We intend for our curriculum to support our vision that children and the whole school community will benefit from ‘Life in all its fullness’ (Adapted from John 10:10)
This means the curriculum must endeavour to:
- Be rich, broad, balanced and accessible to all;
- Be enjoyable, interesting, relevant and appropriate;
- Be memorable and rich in connections;
- Offer opportunities for creativity;
- Support personal and social development;
- Support children’s knowledge and understanding of their world;
- Support children’s feeling of ownership of their world;
- Prepare children to face the many challenges and adventures that life will bring
In order to achieve this, we think carefully about the organisation of our curriculum.
Our core curriculum is based on the National Curriculum for England that must be taught in all maintained schools:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum
Taking the National Curriculum as our core document, we think about putting learning into meaningful contexts that will build upon each other as children progress through the school.
We take time to consider:
- What we know about our families and our children;
- What is happening in our locality, in our nation and in the world;
- What we have found to be successful in enabling children to learn in our setting;
- What research tells us about successful teachers and learners;
- What our children tell us about their learning.
If consideration of the points above means we must deviate from our set plans in order to meet current needs, we do so. Over time we ensure we have covered all elements of the National Curriculum.
From September 2021, we have introduced a new concept-based curriculum, with a 2-year rolling program of topics to allow for teaching in mixed-aged classes. The starting point for our planning is the school vision: cohesion is created across the school with the learning for each class being bound together with key values and concepts.
Not all subjects can be covered in this way using natural links, so some other learning is purposefully chunked together in order that knowledge and skills are embedded in other memorable ways, for example through a ‘Science Week’ or ‘Democracy Week’.
Although whenever possible links are sought and made, we recognise that systematic building of knowledge and skills in some subjects is best achieved through routine well-planned and taught lessons that may be discrete from other curriculum areas for much of the time – for example, Languages or PE.
We believe that effective learning takes place when children are engaged and excited by the curriculum, when the subject matter is placed in an interesting and relevant context and when resources are chosen for their impact. We recognise the importance of visits and visitors in enriching learning and we seek to provide experiences that are memorable for our children. We consciously seek ways to support the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of our children through all areas of the set curriculum and ensure that our PSE curriculum is rich in opportunities for children to explore and express these areas of development.
Click here to view the long term curriculum plan.
Year A – Preston Primary School – Concept Based Curriculum
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Project |
AUTUMN | SPRING | SUMMER | |||
| Belonging | Creation | Over and Under (Ground) | ||||
| Key Concepts | Community
Democracy |
Identity
Friendship |
Individuality
Inspiration |
Change
Pride |
Diversity
Transformation |
Integration
Freedom |
| Values | Friendship
Compassion |
Respect and Reverence | Trust | |||
| RE
(Norfolk Syllabus) |
KS1: What does the nativity story teach Christians about Jesus?
How do Christians belong to their faith family? LKS2: How do religious groups contribute to society? Where do Christian religious beliefs come from? UKS2: What does it mean to be human? How do beliefs shape identity for Muslims? |
KS1: Why do people have different views about the ideas of God?
How do Jews celebrate Passover?
LKS2: What do we mean by truth? What does sacrifice mean?
UKS2: Creation and Science – conflicting or complimentary How do Buddhists explain suffering in the world? |
KS1: Why is light an important symbol?
LKS2: Why is there so much diversity of belief within Christianity?
UKS2: Does religion bring peace, conflict or both? |
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| RSHE | Healthy and Happy Friendships | Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds | Similarities and Difference | Families and Committed Relationships | Caring and Responsibility | Coping with Change |
| Faith Links
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Christmas
Divali |
Ramadan
Lent Easter |
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| Other Events | Harvest Festival Anti-bullyingBlack History Month |
Chinese New Year
World Book Day |
Transition
Cycling and Road Safety Platinum Jubilee (History for KS1) |
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| EYFS
Question |
Who am I? | What came before us?
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Where do animals live? | |||
| Possible focus areas | My new school
My family My body |
Dinosaurs and key events (chosen by children) | Animal and habitats
Minibeasts |
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| KS1
Question |
Where do I fit in my world?
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How does history influence the future? | How are living things connected?
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| Possible focus areas | Y1: Parts of the body / senses
Y2: Animals including humans – exercise, food and hygiene Y1: Seasonal Changes Geographical skills and fieldwork – local area: Our School and Tasburgh Aerial photographs, simple map with key: Our School and Tasburgh Significant individuals / people in locality: Edith Cavell / Florence Nightingale Significant events in locality: Romans and Boudicca Way |
Y1: Everyday materials
Y2: Uses of everyday materials Locational knowledge – UK countries, cities and seas Geographical skills and fieldwork – compass directions Maps Human geography –city Great Fire of London Changes in living memory – The City of London |
Working Scientifically KS1
-gathering and recording data to help in answering questions -identifying and classifying Y1: Animals including humans – variety of animals / carnivores, herbivores and omnivores Y2: Animals including humans – offspring grow into adults / basic needs of animals Locational knowledge – continents and oceans Human and Physical Geography: Hot and cold areas Maps, Atlases and Globes – Rainforests |
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| LKS2
Question |
How does our area shape our lives? | Are creations final?
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What secrets does the earth hold? | |||
| Possible focus areas | Y3: Animals including humans – skeletons and muscles
Working Scientifically Y4: Animals including humans – digestion and teeth Locational Knowledge: Counties and cities of UK / topographical features Geographical Skills and Fieldwork: Field work in local area covering all areas Roman Empire and impact on Britain (and Tasburgh) Legacy of Roman culture (Tasburgh) Local study Internet safety Yr 3: How to Search Effectively and present information Create an online questionnaire. Yr 4: Online communication and collaboration (if possible set up a blog to record their local study?)
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Y3: Plants
Working Scientifically Human and Physical Geography: Physical Geography of the River Nile Human Geography: settlements and land use Ancient Egypt How Egypt was created / tomb wall writing / pyramid texts Yr 3: How computers work. Search and capture and categorise information on plants. Create an online diagram or presentation with findings.
Yr 4: Design and create an online pet, use scratch coding blocks to create animation and sound. |
Y3: Rocks and soils
Y4: Food chains Y4: Living things and habitats Geographical skills and fieldwork – maps and globes, compass, OS map, grid references Stone Age to Iron Age – hill forts, round houses, farming land
Yr 3: Create an animated story using Scratch Jr
Yr 4: Create a branching database linking with living things and their habitats |
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| UKS2
Question |
How have we been shaped by the past? | What is it to be a creator?
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Do we use the Earth wisely? | |||
| Possible focus areas | Y5: Animals including humans – life cycle of humans
Y6: Circulatory system, diet, exercise, etc. Working Scientifically Locational Knowledge: Counties and cities of UK / topographical features Geographical Skills and Fieldwork: Field work in local area covering all areas Roman Empire and impact on Britain (and Tasburgh) Legacy of Roman culture (Tasburgh) Local study Internet safety Yr 5 & 6 Create an online questionnaire, analyse and manipulate data using a spreadsheet program (Excel)
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Y6: Evolution and inheritance
Working Scientifically Locational knowledge – North and South America Positioning Place knowledge – South America Mayans – pyramids, columns temples (architectural styles) Mayan Creation story – Tepeu and Gucumatz
Yr 6: Research and develop an app for a smart device. Using PowerPoint to pitch their new concept Yr 5: The internet and WWW – introduction to HTML |
Y5: Living things and their habitats
Y6: Living things and habitats Locational Knowledge: Land use patterns and how these have changed Human Geography: Settlements and Land Use Stone Age to Iron Age
Yr 5: Create an educational game using Scratch incorporating living things and their habitats. Yr6: Using scratch and Micro:bit, test algorithms and create own to fulfil given goals. |
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| Enrichment | Explore the village sign – starting point for every class
Boudicca Walk Norwich Castle – Boudicca Exhibit |
Gressenhall (KS2 links) | ||||
Year B – Preston Primary School – Concept Based Curriculum
|
Project |
AUTUMN | SPRING | SUMMER | |||||
| Journeys | Our Wonderful World | Power and Glory (and Conflict) | ||||||
| Key Concepts | Belief
Resilience |
Fear
Freedom |
Beauty
Stewardship |
Responsibility
Sustainability |
Consequences
Sacrifice |
Conflict
Adversity |
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| Values | Perseverance | Responsibility
Creativity |
Forgiveness
Truthfulness |
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| RE | KS1: What do Jews remember on Shabbat?
How does celebration bring a community together? LKS2: What is philosophy? What difference does being a Muslim make to everyday life? UKS2: What can we learn about the world from philosophers? How do Hindus make sense of the world? |
KS1: What do my senses tell me about the world of religion and belief?
How did the universe come to be?
LKS2: How do people express commitment? What do Muslims think about God?
UKS2: How has belief in Christianity and Islam impacted on music and art? Is believing in God reasonable? |
KS1: What does the cross mean to Christians?
LKS2: What is the trinity?
UKS2: What difference does the resurrection make to Christians?
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| RSHE | Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds | Healthy and Happy Friendships | Caring and Responsibility | Families and Committed relationships | Similarities and Difference | Coping with Change | ||
| Faith Links | Christmas
Divali |
Ramadan
Lent Easter |
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| Other Events | Anti-bullying
Black History Month World Cup |
World Book Day Chinese New Year |
Transition
Cycling and Road Safety |
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| EYFS
Question |
Where could your life take you? | What is special about our world? | Do all fairytales have happy endings? | |||||
| Possible focus areas | My journey – family and starting school
My journey – people who help me My journey – what will I be when I grow up (fire service, etc.) |
What makes a happy planet?
Caring for different environments |
Fairytales and superheroes – villains, heroes, princes and princesses
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| KS1
Question |
How far can we go? | What makes our world so wonderful today?
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Does protection show power or fear? | |||||
| Possible focus areas | Working scientifically – investigation
Events beyond living memory: first airplane flight / the Space Race and Moon landings Significant individuals: Neil Armstrong Place knowledge – Area of the UK and contrasting non-European country (PoR text link?) Geographical skills and fieldwork: Compass directions Maps, atlases and globes
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Y1: Plants – wild and garden plants / deciduous and evergreen trees.
Y1: Plants – structure of flowering plants and trees. Y2: Plants seeds and bulbs / what plants need to grow Y2: Living Things and Their Habitats Human and physical geography: Seasonal and daily weather patterns Features/vocabulary – seaside (beach, cliff, coast, ocean, port, harbour) Locational knowledge – UK countries, cities and seas Changes beyond living memory – Victorian seaside Significant individuals: Queen Victoria Compare aspects of life in different periods – Victorian seaside compared to seaside of today |
Working scientifically – investigation
Human and physical features/vocabulary – city (Norwich) Geographical skills and fieldwork: Compass directions Aerial photographs- to recognise landmarks Significant places in own locality: Norwich Castle |
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| LKS2
Question |
Do all journeys begin with a destination? | Can human wonders ever survive the wonders of nature? | Do we view power fairly?
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| Possible focus areas | Year 3 – Animals, including humans
Y4: Electricity Working Scientifically Human and Physical Geography: All elements of human geography Anglo-Saxons Beowulf’s Journey Pilgrimage Internet Safety – Personal information, cyber bullying Yr 3: How computers work – parts of a computer, inputs, outputs, networks Yr 4: Functional skills – which software to use for which task.
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Y3: Forces and magnets
Working Scientifically Y4: States of matter Locational knowledge – Europe Physical Geography– volcanoes and earthquakes Fieldwork– using maps, atlases and globes Ancient Greece Legacy of Greek culture Pompeii Yr 3: How Search works? Create a powerpoint using information found. Yr 4: Design and create an electronic device including input outputs and sensors (Scratch) |
Y3: Light
Working Scientifically Y4: Sound Place Knowledge: UK and European location comparison Vikings and Anglo-Saxon struggle – the fight for territory and power / seeking treasure and glory Yr3: Scratch Jr – create an animated scene linked to topic Yr 4: Data collection and presentation. Create a branching database. |
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| UKS2
Question |
Is the journey or the destination more important? | Are things more wonderful if left where they began? | Can power exist without conflict?
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| Possible focus areas | Y5: Earth and Space
Working Scientifically Place Knowledge: Making comparisons Islamic Civilizations Eight objects (British Museum) Mecca Internet Safety – Social Media, cyber bullying Yr 5: Create a maze based game linked to Space in Scratch Yr 6: Using Scratch, create a multi-level game or animated story. |
Y5: Properties and changes of materials
Y6: Light Working Scientifically Human and Physical Geography: many aspects including use of natural materials Shang Dynasty – artefacts How the artistry of craftsmen made this dynasty famous for bronze and jade objects Yr 5: Data capture and analysis – Excel (link to Science) Yr 6: Create a webpage (HTML) |
Y5: Forces
Y6: Electricity Working Scientifically Fieldwork: using fieldwork Compass work World War 1 or 2 – conflict between major powers Yr 5: Design and create an opinion poll. Analyse, interpret and present results. Yr 6: Research and develop a new app to improve everyday life. |
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| Enrichment | Visit Anglo Saxon village – West Stow
Trip to British Museum |
Trip to British Museum | Visit Norwich Castle
War museum UKS2 ONLY: Parliament trip OR Parliament week in school |
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We use the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus for RE.
From September 2022, we have adopted Little Wandle Letters and Sounds for the teaching of Phonics and Early Reading.
Click here to download our Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement.