Curriculum
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At Laithes Primary , we teach the National Curriculum. Our approach to learning celebrates a love of reading as our curriculum is based around key text drivers. Our rationale for this is to provide our children with a rich experience of language and the written word. We believe reading and a love of books is the key not only for academic success but gives our children a window on the wider world and is an essential skill for independence throughout life.
We have designed and planned our curriculum to offer a breadth of experiences which contribute to every child receiving a full and rich curriculum.
The range of experiences we offer support the Every Child Matters Multi-Academy Trust vision and ensure our children benefit from a full range of academic, spiritual, moral, social and cultural activities. These activities enrich their lives and those of our whole school community and make them proud of their British values and diverse society to which they belong and play an active part. We are proud that are curriculum gives our children the skills, confidence and self- belief to lead a happy fulfilled life by encouraging them to aim high and work towards their goals and dreams in life.
At Laithes Primary School we place high priority on ensuring children’s physical and mental well-being needs are met. We understand that children will not be successful learners unless they are emotionally secure; therefore we carefully design and adopt a flexible approach to ensure that we meet and respond to the emotional needs of individual children, which may arise. Our balanced curriculum ensures that every child receives an appropriate mix of academic and personal development which means that in practice our curriculum places equal importance on core and foundation subjects. Our careful curriculum design ensures depth within planning; we build in many opportunities for repetition and practice of essential skill in every subject. This guarantees that children are able to revisit previous learning which allow them to gradually develop a deeper understanding of the skills and processes within subject, at their own pace and in the best possible way for each individual child. Our curriculum is enhanced by visits out, visitors and workshop in, residential visits, music and sporting events to mention a few!
English
English
At Laithes, our English lessons have been designed to develop pupils’ spoken language, reading, writing and grammar and vocabulary. English is taught in a cross-curricular way, with learning centred around high-quality text drivers. As part of the English Hub, we understand the importance of using collaboration to achieve best practice.
Our aim at Laithes Primary is to give children the confidence to write purposefully and successfully by providing them with high quality core texts followed by a writing sequence. We have regular opportunities for pupils to read, they become fully immersed within a text, before being taught the skills required to write with confidence.
Reading
At Laithes, reading lies at the very heart of our curriculum as we believe that the ability to read and understand unlocks a real love of learning for children. Our pupils are encouraged to read for pleasure and to read widely. We strive to make reading enjoyable and awe-inspiring through inviting authors into school and organising regular whole-school events.
We endeavour to deliver excellent early language and reading teaching in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 by following the Read, Write, Inc phonics programme. Phonic awareness helps the development of early reading by segmenting and blending sounds, as well as encouraging children to read fluently. We believe that every child has the right to learn to read, therefore we offer phonic interventions and fluid groupings where required. Please see our Phonics page for more information on Read, Write Inc.
High quality texts have been chosen by class teachers so that their own passion and enthusiasm for reading is then embraced by our pupils. Teachers read aloud to pupils every day, ensuring that they are exposed to a variety of genres, encouraging the love of reading on a daily basis. These texts offer a clear progression of challenge throughout school, helping to build on our reading curriculum’s prior knowledge and skills. Texts are age-appropriate and have been chosen because of the rich vocabulary they contain and the cross-curricular opportunities they offer. They offer high tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary choices and in Foundation Stage, repeated refrains. Children are exposed to whole class daily reading sessions, where pupils are given the opportunity to delve deeper into texts, focusing on reading strands and objectives taken from the National Curriculum. This provides pupils opportunities to develop comprehension skills. Pupils are heard reading age-related texts aloud on a daily basis, where they are given opportunities to discuss texts in depth, collaboratively.
Each classroom has an inviting reading area, as well as access to our own library on site, where they can read and loan a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. We believe that by allowing our pupils to “jump inside a book”, they soon become an expert to write for a given audience and purpose, adopting the author’s style.
Our Reading Progression document is here
Writing
At Laithes Primary we encourage pupils to write like experts. In order to do this, we believe pupils need to be exposed to a variety of genres and styles as well as texts written for a range of audiences. It is important that children fully understand the author’s intent and style in order to accurately mimic their style.
Our writing sequences include a progression of taught grammatical skills, linking with relevant National Curriculum objectives. We choose text-types carefully in order to ensure key skills are covered repeatedly and in depth, ensuring all pupils have a secure understanding within their year group, whilst building on prior learning. We therefore develop writing skills so that our pupils have the stamina and resilience to write at the age-expected standard and at length. We offer children exciting yet purposeful gateways into writing; modelled, shared and guided writes; opportunities to edit and improve, as well as discussions around their own writing and the writing of others. Wherever possible, we provide opportunities for pupils to write for a real purpose, encouraging them to see themselves as authors.
Handwriting sessions are carried out on a daily basis and children strive to gain their ‘pen license’ award.
For our Writing Progression document please click here
Oracy
Speaking and listening are central to our classroom practice. Promoting speaking and listening within our classrooms has the potential to help deepen our children’s vocabulary, knowledge and skills across our entire curriculum. Purposeful speaking and listening activities support the development of our pupils’ language capability and provide a foundation for thinking and communication. Throughout our school, vocabulary is promoted through our working walls, through our displays, in our role-play and small world areas. Promoting new vocabulary is encouraged through reading books aloud and discussing them in addition to collaborative learning activities where pupils can share their thought processes. We want to provide children with outside experiences to develop their interests alongside developing their language and vocabulary. We want our children to be confident talkers, to believe that everybody is listening to them and they are part of the wider world feeling respected and important. To become a successful member of society, we want our children to be able to express themselves and communicate how they are feeling and with correct vocabulary and oracy skills, they will be able to do so competently.
At Laithes, our English lessons have been designed to develop pupils’ spoken language, reading, writing and grammar and vocabulary. English is taught in a cross-curricular way, with learning centred around high-quality text drivers. As part of the English Hub, we understand the importance of using collaboration to achieve best practice.
Our aim at Laithes Primary is to give children the confidence to write purposefully and successfully by providing them with high quality core texts followed by a writing sequence. We have regular opportunities for pupils to read, they become fully immersed within a text, before being taught the skills required to write with confidence.
Reading
At Laithes, reading lies at the very heart of our curriculum as we believe that the ability to read and understand unlocks a real love of learning for children. Our pupils are encouraged to read for pleasure and to read widely. We strive to make reading enjoyable and awe-inspiring through inviting authors into school and organising regular whole-school events.
We endeavour to deliver excellent early language and reading teaching in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 by following the Read, Write, Inc phonics programme. Phonic awareness helps the development of early reading by segmenting and blending sounds, as well as encouraging children to read fluently. We believe that every child has the right to learn to read, therefore we offer phonic interventions and fluid groupings where required. Please see our Phonics page for more information on Read, Write Inc.
High quality texts have been chosen by class teachers so that their own passion and enthusiasm for reading is then embraced by our pupils. Teachers read aloud to pupils every day, ensuring that they are exposed to a variety of genres, encouraging the love of reading on a daily basis. These texts offer a clear progression of challenge throughout school, helping to build on our reading curriculum’s prior knowledge and skills. Texts are age-appropriate and have been chosen because of the rich vocabulary they contain and the cross-curricular opportunities they offer. They offer high tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary choices and in Foundation Stage, repeated refrains. Children are exposed to whole class daily reading sessions, where pupils are given the opportunity to delve deeper into texts, focusing on reading strands and objectives taken from the National Curriculum. This provides pupils opportunities to develop comprehension skills. Pupils are heard reading age-related texts aloud on a daily basis, where they are given opportunities to discuss texts in depth, collaboratively.
Each classroom has an inviting reading area, as well as access to our own library on site, where they can read and loan a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. We believe that by allowing our pupils to “jump inside a book”, they soon become an expert to write for a given audience and purpose, adopting the author’s style.
Our Reading Progression document is here
Writing
At Laithes Primary we encourage pupils to write like experts. In order to do this, we believe pupils need to be exposed to a variety of genres and styles as well as texts written for a range of audiences. It is important that children fully understand the author’s intent and style in order to accurately mimic their style.
Our writing sequences include a progression of taught grammatical skills, linking with relevant National Curriculum objectives. We choose text-types carefully in order to ensure key skills are covered repeatedly and in depth, ensuring all pupils have a secure understanding within their year group, whilst building on prior learning. We therefore develop writing skills so that our pupils have the stamina and resilience to write at the age-expected standard and at length. We offer children exciting yet purposeful gateways into writing; modelled, shared and guided writes; opportunities to edit and improve, as well as discussions around their own writing and the writing of others. Wherever possible, we provide opportunities for pupils to write for a real purpose, encouraging them to see themselves as authors.
Handwriting sessions are carried out on a daily basis and children strive to gain their ‘pen license’ award.
For our Writing Progression document please click here
Oracy
Speaking and listening are central to our classroom practice. Promoting speaking and listening within our classrooms has the potential to help deepen our children’s vocabulary, knowledge and skills across our entire curriculum. Purposeful speaking and listening activities support the development of our pupils’ language capability and provide a foundation for thinking and communication. Throughout our school, vocabulary is promoted through our working walls, through our displays, in our role-play and small world areas. Promoting new vocabulary is encouraged through reading books aloud and discussing them in addition to collaborative learning activities where pupils can share their thought processes. We want to provide children with outside experiences to develop their interests alongside developing their language and vocabulary. We want our children to be confident talkers, to believe that everybody is listening to them and they are part of the wider world feeling respected and important. To become a successful member of society, we want our children to be able to express themselves and communicate how they are feeling and with correct vocabulary and oracy skills, they will be able to do so competently.
Mathematics
Our mathematics curriculum will maximise the development of every child’s ability and academic achievement while promoting a love of mathematics. It is a subject that is vital for everyday life, and we want our pupils to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding that will help them to appreciate how mathematics fits into our world. For every child to develop a sound understanding of Maths, equipping them with the skills of calculations, reasoning and problem solving is vital as we want them to know that it is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for their future employment. We are part of the Maths Hub. Planning from the National Curriculum, using the DFE guidance, White Rose and Braining Camp (so all children have access to manipulatives whether at home or school) our children are taught a mastery approach for a deep and meaningful understanding of the concepts to help them become competent mathematicians. Please see our Maths page for ways to support Maths at home.
It is our belief that pupils develop best as mathematicians in a structured environment which places learning in a practical and meaningful context. A high emphasis is placed not only on the understanding of skills and concept but also on the ability to use and apply maths to solve ‘real life’ problems. We intend for our pupils to be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects in a practical way for them to understand how/why Maths is used in the real world. We want children to have a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. We aim for our pupils to read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge.
Our Progression document for Maths can be found here
Our Vocabulary Progression document can be found here
Below are our Progression and Assessment documents for the wider curriculum:
Art and Design
Computing
Design and Technology
Geography
History
Music
Physical Education
PSHE
Religious Education
Science
Spanish
Please click here for information on the full National Curriculum framework
It is our belief that pupils develop best as mathematicians in a structured environment which places learning in a practical and meaningful context. A high emphasis is placed not only on the understanding of skills and concept but also on the ability to use and apply maths to solve ‘real life’ problems. We intend for our pupils to be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects in a practical way for them to understand how/why Maths is used in the real world. We want children to have a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. We aim for our pupils to read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge.
Our Progression document for Maths can be found here
Our Vocabulary Progression document can be found here
Below are our Progression and Assessment documents for the wider curriculum:
Art and Design
Computing
Design and Technology
Geography
History
Music
Physical Education
PSHE
Religious Education
Science
Spanish
Please click here for information on the full National Curriculum framework