What does your child learn at school each day? Find information about our curriculum subjects here.
Our Early Years Curriculum
At Maylandsea Primary School, we believe that the Early Years Foundation Stage is crucial in securing the solid foundations that children are going to build upon. It is our intent that the children who enter our early years setting will develop physically, verbally, cognitively and emotionally whilst embedding positive attitudes towards school and learning. All children deserve to be valued as individuals and we are passionate about allowing all our children to achieve their full, unique potential. We recognise that children develop at different rates and it is our role as educators to guide them along their own learning path. In our Reception class, children follow the national Early Years Curriculum which encompasses seven main areas of learning-
The Prime Areas:-
The Specific Areas:-
Children's learning is practical and playful with lots of support and challenge from adults throughout our class sessions, our small group sessions and working with individuals. There is a combination of adult-led, teacher taught sessions as well as a wealth of stimulating, continuous provision opportunities.
We ensure that our children are assessed continuously, through accurate and careful observations. These assessments provide us with information for future planning and help us identify children’s individual next steps in learning. Assessments help us, as practitioners, to ensure that learning is embedded and that all the children continue to make the best possible progress.
Phonics - Essential Letters and Sounds
At Maylandsea Primary School, Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS) is our chosen Phonics programme. The aim of ELS is ‘Getting all children to read well, quickly’. It teaches children to read by identifying the phonemes (the smallest unit of sound) and graphemes (the written version of the sound) within words and using these to read words.
Children begin learning Phonics at the very beginning of Reception and it is explicitly taught every day during a dedicated slot on the timetable. Children are given the knowledge and the skills to then apply this independently.
Throughout the day, children will use their growing Phonics knowledge to support them in other areas of the curriculum and will have many opportunities to practise their reading. This includes reading 1:1 with a member of staff, with a partner during paired reading and as a class.
Children continue daily Phonics lessons in Year 1 and further through the school to ensure all children become confident, fluent readers.
We follow the ELS progression and sequence. This allows our children to practise their existing phonic knowledge whilst building their understanding of the ‘code’ of our language GPCs (Grapheme Phoneme Correspondence). As a result, our children can tackle any unfamiliar words that they might discover.
English - Progression of Learning Skills
At Maylandsea Primary School, we believe that our English Curriculum should instil and develop a love of literacy through reading, writing and discussion. Our English curriculum provides many purposeful opportunities to develop skills in reading and writing as well as speaking and listening. We aim to give the children’s work a purpose and make links in learning wherever possible. The curriculum provides a clear pathway of progression as children advance through the school. Our aim is to encourage a love of literature and language and to celebrate the children’s achievements in these areas.
Mathematics - progression of learning skills
Science - Progression of Learning Skills
At Maylandsea Primary school we encourage children to be passionate about science and enjoy their learning in the subject. To achieve this, we give them the opportunity to engage in practical, meaningful scientific enquiry, going outside whenever it is appropriate. We promote an understanding that science is all around us and relates to our modern world.
We help children demonstrate key concepts through models, diagrams and explanations. Children become aware of their developing “tool kit” of scientific skills that they can call on when undertaking any scientific enquiry as they progress through the school. Children’s recording is purposeful, helping; to improve observations, sort and group, memorise facts, develop their ideas, display data, spot patterns and sequence events.
Our children know that “scientist” is a job and know that scientists ask questions and solve problems. They know that they can chose to be scientists when they grow up.
Art - Progression of Learning Skills
At Maylandsea Primary School, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum.
Art and Design provides the children with the opportunities to develop and extend skills that express their individual interests, thoughts, and ideas.
Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. We believe that a high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils; equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design.
As educators, we believe that art is a vital and integral part of children’s education. It provides them with opportunities to develop a range of ways in which they can share and express their individual creativity, whilst learning about and making links with a wide spectrum of different types of art in our society. It creates a sense of enjoyment and purpose; both as a subject in its own right, as well as exploring art through cross-curricular links.
Our art curriculum contributes to the holistic development of a child. Through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern, different materials and processes, it enables children to express themselves and to communicate what they see, feel and think.
Art contributes to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. Moreover, it enables pupils to develop a natural sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them; allowing them to explore how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
At Maylandsea Primary School, we believe Computing is an area in which all children can excel and express themselves in both a logical and creative way.
Give the progression and development of technology and the opportunities for children to access these more freely, the curriculum has been updated to allow the children to use technology both inside and outside school.
A class set of laptops are used regularly by classes to work alongside a computer suite which provides access for all students.
This year, the school have purchased a software programme called Purple Mash, which has a continuous and progressive curriculum from EYFS to Year 6, covering all areas including: word processing, touch typing, presentations, media and data handling.
There are a multitude of careers that can be accessed through computing and many children who sometimes find core subjects harder to understand, excel in a computing environment.
Design and Technology - Progression of Learning Skills
At Maylandsea, design and technology prepares children to deal with tomorrows rapidly changing world. It encourages children to become independent, creative problem solvers and thinkers as individuals and part of a team. It enables them to identify needs and opportunities and to respond to them by developing a range of ideas and by making products and systems. Through the study of design and technology, they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industry. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate past and present technology, its uses and impacts.
Aims:
• To develop imaginative thinking in children;
• To enable them to talk about and record evaluative points about their own and existing designs;
• To enable children to talk about how things work, and to draw and model their ideas;
• To encourage children to select appropriate tools and techniques for making a product, whilst following safe procedures;
• To foster enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose in designing and making;
• To use ICT software to assist our designing and learning.
Curriculum Implementation
Design and technology is a crucial part of school life and learning and it is for this reason that as a school we are dedicated to the teaching and delivery of a high quality Design and Technology curriculum; through well planned and resourced projects and experiences. The teaching of Design Technology across the school follows the National Curriculum through the use of Design and Technology Association's 'Projects On A Page' documents. Children design products with a purpose in mind and an intended user of the products. Food technology is implemented across the school with children developing an understanding of where food comes from, the importance of a varied and healthy diet and how to prepare this.
When designing and making, the children are taught to:
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 diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design
Make
· select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks (for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing) 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 product
Design and Technology also embeds our learning behaviours. It is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject, requiring creativity, resourcefulness, and imagination. Pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. It is very cross - curricular and draws upon subject knowledge and skills within mathematics, science, history, computing and art. Children learn to take risks, be reflective, innovative, enterprising and resilient. Through the evaluation of past and present technology they can reflect upon the impact of design technology on everyday life and the wider world.
At Maylandsea Primary School, we aim for a broad and balanced geography curriculum to inspire pupils. We encourage pupils to become increasingly curious about the natural and human world. We support children in developing a greater understanding of the world and their place in it.
Geography is, by nature an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. Geography helps to develop a range of investigation and problem solving skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can be used to promote children’s development.
History - progression of learning skills
At Maylandsea Primary School history education is fully inclusive to every child. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for history by:
Furthermore, we aim to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about history that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.
History has a wide application to everyday life, teaching children to enjoy learning about the past and to develop a better understanding of the society in which they live.
Our approach is underpinned by the desire:
The curriculum at Maylandsea Primary School for Modern Foreign Languages aims to ensure that all children:
A high quality languages education should foster children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. At Maylandsea Primary School we are committed to ensuring that competence in another language enables children to interpret, create and exchange meaning within and across cultures. It also helps children develop skills that will open further opportunities later in life. The teaching of French in KS2 provides an appropriate balance of spoken and written language and lays the foundations for further foreign language teaching at KS3.
At Maylandsea Primary we aim to:
• Have fun and experience success in speaking a foreign language
• Have the opportunity to participate in MFL at their own level of development
• Secure and build on a range of skills
• Develop good linguistic and cultural attitudes
• Understand basic rules of language
• Experience positive language contexts
• Have a foundation to build on for lifelong and active use of other languages and leaving primary school as an inquisitive individual.
Music - progression of learning skills
At Maylandsea Primary School, we provide a high quality music education which enables children to develop a love of music whilst increasing self-confidence, creativity and a sense of achievement. Our aim is to provide a music education that engages pupils, inspires them to develop a love of music, and nurtures their talents as musicians.
Through our scheme (Charanga Musical School), pupils have the opportunity to perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions. They learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others. We also provide the opportunity for pupils to learn a musical instrument (guitar, piano) or join a band (Rocksteady).
In KS1, the children enjoy singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes. They have the opportunity to play tuned and percussion instruments which they use to create, select and combine sounds. They also listen and move to a wide range of music.
Children in KS2 build on the skills acquired in KS1 so that, by the end of year 6, they sing and play with increasing control and self-confidence. They deepen their understanding of music in the world and can appreciate the significance of music through history. Children are encouraged to explore their own musical preferences and discuss these with confidence.
All children take part in weekly singing lessons which contribute to our Harvest, Christmas and Easter celebrations. Live performances provide opportunities for children to share their work in music with parents, and to perform in front of an audience.
At Maylandsea Primary school, we help all children to develop an understanding of the place that they hold in society and in groups within society such as families, school, clubs etc. We aim to enable children to understand their own bodies and how to keep safe and healthy and to encourage a growing sense of self-worth and self-responsibility towards keeping themselves safe and healthy and to build meaningful and happy relationships with others within these groups.
We use The Jigsaw scheme of work and we make meaningful links with other subjects of the curriculum.
We teach children about their rights and responsibilities. We encourage our pupils to play a positive role in contributing to the life of the school and the wider community through participation in clubs, sporting activities, school council and other activities within and outside the school. Through this, they learn to appreciate what it means to be a positive member of a diverse and multicultural society.
Our objectives in the teaching of PSHE and citizenship are;
Physical Education - Progression of Learning Skills
At Maylandsea, we strive to create a culture which aims to inspire an active generation to enjoy PE, encourage each other and achieve well. We offer a dynamic, varied and stimulating program of activities to ensure that all children progress physically through an inspirational, unique and fully inclusive PE curriculum. Through the use of the Children’s Health Project, we ensure that we are supporting not only their physical development, but their social and emotional development too.
We encourage children to develop their understanding of the way in which they can use their body, equipment and apparatus safely yet imaginatively, to achieve their personal goals. All children have the opportunity to enjoy being physically active, maintain a healthy lifestyle and increase their self-esteem.
The aim of physical education is to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles and our PE curriculum, along with PSHE and science, teaches children about the importance of healthy living and learning about the need for good nutrition. We aim for children to develop the necessary knowledge and skills which will have a positive impact on their future by becoming physically active citizens. This benefits long-term health and well-being.
We achieve this by –
At Maylandsea Primary School we are committed to providing our children with a learning environment in which they have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of religions, while contributing to their spiritual, moral social and cultural development. In the EYFS, Religious Education is taught using RE related early learning goals, whilst in K.S.1 and K.S.2 our curriculum follows the Essex Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.
We seek to ensure that all pupils in our school are educated to develop:
Through this, we aim to enable children to understand themselves, and others, and to cope with the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities of living in a rapidly changing, multicultural world.
We recognise that the teaching of religious beliefs usually begins in the home, and that parents and carers have a valuable role to play in assisting in their child’s learning.