I hope this gives you a feel for our curriculum. Please check again shortly as this is being updated.

Our Curriculum

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 Intent

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 

 

Personal Development Overview

Click here for Longvernal's Personal Development overview

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

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:

  • Resilience, confidence and independence(linked to our Value of Self-Belief)
  • Communication skills, including speaking, listening and early writing skills
  • Learning behaviours - development of the skills, concepts and attitudes for future success
  • The development of an understanding of themselves in relation to people in their immediate environment (as part of the Longvernal Family) and to those in the wonder world
  • The acquisition of mathematical concepts -sorting, matching, size, shape, number, counting and comparison
  • Development of fine and gross motor skills through a tailored PE programme designed for progression, STEM activities including use of technology and the use of tools and materials including in Forest School

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.

English

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:

  1. Initiate section – a stimulus to capture the children’s imagination and set up a sentence.
  1. Model section – the teacher closely models a sentence that outlines clear writing features and techniques.
  1. Enable section – the children write their sentence, following the model.

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 :-

  • IDEAS -  The FANTASTICs uses a child-friendly acronym to represent the nine idea lenses through which children can craft their ideas.
  • TOOLS - The GRAMMARISTICS. The grammar rules of our language system and an accessible way to target elements to be improved in pupils' grammatical and linguistic structures.

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.

Science

History

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

Physical Education (PE)

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

Art & Design

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 the Intent, Implementation and Impact document

Click here to see our Long Term Progression Grid

Computing

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 Intent
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.
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 Study
Key Stage 1
Children will be taught to:

  • understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices; and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions
  • create and debug simple programs
  • use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
  • use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content
  • recognise common uses of information technology beyond school
  • use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

Key Stage 2
Pupils should be taught to:

  • design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
  • use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
  • use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
  • understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration
  • use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
  • select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information
  • use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

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 Concepts
We want our children to:

  • understand and apply the concepts of logic, algorithms and data representation
  • analyse problems and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs
  • evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
  • be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Milestones
These 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:

  • carefully sequencing the knowledge that they need to understand computing concepts in our long term plans
  • by providing the vocabulary that they need to articulate their understanding of computing
  • by providing the children with deliberate practice activities that will help them to make progress towards the milestones and remember what they have learnt

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.

Design & Technology

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 Study
Key Stage 1

Design

  • design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria
  • generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology

Make

  • select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks
  • select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristic

Evaluate

  • explore and evaluate a range of existing products
  • evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria
  • Technical knowledge build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable explore and use mechanisms in their products.

Key Stage 2

Design

  • use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups
  • generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design

Make

  • select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks accurately
  • select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities

Evaluate

  • investigate and analyse a range of existing products
  • evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
  • understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world

Technical knowledge

  • apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures
  • understand and use mechanical systems in their products
  • understand and use electrical systems in their products
  • apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.

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

  • use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
  • understand where food comes from.

Key Stage 2

  • understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
  • prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques
  • understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

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 Concepts

We want our children to:

  • develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
  • build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
  • critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
  • understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

Milestones

At Longvernal Primary School, we help pupils progress in design and technology by:

  • carefully sequencing the knowledge that they need to understand DT concepts in our long term plans
  • by providing the vocabulary that they need to articulate their understanding of DT
  • by providing the children with deliberate practice activities that will help them to make progress towards the milestones and remember what they have learnt.

Geography

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.

History

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

Key Stage 1

Children will be taught about:

  •  changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life.
  • 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.

 

Key Stage 2

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. 

 

Threshold Concepts

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

  • Society

  • Power

  • Beliefs

Milestones

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.

Maths

Our curriculum intent for maths reflects the purpose and aims of the national curriculum by helping our pupils to:

  • become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately
  • reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
  • solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

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:

  • Number and Place Value
  • Addition and Subtraction
  • Multiplication and Division
  • Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
  • Geometry (Shape)
  • Geometry (Position, Direction and Movement)
  • Measure
  • Statistics
  • Algebra

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.

Music

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 as
recording 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 Study
Key Stage 1
Children will be taught to:

  • use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
  • play tuned and untuned instruments musically
  • listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
  • experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music.

Key Stage 2
Children will be taught to:

  • play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression
  • improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music
  • listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
  • use and understand staff and other musical notations
  • appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians
  • develop an understanding of the history of music.

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 Concepts
We want our children to:

  • perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
  • Learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence according to their abilities. Each child is expected to experience positive progress in the realms of their musical understanding.
  • Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.

Milestones
At Longvernal Primary School, we help pupils progress in music by:

  • Carefully sequencing the knowledge that they need to understand music concepts in our long term plans (we use our access to the BANES Hub Online system of Charanga). We return to specific areas of learning regularly to ensure clear understanding of learning.
  • By providing the vocabulary and language that they need to articulate their understanding of music. Children are expected to be able to apply and define this vocabulary independently.
  • By providing the children with deliberate practice activities 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.

 

Music Mark

Personal, Social and Health Education (PHSE)

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:

  • Being Me in My World
  • Celebrating Differences
  • Dreams and Goals
  • Healthy Me
  • Relationships
  • Changing Me

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

Religious Education (RE)

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.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

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 Policy
Please click here to find the ‘local offer’ of special educational needs provision for families living in BANES: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/localoffer