Curriculum

Intent:  

We have designed our Art Curriculum to be an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject.   

We aim to ensure that all pupils:  

•  Acquire appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum.  
• Create meaningful cross curricular links with other subjects, such as Mathematics, Science, Computing, Forest schools and Design and Technology which encourages them to learn to think and create, to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team.  
• Use creativity, expression and imagination within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values and to evaluate their designs. 
• Generate ideas; using sketchbooks and taking inspiration from a range of artists 
• Learn skills: drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, mixed media, craft techniques and sculpture .
• Are aware of the formal elements: colour, form, line, pattern, shape, texture and tone 
• Have a broad knowledge of artists’ work and techniques.
• Are able to evaluate, critiquing their own work and that of others 

Our Art curriculum is intended to prepare our children, to give them the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences they need to be successful in later life.  

Implementation: 

Art at Sessay is taught in a half termly block, 3 times each academic year using a carefully planned curriculum, supported by the KAPOW Scheme of work and ACCESS ART .

 This is implemented through:  

•  A well thought out Art curriculum which allows for progression across year groups in all areas of Art.  
•   Well planned and resourced projects providing children with a hands-on and enriching experience. 
•   A range of skills being taught ensuring that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken. 
•   Teaching ART as a block of lessons to allow the time needed for the children to be critical, inventive and reflective on their work or interspersed with DT. Some art projects may present as a build-up of weekly skills lessons, culminating as a finished piece. However, some units may be delivered as an ‘Art Curriculum Enrichment Day’. Sessay is well-resourced to provide experiences across art teaching to create purposeful projects linked to wider-curriculum learning. 
•  Pupils being introduced to specific artists, crafts people and designers, helping them to have an appreciation of human creativity and achievement in the workplace. 

Early Years Foundation Stage – During the EYFS pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. They have the opportunities to learn to:   

•  Use different media and materials to express their own ideas  .
•  Use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about form, function, and purpose.
•   Make plans and construct with a purpose in mind using a variety of resources. 
•   Develop skills to use simple tools and techniques appropriately, effectively and safely. 
•   Select appropriate resources for a product and adapt their work where necessary. 

Impact:  

Our children as artists will:  

•  Enjoy being curious and passionate artists with an ever-growing skill and knowledge set.  
• Have an appreciation for key individuals, works of art, and events in history and of today that impact our world.  
•  Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve.  
•  Effectively use age-appropriate art and design vocabulary.
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Art. 

Art Long Term Overview

At the Husthwaite and Sessay Primary Federation, we offer a variety of ways to help our children develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including understanding of British Values.

SMSC is promoted not only through all of the subjects in our curriculum, but also through our Christian vision, values and ethos which permeate all aspects of school life. We aim to provide opportunities for our children to form their own identity and sense of place and purpose; giving them the confidence to question and discover who they are in the world and face the exciting challenges that lie ahead. Alongside this, we believe in teaching our children to have sound values with an emphasis on respect for others, mutual understanding and a celebration of diversity.

Our children are actively involved in raising money for a variety of events throughout the year such Freddie’s Fight, the local Food Bank, Children in Need, The Dragonfly Schools Foundation and Send a Cow. This enables pupils to develop key skills to equip them to be courageous advocates for the common good, locally and globally.

British Values

British values are embedded in the work of the Federation and they are defined as:

• democracy
• the rule of law
• individual liberty
• mutual respect
• tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC)

The spiritual development of pupils is demonstrated by their:

• ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values in the increasingly diverse world around them.

• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them.

• use of imagination and creativity in their learning.

• willingness to reflect on their experiences.

The moral development of pupils is demonstrated by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England.

• understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions.

• curious about and interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.

The social development of pupils is shown by their:

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

• willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively.

• acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

The cultural development of pupils is shown by their:

• understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and those of others.

• understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain.

• knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain.

• willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities.

• interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their tolerance and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socioeconomic groups in the local, national and global communities.

Intent: 

We have designed our Computing Curriculum to deliver high-quality computing which is at the centre of everyday school life. Children are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.   

We aim to ensure that all pupils:  

• Can appropriately choose to use computing as a tool for learning – and have the skills to do so, ready for Key Stage 3.  
• Are able to express themselves and develop their ideas at a suitable level, with a core focus on e-safety.  
• Have regular opportunities to make informed choices that support their learning across all subjects, making it more meaningful.  
• Understand what algorithms are, how to create programs and that when they go wrong, they need debugging.  
• Are confident, proactive and proficient when using technology. The children are taught the principles of computing including how different types of technology work and how to apply these skills when programming.  
• Access a curriculum that provides the foundations for all children to become globally aware, be equipped with the appropriate skills for future life and be ready for the ever-changing digital world. 
• Study a computing curriculum that ensures a sequential and appropriately pitched curriculum for our children throughout the primary phase. 
• Children will be safe from harm in this school – including the harm that can be found online. 
• Children will be confident users and consumers of online technology – able to enjoy its benefits and manage its risks at school and at home. 
• Children will know what to do, when and why – when something is not as they expected. 
• We recognise that e-safety is a key component of our PSHE teaching and safeguarding responsibilities as a school. 

Implementation: 

Computing at Sessay is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Through our use of Purple Mash, teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic and these are mapped across the school, ensuring that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically. Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic and retrieval opportunities are built into start of each lesson to support the children in remembering more of what they have learnt. This ensures that teaching is informed by the children’s’ starting points. Lessons are designed to provide appropriate support and challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. At the end of each topic, key knowledge is reviewed by the children and rigorously checked by the teacher and consolidated as necessary.  

• Lessons are directly taught – with clear knowledge identified ‘doing IT’ is not the same as ‘learning IT’. Only once skills and knowledge are taught, can they be applied across the curriculum. 
• We have chosen to support our computing curriculum delivery with the Purple Mash scheme of work for computing – ensuring a sequential and appropriately pitched curriculum for our children across school. 
• Children access both windows and apple platforms to ensure they are confident across both major platforms. 
• Children apply skills and knowledge taught confidently across the curriculum as learning and presentation tools. 
• We have extended the scheme by planning additional control technology experiences ‘off screen’, through the use of Beebot’s. 
• Whilst there are specific planned units of work adapted and expectations for all year groups in our school, e-safety is not about ‘one off lessons’; the key messages must be applied, repeated and expected across all aspects of school life. 
• In PSHE lessons, where concepts can be applied to online scenarios, these parallels are made explicit. 
• Supporting parents to reinforce school messages is important – we provide a monthly online safety newsletter; we aim for home expectations to mirror those of school. 

Impact: 

At Sessay the computing curriculum provides the foundations for all children to become globally aware, be equipped with the appropriate skills for future life and be ready for the ever-changing digital world.  

Our pupils will:  

• Be enthusiastic and confident in their approach towards Computing.
• Present as competent and adaptable ‘Computational Thinkers’ who are able to use identified concepts and approaches in all areas of their learning.
• Be able to identify the source of problems and work with perseverance to ‘debug’ them.
• Create and evaluate their own project work.
• Have a secure understanding of the positive applications and specific risks associated with a broad range of digital technology.
• Transition to secondary school with a keen interest in the continued learning of this subject.

Computing Long Term Overview

Intent:  

We have designed our Design and Technology Curriculum to be an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject.    

We aim to ensure that all pupils:  

•  Acquire appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum.  
• Create meaningful cross curricular links with other subjects, such as Mathematics, Science, Computing, Forest schools and Art. Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think and create, to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team.  
•  Use creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values and to evaluate their designs. 

Our Design and Technology curriculum prepares our children and gives them the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences they need to be successful in later life. 

Implementation: 

Design and technology at Sessay is taught in a half termly block, 3 times each academic year using a carefully planned curriculum, supported by the KAPOW Scheme of work

 This is implemented through:  

• Teaching all areas of DT – textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and electrical systems. 
•   Well planned and resourced projects providing children with a hands-on and enriching experience. 
•   A range of skills being taught ensuring that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken 
•   DT being taught as a block half termly, 3 times a year to allow the time needed for the children to be critical, inventive and reflective on their work or interspersed with Art. 
•   Each project from Year 1 to Year 6 addressing the principles of designing, making, and evaluating and incorporating relevant technical knowledge and understanding in relevant contexts.  
• Pupils being introduced to specific designers, chefs, nutritionists, etc. helping them to have an appreciation of human creativity and achievement in the workplace. 

Early Years Foundation Stage – During the EYFS pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities.

They have the opportunities to learn to:   

•  Use different media and materials to express their own ideas.  
•  Use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about form, function and purpose. 
•   Make plans and construct with a purpose in mind using a variety of resources. 
•   Develop skills to use simple tools and techniques appropriately, effectively and safely. 
•   Select appropriate resources for a product and adapt their work where necessary. 
•   Cook and prepare food adhering to good health and hygiene routines. 

Impact:  

Our children as designers will:  

•  Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources.  
•  Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products.  
•  Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD (Computer Aided Design), and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios.  
•  Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key processes, food groups and cooking equipment.  
•  Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world.  
•  Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues.  
•  Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve.  

Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Design and technology.

DT Long Term Overview

Intent:

We have designed our EYFS Curriculum to ensure that all children are happy and successful learners.

As a school, we understand that children learn best when they are absorbed, interested and active. We understand that active learning involves other children, adults, objects, ideas, stimuli and events that aim to engage and involve children for sustained periods. We believe that Early Years education should be as practical as possible and therefore, we are proud that our EYFS setting has an underlying ethos of ‘Learning through play’. Play is essential for children’s development across all areas. Play builds on children’s confidence as they learn to explore, to relate to others around them and develop relationships, set their own goals and solve problems. Children learn by leading their own play and by taking part in play which is guided and scaffolded by adults alongside the Core Principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage. 

These principles are: Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships. Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or carers and children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates.

We have fully embedded as a school the ‘Three Characteristics of Effective Learning’ which are:

• playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go,’
• active learning – children concentrate, keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements,
• creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Our skilled practitioners can develop all aspects of child knowledge and skills through the characteristics above, to give a memorable, enjoyable and effectively unique Early Years experience.

Implementation:

EYFS at Sessay is delivered by focusing on the 7 areas of learning within the Early Years Foundation Stage: 

• communication and language
• physical development
• personal, social and emotional development
• literacy
• mathematics
• understanding the world
• expressive arts and design

The classrooms and outdoor areas are set up with ‘areas of learning’ that will help to support and develop the children. Independent work and activities will be set up for the children to access independently within these areas. These are adapted and changed to meet the children’s needs and to support the individual next steps. Staff will question and support the children to scaffold their play to enable them to be successful independent learners.

Children are statutorily assessed against the Early Learning Goals at the end of Reception but our curriculum is broader than the Early Learning Goals. It aims to exemplify, broaden and balance the curriculum and in many cases, deepen it – encompassing key life skills, experiences and expectations, which are not explicitly part of the ‘Early Years Outcomes’ document. For example, the key aspects of early childhood of table manners, responding to greetings, cooking skills and fitness have all been interwoven into our curriculum. Understanding the World is a central driver to this curriculum. As such, the experiences and expectations detailed within our curriculum plan are seen as vehicles and contexts for learning across all areas of the curriculum.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Impact:

Children’s progress in our Early Years is monitored closely from the moment they start and their unique journey is closely tracked using ‘Target Children’ and the development matters allowing appropriate support and challenge to be put in place where needed. We react quickly to children at risk of falling behind and intervene to accelerate their learning. Our ongoing assessments are integral to our effective teaching and learning. We use both summative and formative assessments in conjunction with each other. Consequently, Good Level of Development in our Early years is consistently in line with National Average or above. Self-esteem blossoms in our Early Years, children are happy, confident and have a sense of belonging, a positive disposition to learning and are well equipped with a broad range of knowledge and skills to begin the next chapter of their educational journey.

We lay the right foundations for future success in school and life and see strong characters emerge who are able to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world.

EYFS Long Term Overview

READING 
Intent: 

We have designed our English Reading Curriculum to make use of a wide variety of high- quality texts. Children are inspired to be independent readers, as well as foster a life-long love of reading. 

We aim to ensure all pupils: 

• Learn to read fluently, as this is fundamental to our children’s education, in order to confidently access all areas of learning and prepare them for the next stage in their life. 
• Know that reading is at the heart of our Curriculum, with children being exposed to a wealth of high-quality texts; instilling a love of reading.
• Are exposed to a range of genres and authors, to encourage broad and rich reading experiences, and deepened understanding. 
• Read high quality whole- class texts as part of our broad and balanced curriculum, as well as individual books matched to their reading ability.
• Expand their vocabulary, which is central to reading practice sessions and learning across the curriculum.

Implementation: 

 Reading at Sessay is implemented through the use of: 

• Reading Practice sessions, in EYFS and KS1, use Little Wandle SSP, Big Cat phonically decodable texts, to develop children’s decoding, prosody and comprehension. Once  children have completed the Little Wandle SSP, in year 2, children will move on to Real Readers, in preparation for KS2. 
• Reading Practice Sessions, in KS2, using a whole class text to develop; vocabulary, retrieval, summarising, inference and deduction.
• A whole class reading approach, that provides a clear structure and sequence, using a wide variety of reading genres, supported by the Hamilton Trust English Scheme of work, this allows our children to learn in a systematic and progressive manner. 
• Home reading books. Whilst on the Little Wandle SSP, children take home the book they are currently reading in class alongside a ‘reading for pleasure’ book. When children move on from the scheme, children take home a book matched to their reading ability.

Impact: 

We know that children enjoy reading as they are able to talk about the books they have read, with enthusiasm and interest. They are able to discuss different authors and stories they have enjoyed reading and make comparisons.  

We know that children make progress in reading as both their fluency and decoding improves, as well as their comprehension skills, enabling them to discuss texts in detail and answer age-appropriate comprehension questions. 

We offer a broad and rich collection of texts to children, which will lead to children becoming confident and engaged readers for life.  

PHONICS AND SPELLING 

Intent

We have designed our English Phonics and Spelling Curriculum to: 

• Deliver a high- quality systematic synthetic phonics programme of proven effectiveness, followed with rigour and fidelity so that children are taught consistently.
• Following completion of the phonics programme, children from Year 2 onwards, will be taught spelling each week, systematically using a spelling programme, so that children are taught consistently. 

Implementation: 

• In EYFS and KS1 all phonics and spellings will be taught using Little Wandle.
• The Little Wandle SSP programme. This will be taught from week 2 in Reception as explicit 20 minute session, ensuring that children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school.
• The systematic daily teaching of phonics has a very high priority throughout EYFS, Key Stage 1 and beyond, therefore same interventions are used to ensure the pace of the phonics programme is maintained.  
• Once children in Year 3 are consistent in their use of all 6 phases of phonics, they will progress on to the No Nonsense Spelling programme, which is continued through to Year 6.
• Children aged 7 upwards, who have not yet mastered their phonics to become fluent, independent readers will receive Little Wandle Rapid Catch up interventions. 

Impact: 

Children will become confident and resilient in tackling unfamiliar words by applying learnt knowledge and skills to segment, blend and read words which are real and nonsense. Children will demonstrate high levels of engagement in phonics and will apply their phonological knowledge when reading and writing and use the working walls to assist them when needed but become increasingly independent in this process.  Children will have an increased recognition of tricky words and high frequency words when reading and apply these when writing. All of this will lead to our children becoming fluent and confident readers and writers by the end of KS1 who read and write for pleasure. Once children progress onto the KS2 curriculum Pupils will be equipped with a strong command of the written word they will amass a varied vocabulary which they can use across the curriculum and spelling accurately and use correct grammar in their work.   

WRITING  

Intent 

We have designed our English Writing Curriculum to: 

• Provide a clear sequence of writing, building on pupils’ prior knowledge, making meaningful connections with reading.
• Through modelling writing, teachers demonstrate high-expectations and the use of appropriate grammatical features, exciting vocabulary and varied punctuation.
• Children are given extended opportunities to write in a range of forms; the curriculum is designed to provide real purpose experiences to promote a love of writing. 
• We encourage consistent and well-presented pieces of written work; providing opportunities to ‘publish’ their work. 

Implementation: 

English Writing at Sessay is taught in blocks of fiction, non-fiction and poetry each term so that children regularly revisit areas of learning to continue to develop skills and commit them to their long-term memory. The English Curriculum is complemented through the use of Hamilton Trust schemes of work. Units are focused around high-quality texts designed to inspire accomplished writing on a wide range of themes. ESPaG objectives are directly linked to the quality texts and genres of writing children are focusing on.  All pupils receive a daily English Lesson and in addition to this, further reading practice and stories to enhance and support their English learning.  

Handwriting is taught in EYFS and KS1 through the use of the KBER Handwriting file. 

Impact: 

We know that writing is inspiring and engaging through evidence of rich, cross- curricular writing opportunities with links made to children’s life experiences and the wider world. 

We know that children make good progress with their writing because they show developing knowledge and skill across a range of genres, through regular opportunities to rehearse grammar, sentence and vocabulary development in both oral and written forms.  

English Long Term Overview

Intent:

We have designed our Geography Curriculum to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world; in other words, to think like a geographer. We want pupils to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and record necessary data in various ways, and analyse and present their findings. We aim to build an awareness of how Geography shapes our lives at multiple scales and over time. We hope to encourage pupils to become resourceful, active citizens who will have the skills to contribute to and improve the world around them.

Our curriculum encourages:

• A strong focus on developing both geographical skills and knowledge.
• Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence.
• The development of fieldwork skills across each year group.
• A deep interest and knowledge of pupils’ locality and how it differs from other areas of the world.
• A growing understanding of geographical concepts, terms and vocabulary.

Implementation:

Geography at Sessay is taught using a carefully planned curriculum, supported by the KAPOW Geography Scheme of work.

It is implemented through:

– half termly topics taught across a two-year rolling programme

– a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning.

– four strands, with a clear progression of skills and knowledge within them across each year group:

• Locational knowledge
• Place knowledge
• Human and physical geography
• Geographical skills and fieldwork

-Cross-curricular links are included throughout, allowing children to make connections and apply their Geography skills to other areas of learning. Our enquiry questions form the basis for our Key stage 1 and 2 units, meaning that pupils gain a solid understanding of geographical knowledge and skills by applying them to answer enquiry questions.

-Each unit contains elements of geographical skills and fieldwork to ensure that fieldwork skills are practised as often as possible. Our units follow an enquiry cycle that maps out the fieldwork process of question, observe, measure, record, and present, to reflect the key elements in the National curriculum.

-Fieldwork includes smaller opportunities on the school grounds to larger-scale visits to investigate physical and human features. Developing fieldwork skills within the school environment and revisiting them in multiple units enables pupils to consolidate their understanding of various methods.

Impact:

Sessay children leave school equipped with a range of skills and knowledge to enable them to study Geography with confidence at Key stage 3. We enable our children to be curious and inspired geographers with respect and appreciation for the world around them alongside an understanding of the interconnection between the human and the physical.

Geography Long Term Overview

Intent:

We have designed our Sessay History Curriculum to be a high-quality history education which will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.

It will inspire pupils to be curious and creative thinkers who develop a complex knowledge of local and national history and the history of the wider world. We want pupils to develop their confidence to think critically, ask questions, and be able to explain and analyse historical evidence.

We aim to build an awareness of significant events and individuals in global, British and local history and for the children to recognise how things have changed over time through supporting pupils in building their understanding of chronology, making connections over periods of time and developing a chronologically-secure knowledge of History.

Implementation:

Our history curriculum is supported by the Kapow scheme of work. History at Sessay is integrated into our curriculum through half termly topics. It is taught discretely and is woven throughout other subjects across the curriculum. It follows the spiral curriculum model where previous skills and knowledge are returned to and built upon. For example, children progress by developing their knowledge and understanding of substantive and disciplinary concepts by experiencing them in a range of historical contexts and periods.

We develop pupils’ understanding of how historians study the past and construct accounts and the skills to carry out their own historical enquiries.

Our history curriculum has five key strands:

• Topic knowledge
• Chronological awareness
• Substantive concepts
• Historical enquiry
• Disciplinary concepts

Children develop their understanding of the following key disciplinary concepts throughout our history curriculum.

• Change and continuity.
• Cause and consequence.
• Similarities and differences.
• Historical significance.
• Historical interpretations.
• Sources of evidence

Hands on, practical experiences are provided to the children as regularly as possible. Visits and visitors are carefully selected termly to enhance the history curriculum. Opportunities to explore local history through learning inside and outside the classroom supports children in understanding their own place in history. IT is used to inspire and enrich our history curriculum and build on skills such as researching.

Impact:

Our children will be historians, equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed on their learning journey in their secondary education. They will be enquiring learners who ask questions and can make suggestions about where to find the evidence to answer the question. They will be critical and analytical thinkers who are able to make informed and balanced judgements based on their knowledge of the past.

History Long Term Overview

Intent: 

Mathematics is an important and creative discipline that helps us to understand and change the world.  

We want all pupils at Sessay to experience the enjoyment and power of mathematics and develop a sense of curiosity about the subject with a clear understanding.  

At Sessay, we build up positive ‘can do’ attitudes and we promote the fact that ‘We can all do Maths!’  

We believe that all children can achieve in Mathematics and teach for a secure and deep understanding of mathematical concepts through manageable steps. We use mistakes and misconceptions as a vital part of learning and provide challenge through rich and sophisticated problems.   

We aim to ensure that all pupils:    

• Become fluent in the basics of mathematics so they develop a secure, conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.  
• Be able to solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of problems with increasing difficulty, including in unfamiliar contexts or real- life situations. 
• Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry and develop and present a justification, argument or proof using accurate mathematical language. 
• Have an appreciation of number and number operations, which enables mental calculations and written procedures (or methods) to be carried out efficiently, fluently and accurately to be successful in mathematics. 

Implementation: 

Maths at Sessay is taught using the White Rose scheme, which is supplemented by other materials where required. From EYFS to Y6 we follow the small steps approach within the scheme, which is based on the national curriculum. We include maths across the curriculum, showing its application in all aspects of life.  e.g. statistics in science/geography.    

Fluency  

Fluency of number and calculations forms part of our daily diet of maths, whether this is a lesson starter or part of an early bird (registration) activity.  Younger pupils will have a counting starter and pupils at the end of KS1 and into KS2 will have arithmetic practice to practise taught skills and knowledge to embed this into their long-term memory through regular revisiting.    

Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract (CPA)  

When concepts are taught children will have access to concrete materials. The types of concrete apparatus we use in class can be seen in our calculation policy.  Maths manipulatives allow children to have a deeper understanding of concepts, to give meaning to those concepts and to make connections more readily. Through the steps of learning children will then be exposed to pictorial and abstract forms of the mathematical concept they are learning about in order to master each step of learning.    

Online Tools  

Additional online tools, such as Times Tables Rock Stars, allow children to practise recall of number facts.   

Whole school events raise the profile of maths within school and allow children to further develop their love of maths.  Some examples of whole events are:  

NSPCC Number Day  

Times Table Rock Stars tournaments  

Census Day  

Impact: 

The impact of our mathematics curriculum is that children understand the relevance and importance of what they are learning in relation to real world concepts. Children know that maths is a vital life skill that they will rely on in many areas of their daily life. Children have a positive view of maths due to learning in an environment where maths is promoted as being an exciting and enjoyable subject in which they can investigate and ask questions; they know that it is reasonable to make mistakes because this can strengthen their learning through the journey to finding an answer. Children are confident to ‘have a go’ and choose the equipment they need to help them to learn along with the strategies they think are best suited to each problem. Our children have a good understanding of their strengths and targets for development in maths and what they need to do to improve. Our maths books evidence work of a high standard of which children clearly take pride; the components of the teaching sequences demonstrate good coverage of fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Our feedback and interventions support children to strive to be the best mathematicians they can be. 

Maths Long Term Overview

Music Implementation 

• Mechanics of instruments (Wooden One-octave Organ For Young Technologists)
• Listening & Appraising (watching productions, such as at Ampleforth College)
• Performance (Young Voices)

Intent:

We have designed our Music Curriculum to inspire and excite children with a range of rich and memorable learning experiences.

We aim to ensure:

• Foster our children’s enthusiasm for the subject, while also giving them the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to support their continued musical journey in and beyond the primary school.
• Allow children to explore the emotional connection to music.
• Give children the opportunity to watch and participate in the performing arts, allowing them to express themselves as musicians.
• Explore other cultures and the diverse world of music.
• We recognise the strong links between music and other curriculum areas.

Implementation:

Music at Sessay is taught based on the Charanga Scheme linked to the Model Music Curriculum.

Music is taught weekly with a focus on the ingredients of music – pulse, pitch, dynamics, rhythm, texture and tempo, as well as listening to, improvising, singing and composing music. Children are taught notation and play tuned instruments including, the ocarina, recorders, glockenspiels and ukuleles.

Each class in school puts on a production during the school year to hone their performing skills.

Professional musicians come into school to showcase musical expertise and give the children musical enrichment. E.g. Sowerby Music, Music for Life. Further to this, pupils get to experience music on educational visits.  These develop musical awareness in a number of areas:

• Mechanics of instruments (Wooden One-octave Organ For Young Technologists)
• Listening & Appraising (watching productions, such as at Ampleforth College)
• Performance (Young Voices)

Impact:

Children at Sessay are provided with a range of opportunities to showcase their musical skills and successes.

Through pupil voice, the children talk enthusiastically about what they love about music.

Children engage as a listener, creator and performer. E.g. During Friday celebration assemblies, children are encouraged to showcase their learning in music. Children are exposed to a range of composers and musical styles through collective worship in line with the Model Music Curriculum.

Through the sequenced curriculum, the children acquire vocabulary, skills and knowledge to progress in the subject.

• Help all pupils achieve the best of their abilities, despite any special educational need or disability they may have. 
• Modify the curriculum to meet individual needs. 
• Ensure that staff are aware of and sensitive to the needs of individual pupils and that teaching is appropriate to meet those needs. 
• To make suitable provision for children with SEND to fully develop their abilities, interests and aptitudes and gain maximum access to the curriculum. 

Music Long Term Overview

Music Development Plan Summary

Intent:

We have designed our French Curriculum to instil a love of language learning and an awareness of other cultures; it is a necessary part in being a member of a multi-cultural society.

We aim to ensure that all pupils:

• Have high aspirations in the four areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing, by providing opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes.
• Develop their oracy skills through speaking confidently and fluently in French, as well as listening and responding to others.
• Use the written form, children will be encouraged to write at length, using the variety of grammatical structures they have learnt.
• Understand and appreciate how exploring another language will help to lay the foundations for further language learning in the future
• Apply their language skills in everyday life, both now and in the future; facilitating future study and opening opportunities to study and work in other countries in the future.
• In line with the national Curriculum, French learning will be focused in KS2, not KS1.

Implementation:

French at Sessay is taught using a carefully planned curriculum, supported by the KAPOW French Scheme of work.

This is implemented through:

• Weekly focused lessons in KS2.
• A spiral curriculum, with key skills and vocabulary being repeatedly revisited- with increasing complexity. This allows pupils to revise and build on their previous learning.
• Cross- curricular links within our planning ensures children have the opportunity to make links and apply their language skills to other areas of their learning.
• Opportunities to communicate for practical purposes around subjects that are familiar and regular routines.
• Communicating in both written and spoken form (Year 3 focuses on developing oral skills primarily).
• Incorporating a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including role-play and language games.
• Focusing on developing an understanding of French grammar through the use of ‘language detective skills’.
• ‘During the week’ activities to incorporate French into the classroom environment, outside of timetabled French lessons.

Impact:

At Sessay, French is assessed throughout lessons using ‘assessment through learning’. This helps to determine pupils’ understanding and their ability to apply what they have learnt to either a piece of written or oral work.  Pupils are given opportunities to practise their language skills outside of their French lessons and also apply these skills to learning other languages.

Pupils are enthusiastic and show an enjoyment in learning French.  This positive attitude gives pupils the confidence to speak, listen, read and write in another language and hold purposeful conversations with others.

MFL French Long Term Overview

Intent:

Our Science Curriculum, which is supported by the Hamilton Trust scheme of work, gives all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to enable them to ‘work scientifically’. We want our children to be naturally curious learners and to subsequently channel this curiosity into thinking of their own scientific questions. Our stimulating, engaging and challenging learning environment provides our children with opportunities to develop their scientific enquiry skills within all topics studied.

We aim to ensure that all pupils:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.
• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of scientific enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them.
• are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
• are encouraged to become independent scientists and take the lead in planning investigations for their own scientific based questions. They will be encouraged to plan their own experiments whilst managing any risks associated with their methods.
• have a broad scientific vocabulary. Scientific language is taught and built upon as topics are revisited in different year groups and across key stages.
• understand how science is closely related to the other disciplines within STEM.
• are inspired by the work of past and present scientists. Studying the work of a range of scientists will give our children an insight into the many paths available to them for their future careers.

Implementation:

Science at Sessay is taught through a discrete weekly lesson and is reinforced through cross-curricular activities at every opportunity.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), teaching is planned through adult supported teaching and learning. Weekly opportunities to informally develop children’s understanding of the world through child-initiated activities and routines are capitalised upon.

In Key Stage 1 (KS1) and 2 (KS2) knowledge and understanding is informed by the National Curriculum and builds progressively throughout. Key skills are mapped for each year group which are in accordance with the Working Scientifically skills expectations of the National Curriculum. The curriculum is designed to ensure that children are able to acquire key scientific knowledge through practical experiences and develop the skills required to allow them to use equipment confidently, conduct experiments with aptitude, explain scientific concepts confidently and debate the most appropriate way to tackle problems and to test out ideas.

Working scientifically and scientific enquiry skills are integrally taught within all lessons and are introduced to our youngest children in the Early Years Foundation Stage so that these important skills are embedded at an early age.

Our teaching and learning support our curriculum by ensuring that lessons build on prior learning and provide opportunities for guided and independent practice. At the start of each topic, teachers take time to link back to previous learning to find out what the children already understand. This is then used as the foundations for future lessons to ensure progression in the children’s knowledge and scientific enquiry skills.

Teachers create a positive attitude to science learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards in science. Children are introduced to each science unit with knowledge which focus on key learning, concepts, vocabulary and scientists, both past and present, in their fields such as Darwin, Edison, Curie and Newton.

Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and be given opportunities to use their scientific skills and research to discover the answers. Scientific vocabulary is modelled throughout lessons enabling our children to be familiar with and use vocabulary accurately.  To support the well-structured and progressive curriculum, the school makes use of a range of engaging resources such as those provided by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). We are committed to outdoor learning and offer a range of practical, outdoor learning experiences including lessons at our Forest Schools.

Science curriculum days, which coincide with British Science Week, ensure that the children’s knowledge is put into context and enriched. School trips and visitors into school give children opportunities to explore concepts in more depth and access expert knowledge.

Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess pupils regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all pupils keep up. Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.

At the heart of science teaching at Sessay is our commitment to practical, explorative and investigative learning. We believe in a hands-on approach where children learn by doing it for themselves. This approach encourages our children to build resilience and become creative, critical thinkers.

Impact:

At Sessay our high quality science curriculum is fun and engaging to provide all learners with the foundations they require to better their understanding of the world around them. Through carefully planned activities and first- hand experiences, children at Sessay develop a love of science and speak enthusiastically about their learning using appropriate scientific vocabulary. Children retain prior learning and make connections between what they have previously learned and what they are currently learning. They are confident to raise their own scientific questions and, armed with their working scientifically skills and knowledge of the different enquiry types, they become increasingly independent in completing pupil led investigations. Through various workshops, trips and interactions with experts, children have the understanding that science has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity.

Through this curriculum our children have the tools and knowledge to create high aspirations for their future study, careers and adult life.

Science Long Term Overview

Our daily assemblies include an act of Collective Worship. On Fridays we have a Celebration Assembly in St Cuthbert’s Church when children’s work and achievements are celebrated.  We also visit church on a number of occasions throughout the year, for example Christmas, Education Sunday and at Easter time. The whole community is invited to join us in church every Friday and for our other special assemblies.

Parents have the right to withdraw their child from Religious Education and the Collective Act of Worship.  Please contact the Head Teacher if you wish to discuss this option.

This half term our Christian Value is ‘Creativity’. 

Intent:

We have designed our RE Curriculum to prepare our pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in modern Britain. Religious Education has an important and central place within our curriculum as a whole. As well as the study of Christianity as a living and diverse faith, our curriculum includes learning about a range of religions and worldviews, fostering respect for others.

Through our RE curriculum and based on the strands of Believing, Expressing and Living.

We aim to ensure that all pupils:

• Know about and understand a range of religions and worldviews.
• Express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews.
• Gain and deploy the skills needed to engage seriously with religions and worldviews.

At Sessay RE is a lively, active subject, we employ a variety of teaching methods including art; music; discussion; the development of thinking skills; drama; the use of artefacts, pictures, stories; the use of periods of stillness and reflection. Concepts and values are explored both through discrete RE lessons, Faith Days, Curriculum Enrichment Days, visitors and visits to local places of worship or enrichment.

Implementation:

RE at Sessay is taught through discrete RE lessons weekly and wherever possible, children visit linked places of worship, or meet those of the faith which they are discussing. Where comfortable, we invite children and families of faith to share their faith and family life to root children’s understanding within their own community.

• The RE curriculum is extended and supplemented by a range of Collective Worship activities and units from ‘Understanding Christianity’ resource.
• RE substantive knowledge is taught explicitly through direct teaching of key knowledge, using the NYCC Agreed RE Syllabus. This was chosen, after extensive research, as it is progressive and reflects a range of religions, as well as non-religious world views. It was revised in the light of the OFSTED RE research review of 2021 and it allows children to develop and build on their prior learning.
• Children will interrogate and investigate key religious texts and stories or works of art in order to develop their own response to religious works, this includes drama, art and visits.
• Children will discuss, question and make links to themselves, others and between faiths with respect and confidence.

Impact:

The children at Sessay enjoy learning about other religions and why people choose, or choose not to follow a religion. Through their R.E. learning, the children are able:

• to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world
• develop an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life
• extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and beliefs
• develop a religious vocabulary and interpret religious symbolism in a variety of forms
• reflect on questions of meaning, offering their own thoughtful and informed insights into religious and secular world-views
• explore ultimate questions of beliefs and values in relation to a range of contemporary issues in an ever-changing society

As such, R.E. is invaluable in an ever changing and shrinking world.

RE Long Term Overview

Intent:

We have designed our PE Curriculum to include outdoor games; indoor activities and educating children about healthy lifestyles and fitness.   The children receive specialist teaching for some areas of PE. Both the PE / Sport’s curriculum and Extra-Curricular Sports Programme at Sessay develops children’s knowledge and skills through a wide range of sports and activities which they greatly enjoy, whilst developing their social and emotional well-being.

We aim to ensure:

• To maintain the high profile of PE and Sport across the school.
• To inspire all children to develop a lifelong love of sport for the improvement and maintenance of physical and mental health.
• To allow all children to maintain high levels of physical fitness and understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise and a broad, balanced diet.
• To link with local sporting providers to ensure that children who are keen or capable have access to community sporting groups to deepen their interest and hone their skills
• To equip all children with an array of skills that they can confidently practise and apply.
• To engage all pupils in regular physical activity, from Year 1 onwards, receiving at least 2 PE lessons each week and all children having the opportunity to represent the school at competitions.
• EYFS children experience 1 hour of formal PE in addition to their outdoor physical learning opportunities.
• To enhance participation in competitive sport and for children to develop key skills of ‘sports personship’.
• To experience new sports and different sporting careers, by celebrating sport outside as well as inside school.
• For children to be active learners across the whole curriculum for example using ‘Active Maths’ and taking part in brain breaks throughout the day.
• To encourage the school’s values and a growth mindset so children can master self-improvement and effort.

Implementation:

PE at Sessay is taught formally for two hours each week in Y1-Y6, with one hour in reception, plus the outdoor approach to the reception curriculum. Active learning threads through the whole of our curriculum. Following extensive research, we have chosen ‘Twinkl Move’ to support us in the planning and teaching of PE.

• Key underpinning skills and concepts are taught progressively across EYFS and KS1, which then broaden out into specific sports across KS2.
• Our PE learning is linked to our Outdoor Curriculum and Forest School.

We are keen to engage with the local cluster in sporting events for non-competitive and competitive sports. It is an effective way to cement the relationship between primary and secondary organisations and develops children’s skills in becoming young leaders of sport.

Impact:

For many years we have achieved Gold Sports Mark which demonstrates the commitment, we as a school, give PE and Sport. The data gathered annually for this report shows that our pupils:

• Understand the benefits of exercise on both physical and mental health.
• Have improved fitness levels.
• Have a positive and engaged attitude towards PE / physical activity.
• Have developed flexibility, strength, technique, control, agility, co-ordination and balance. They have mastered basic movements including; running, jumping, throwing and catching and are able to apply these to a range of sports.
• Have taken their interest and enthusiasm for a particular type of sport and continued to pursue it out of school.
• Have increased self-esteem through representing the school in competitions and festivals involving other schools.

Leave us able to swim 25 metres and able to demonstrate safe self-rescue. We measure impact using lesson observations, pupil voice and questionnaires home.

PE Long Term Overview

PSHE Long Term Overview