Curriculum
Our Curriculum
At Airmyn Park Primary School we pride ourselves on the delivery of a curriculum that provides children with an enriching, diverse and stimulating education. Through carefully planned lessons and a variety of teaching techniques, children receive a range of learning opportunities that will enable them to achieve the best possible progress and standards. In turn, this allows for all children to participate in learning which they enjoy. Our approach to curriculum delivery ensures that pupils are encouraged to use their learning to support their development and where possible this will be from a first-hand experience. We use our extensive woodland area to promote outdoor learning and a skillset that is able to be applied to many situations.
Phonics and Early Reading
At Airmyn Park Primary Shool, we teach early reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. We start teaching phonics in Reception and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school.
For children who are accessing the Early Reading Curriculum, the reading scheme we use is Collins Big Cat. For children who have completed the Early Reading Curriculum, we have Oxford Reading Tree, Pearson and Ginn Books as well as wider reading from the library.
Mathematics
At Airmyn Park Primary School, we follow the mastery approach to teaching maths. The children are supported through a journey to embed a firm understanding of numbers and the number system to enable them to further develop problem-solving and reasoning skills. The children develop their skills through the use of concrete apparatus and pictorial representations, before moving onto the concept in the abstract form.
Our curriculum allows children to better make sense of the world around them by making connections between mathematics and everyday life, through opportunities for reasoning and problem solving. Our policies, resources and schemes support our vision and clearly outline where maths can be incorporated across different curriculum areas.
The structure of the mathematics curriculum across school shows clear progression in line with age related expectations. Teaching curriculum content in blocks allows children to explore skills and knowledge in depth and gain a secure understanding of particular subject. Hence providing opportunities to deepen learning, knowledge and understanding of key mathematical areas. Key knowledge and basic skills are also revisited regularly allowing repetition to embed learning. A concrete, pictorial, abstract approach provides children with a clear structure in which they can develop their depth of understanding of mathematical concepts. We aim to ensure that mathematics is a high profile subject which children view positively and with resilience.
Our Curriculum
Curriculum craft is important to us at Airmyn and we continue to develop our sequential curriculum into a two year cycle for our mixed age classes.
Our class pages provide a termly overview of the curriculum.
We follow a consistent approach to reading in which the key strands of comprehension are continually revisited, at an age appropriate level, to ensure our children are aware of the skills required to be a successful reader. We aim for all children to develop a love of reading and value the role it is to play in other areas of learning – from language acquisition to the understanding of information. We promote reading for pleasure by reading regularly with the children and providing opportunities to visit the library and take out books.
At Airmyn Park Primary School we impart the love of writing using the Talk for Writing methodology. Through the sharing of high-quality texts, short stories and novels, we create opportunities for writing for real purposes. As a result, we are able to develop great writers who are able to compose, edit and improve their writing. We also understand the importance of developing reading and phonics, the teaching of spelling patterns and rules and do this through the use of specific lesson time and through the understanding of model texts.
Through the use of the work of well known artists and the opportunity for creativity, we aim to inspire and challenge our pupils to create their own works of art. We teach key skills using a range of media and support them to think critically and develop their understanding of art and design.
Through the study of D&T, we will equip our children to become independent, creative problem-solvers and thinkers, enabling them to confidently deal with our rapidly changing world. The D&T scheme of work enables children to use creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and other’s needs, wants and values. At Airmyn Park Primary School, we ensure that children combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental factors.
At Airmyn Park Primary School, we aim to provide our children with an enriching, interactive and inclusive French curriculum. We are committed to developing strong, lifelong linguistic skills and support the children in their interests and enthusiasm surrounding the world in which they live.
Ultimately, we want our children to develop a love of languages and aim to achieve this through nurturing a linguistic curiosity and an essential motivation to explore and respect other cultures and languages. While we focus on the specific teaching of French in Key Stage 2, we encourage the children to celebrate the wide variety of languages spoken in our local community and school, some of which include BSL.
The study of geography involves pupils exploring the relationship and interactions between people and the environments in which they live and upon which they depend. These include personal, local, national and global. Our pupils will need to know about geographical concepts and to be able to think like Geographers. At Airmyn Park Primary School we ensure that all pupils can engage with geographical learning. This is rooted in mutual respect and the fostering of empathy and community understanding at local, regional, national and global scales. At Airmyn Park Primary School we model this in terms of the inclusive nature of the learning and teaching we provide.
Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for History; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum that encompasses the British Values throughout; ensuring the progressive development of historical concepts, knowledge and skills; and for the children to study life in the past.
During the study of Computing, we will equip the children at our school with the skill and qualities to use all areas of Computing confidently and safely and to recognise its use and importance in the wider world. The Computing Scheme of Work offers our children a breadth of opportunities that will encourage them to develop competent skills within Computing to use throughout their later lives. This is rooted in mutual respect and the fostering of empathy and understanding. Children are taught the importance of online safety and respect when using online communication platforms. We aim to support the children to understand the importance of this.
Within school, the study of music involves children exploring many different genres of music and understanding more than the meaning of the lyrics. Children are encouraged to give opinion on the music and link to their own experiences. Children are encouraged to talk about the messages conveyed within the music and the emotions that are generated through listening to the music. We hope to foster a love of music by exposing them to diverse musical experiences and igniting a passion for music that will hopefully stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Children are encouraged to participate in peripatetic lessons that are delivered by music specialists in school. The children enjoy musical performances and have the opportunity to perform in plays, concerts and other musical events. We work closely with the local secondary schools to encourage musical interest and opportunities.
We believe that a rich and varied PE curriculum can improve attainment, attendance and behaviour. In addition, we want to inspire a love of sport in order to raise the level of physical activity of our pupils outside of school. Through our PE provision we aim to develop the skills and attitudes needed for every child to have a lifelong participation in physical activity and healthy living. We endeavour to have 100% of KS2 participating in some form of competitive/external sports fixtures. The children are able to attend a wide range of extra curricular sports clubs that are delivered by the school staff. Our aim is to deliver a high-quality PE curriculum that is inclusive to all.
Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) and Personal Social Health and Citizenship Education
(PSHCE)
We believe it is important that we equip the children at our schools with the skills and qualities to become
good citizens and to thrive as a member of society. The RSHE/PSHCE policy reflects the ethos of the
Schools, offering our children a breadth of opportunities that will encourage them to develop the self awareness, positive self-esteem and confidence to:
• Feel comfortable and confident to talk and be heard.
• Be safe online.
• Understand and maintain healthy and happy relationships.
• Know who they can trust and report to.
• Think positively – HEALTHY MIND, HEALTHY BODY!
• Recognise and respect their own and others’ abilities.
• Develop independence and responsibility.
• Have worthwhile and fulfilling relationships.
• Keep themselves and others safe.
• Provide a framework in which sensitive discussions can take place.
• Prepare children for puberty and give them an understanding of sexual development and the importance of
health and hygiene.
• Help children develop feelings of self-respect, confidence and empathy.
The Schools will work towards these in partnership with parents.
The RSHE/PSHCE curriculum is taught throughout the schools both in separate lessons as well as through
topic themes where children can apply their learning in relevant ways. We hold whole school theme weeks such
as Anti-Bullying Week and Internet Safety Week, where learning in class is supported through assemblies and
visitors. Through school and class council meetings, children can share their ideas, worries and suggestions
about aspects of school life. Schools will have a designated member of staff and times where children can
‘drop in’.
Religious Education is a subject that forms part of the National Curriculum to which every pupil should have access. It can provide the foundation for many people’s lives and promote acceptance and understanding of other beliefs. Through the teaching of RE we aim to promote the spiritual, moral and cultural development of all pupils. Both religious and non-religious world views are studied. Children reflect on what it means to have a faith and to develop their own spiritual knowledge and understanding. We help children learn from religions as well as about religions.
At Airmyn Park Primary School, we teach science through a variety methods to enable children to become inspired to be scientists. We use investigations, research and questions (along side other ideas) to develop understanding. We follow a practical and hands-on approach where ever possible, providing links with other areas of learning to help children understand the science behind things.