Humanties- History

The children are taught about important episodes and development from the past. The topics covered include Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, the Victorians, the Tudors and the Invaders and Settlers, the Romans and Celts. The will have the opportunity to investigate local history and to learn about the past from a range of sources of information. History will not always be taught each term but the children will experience the full range of the subject during their 7 years at school.

Geography

The children will be given opportunities to investigate places and geographic these and develop appropriate geographical skills including vocabulary, map work and the use of various sources of evidence. They will study contrasting locations and learn about the physical and human features, how they are both similar and yet different how the geographic features influence the human activity, changes within the locality and how the locality fits within the broader geographic context.

The children will also study rivers, the weather, human settlements, and environmental change. By nature of the subject, geography will not always be taught during each term but the children will experience the full range of subject during their years at school.

Design Technology

The children, working both independently and as a member of a group, will be given opportunities to design and then make products using a wide range of materials, to investigate simple mechanisms, to evaluate the quality of various products and to understand related health and safety issues. The Schemes of Work reflect a progression of skills each year to support the children’s development next year. Some of the Units of Work are planned to be cross-curricular with Art and Design.

Art and Design

The Art and Design Schemes of Work ensure progression of key skills across Key Stages 1 and 2. Children are given the opportunity to examine and evaluate the work of artists and craft people from the past and present and to express themselves through art, craft and design, working both individually and as part of a group.   Within the primary curriculum children will have the opportunity to develop their understanding of key skills in drawing, painting, collage, printing, textiles, 3D modeling and digital manipulation to a variety of scales. Children will learn to evaluate their own work and others using appropriate language.

P.E. and Sport

The school has a long tradition of excellence in both provision of PE and Sport and taking part in rallies, leagues and competitions. The Primary Phase PE Manager is the School’s Sports Co-Ordinator for South Leytonstone and liaises and promotes the development of PE and sport with other local primary schools and the secondary phase of Buxton School.

All children will have 2 hours of physical activity each week. The Scheme of Work allows all children to experience a range of physical activity including gymnastics, dance, small apparatus, and athletics. We have a resident dance teacher who takes each year group for a series of lessons during the year. Year 5 have swimming lessons at Cathall Leisure Centre.

All children are expected to take part in physical activities including swimming unless there is a valid medical reason. Requests for temporary withdrawal from such activities should be made by the parent, either verbally to the teacher, or by letter.

Music

Through the Scheme of Work for music the children will experience listening and appreciating music, experimenting with composition of music. They will take part in singing practices and link with drama to perform concerts for various festivals during the year and for parents and carers. Choir and Recorder Clubs at lunchtimes and after school are very popular. We also have specialized teachers from the Music Service come in to specifically to teach  string,  brass and wind instruments each week.

Personal, Social and Health Education

P.S.H.E is an important part of our curriculum and includes a number of important areas. For example:

1. SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning)

2.       Personal Hygiene

3.       Dental

4.       Road safety

5.       Relationships

6.       Attitudes

7.       Citizenship

8.       Drugs and Sex Education

These areas are covered through a progressive Scheme of Work which enables children to develop skills to deal with the above areas. These might be dealt with as class groups, smaller groups or as individuals working independently.

Our Sex Education Policy is part of our topic work, meeting National Curriculum (Science) requirements and presented in the context of family life, of loving relationships and of respect for others. This subject is approached with great sensitivity and with due regard to the emotional and physical development of the children. The school receives a variety of support and input from a range of outside agencies including the Family Support Service and the School Nurse.

Parents have an essential role in helping their children to cope with the physical and emotional aspects of growing up, and so we welcome parental involvement in our Sex Education Policy.

We will inform parents when issues such as human biology are to be introduced and will give them the opportunity to preview any relevant material that will be shown to the children. Parents can withdraw their children from all, or part, of the Sex Education Program provided, except that which is part of the National Curriculum Science Curriculum.