Curriculum

What does your child learn at school each day? Find information about our curriculum subjects here.

At The GPP Federation we aim to provide the children with a curriculum which is broad, well balanced and above all stimulates the children to learn. We aim to ensure that everyone reaches their full potential in a safe, supportive and encouraging learning environment. If you have any questions about the curriculum then please contact Oliver Tuck (Acting Executive Head Teacher - Curriculum Lead).

We deliver programmes of study that meet the National Curriculum requirements issued by the DfE.

This National Curriculum comprises of:

English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Design and Technology, Art, Music, Physical Education (PE), Computing, Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) and Religious Education;

The teaching of Religious Education is statutory in all schools. It is taught as a subject outside the National Curriculum but following the Gloucestershire Agreed Syllabus 2017.

At The GPP Federation we recognise the importance of English and Maths teaching in order to open up other areas of the curriculum and therefore a large emphasis is placed on these areas. In addition to regular Maths and English sessions teachers try to make as many cross curricular links as possible in order to utilise these skills in a range of contexts.

The planning of the curriculum is based around a rolling programme to ensure coverage of selected topics by all children who progress through the school. Planning takes the form of a topic based approach, where teachers link subjects to provide an engaging and inspiring curriculum.
Whilst the core subjects are taught on a regular basis the foundation subjects may sometimes be taught as blocks of work over a matter of weeks.

This programme is regularly reviewed to ensure compatibility with new directives or to make necessary improvements to the existing programme of work.

At The GPP Federation we seek to create opportunities for children to experience and excel in a range of activities that enhance and extend the National Curriculum. Children have opportunities both inside and outside the classroom eg Forest Schools, Residential trips, a variety of sporting events, visiting speakers and much more. We also provide a diverse range of after school clubs.

We value the role of modern foreign languages in the curriculum and French is taught from Year 3 to Year 6.
When children leave The federation at the end of Year 6, they should be equipped with the full range of skills that enables them to become lifelong learners. Through our Personal, Social, Health education (PSHE) along with Citizenship and our Spiritual, Moral Social and Cultural ethos, children are also equipped with the social skills and understanding to become good citizens in the future.

We believe that the school/parent relationship is key to promoting learning beyond the school gates and crucial in ensuring children make the best possible progress. We pride ourselves on our open, friendly and approachable nature that encourages parents to be involved in their children’s learning.

English

The English Curriculum is delivered using the National Curriculum 2014 and the Early learning Goals are followed to ensure continuity and progression from the Foundation Stage through to the National Curriculum.

SPEAKING AND LISTENING

The Four Strands of Speaking and Listening: Speaking; Listening; Group Discussion and Interaction, and Drama permeate the whole curriculum. Interactive teaching strategies are used to engage all pupils in order to raise reading and writing standards. Children are encouraged to develop effective communication skills in readiness for later life.

READING

The opportunities, organisation and provision for the teaching and learning of reading are as follows:
• Shared reading
• Guided reading
• Independent reading
• Phonics – Read Write Inc approach

Teachers also take time to read class novels and model reading for pleasure. It is important that children enjoy reading and also have the opportunity to experience books from classic and modern classic authors such as Michael Morpurgo, Roald Dahl and Julia Donaldson among others.

Reading/Phonics are mainly supported by the following published resources: Phonics Bug, RWI, Bug Club, Other schemes are utilised throughout the school to supplement these.

A range of intervention programmes are used to ensure that all children’s needs are catered for:
Dancing Bears – Phonics
Apples & Pears - Spelling
Sounds Write – Phonics
Fresh Start – Phonics
Rapid Writing - Writing
Rapid reading – Reading
Resources – A book banded reading scheme operates across the school which comprises of a range of different schemes. Children work their way through the Key Stage One and Two schemes and then become free readers.
Links to parents – Each child has a reading record book which logs books they have read and comments about their reading. Parents and teaching staff write in this book.
Class books: Stories are read to the children on a daily basis throughout the school.
Reading at home: Children are encouraged to read at home every day.

WRITING

Opportunities, organisation and provision for the teaching and learning of writing are as follows:

Phonics and spelling: Five daily 20 minutes Phonic sessions in Key stage 1 and Reception.
Emergent writing: In Reception and Key Stage 1 children are given regular opportunities to write freely within a particular genre and across the curriculum. This gives them the opportunity to become emergent writers.
Shared Writing: Within each teaching sequences shared writing is a key part.
Guided Writing/Independent Writing: Each teaching sequence ends with an opportunity for guided and independent writing. There are also frequent opportunities for independent writing throughout the other curriculum areas.
Extended writing: Throughout the term there are opportunities for extended writing. On a termly basis samples of these extended writing outcomes are used for assessment purposes. Children are immersed in a plethora of stimuli in order to ensure they are truly inspired to write.
Talk for Writing: The whole school utilises the talk for writing model to aid children with their writing. Children learn texts by heart and through a process of imitation and finally invention produce pieces based on an original script. The children are able to appreciate structure, vocabulary and style and add this to their personal writing toolkit.
Handwriting: The school has adopted a cursive handwriting script and this is taught and reinforced regularly in Key Stage 1. As children move through the school opportunities to practice handwriting continue and when the class teacher feels a child is able to join fluently they are encouraged to write in pen.
Spelling: Children from Foundation Stage to Year 6 are given spellings each week to learn at home. Children are tested on these words weekly.

Teachers provide personalised targets for writing and the children work to achieve these over the course of a term. These targets are shared with parents on a regular basis and are displayed in the fronts of the children’s books.
Work is marked and assessed in line with the marking and Assessment policies and three yearly meetings involve teachers moderating the assessment of this work.

Work is assessed, at present, using End of Year Objectives (Age Related Expectations). The findings of the assessment are used to inform planning to help the teaching and learning process. In line with the New National curriculum requirements and the raised expectations that this document requires teachers also assess termly whether a child is working at/below or above the level expected for their age.

Maths

The Maths Curriculum is delivered using the National Curriculum 2014 and the Early learning Goals are followed to ensure continuity and progression from the Foundation Stage through to the National Curriculum.
Maths is taught in five strands: Data Handling, Shape Space and Measure, Number, Calculation and Using and Applying.
We provide a daily Maths session that seeks to reinforce previous learning and allow children to take on new skills and apply these in a range of contexts. Children are often grouped according to ability which allows teachers to target individual needs.

Half termly assessment activities are planned which involve a range of ideas and skills linked to one or more of the key objectives covered previously. As a result of these assessments, individual targets are discussed with pupils.
Teachers provide personalised targets for Maths and the children work to achieve these over the course of a term. These targets are shared with parents on a regular basis and are displayed on the front of the children’s text books.
Long-term assessments are undertaken through a combination of teacher assessment and end of year tests. The tests used are the national tests at the end of Year 2 and 6 and the optional tests for Years 1, 3, 4 and 5.

Calculation Policy

Science

Science stimulates and excites pupils’ curiosity about phenomena and events in the world around them. It also satisfies their curiosity with knowledge. Because science links direct practical experience with ideas, it can engage learners at many levels. Scientific method is about developing and evaluating explanations through experimental evidence and modelling. Pupils learn to question and discuss science-based issues that may affect their own lives, the direction of society and the future of the world.

At Key Stage 1 pupils observe, explore and ask questions about living things, materials and physical phenomena. They begin to work together to collect evidence to help them answer questions and to link this to simple scientific ideas. They begin to evaluate evidence and consider whether tests or comparisons are fair. They use reference materials to find out more about scientific ideas. They share ideas and communicate them using scientific language, drawings, charts and tables with the help of ICT if it is appropriate.

At Key Stage 2 pupils learn about a wider range of living things, materials and physical phenomena. They make links between ideas and explain things using simple models and theories. They apply their knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas to familiar phenomena, everyday things and their personal health. They think about the effects of scientific and technological developments on the environment and in other contexts. They carry out more systematic investigations, working on their own and with others. They use a range of reference sources in their work. They talk about their work and its significance, using a wide range of scientific language, conventional diagrams, charts, graphs and ICT to communicate their ideas.

Humanities

In the most part History and Geography are the key drivers behind termly topics and other areas such as literacy will be utilised as a vehicle to explore these areas. At The GPP Federation we are keen to provide children with opportunities to experience Geography and History first hand and as such teachers organise regular excursions out or bringing people in to school to help inspire the children.

History

In Key Stage 1 children learn about the lives and lifestyles of familiar people in the recent past and about famous people and events in the more distant past, including those from British history.
In Key Stage 2 children learn about people and important events and developments from recent and more distant times in the locality, in Britain and in other parts of the world. Children will learn about historical enquiry by looking at as many real sources as possible and by recreating events from the past.

Geography

Geography is concerned with the study of places, the human and physical processes that shape them and the people who live in them. In the Early Years, children learn about their immediate environment and how to read and draw simple maps using invented and conventional symbols.

In Key Stage 2, the children develop this knowledge into a wider area and study transport, weather and landscapes, both in their local area and in many other countries.

Art

Children have opportunities to draw, paint, print, make collages, use fabrics and threads and use clay. They are taught the skills and techniques and then given the opportunity to practise them to produce individual and group pieces of work.

Children are encouraged to critically evaluate their own work and that of others in order to learn from their experiences.

Design Technology

‘DT’ incorporates many traditional skills – cooking, model making, drawing and sketching, problem solving, observation and discussion – putting them together in an approach which encourages the children to become designers and inventors.

The children are taught how to use tools and materials safely and economically.

Music

The school has a long tradition of musical activity, offering considerable opportunities for children to develop their talents in all aspects of music including composition, singing and appreciation.
We have an established Orchestra/Music group that perform at different events and all the children are given the opportunity to learn the recorder if they wish.

Visiting peripatetic teachers for guitar, flute, piano, violin, drums and trumpet offer the opportunity to work towards music accreditation. We have an exceptional choir who regularly perform in the community, take part in singing festivals and perform at the annual Birmingham NEC Young Voices concert.

Physical Education

The aim of physical education is to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles. Children are taught to observe the conventions of fair play, honest competition and good sporting behaviour as individual participants, team members and spectators.

Children take part in games, gymnastic movement, dance and athletic activities using indoor and outdoor environments where appropriate. Children can take part in after school clubs and have the opportunity to compete against other schools.

In Year 5/6, children go on a residential course for outdoor activities as well as children in Year 3/4 who have the opportunity to go to PGL.

Children have swimming lessons in Key Stage 2 and these are organized by year group every term.
Physical education is seen as key to developing healthy lifestyles in young people and we provide a wide array of opportunities to develop this and sporting skills outside of the normal curriculum time. Regular lunch time clubs: Multi-Skills (KS1), Football Club, Playground Leaders etc. encourage children to be as physically active as possible.

Extra Curricular Activities

We provide a large range of activities including: football, LaCrosse, netball, nature studies, orchestra, gymnastics and a cookery club to name a few. Such activities are run voluntarily by the staff and are dependent, at any time, on the interests and enthusiasm of individual teachers with the co-operation and assistance of parents and the availability of outside providers.

Religious Education

Religious Education is a curriculum entitlement for all children and the school follows the Gloucestershire ‘Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education’. Religious Education does not seek to urge religious beliefs on children or to compromise the integrity of their own beliefs by promoting one religion over another. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from Religious Education. Suitable alternative provision will be made.

Aims

To develop an understanding and respect for the beliefs, values and practices of other people.
To reflect on and respond to the values, beliefs and practices of religions and philosophies.
To enable pupils to develop their own insights.

Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural (SMSC)

The GPP Federation has a strong moral and behaviour code underpinned by our Golden Rules. This helps to create a positive and productive learning environment for children. Through regular assemblies children are given the opportunity to discuss key themes that reflect their needs and age. Each term the PSHE and core assemblies are driven by the SEAL (Social , Emotional Aspects of Learning) programme. Each term opportunities to further enhance SMSC understanding are identified in teacher’s planning.

As a school we welcome children from all backgrounds and are proud of how children and their families from other cultures are welcomed by our children and the rest of the school community.
In all teaching the teachers look to inspire and enthuse children. Teachers look to develop a love of learning and a working atmosphere where children enjoy learning.

Children are given opportunities to take on responsibility around the school: Y6 and Y2 buddy system, class responsibilities, prefects, playground leaders and lunch time clubs.

The school has a clear behaviour policy that sets high expectations and promotes a good moral understanding, mutual respect, tolerance and understanding. Friendship, respect and tolerance are taught as part of our Personal, Social, Health Education program.

Through a combination of approaches the school is able to ensure that children develop an understanding of the key British Values: Democracy, Rule of Law, Mutual Respect, Personal Liberty and Tolerance of other faiths and cultures.

The GPP Federation believe that involving parents in their child’s learning is crucial in ensuring that children make the best possible progress. We try to get parents involved in a number of ways:

Parent’s Evenings/Open Evenings – Opportunities for parents to come into school and share their children’s work.
Weekly Newsletters – Keeping parents informed about what is going on in school and also providing useful help at home tips to support learning.
Parent Information Evenings – To provide parents with the knowledge and information they need to support their child’s learning at home; recent events include: Maths Calculation Strategies, EYFS/KS1 Reading, E-Safety, Secondary School Transfer and Sex & Relationships Education Information.
Opportunities to volunteer – We welcome the help of parents to support with reading, art and design projects and also when embarking on educational visits.
The school also has an open door policy and parents are always welcome to come in and meet with class teachers to discuss issues related to their child. The teachers also provide email contact for those parents who find it more difficult to chat during school hours.

Calculation Policy

Maths Calculation-policy

Picklenash Junior School

Picklenash Junior School

GPP Federation

Curriculum

English

SPEAKING AND LISTENING

READING

WRITING

Maths

Science

Humanities

History

Geography

Art

Design Technology

Music

Physical Education

Extra Curricular Activities

Religious Education

Aims

Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural (SMSC)

Year 3 & 4 Parent Topic Overview Spring 2024

Year 3 & 4 Parent Topic Overview Summer 2024

Year 3 & 4 Parent Topic Overview Autumn 2024

Year 5 & 6 Parent Topic Overview Spring 2024

Year 5 & 6 Parent Topic Overview Summer 2024

Year 5 & 6 Parent Topic Overview Autumn 2024

Cycle Overview - Year Groups

Subject Skills Progression Documents

Calculation Policy