Development Matters and the National Curriculum 2014 form the basis of teaching and learning in English and ensure progression and continuity throughout the Foundation Stage and into Key Stage 1 and 2. Our English lessons develop children’s spoken language, reading, writing, grammar punctuation and spelling.
Speaking and Listening
We ensure the continual development of pupils’ confidence and competence in spoken language and listening skills across the whole curriculum. We encourage children to use discussion in order to learn; to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas; to make formal presentations and participate in debates.
Reading
Our aim is to instil in our children a love of reading that lasts for their lifetime, share with them an enthusiasm for children’s literature and help children to recognise the value of reading as a life skill. We encourage children to become enthusiastic and reflective readers by introducing them to high quality books, from a variety of authors and cultures. We develop our children’s understanding of a variety of text types including non-fiction, fiction, poetry and drama.
We teach reading from Foundation Stage to Year 6. Learning to read begins in Early Years where we ensure our children have sound phonic awareness and use a phonics first approach to reading. In Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 we use the Little Wandle phonics programme to deliver daily phonic sessions; children build their reading confidence and fluency by reading decodable books matched to their phonic ability. As their reading develops, children are encouraged to read from a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books. Throughout the school, the teaching of reading takes many forms – shared reading, guided reading sessions, one-to-one reading sessions with an adult and independent reading.
Writing
We want our children to foster the enjoyment of writing, and in doing so, be able to write in a variety of styles and forms and produce effective, well-presented work. We provide a wide range of exciting writing stimuli in our daily English lessons, giving a real audience and purpose for the writing where possible. Children also have writing opportunities across the curriculum and produce high quality writing in other core and foundation subjects. The teaching of writing takes a variety of forms. This could be shared writing with the whole class, or groups, during which the teacher will model the use of grammar, punctuation, vocabulary choices and specific genre features, while at the same time incorporating the ideas of the children. The children will also access guided groups to address individual needs.
Spelling
Spelling is taught discretely to children in years 2 to 6 who can read with accuracy and recognise alternative graphemes for sounds. The National Curriculum requirements for spelling are mapped out across the year with a spelling rule or pattern and common exception words being taught on alternate weeks. An overview of spellings being taught each week is sent home at the beginning of each term so that learning can be reinforced at home.
Handwriting
The importance of presentation is reinforced throughout the school. We aim to develop a neat handwriting style and children are taught to use a printed script in Foundation Stage. From Year 2 onwards, children are taught to join their handwriting using a cursive style and they carry out regular handwriting practise.
The 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.’ We therefore aim to deliver a high-quality maths curriculum across the school which deepens understanding as well as fostering a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
In Early Years Foundation Stage, we follow The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2014) to teach maths and, in Key Stage 1 and 2, we follow the 2014 National Curriculum.
The National Curriculum sets out three aims for all children in maths:
We use these aims to teach maths lessons that allow opportunities for fluency, reasoning and problem solving.
We use a CPA (concrete, pictorial, abstract) approach to ensure that all children have the opportunity to succeed in maths. We start maths teaching with concrete resources and move onto pictorial resources when the children have grasped a concept. When the children are ready, we then move onto abstract resources to ensure a deep understanding of each concept.
Maths teaching across the school is split into the following areas:
Revisiting prior learning is key to retention in maths. We use Flashback 4 in Key Stage 1 and 2 to ensure that children have regular revisiting opportunities. This consists of 4 questions at the beginning of each maths lesson that recap content that has already been taught. This also gives teachers the opportunity to assess what the children have retained.
Science is implemented in line with National Curriculum requirements. As a highly valued subject that encourages and develops many important skills, we believe that science should be taught to all year groups in an enjoyable and engaging way. Science provides many opportunities for children to develop and learn new skills such as speaking and listening; observational, predicting, questioning and evaluating, while developing a sense of curiosity for the world around us.
One key area that is explored through practical activities is the skill to 'work scientifically'. We strive to develop a love of science where an exploratory attitude is at the heart of learning from our youngest children in Early Years developing their understanding of the world around them, to our eldest children in year 6 planning and carrying out their own scientific enquiries.
Children will study a variety of programs across each year group including plants, animals and materials at Key Stage 1 before moving on to light, sound, electricity, evolution and inheritance, space and states of matter in Key Stage 2.
Our aim is for all of our children to foster an understanding and enjoyment of art, craft and design by providing them with a broad, balanced and progressive curriculum. Children will learn about art and the appreciation of the work of artists and craftspeople from different times and cultures.
In Foundation Stage, our children will be given the opportunity to explore colour, texture, shape and form in two and three dimensions. The children will have access to a wide range of creative experiences including painting and drawing activities, collage, printmaking and sculpture, using appropriate tools and art materials. There is an emphasis on independence and self-initiated learning, which enables foundation stage children to freely explore resources and pursue their own creative interests and talents, in addition to the learning experiences planned by their teacher.
In Key Stage 1, children explore the visual, tactile and sensory qualities of materials and processes and begin to understand and use colour, shape and space, pattern and texture, to represent their own ideas and feelings. They also learn about the work of artists, craftspeople and designers and use them as a stimulus for their own work.
In Key Stage 2, we develop children’s creativity and imagination by building on their knowledge, skills and understanding of materials and processes, through providing more complex activities. We encourage children to evaluate their own ideas and methods, and the work of others, to say what they think and feel about them. We give children the opportunity within lessons to work on their own and collaborate with others.
Our art and design progression document maps out the skills, knowledge and vocabulary to be taught for each discipline in each year group. Each half term, we plan our art and design curriculum focusing on a particular technique; the progression document defines what we will teach and ensures an appropriate balance and distribution of work across the half term, as well as progression of skills, knowledge and vocabulary across the school.
At Springwell Village, we recognise the crucial role that technology plays in our children’s lives and we aim to equip children to become active and responsible participants in the ever-evolving digital world. We are aware that our children’s access to technology outside of school varies widely and also of the barriers and stereotypes that exist in the world of computing, particularly around gender. We therefore aim to inspire all children to consider themselves as the information technology users of the future. We also aim to develop children’s perception of technology as a tool for learning, innovation and discovery, as well as helping them to understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with online experiences.
We teach children to understand how computers work as well as what measures can be taken to keep themselves and others safe online. Our curriculum aims to give children a deep and broad knowledge through opportunities to apply skills in various digital contexts.
Our History curriculum engages and excites children’s curiosity and supports the development of key historical knowledge, skills and concepts through the study of British and local history and other significant time periods and societies.
We constantly build upon past skills and knowledge which ensures children retain vital information and knowledge. In understanding periods, events and people from the past, our children will gain cultural capital and have a greater appreciation of today’s world and their place within it.
Our curriculum ensures there is a coverage of history and core skills and concepts; motivating through exciting learning, trips and visitors that give all children an opportunity to explore and question the past.
Our intention is that our geography curriculum will inspire our children with a curiosity, fascination and appreciation of the world around them. Geography will be taught as a whole class and will focus on the local area before expanding to the wider world.
Links will be made to the children's learning journey so far ensuring that children retain facts and information. It will equip them with a diverse knowledge and understanding of people, places, natural, human and physical geography.
Through the teaching of geography we want to engage our children and facilitate and inspire them to become inquisitive, resilient, independent, challenging thinkers and active global citizens.
Following on from a parent and carer survey last academic year, we launched our new Spanish curriculum in autumn 2022.
At Springwell Village, our year 1 to year 6 children enjoy weekly music lessons. Children learn through class teacher and specialist music teacher lessons. Class teachers use Charanga Music School as the basis for their music lessons.
In year 2, 3 and 4 the children have whole class weekly music lessons with our specialist teacher, Mr Little. Year 2 learn violin, Year 3 recorder and year 4 chalumeau and, later in the year, the ukulele.
Children also have access to a range of extra-curricular, paid for music lessons.
At Springwell Village, our aim is to get all our children enjoying and developing their physical exercise skills every week. The children will develop key abilities:
Physical– balance, co-ordination, agility
Personal –resilience, openness to challenge
Creative – flair and imagination to do the unexpected
Social – co-operate in a team, praising and encouraging others
Cognitive – critically evaluate performance, develop tactics
We play in tournaments against other local schools and try to give as many children as possible an experience of competition.
Through enjoyment will come confidence and a willingness to be active throughout their secondary school years. The school is committed to developing a culture of physical learning that will continue for life.
At Springwell Village we have adopted the Agreed Sunderland RE Syllabus which was introduced in autumn 2021.
The aims of the RE curriculum are that children learn to:
Please click here to see the Agreed Sunderland RE Syllabus.
Your message is important to us, we will be in touch shortly.
Loading...