Curriculum Intent
Principles
Learning is a change to long-term memory. To this end, our aim is to ensure that our children experience a wide breadth of study and will have committed to their long-term memory an ambitious body of procedural and semantic knowledge (knowledge and skills).
Curriculum drivers shape our curriculum breadth. They are derived from an exploration of the backgrounds of our children, our beliefs about high quality education and our values.
Cultural capital gives our children the vital background knowledge required to be informed and thoughtful members of our community who understand and believe in British Values.
Threshold Concepts
Threshold concept is the key understanding without which the learner cannot progress – a portal.
Milestones
These are the goals that the children should reach to show that they are meeting the expectations of our curriculum.
Assessment
We assess the outcomes for computing through our POP tasks which are built into our planning to help us assess how well and how deeply pupils know and understand what we have taught and what the children have learnt.
Curriculum Intent Statement
If you wish to find out more about our curriculum, please contact Karen Bazeley kbazeley@longvernalschool.com
Click here for Longvernal's Personal Development overview
EYFS INTENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT
INTENT
At Longvernal, we believe that children learn best when they feel happy, safe and secure. We strive for children to be content, confident and resilient individuals with an enthusiastic love for learning. We provide a holistic, safe and secure environment, both indoors and outdoors, with elements of structured play, free play and practical experiences. This allows young children to flourish in all aspects of their development, whilst also exploring and developing their individual interests. Children learn and develop at different rates. Longvernal is inclusive and we seek to provide education and care for all children, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Children in Reception benefit from our ‘buddy’ system whereby Year 6 pupils support our youngest pupils at playtimes and also share activities such as storytimes.
We believe that children should be provided with rich resources so they can learn through their play. Ultimately, learning should be fun, stimulating and engaging for the children whilst providing suitable challenges. We acknowledge that children learn at different rates and provide inclusive education and care for all children. These principles allow us to provide quality learning experiences, consistently throughout the year, to ensure every child makes progress. Central to our learning environment is maximising our outdoor space and our weekly Forest School lessons further enhance our children’s learning; developing confidence, autonomy, problem-solving and risk-taking skills.
We recognise the importance of building upon prior learning experiences.
Continuity and progression are at the forefront of our curriculum plans, ensuring that the transition into school from nursery and into Year 1 from Reception is as smooth as possible.
Ultimately, in the Early Years at Longvernal, we are committed to providing the best possible introduction to school life, encompassing teaching children skills and sharing experiences which will ensure their positive well-being and success in the future.
IMPLEMENTATION
We aim to provide high quality learning experiences through play, whilst following the children’s interests, under the guidance of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and two main non-statutory documents; Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters. We have created a broad overview that outlines possible themes, interests and lines of enquiry and subsequently meticulously produced termly planning documents aligned to our long term plans to ensure children receive a broad range of learning opportunities. Where possible and pertinent to the curriculum or personal development intent, we take children on school trips and invite visitors into the classroom to provide real-life experiences and extend children’s learning further. Children’s progress is assessed termly in the specific areas of Literacy and Mathematics to inform planning; at the end of Reception, progress in all seven areas is assessed against the Early Learning Goals.
IMPACT
In Early Years, children learn in lots of different ways; therefore, we observe the children as they talk, play, explore, ask questions, make mistakes, solve problems and have fun with other children and adults. Thus, we see the impact of our quality first teaching through progression in the children in different ways. Children will have made progress in:
We pride ourselves on being able to talk, in depth, about every child. In addition, key learning experiences are recorded in individual Learning Journals throughout the year. Displays in the classroom are also evidence of our continuing learning journey. To keep parents up to date on our learning journey we update both Nursery and Reception parents using the Seesaw platform.
Helpful links for parents to support learning at home:
How to pronounce phonic sounds purely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwJx1NSineE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yln6PpV1G1I
Phonics Play (Phase 1-4):
https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/resources/phase/1
Read Write Inc. guide for parents:
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-schemes-oxford-levels/read-write-inc-phonics-guide/
Read Write Inc. letter phrases for handwriting:
https://www.ruthmiskin.com/media/filer_public/37/e3/37e3d535-7c1f-46c7-8799-dba515e6ced4/handwriting_phrases_v2.pdf
Purple Mash:
https://www.purplemash.com/sch/longvernal
Doodle Maths:
https://students.doodlelearning.com
Jump Start Jonny:
https://www.jumpstartjonny.co.uk
Writing
At Longvernal Primary School we use "The Write Stuff" approach by Jane Considine to bring clarity to the mechanics of writing and immersing our children in new vocabulary. "The Write Stuff" follows a method called "Sentence Stacking" which refers to the fact that sentences are stacked together chronologically and organised to engage children with short, intensive moments of learning that they can then immediately apply to their own writing. An individual lesson is based on a sentence model, broken into 3 learning chunks. Each learning chunk has three sections:
Children are challenged to ‘Deepen the Moment’ which requires them to draw upon previously learnt skills independently and apply them to their writing during that chunk.
"The Write Stuff" uses three essential components to support children in becoming great writers
The three zones of writing :-
TECHNIQUES - The BOOMTASTICs which helps children capture 10 ways of adding drama and poetic devices to writing in a vivid visual.
Handwriting
At Longvernal Primary School our pupils work hard on their cursive/joined-up handwriting style. We have an 8 week programme, based on cognitive learning theories as the basis of our handwriting policy that covers all the requirements of the 2014 National Curriculum.
Handwriting is a basic skill that influences the quality of work throughout the curriculum. At the end of Key Stage 2 all pupils should have the ability to produce fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy joined-up handwriting, and to understand the different forms of handwriting used for different purposes.
We aim to make handwriting an automatic process that does not interfere with creative and mental thinking.
Reading
At Longvernal we wholeheartedly understand the importance of learning to read and the doors that are opened by nurturing a love of books. If writing is breathing out then reading is breathing in. Confident readers have a head start in life and that is what we wish to instill in all at Longvernal.
Phonics
At longvernal we use Read Write Inc with fidelity. Our systematic approach begins in Holly Class (Year R), and daily phonics lessons take place throughout KS1. In addition to this, phonics remains central to the 'No Nonsense' spelling approach throughout KS2 (which is taught three times weekly, throughout KS2).
Pupils have additional reading practice every day. Formal assessments take place and AfL is used in every lesson to identify pupils who may be falling behind, or who are at risk of falling behind. Gaps are then addressed on a 1:1 basis using interventions that match our phonics programme.
We ensure a cumulative progression of sounds and books, using fully decodable books throughout Reception and KS1, following the progression of The Read Write, Inc. scheme, until pupils are fluent readers. A process is underway to invest further in additional high interest/low decoding books for pupils in KS2. Our pupils are expected to read books at least three times weekly to build fluency. This strategy is shared with parents through workshop opportunities, parents' evenings and class newsletters.
At Longvernal Primary School we ensure we are a strong team of expert reading teachers The English Coordinator supports, supplements and extends classroom teaching, and works collaboratively with the class teachers to implement a quality reading programme that is research-based and meets the needs of our pupils. Teachers throughout the school share planning and expertise to help ensure consistency and progression for pupils. Pupil Progress meetings are held three times a year with reading, and phonics, a focus for discussion.
Our lowest 20% pupils in each class are supported with urgency to secure their progression. First and foremost, the Phonics and Early Reading Leads monitor phonics lessons to ensure all are of the highest standard, thereby reducing the number of pupils who need extra support. In addition, daily short, 1:1 and group interventions are in place for those pupils falling behind. These children will also be placed on the class teachers’ Priority Readers list and will be heard reading aloud to an adult as frequently as possible, which may be twice a day in some cases. In KS2, class teachers will ensure that the lowest 20% are matched to a book that will secure progress by undertaking a miscue analysis to ensure that there is a rate of accuracy between 90 and 94%. New starters, at Longvernal, are assessed within their first week and interventions put in place where needed. We pride ourselves on having excellent relationships with parents and we encourage them to support their child at home with advice, activities and resources provided where appropriate.
Our Whole Class Guided Reading lessons, which happen four times a week throughout KS1 and 2, offer the benefits of increased exposure to challenging texts, increased time for deep exploration of a text and the opportunity for class discussion. Class teachers closely follow our Reading Spine, which has been developed so that pupils gain a rich literary canon to allow them to access the best of what has been written for children, throughout their time at Longvernal. Our Reading Spine, which was informed by “The Five Plagues of the Developing Reader” by Doug Lemov, can be accessed from our website. In each Guided Reading lesson, the children first will unpick the Tier Two vocabulary to ensure they can access the challenging text. These words will be documented on a word wall as well as in their books, building a vast usable bank of vocabulary. Through discussion and questioning the children then develop critical analysis of: vocabulary; inferences; predictions; explanation of the author’s choice or intent and impact of the text on the reader; retrieval; sequencing or summarising; making links or comparisons with other themes, plot, settings, and characters as well as cross-curricular or real-life experiences; and finally pupil response, which could be a written task for example a diary entry in character asking questions about the text.
Oracy
Moreover, Speaking and and listening underpin all activities across the day. Class discussions, story time sessions, circle time, PSHE lessons and 'talk partners' are all opportunities for pupils to build talking and listening skills. Whole class guided reading sessions take place, giving many opportunities for pupils to listen, build vocabulary and talk about texts. Where teachers have concerns regarding a child's speech and language skills, intervention groups or 1:1 sessions are timetabled and a referral to an external agency made, if necessary. Teachers use 'talk partners' to encourage listening behaviours and routines for talking and sharing ideas. Our teachers ensure that there is a secure progression across the school by consulting the Oracy Progression Map.
Useful links for parents
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Parents/ten-tips-on-hearing-your-child-read
https://www.literacytrust.org/#
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2literacy.html
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading-owl/library-page
Click here to see our Oracy progression map
Click here to see our Intent document
Click here to see our Intent, Implementation and Impact document
Helpful Websites
Helpful links for parents to support History learning at home.
Video Teaching Links:
Adventures in History from the Imperial War Museum:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLolzHiCNNbO--qp4zN6MgVSCqEsv8SDk3
History at Home Live!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx2QMoA1Th9fXxtAgcksuOrjXjt31ROD7
The National Archives ‘Time Travel Club:’
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/families/
Working with Sources and Additional Resources:
The British Museum – Teaching with 100 different objects:
http://www.teachinghistory100.org/
English Heritage – History at home:
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/history-at-home/
The School Run – Help with History Homework:
https://www.theschoolrun.com/homework-gnome-history
KS1 BBC Bitesize History:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zkqmhyc
KS2 BBC Bitesize History:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zcw76sg
Click here to see the Intent, Implementation, Impact document.
Click here to see our Long Term Progression grid
Useful links and websites to use at home:
The Body Coach YouTube Channel:
The Body Coach TV - YouTube
Jump Start Jonny YouTube Channel:
Jump Start Jonny - YouTube
BBC Bitesize – Physical Education KS1:
KS1 Physical Education - England - BBC Bitesize
BBC Bitesize – Physical Education KS2:
KS2 Physical Education - BBC Bitesize
The PE Shed YouTube Channel:
The PE Shed - YouTube
Stride Active:
KS1 Activities - Stride Active
Click here to see the Intent, Implementation and Impact document
Click here to see our Long Term Progression Grid for EYFS and KS1
Click here to see our Long Term Progression Grid for KS2
Below are some links to websites and resources that may be useful to help support home learning in Art.
Free Online Art Lessons:
Teacher, Mrs Darlington’s Arts and Crafts:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5cN0pC2Dj2OAubXpLHF2g/videos
Children’s illustrator, Emily Fellah demonstrates how to draw some of her book characters:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCanu-nuNHNgmnAy5qoMZOjw
Lunch time Doodles with Mo Willems:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL14hRqd0PELGbKihHuTqx_pbvCLqGbOkF
Thrive Art School – Teaching videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Shlu98MRG-MLpZpxGGxuA
Art for Kids Hub – Step by step videos:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ArtforKidsHub/videos?app=desktop
Online Art Classes for children:
https://www.kitchentableclassroom.com/online-art-classes-for-kids/
Paint and Draw with Tate Kids:
https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/make
BBC Bitesize – Class Clips:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/art-and-design-ks2--ks3-schools-art-and-design/zmd4mfr
Useful Art Resources/Packs:
Heart and Soul Creative Packs (free to download):
https://www.heartnsoulasks.com/creative-packs
Artful Parent Website – Gives lots of ideas for Arts and Crafts tasks to try at home:
https://artfulparent.com/kids-arts-crafts-activities-500-fun-artful-things-kids/
Online Gallery Exhibitions/Virtual Tours:
Natural Portrait Gallery (virtual tour):
https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/explore/tours
Met Kids (virtual tour):
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/about
The Louvre (virtual tour):
https://www.louvre.fr/en/online-tours
Van Gogh Museum (virtual tour):
https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en
Click here to see our Long Term Progression Grid
PrinciplesLearning is a change to long-term memory. To this end, our aim is to ensure that our children experience a wide breadth of study and will have committed to their long-term memory an ambitious body of procedural and semantic knowledge (knowledge and skills).Curriculum IntentCurriculum drivers shape our curriculum breadth. They are derived from an exploration of the backgrounds of our children, our beliefs about high quality education and our values.Cultural capital gives our children the vital background knowledge required to be informed and thoughtful members of our community who understand and believe in British Values.At Longvernal Primary School, we ensure that a high-quality computing education equips the children to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Our children are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, children will be equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing will also ensure that children become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology.Breadth of StudyKey Stage 1Children will be taught to:
Key Stage 2Pupils should be taught to:
Our curriculum distinguishes between subject topics and threshold concepts which tie together the subject topics into meaningful schema. The same concepts are explored in a wide breadth of topics. Our forwards and backwards engineering of the curriculum allows children to return to the same concepts over and over again, gradually building their understanding of them.Threshold ConceptsWe want our children to:
MilestonesThese are the goals that the children should reach to show that they are meeting the expectations of our curriculum.At Longvernal Primary School, we help pupils progress in computing by:
AssessmentWe assess the outcomes for computing through our POP tasks which are built into our planning to help us assess how well and how deeply pupils know and understand what we have taught and what the children have learnt.
At Longvernal Primary School, Design and Technology (DT) is an inspiring and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on other subjects such as mathematics, science, computing and art.
Breadth of StudyKey Stage 1
Design
Make
Evaluate
Key Stage 2
Technical knowledge
Cooking and nutrition
As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.
Key Stage 1
Our curriculum distinguishes between subject topics and threshold concepts which tie together the subject topics into meaningful schema. The same concepts are explored in a wide breadth of topics. Our forwards and backwards engineering of the curriculum allows children to return to the same concepts over and over again, gradually building their understanding of them.
We want our children to:
At Longvernal Primary School, we help pupils progress in design and technology by:
At Longvernal Primary School, we ensure that we inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching equips our children with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.Our curriculum breadth is adapted to the context of our school to secure pupils’ social and cultural development by placing a particular focus on vocabulary and providing experiences that our pupils may not otherwise be exposed to such as visiting We the Curious and Bristol Zoo.The curriculum is sequenced in long and medium-term plans to help pupils build cumulative knowledge towards agreed milestones or expected standards, creating a secure schema on which to build throughout their school career. The key subject content is organised through threshold concepts which organise new knowledge systematically and ensure a logical progression. In keeping with recent research into meta-cognition, to ensure their learning is embedded, quizzes and other low stakes tests are a regular feature of lessons. Our curriculum design helps pupils to read widely by ensuring high quality texts such Shackleton’s Journey that relate to geography are studied during Whole Class Guided Reading.
At Longvernal Primary School, we give our children a high-quality history education which helps them gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. We inspire children’s curiosity to know more about the past, which equips children to ask questions and think critically, helping children to understand people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity. For example, visiting the Roman Baths or spending a day as a Victorian school pupil. Further to this, we ensure our ambitious curriculum is accessed by all children - including those with SEND - by providing pre and post teaching in addition to scaffolding so that they can keep up and not have to catch up.
The curriculum is sequenced in long and medium-term plans to help pupils build cumulative knowledge towards agreed milestones or expected standards, creating a secure schema on which to build throughout their school career. The key subject content is organised through threshold concepts which organise new knowledge systematically and ensure a logical progression. In keeping with recent research into meta- cognition, to ensure their learning is embedded, quizzes are tasks are a regular feature of lessons. Our curriculum design helps pupils to read widely by ensuring high quality texts, such Good Night Mr Tom, that relate to History are studied during Whole Class Guided Reading.
The curriculum breadth is adapted to the context of our school to secure pupils’ social and cultural development by placing a particular focus on vocabulary and providing experiences to which our pupils may not otherwise be exposed.
Breadth of Study
Children will be taught about:
events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods [for example, Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lowry, Rosa Parks and Emily Davison, Mary Seacole and/or Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell]
significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.
Children will be taught to:
changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots
the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor
a local history study
a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China
Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world
a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300.
Our curriculum distinguishes between subject topics and threshold concepts which tie together the subject topics into meaningful schema. The same concepts are explored in a wide breadth of topics. Our forwards and backwards engineering of the curriculum allows children to return to the same concepts over and over again, gradually building their understanding of them. We ensure that children progressively develop their skills in all areas of historical study.
Each year group covers the following topics as part of the breadth of study:
Year 1 – The Big Dig/Mary Anning; Memory Box (Changes within living memory within relation to toys); Communication through Time.
Year 2 – Great Fire of London; Victorians and the impact of Victorians on the local area; WWI and remembrance.
Year 3 – Ancient Egyptians; Stone Age to Iron Age.
Year 4 – Ancient Greece; The Romans.
Year 5 – Anglo Saxons/Vikings; Monarchy; Mayan Civilisation.
Year 6 – Local History Study; Georgian Bath and Bristol; WWII children.
We have identified ‘threshold concepts’ in History which are specific concepts which open up new ways of thinking about the subject and help pupils to link new knowledge and commit it to their long term memory. These threshold concepts are the key disciplinary aspects for History, which have been chosen to build conceptual understanding across the progression map of the History curriculum.
The threshold concepts for History are:
Main events and where they fit
Causes and change
Legacy
Evidence and artefacts
Society
Settlement
Civilisation
Power
Beliefs
At Longvernal Primary School, we help pupils progress in History by:
Carefully sequencing the knowledge that they need to understand music concepts in our long term plans and progression map. We then return to specific areas of learning (threshold concepts) regularly to ensure clear understanding of learning and to link and commit learning to long term memory.
By providing the vocabulary and language that they need to articulate their understanding of History. Children are expected to be able to apply and define this vocabulary independently.
By providing the children with deliberate POP tasks and low stakes quizzes that will help them to make progress towards the milestones and remember what they have learnt. We recognise that revisiting learning is extremely beneficial in aiding learning and the impact on long term memory.
Our curriculum intent for maths reflects the purpose and aims of the national curriculum by helping our pupils to:
The Maths curriculum breadth is adapted to the context of our school by focussing on a progression of knowledge and skills from EYFS to Year 6. The most important subject content is organised through ‘threshold concepts’ which organise new knowledge systematically and ensure a logical progression.
The Mathematical threshold concepts are:
The progression of learning is based on the White Rose Hub Schemes of Learning Small Steps, where the National Curriculum objectives are met. The Maths curriculum is sequenced into long and medium term plans to help pupils build cumulative knowledge towards expected National Curriculum attainment targets for Maths.
Pupils are assessed using mastery tasks from White Rose Hub and reasoning questions as proof of progress in the specific threshold concept.
The curriculum design for mathematics reflects the importance of spoken language in pupils’ development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear and speak are key factors in developing their mathematical vocabulary and presenting a mathematical justification, argument or proof; assisted in making their thinking clear to themselves as well as others, and teachers should ensure that pupils build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions.
Any pupils who have gaps in their skills and knowledge, or any children who are socially disadvantaged, are ensured a rich maths curriculum through our teaching strategies, resources and knowledge of the importance of recall. Teachers model learning through clear explanations and instruction, scaffold tasks so that all children can work at the expected level and identify gaps in learning or misconceptions that children may have before a unit of work. The importance of pre- and post-teaching is considered within mathematical interventions, so that children are familiar with the concepts and vocabulary expected of their age range.
At Longvernal Primary School, we believe that music is a powerful and unique form of communication that can change the way pupils feel, think and act. It brings together feeling and intellect, enabling personal expression, reflection and emotional development. Music is an integral part of culture, past and present, and helps pupils understand the importance of the development of musical styles throughout history. Our Music Curriculum at Longvernal is designed to progressively develop children’s skills in all areas of musicality. We consider the appreciation of music (both listening and discussing a range of different musical styles), performances with voice and a range of instruments, composition and styling, as well asrecording and evaluating our own musical performances. We like to encourage our children to take inspiration from key musicians and how exploration into the work of others can help to develop our own approach to musical compositions and play.
Breadth of StudyKey Stage 1Children will be taught to:
Key Stage 2Children will be taught to:
Our curriculum distinguishes between subject topics and threshold concepts which tie together the subject topics into meaningful schema. The same concepts are explored in a wide breadth of topics. Our forwards and backwards engineering of the curriculum allows children to return to the same concepts over and over again, gradually building their understanding of them. We ensure that children progressively develop their skills in all areas of music.
Threshold ConceptsWe want our children to:
MilestonesAt Longvernal Primary School, we help pupils progress in music by:
PSHE education helps pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage life’s challenges and make the most of life’s opportunities. At Longvernal, our curriculum is based on national and, where appropriate, local initiatives/challenges. We believe that by teaching our pupils to be responsible citizens, informing them how to keep healthy, develop resilience, mutual respect for others and how to make the correct choices they will be well prepared for the world in which we live. We have used research and resources from the PSHE Association to support our approach to the delivery of PSHE.
There is evidence to show that PSHE education can address teenage pregnancy, substance misuse, unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity, emotional health and other key issues. An effective PSHE programme can also tackle barriers to learning, raise aspirations and improve the life chances of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils.
Under section 78 of the Education Act 2002 and the Academies Act 2010, schools must provide a ‘balanced and broadly-based curriculum’ which promotes ‘…the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life’.PSHE education makes a major contribution to schools fulfilling this duty.
In addition to the above, our PSHE curriculum is also supported by the Jigsaw programme which is divided into six jigsaw pieces:
The above values are embedded beyond the classroom through our themed assemblies and active School Council and Equalities Team. Underlying all we do in the ‘Longvernal Family’ is the core belief:‘It’s good to be me!’
Click here to read our RSE Policy
Click here to see our PSHE and RSHE Long term plan and progression document
Our curriculum intent for R.E reflects the purpose and aims of the National Curriculum by provoking challenging questions about; meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human.
In R.E, children learn about religions and worldviews in local, national and global contexts. They are encouraged to evaluate different sources and develop their own ideas, while at the same time respecting the rights of others to differ.
The curriculum breadth is adapted to the context of our secular school by covering a range of world religions and also non-religious views - for example, Humanism. It develops pupils’ understanding of fundamental British Values alongside an appreciation of different religious and world views. For instance, through weekly whole-school assemblies, our displays and class-based teaching. The ultimate aim is thatthis should enable pupils to participate positively and respectfully in our society, with its diverse religious and non-religious views.
The curriculum is sequenced in long and medium term plans to help pupils build cumulative knowledge towards agreed milestones, with planned-in ‘POP tasks’ to track that learning is secure. The subject knowledge is organised systematically across both Key Stages to ensure logical progression, through five threshold concepts: ‘Understanding beliefs’, ‘Understanding how beliefs are conveyed’, ‘Understanding practices and lifestyles’,’ Understanding values’ and ‘Reflect’.
The curriculum design helps pupils to read widely by exposing them to stories from a range of religions and cultures. Key events associated with different religious / non-religious views are available for all pupils to access, for example through our Harvest Festival, singing assemblies (which incorporate songs from a variety of religions and cultures) and regular assemblies regarding different religious festivals. There is also the opportunity for all children and their families to share a Christmas meal and guest speakers contribute in class or in assemblies regarding different beliefs and outlooks.
Longvernal Primary School is committed to providing a full curriculum to all pupils. We believe that children learn best in a warm, caring environment where every effort is made to foster strong relationships between children, adults, and the community. We believe in the importance of positive self-esteem for all children. Our school aims to build a supportive, caring community within which all members recognise the dignity, rights, cultures, and attitudes of others and work together in an atmosphere of mutual self-respect. We seek to establish a culture which encourages each one of us to realise our full potential, to make use of our special talents and to strive for the fulfilment that comes from achieving individual excellence.
For all learners, we believe that high-quality teaching is vital for all children to achieve. However, for some children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) there are times when further,additional support may be needed for to help them achieve their targets. All interventions and additional provisions are set according to individual needs and include working alongside external professionals such as : educational psychologists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and play therapists. Each additional intervention is monitored and tracked by the SENCo, class teacher and SLT. To find out more about our highly inclusive school, please read our:● SEN information report● SEN PolicyPlease click here to find the ‘local offer’ of special educational needs provision for families living in BANES: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/localoffer