Term 1 – Animals including humans Term 2 – Light Term 3 – Electricity Term 4 – Evolution Term 5 – Living things Term 6 – Our School Environment

English Curriculum ‘The Power of Reading’ – a Centre for Learning in Primary Education (CLPE) excellence scheme. This is used to promote drama, speaking and listening and boost pupils’ imaginations. The scheme is differentiated from YR to Y6 Our reading scheme consists of Oxford Reading Tree alongside a selection of non-fiction materials. Eventually the children will be able to use our extensive library to choose their own books, once they have mastered the skills of reading. We follow the Jolly Phonics scheme of work in Foundation Stage, closely followed by Letters and Sounds once the children understand the basic sounds of the alphabet. We expect high expectations of the children including their work ethic and presentation We will write and read for a wide variety of purposes in all areas of the curriculum

The knowledge and skills needed Phonics, spelling, grammar and punctuation Children start learning about sounds in the Nursery, as they learn to listen carefully In Reception, children use letter sounds (phonics) to begin to read and write simple sentences In Key Stage 1, they learn all 44 letter sounds and the basic rules of grammar and punctuation In Key Stage 2, children learn more complex rules for spelling, grammar and punctuation Every child should be able to write a complex sentence by the end of Year 6

Maths Curriculum Practical maths using hands on resources and real life problem solving A ‘have a go’ approach and to understand that we get to the correct answer by making mistakes! Outdoor learning that links with Science, DT, History and Geography Making mathematics fun again

Basic skills and knowledge in mathematics Learning about numbers, so that children have the skills to do addition, subtraction, division and multiplication Yes, they will learn and practise their tables Very able pupils will have the chance to do master classes with local schools Pupils who find mathematics more difficult will be given extra support interventions

Early Years Foundation Stage The educational journey begins in Nursery During the child’s time in Nursery and the Reception year, children will begin to acquire skills in- Speaking and Listening Socialising Playing and sharing Learning each sound and letter of the alphabet Working with numbers up to and beyond 20 Writing - which will include forming sentences Reading Physical activity These skills enable the children to form the foundations in which they will rely on for the rest of their academic life.

The Creative Curriculum History, Geography, Art, Design Technology, Computing, ICT, Music and Modern Foreign Languages will be entwined with the Science topic and taught in way that will capture every child’s imagination. The National Curriculum objectives will be covered for the relevant year groups. By using a cross curricular format, we are allowing the teachers and pupils to become absorbed within the topic, therefore allowing a deeper understanding to take place Also this means that we can be more flexible with our curriculum and can focus on whole school projects that will enable the children to use all of their skills to plan, make decisions and evaluate their learning. Writing, Reading and Maths will run through all subjects so that the children are consolidating newly found skills.

Physical Education Every school receives additional money from the government specifically designated for sport We are using our funding by hiring a full time sports coach who is working with every class once a week The teacher and coach work team teach, allowing the teacher to update their own professional skills The coach also provides holiday clubs free of charge to allow our children to keep working in their skills outside of school time The PE session by Matt our sports coach is in addition to the hour of quality PE that every child is receiving from their own class room teachers This year we are working on allowing our Y6 children to have regular swimming lessons

What are we hoping to achieve? Exciting, innovative and real life learning experiences to empower the children with the knowledge they need to progress through their education Outstanding teaching in all areas of the curriculum Children taking greater control of their own learning – becoming independent young people To build and restore links and relationships within the local community – especially the church

An open door policy where parents can discuss their child’s progress at any time Behaviour in and around the school to become exemplary and enhanced by our work with the army With the support of the Kent Wildlife Trust, create a school site that is visited by members of the public as a wildlife sanctuary Create an environment where all children feel safe, valued and can develop to the best of their ability

Assessment, a partnership with parents/carers My Learning Journey – A tracking system that records the children’s progress from YR to Y6 Daily assessments, including marking, of the learning taking place within the classroom, in order to inform our teaching Regular monitoring of lessons and planning to ensure that the children are receiving the best possible curriculum Parent Consultations 3 x year and written report 2 x year to ensure that parents are kept up to date on their child’s progress A rigorous SEN support system to ensure all pupils are receiving an education which is suited to them

The most important….. Parents! We want to build a trusting and open relationship with you to ensure that the children are being supported both in and out of school. What can you do to help? Talk to your children and encourage them to ask questions about the world around them Read every night with your child for at least 5 minutes – make it an enjoyable experience Ensure that you speak highly of the school in your child’s presence – if they know that you respect the education system then they will too Encourage them to take pride in their appearance Remind them of the appropriate language to be used in and around the school grounds Complete any homework that has been given by the class teacher – homework is given to support your child’s learning in school If in doubt ask – any member of the SLT will try their best to speak to you about any concerns that you have, the same day.