Organisation and Curriculum

School Organisation

Children are grouped in mixed ability classes based on age. In order to provide for different needs in each class, the work is structured to the ability and experience of the children. Varied groupings within the class also assist the teacher to present work to children at the appropriate level. Teachers from time to time present work to a whole class, to mixed ability groups, to streamed ability groups or individually. Each teacher varies the strategy according to the needs of the children and the requirements of the subject being taught.

Where a child has a particular need, and where staffing allows, we provide additional and different support for specific periods of time.

In cases where the school cannot fully cater for the needs of the child, we may refer them, after consultation with the parent, to the special educational support services provided by North Yorkshire Education Authority. The school invites the child’s parents to be involved at all stages where special provision is made. Where a modification of the National Curriculum is required, Governors will seek the confirmation of the Local Authority that the provision is appropriate.

The movement between one class and another is on the basis of age. This is varied on occasions and at such times we inform parents in advance of action.

The arrangement of classes and relationship to National Curriculum year groups is indicated in.

Our School Day

The school day begins at 8:40am where the school doors are open until 8:50 for the children to enter school and ends at 3:15pm. Registration is between 8:50 and 9am. during this time the children work their way through a Schofield & Sims test, which is marked on a Friday.  

Lessons begin at 9am and last until playtime at 10:40am. On Mondays & Fridays whole school assemblies take place, whilst between Tuesday & Thursday the children have assemblies with their class teacher. Assembly times with class teachers are flexible depending on what the teacher has planned for that day. On Wednesdays, KS1 children receive a bible story based assembly delivered by members of All Saints church. We call this assembly our open the book assembly.

Morning playtimes happen at 10:40am.

The children are back in lessons at 11am until lunchtime which is at 12 noon. During lunch EYFS & KS1 are together on one playground, and KS2 are together on the other. There is a lot of equipment available on both playgrounds for the children to use. Lunches end at 1pm. 

Drop off & collection:

Getting to school:

To get to and from school, walking is definitely the best option! There are lots of benefits: it’s healthier than travelling by car, it improves the safety of pedestrians and road-users, it respects nearby residents and parking regulations and it is better for the environment. Alternatively, we have a small bike shed. If you do need to travel by car, please park wisely and conscientiously.

School Curriculum

The School’s policy on curriculum follows the National Curriculum from Year 1 to Year 6 using the Cornerstones curriculum model. The broad principles are that:-

Curriculum intent

Our curriculum is broad, balanced and meets the requirements of the national curriculum. It has a project-based, thematic approach and provides children with a range of rich and memorable learning experiences. Our intention is to provide our children with a holistic curriculum that prepares them as they move into secondary school and beyond. We aim to ignite our pupil’s imaginations making them reflective learners with a thirst for knowledge. We pride ourselves on our themed weeks such as Science week and Sports week.

 

Aims

• Engage children through interesting topics and hands-on activities.
• Make meaningful links between subjects.
• Develop children’s skills, knowledge and understanding of a range of themes and concepts.
• Make effective connections to the real world.
• Help children to think creatively and solve problems.
• Develop children’s capacities to work independently and collaboratively.
• Enable children to make choices about their learning.
• Take account of children’s interests and fascinations.

 

Our approach:

• develops children to the best of their abilities
• helps children to find their passions and interests
• facilitates children’s acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding
• helps children to develop intellectually, emotionally, socially, physically and morally
• assists children in becoming independent, responsible, useful, confident and considerate members of the community
• promotes a positive attitude towards learning, so children enjoy coming to school
• helps children to acquire a solid basis for lifelong learning
• creates and maintains an exciting and stimulating learning environment
• ensures that each child’s education has continuity and progression
• enables children to contribute positively within a culturally diverse society

 

 

Structure

Our curriculum is built on The Four Cornerstones of Learning – Engage, Develop, Innovate and Express. These are four distinct stages that actively promote children’s learning and thinking.

The Four Cornerstones of Learning link explicitly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development. See how in Appendix A [Cornerstones pedagogy].

The focus for teaching and planning in each Cornerstone is as follows.

 

Engage

• hook learners in with a memorable experience
• set the scene and provide the context
• ask questions to provoke thought and interest
• use interesting starting points to spark children’s curiosity

Develop

• teach knowledge to provide depth of understanding
• demonstrate new skills and allow time for consolidation
• provide creative opportunities for making and doing
• deliver reading, writing and talkacross the curriculum

Innovate

• provide imaginative scenarios for creative thinking
• enable and assess the application of previously learned skills
• encourage enterprise and independent thinking
• work in groups and independently to solve problems

Express

• encourage reflective talk by asking questions
• provide opportunities for shared evaluation
• celebrate success
• identify next steps for learning

 

 

Memorable Experience

Each Imaginative Learning Project (ILP) begins with a memorable experience that stimulates children’s curiosity and prepares them for a new theme. A memorable experience often involves an educational visit out of school or a visitor coming into school to share their expertise with the children. We try and make each experience as memorable as possible. Examples include taking our whole Year 6 cohort to the World War 1 Battlefields at the start of their Fallen Fields topic on a 4 day battlefield tour.

Curriculum design for KS1 and KS2

Our curriculum design gives each year group the opportunity to cover a broad range of themes and subjects. Projects last either a half or full term depending on the amount of content and the children’s interests. In some cases, projects may be taught for a shorter period, for example during a science or art week.

Curriculum maps showing the coverage and structure for each year group can be found on our website.

 

Subject coverage

English (Please see English policy)

English is a core subject and is at the heart of our curriculum. Each project covers a range of reading and writing genres and, where appropriate, links to other areas of the curriculum.

Spoken language is promoted throughout the curriculum and across all subjects.

Spelling, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation are promoted throughout all writing opportunities, with each year group following a specific programme.

English Policy

Rationale

At Hutton Rudby Primary School, we recognise the crucial importance of studying the English language. Improved performance at reading, writing and spoken language will enable our pupils to express their thoughts and ideas more fluently accurately and, ultimately, to their greater satisfaction. This will also help them to deal more successfully with other areas of the curriculum, while enriching their lives beyond school. The teaching and learning of language skills are, therefore, given a high priority in our school. Our overarching aim for English is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

We aim for our pupils to:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding;
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information;
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language;
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage;
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences;
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas;
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

 

At Hutton Rudby Primary School, we encourage all children to become independent learners and be confident in all strands of learning. The children will be given opportunities to speak in a variety of contexts and learn to listen to and value the views of others.

Statutory Requirements

Statutory requirements for the teaching and learning of English are laid out in the National Curriculum in England: Framework Document (2014). Our Cornerstones curriculum also makes explicit links to the National Curriculum (2014) Programme of Study for English for each year group.

Curriculum Delivery

From reception through to Year 6, children are taught English within their classes. Through differentiation and the support of Teaching Assistants, all children will receive high-quality teaching and appropriate support in order for every child to reach their full potential. Children may receive additional support if necessary outside of the English lessons. The use of a clear lesson objective and toolkits are a feature across all English teaching sequences. Red working walls are used from Year 1 to Year 6 to support the learning of English in the classroom. Feed-forward marking is used in line with our Feedback Policy. Formative and summative assessments inform the planning of subsequent lessons, and are tailored to the needs of our children. Using the Cornerstones curriculum, our teachers are able to create exciting learning opportunities which allow our children to become experts in their writing.

Speaking and Listening

The four stands of speaking and listening: speaking, listening, group discussion 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. We aim for children to be able to speak clearly, fluently and coherently, to be able to listen attentively with understanding, pleasure and empathy and contribute to group discussions effectively.

 

We achieve this by:

• giving our children confidence in themselves as speakers and listeners by showing them that we value their conversations and opinions. We also encourage a respect for the views of others;
• being aware that as adults, we provide a model of speakers and listeners in our day-to-day interactions with them and with other adults in our school;
• helping them to articulate their ideas and provide purposes and audiences for talk within a range of formal and informal situations and in individual, partner, group and class contexts;
• providing opportunities to perform to a larger audience, in assemblies and productions, where children’s efforts and skills are acknowledged by staff, parents, carers, visitors and peers;
• providing a range of experiences where children can work collaboratively and participate in opportunities to reflect on talk and explore real and imagined situations through role play, hot-seating, drama and discussions;
• developing the children’s ability to listen with attention and understanding in all areas of the curriculum and where necessary, asking and responding to questions appropriately.

 

Approaches to phonics

The teaching of phonic skills is embedded within English teaching in each class as required. Additional provision is made in discrete phonic interventions. Letters and Sounds is followed to ensure progression across the phases. During phonic sessions, we introduce, revisit, teach, practise and apply. In addition to this, children are also explicitly shown how to apply their developing skills to their writing. All children are grouped in accordance to their individual needs.

Approaches to Reading

Pupils have opportunities to undertake guided, shared and independent reading throughout the school. A diverse range of group reading books and a staged reading scheme are available. We do not use any one published scheme to teach reading, instead we believe that it is important to provide pupils with a selection of reading books and experiences from different genres and subject matter, therefore we operate using ‘book bands’ in line with Oxford reading tree complemented by thematic books. Electronic texts and audio books are also available for shared reading. When it is felt appropriate for individual children, they may become ‘free readers’ and choose from the class library. Reading age tests are undertaken to identify children who require extra support with their reading. Staff are deployed throughout the school to work with children in order to improve their fluency, intonation, decoding skills and comprehension. Home reading is encouraged and is an integral part of the child’s development. In order to have strong communication between teachers and parents/carers, each child has a school planner where both the staff and parents can write comments about how the child is progressing with his/her reading. Children have the opportunity to use books from their classroom and library areas for independent research. Reading is celebrated in school through different events including World Book Day, Usborne Reading and Scholastic Book Fairs.

Approaches to Writing

To develop our children as writers we:

• treat children as writers, from the earliest stage, who have ideas that they will want to communicate, building on writing skills they have acquired and their knowledge of print from their environment;
• provide experiences where the children can acquire confidence and a positive attitude to writing;
• develop and sustain writing skills by providing opportunities for children to write for a range of purposes and audiences;
• use writing sessions to model writing skills, teaching children how to compose, amend and revise their writing;
• teach children to become critical readers of their own writing by using self-evaluation and checking their work independently for sense, accuracy and meaning;
• teach grammar and punctuation in the context of children’s own writing, as well as through discrete lessons;
• teach children to develop their ability to organise and present imaginative and/or factual writing and poetry in different ways;
• teach strategies for spelling to enable children to become confident and competent spellers.

 

The school follows the Spelling Shed programme which enables the children to recap and embed previously learned spelling patterns. In addition, children are given the opportunity to revise and review the statutory words for their phases. This programme is in line with the National Curriculum for spelling. Identified children receive extra spelling and phonics support from TAs and teachers as appropriate.

Handwriting Approaches

Handwriting begins in the E.Y.F.S with mark-making and patterns. All pupils are given access to a wide range of writing tools and mediums to practise the early fine motor skills. The needs of left-handed children, or those with physical difficulties are also taken into consideration and where necessary accommodated with resources or specific intervention. Pupils are encouraged to develop fluent lines of correctly orientated letters from an early age and emergent writing is encouraged. Correct posture and positioning of paper or books are also emphasised when children are handwriting. Letter formation and handwriting is taught and modelled using a range of resources. The national expectation at the end of Year 6 is that children will join their handwriting. Staff use resources from Letter Join to teach individual letter joins with the leader feeder cursive style. As the children move up through the school they are encouraged to think carefully about the presentation of their work and to develop clear, legible and fluent hand-writing.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

a b c d e f g h I j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy fox.

Cross-curricular Links

Our Cornerstones curriculum provides children with a plethora of opportunities to write in a range of contexts and for differing audiences and purposes. For example: explanations in science; playscripts in drama; writing speeches for debates.

Assessment and Target Setting

Feedback is given in line with the feedback policy. Summative assessments are made using the Teacher Assessment Frameworks in Years 2 and 6; in the interim years, summative assessments are recorded using Target Tracker. Moderation of writing takes place between staff across school, and with other schools.

In the summer term, Year 6 will undertake the SATs where Reading and GPS will be assessed. Year 1 will undertake the Phonics Screening, and Year 2 will undertake the KS1 SATs.

Inclusion

We aim to provide for all children so that they achieve as highly as they can in English according to their individual abilities. We identify which pupils or groups of pupils are under-achieving and take steps to improve their attainment. More able children are identified and suitable learning challenges provided. Children with identified SEND in English receive tailored support from TAs and teachers where appropriate. Children who are identified as having additional needs with reading, receive extra support from TAs and teachers where appropriate. More able and higher attaining children in English are identified and challenged appropriately.

Equal Opportunities

All children are provided with equal access to the English curriculum. We aim to provide suitable learning opportunities regardless of gender, ethnicity or home background.

Long-term English genre map
Year 1	The Enchanted Woodland	Christmas Woodland	Superheroes	Moon Zoom!	Splendid Skies	Paws, Claws and Whiskers
	Recounts; Information books and letters; Lists and instructions; Narratives	Narrative; Character descriptions; Rhyming poetry	Descriptive sentences; Comic strips; Narrative; Fact files; Labels and captions	Posters; Character profiles; Non-chronological reports; Adverts; Science fiction	Recounts; Poetry; Lists and instructions; Postcards; Non-chronological reports	Recounts; Fables; Booklets and lists; Instructions; Nursery rhymes and poems
Year 2	Muck, Mess and Mixtures	Towers, Tunnels and Turrets	Wriggle and Crawl	The Scented Garden	Land Ahoy!	Beachcombers
	Letters; Recipes; Riddles	Narrative; Leaflets	Letter; Non-narrative poetry; Fact files	Recounts; Narrative; Setting Description	Narrative paoetry; Non-chronological reports; Character descriptions	Newspaper report; Poetry
Year 3	Tribal Tales	Scrumdiddlyumptious!	Flow	Gods and Mortals	Heroes and Villains
	Character descriptions; Adventure narrative; Non-chronological reports; Newspaper report; Menus	Letter; Recipes and instructions; Setting description; Nonsense poetry	Fact file; Narrative poetry; Debate;	Character profiles; Diary writing; Myths and legends;	Biography; Dialogue; Fairy tales; Comic strips
Year 4	I am Warrior!	Burps, Bottoms and Bile	Blue Abyss	Road Trip USA!
	Instructions; Newspaper reports; Historical narrative	Poetry with description; Information leaflets	Narrative; Poetry with personification; Non-chronological reports	Narrative; Diary writing; Letters
Year 5	Off with Her Head!	Pharaohs	Stargazers	Scream Machine
	Biographies; Character descriptions; Classic story/storytelling; Newspaper reports;	Letter writing; Information text; Story writing; Instruction text	Free verse poetry; Newspaper reports; Science fiction/graphic narrative	Poetry; Short narrative with dialogue; Adverts;
Year 6	Fallen Fields	Harry Potter	Darwin’s Delights	ID
	Contrasting character descriptions; Setting descriptions; Free choice narrative; Non-chronological reports; Narrative poetry	Persuasive letters; Diary writing; Explanations; Instructional writing; Short story/narrative; Descriptive poetry	Biographies; Information text; News report; Description	Descriptions/ Narrative; Non-chronological reports; Adverts; Facts and opinions/Tributes; Calligrams

 

 

Mathematics

Mathematics is also a core subject and is taught discretely. However, where relevant, mathematics is linked to ongoing project work.

Mathematical Philosophy

 The new National Curriculum states that:

“Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.”

At Hutton Rudby we see Maths in the same way, acknowledging that it is a multi-discipline, cross-curricular, interconnected subject which should encourage creativity. We aim for the children to be able to see how Mathematics is relevant to their world, and applicable to everyday life. We also aim to instil an understanding of how Mathematics is something that the children will need as they move through their school life and into the world of employment. We believe that a high quality, inter-related and creative Maths experience should be one that develops the children’s ability to think mathematically and one which allows them to apply the tools to which they have been exposed in a variety of ways.

 

The National Curriculum emphasises the importance of three types of mathematical skill:

 

• Becoming FLUENT in Maths, meaning they are able to calculate quickly and effectively using both mental and written methods,
• Being able to REASON and EXPLAIN mathematically, meaning they can think logically about Maths, link different pieces of learning, and demonstrate their understanding of a concept through explanation,
• Being able to SOLVE PROBLEMS, demonstrating that they can use their mathematical understanding to evaluate, understand and solve a variety of mathematical problems. For more information on our problem solving strategies, please refer to the Hutton Rudby Primary School Problem Solving Policy, which can be found at huttonrudbyprimary.co.uk/policies.

This means that children must be regularly exposed to opportunities involving increasingly complex problem solving, allowing them to apply their Mathematical knowledge. In doing so, it is important that they are encouraged to develop an argument and line of enquiry, which they can prove and justify using mathematical vocabulary. This includes the ability to break down problems, both routine and non-routine, into a series of steps.

 

Aims and Objectives

 

We want to teach maths in a way that:

 

• Delivers the subject in line with National Curriculum Guidelines
• Ensures the delivery of maths is filled with cross curricular opportunities
• Creates a lively, exciting and stimulating environment in which the children can learn maths
• Promotes the concept that acquiring maths knowledge and skills provides the foundation for understanding the world around them
• Develops mental strategies
• Encourages children to use mathematical vocabulary to reason and explain
• Allows time for discussion between children in order to stimulate and develop a curiosity for Maths
• Ensures that children in Key Stage 1 are secure in their understanding of number and number relationships

 

Approach

 

It is important that children are allowed to explore Maths and present their findings in a manner of ways; to that end, we adopt an approach which allows the children to begin by exploring Maths in a very concrete fashion, using physical materials to make sense of and help visualise the numbers with which they are working. The children move on to using pictorial representations (e.g. dots, small drawings etc.) to represent the numbers they are using. Having this concrete and pictorial grounding will allow the children to experience the physical aspects of maths before finding a way to present their findings and understandings in a visual form before relying on abstract numbers. For more detail on the movements from concrete, to pictorial, to abstract representations, please refer to our Calculations Policy, available at www.huttonrudbyprimary.co.uk/policies.

All staff at Hutton Rudby Primary School attend staff meetings, which often have a Maths focus, most recently focussing on the new Problem Solving Strategy, “Keep it REAL”, which encourages the children to Read, Evaluate, Answer and Look back at problems in order to accurately and successfully solve them. All teaching staff at Hutton Rudby were consulted during the creation of the new Calculations Policy to ensure the seamless progression of skills as the children’s ability increases.

As far as CPD is concerned, maths books are often scrutinised by the maths coordinator, head and deputy head, peer to peer observations are carried out, formal observations are carried out and learning walks take place regularly. The Maths coordinator has arranged opportunities to visit other coordinators in the local area and is looking for opportunities for further CPD for less experienced members of staff.

To help the children’s mental maths, fluency and problem solving, the school has bought into the Schofield and Sims weekly tests. The children complete these tests over the course of a week during registration, and mark them in ability groups featuring children from different year groups on a Friday morning. Their results are recorded weekly and children have the opportunity to move up to a more difficult book to further test themselves if they are routinely very successful at their current level. 

To help with children’s times tables, a range of strategies are used throughout school, including competitions, musical methods, games and more. One resource used throughout school however, is Times Tables Rockstars, a website / app that the children can access from home and compete with children from their class / school, as well as children from across the world. The use of TTRS has already seen a marked improvement in many children’s times tables.

Planning & Assessment

 Teachers use a mixture of formative and summative assessment to ensure that a flexible approach is adopted which recognises the pace of learning in the classroom. Individual, paired and group work will be used across a series of lessons in which children will encounter a range of challenges focussing on developing their fluency, demonstrating their understanding, and using reasoning skills to solve open-ended problem solving tasks. On occasion, children are given the opportunity to plan and deliver short sessions to their colleagues in lower year groups to help solidify their understanding of a topic (this takes place entirely at the discretion of the class teachers). This allows their teachers to examine the children’s deeper understanding of a topic by how well they manage to pass on information to the younger children. Daily assessment sheets are completed by teachers at the end of each lesson (for more information, please consult the Marking and Assessment Policy at www.huttonrudbyprimary.co.uk/policies). On these sheets, the teacher will highlight the children that have struggled / succeeded that day, the next steps that all children need to take and the support they need, and where the learning will go next. This allows for dynamic assessment in which ‘ability groups’ are fluid and can be changed daily where necessary. Teachers regularly complete assessment grids (found in the children’s books) to help both teachers and children keep track of what each child has achieved across a range of assessment criteria objectives, and what needs to be covered / improved upon. This allows both children and teachers to agree upon personalised targets and next steps.

Formal, summative assessment currently takes place termly, using initial baseline tests, mid-year and end of year tests from TestBase, however more regular summative assessment can take place at the teacher’s discretion, depending on the specific needs of the class. These summative tests are used in conjunction with assessment grids, assessment sheet and work in children’s books to identify next steps and inform planning.  

Teachers plan to allow children to have various challenges available to them, together with assessment opportunities, opportunities for speaking and listening and self / peer assessment. Across a range of lessons, children should be allowed to engage in mathematical discussion, investigations, problem solving, practical experiences and written methods, as well as allowing for time to demonstrate their understanding in other ways. Teachers draw upon a range of resources, including White Rose Hub, Focus Maths and TestBase to help them find age / ability appropriate problems and tasks for the children to work on.

 

Resources & Displays

 

Each classroom should be resources with materials to support the delivery of Maths at a level appropriate to the needs of the class; such items might include number lines, multiplication grid, 100 squares, dice, numicon, multilink cubes and other similar items. Larger / less frequently used items will be centralised.  Children should be encouraged to use whatever resources are available to them in the classroom, and which they feel would be beneficial to them while completing Maths work.

Each classroom should have a working wall dedicated to Maths, this should include challenges, strategies, reasoning opportunities or problem solving areas.

 

 

Homework

 

Children should receive regular maths homework that encourages the practice of key skills (most likely through Times Tables Rockstars) or a recap of what they have been learning about that week (through MyMaths). Maths homework should be a fun opportunity for children to practice their maths skills, and through Times Table Rockstars and MyMaths we believe the children have accessible, engaging opportunities to practise their skills at home.

Inclusion

 In line with the school’s Inclusion Policy, each child will have an equal entitlement to all aspects of the Maths curriculum and to experience the full range of Maths activities. Therefore, in delivering Maths, care will be taken to ensure that a variety of learning styles are accessed and teaching method are adopted.

Intervention groups will take place both within the Maths lesson and outside; these sessions may be delivered by a teacher or teaching assistant and may involve individual, paired or small group work, accessing both ends of the learning spectrum.

Science

Science is fully covered throughout the curriculum. Some projects have a science focus, and others will have less of a scientific emphasis. Scientific enquiry is also delivered through the Cornerstones Love to Investigate scheme.

 

Foundation subjects

The foundation subjects – history, geography, design and technology, art and design, PE and music – are integrated into each project and provide enrichment across the curriculum.

 

Religious education

RE is a statutory part of the curriculum and follows the locally agreed syllabus. The RE curriculum is enriched using the Cornerstones Love to Celebrate scheme.

 

PHSE and citizenship

PHSE and citizenship are important aspects of our curriculum and are taught both discretely and within the projects. The coverage and structure of our PHSE and citizenship curriculum is outlined in the SRE Policy.

 

British Values

 

British Values are embedded in every subject that we teach and in every activity that we undertake as a school community. We supplement this by using the Picture News teaching resource focusing upon a different British value each week linked to current affairs in the news.

 

ICT and computing

The core skills of ICT are taught as a discrete programme across school, although the Cornerstones Curriculum does cover many aspects. However, other elements of the computing curriculum are integrated into the curriculum as part of project work. These include e-safety, digital publication and presentation, research, data handling and the use of digital media.

Introduction

 

The use of information and communication technology is an integral part of the National Curriculum and is a vital skill for everyday life. Computers, tablets, programmable robots, digital cameras, electronic assistants (e.g. Alexa, Siri) and mobile phones are a few of the tools that can be used to acquire, organise, store, manipulate, interpret, communicate and present information. We recognise that pupils are entitled to quality hardware and software and a structures and progressive approach to the learning of the skills needed to enable them to use it effectively.

 

Aims

 

• Provide a relevant, challenging and enjoyable curriculum for ICVT and computing for all pupils
• Meet the requirements of the National Curriculum programmes of study for computing
• Use computing as a tool to enhance learning throughout the curriculum
• To respond to new developments in technology
• To equip pupils with the confidence and capability to use computing throughout their later life
• To enhance learning in other areas of the curriculum using computing
• To develop the understanding of how to use computing safely and responsibly
• To give pupils the skills to respond confidently to the fast changing world of technology and have the ability to embrace new technologies.

The National Curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:

 

• Can understand and apply the fundamental principles of computer science, including logic, algorithms, data representation, and communication
• Can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
• Can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
• Are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

 

Rationale

 

The school believes that ICT and computing:

 

• Gives pupils immediate access to a rich source of materials
• Can present information in new ways which help pupils understand, access and use it more readily
• Can motivate and enthuse pupils
• Can help pupils focus and concentrate

See Computing long term plan.

MFL

 The children learn French. Below is a curriculum coverage of French.

Rationale

Learning a foreign language provides important educational, social and cultural experiences for children; it is a “liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures” (National Curriculum, 2014).  Learning another language contributes to the development of oracy and literacy, and extends pupils’ knowledge about how language works. It introduces an international dimension to learning, giving pupils an insight into other cultures as well as their own. It provides a medium for cross-curricular links, and reinforces knowledge, skills and understanding developed in other subjects.

Aims

At Hutton Rudby Primary School, we aim to deliver high-quality language education which foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. Quality teaching enables pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing.  Our MFL Curriculum aims to provide opportunities for pupils to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read literature in the original language. We aim to equip our learners with the skills, knowledge and tools they need to become confident and competent linguists both in school and in the wider world. 

 

Our aims of teaching a Modern Foreign Language are to enable pupils to:

• Develop a positive attitude to language learning
• Stimulate their curiosity about language
• Make substantial progress in one key language
• Understand and respond to spoken and written foreign language
• Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity
• Discover and develop an appreciation of languages and cultures
• Develop an awareness that language has written and spoken structure
• Develop an awareness of cultural differences
• Improve speaking and listening skills
• Experience of a range of modern and ancient foreign languages
• Secure a solid foundation for language learning in Key Stage 3 and beyond

 

Teaching and Learning

In both Key Stage One and Two, the focus of study in MFL is on practical communication and enjoyment of language learning. 

 

Pupils are taught to:

• Listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
• Explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• Engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
• Speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
• Develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
• Present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
• Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
• Appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language       
• Broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
• Write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
• Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing
• Understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English

(National Curriculum, 2014)

 

Curriculum Planning

 

At Hutton Rudby Primary School, our chosen key focus modern foreign language is French.  French is taught in short lessons with an expected total teaching time of 1 hour per week in Key Stage Two. 

An integrated approach is also used, which allows children to use French on a regular basis. This includes daily communication with the teacher and school staff in French to order lunches, express feelings, manners and greetings.

 

Our Whole School Scheme of Work provides possible activities and identifies appropriate resources.

Curriculum Coverage ensures that pupils are introduced to new topics and vocabulary on a rolling year-by-year basis.  This provides opportunities for consolidation and builds their confidence over time.

 

Foundation Stage and Key Stage One

In the EYFS and Key Stage One, pupils learn French through songs, rhymes, lessons and conversations as well as participating in interactive reading activities and listening to stories in French to gain exposure to written French.

 

Teachers use a range of resources to enhance language learning in Key Stage One including including ‘Petites Etoiles’ and ‘Lingo Lango’ schemes as well as a range of song books, literature and creative activities to enhance the MFL curriculum.

 

Activities include:

• Repeating words
• Joining in songs and rhymes
• Listening to French nursery rhymes
• Listening to French books
• Responding to instructions
• Asking and answering simple questions
• Creating short phrases and sentences
• Using books, pictures, audio and video tapes, ICT
• Taking part in role play
• Holding basic conversations with others
• Using puppets and soft toys

 

Key Stage Two

 

In Key Stage Two, teachers access the North Yorkshire Scheme of Learning for French as their first port of call for their language teaching.  The scheme was written by teachers for non-specialist and specialist Primary French teachers and provides a ‘whole languages’ approach to build pupils’ skills, knowledge, understanding and fluency over time.  As well as the activities above, pupils access a range of ICT and paper resources which build their understanding of reading and writing in French in preparation for their ongoing language learning at Secondary School.  Below is an overview of why we have chosen the NYCC Scheme of Learning for Primary French, taken from the Scheme.

Key Features of the NYCC Scheme of Learning for Primary French

 

• A “One-stop shop” for all your Primary French teaching requirements.
• Carefully sequenced linguistic progression, covering all the KS2 Framework objectives.
• Language learning based on a creative, interactive, pupil-centred, multi-media approach.
• Integrated links to other areas of the Primary curriculum.
• Differentiated resources are hyperlinked to easy-to-follow lesson plans.
• You can make as many copies of the disc as you like (for use in North Yorkshire schools).
• A “Teacher’s Toolkit” contains essential guidance and additional resources.
• Teaching resources are linked to 2000 audio-files recorded by native speakers to model accurate pronunciation.

 

Teachers are able to access the resource regardless of their confidence and level of language and use the audio-files and resources to teach accurate French.  The Scheme and resources are enhanced by a range of videos, songs and interactive resources which are available to access on the Common Server.

 

Teachers are encouraged, where possible, to make links across the Curriculum to build links for children to better acquire and understand French.   In this way, MFL can also enhance the Core Curriculum subjects as well as providing part of a broad and balanced curriculum which is creatively linked to children’s learning experiences. 

 

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

All children are given opportunities to take part in French lessons. Questions may be differentiated to suit individual abilities, and additional adult support may be provided. Resources are provided for children with specific learning needs – for example Augmentative Communication users – to ensure that they are able to access MFL in the Curriculum. 

 

Assessment

In Key Stage One pupil progress is monitored during lessons and formative assessment is used to guide planning and activities according to pupils’ acquisition of skills and interests.

In Key Stage Two assessment teachers use the Assessment materials built into the NYCC Scheme of Learning which are designed to assess progress across the scheme.  Opportunities for self and peer assessment are also built into this and form an important element of teacher formative and summative assessment. 

 

Monitoring, training and Review

The MFL co-ordinator is responsible for monitoring the development of French throughout the school, including any reviews of the school policy and scheme of work. 

 

Monitoring activities might include:

• Observations or ‘drop-ins’
• Learning walks
• Book scrutinies
• Informal discussions with teachers
• Team or supported teaching
• Peer review

 

Regular CPD is planned for teachers.  Support is available from the MFL coordinator to ensure that staff feel confident in their MFL teaching.  The MFL coordinator provides regular updates and communication by email and in person to ensure that French teaching stays up to date, fresh and relevant to the broader whole school curriculum.

 

	Year	Autumn		Spring		Summer
Petites Etoiles Lingo Lango	R	Coucou	Joyeux Noel	Nounours (toys)	Joyeuses paques (Easter)	Les pirates	Joyeux anniversaire (Celebrations)
	Y1	Bonjour !   Les Roues du bus (transport)	Joyeux Noel	Les saisons	Dans le jardin	Les vêtements	A la plage
	Y2	Moi et mon corps Le fermier dans son pré	Père Noel	L’araignée Gypsie	Que faites-vous ? (pastimes)	Le supermarché	J’aime la galette (Celebrations)
NYCC SoL	Y3	1. Moi	2. Les couleurs	3 La jungle	4. Tutti fruti	5 Vive le Sport	6 La météo
	Y4	7. Les monstres	8. Le calendrier des fêtes	9. Les animaux	10.Au marché	11. je suis le musicien	12.On sort
	Y5	13. Ma famille	14 On fait la fête	15. Cher zoo	16.Le petit déjeuner	17. Vive le temps libre	18. A la plage
	Y6	19. Les portraits	20. Les cadeaux	21. Le Carnaval des animaux	22. Au café	23.Tour de France	24. Destinations

 

 Timetables

Teachers are free to arrange their afternoon timetable to make the most of cross-curricular opportunities and the needs of pupils. Sometimes subjects and activities might be ‘blocked’ or run over successive afternoons.

Additional information

We also place a huge emphasis on PE, music, art and drama across all age groups. We believe that children should have the opportunity to showcase their skills and talents in every aspect of life.