Primary

Curriculum

Our curriculum across school groups is enhanced and supported by:

• A creative, dynamic and interactive learning and teaching environment to support and challenge individual learning
• WOW days
• Outdoor environment and local community use
• A formal timetabled programme of lessons which are based on the National Curriculum
• Extra-curricular activities such as music and instrumental lessons, sports opportunities etc
• Regular out of school educational visits and trips to enrich subjects and topics, such as visits to museums and art galleries, Suntrap etc
• Outside speakers and visitors in school for example parents, School Nurse, Community Police Officer etc

Information about our curriculum and topics is shared with parents and carers through:

• ½ termly newsletters to parents;
• School website on Year Group and Subject pages;
• School productions;
• Parent Curriculum Presentations;
• Invitations to exhibitions, workshops and displays in school

We are committed to creating learning and a curriculum which is inclusive and relevant to our pupils and community and links are made though subjects as part of our International Primary Curriculum approach.

From Nursery to Year 6 pupils follow a Theme based International Primary Curriculum which incorporates all National Curriculum subjects. Some aspects of the curriculum are delivered daily, weekly, ½ termly or during special themed weeks and days.

Mathematics and English are taught as discreet subjects and link to the class topic where appropriate. Phonics, spelling and reading are also taught as discreet subjects across the school.

R.E

At Buxton, we believe that religious education should encourage pupils to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions while exploring their own beliefs and questions of meaning.  Children are challenged to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses.

Religious education encourages pupils to develop their sense of identity and belonging. It enables them to flourish individually within their communities and as citizens in a multi-cultural society and global community.

Religious education enables pupils to develop respect for and sensitivity to others, in particular those whose faiths and beliefs are different from their own. It promotes discernment and enables pupils to combat prejudice.

At Buxton School, we recognise the importance of inclusion and the curriculum ensures equal access to all pupils regardless of their ability, aptitude, race, religion or gender. We follow the locally agreed syllabus for Religious Education.

Computing and PE are taught by specialist staff

PE

For P.E. in the primary phase have specialist staff who deliver the curriculum to children all the way from year 1 to year 6.

We follow a scheme of work called REAL P.E. which moves away from simply teaching children a set list of sports and games, but instead where the focus is on teaching Fundamental Movement Skills of agility, balance and coordination, inclusive competition and broader essential holistic skills, recognising the equal importance of personal, social and team working skills. Progression is tracked all the way through the school, with children given the responsibility to self assess and become involved in analysing their own skills and identifying next steps for their development. Each term children from key stage 2 compete against each other in a competition based on either dance, sport or gymnastics.

Staff take children to different sporting competitions throughout the year, where they compete against other schools from across the borough. There are also after schools clubs running every day of the week ranging from popular sports such as basketball and football to ballet

Computing

Using the iCompute scheme of work, we provide children with:

• the opportunity to use a rich variety of digital tools and technologies;
• the chance to learn how to develop ideas;
• interactive activities to build core skills: communication, collaboration, creativity, presentation and self-evaluation.

One of the intentions of the computing curriculum is to enable children to become digitally literate and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to fully participate in modern culture. This means having access to a broad range of software and technologies and experiencing them in different ways and contexts.

We want children to have as much exposure to learning about digital technologies as possible. The National Curriculum for Computing marks a radical shift in thinking about how children learn about technology and using technology.

Over half of the objectives (and even more in Key Stage 2) now focus on the fundamental principles of Computer Science: learning how computers and computer systems operate and how they are programmed.

To meet these needs, children will take part in activities that include:

 Key Stage 1

• Staying safe online
• Off-computer activities to support understanding of algorithms
• Programming physical and virtual toys
• Creating, manipulating and storing digital
• Personal information and being safe online
• Creating simple animations
• Using the web to find things out

 Key Stage 2

• Staying safe in a digital world
• Exploring computer simulations
• Sorting and splitting.
• How problems can be solved more easily
• Computer networking including using web browsers and search engines safely and effectively
• Designing and developing computer games
• Remixing and creating web content using HTML
• Designing and developing mobile apps

Alongside Computing sessions, skills will also be developed as we will continue with the best practice model of embedding Information Technology into other curriculum areas. This will give children further access to a range of software, technologies and tools and allow them to apply their knowledge and skills in different areas. The IPC units include topic-based Computing tasks alongside Mathematics, English, Science, Geography, History and Art.

Throughout their primary school education, children at Buxton will develop computational thinking skills to design and create their own digital content. This provides an exciting opportunity for our children to engage children in becoming digital creators rather than passive consumers.

EYFS

Children in Reception and Nursery follow the Foundation Stage Early Years Curriculum.  The Foundation Stage curriculum is organised into different areas of learning.

Prime Areas:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Communication and Language

Specific Areas:

• Understanding of the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Early Years practitioners will look closely at the way in which children learn. This is known as ‘characteristics of effective learning.’

The characteristics of effective learning are:

• playing and exploring
• active learning
• creating and thinking critically.

Our themes for this year will be:

International Primary curriculum:  Blue indicates the main focus for the unit. Details for wider foundation subjects for each theme will be included in the half-termly newsletter.

Years