It is important to us that all children should feel safe and secure as they experience for the first time a prolonged period of separation from home. Values such as honesty, being fair, being truthful and taking care of people and possessions are encouraged. Feelings and behaviour are explored through story, RE, drama and discussion.
In the Foundation Stage children cover the following areas of the curriculum:
- Knowledge and Understanding of the World
- Communication, Language and Literacy
- Mathematical Development
- Creative Development
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
For us the consistency of relationships in all aspects of school life is important in shaping children’s regard for themselves and others.
The children learn to respect different cultures and customs through art, music, play, stories and RE. The curriculum develops an awareness of the lives and work of people both in the school and in the wider community. It also develops an awareness of change over time through talking about their own growth and family events. Children learn to read and write through meaningful activities.
Key Stage 1 and 2
The children learn in an attractive and safe environment to:
- Develop independence
- Cooperate with others
- Respect the feelings, beliefs and the way of life of others
- Develop confidence and self esteem
- Be well motivated
- Develop self discipline
- Make decisions for themselves
- Be caring, tolerant and considerate towards each other
- Develop their own moral code
- Communicate with their peers and adults
By curriculum we mean all the subject areas taught to your child in school. The MAIN subjects taught are called the National Curriculum Core Subjects. These are:
ENGLISH
Includes speaking, listening, reading, writing, spelling, handwriting.
Our aims are:
Oral Communication (speaking and listening)
To develop the children's skills in expressing themselves clearly and purposefully and to use a varied vocabulary.
Reading
To encourage a love of reading and to develop reading skills so that reading is meaningful. We use a wide range of literature to develop critical appreciation.
Written Language
To encourage children to want to become writers from their first days in school; to give them the skills and the opportunity to express themselves and their ideas clearly and imaginatively.
We follow the National Literacy Strategy, which advises that all children spend an hour per day working as a class on aspects of English. This includes the whole class sharing some written text together, work on spelling, grammar and comprehension, and group activities at different ability levels.
MATHEMATICS
Includes knowledge, skills, understanding and use of numbers, algebra, measurements, shapes, space and data handling.
Our aims are for children to be able to handle numbers with confidence; to encourage a positive attitude to mathematics, developing their ability to think clearly and logically; to manipulate numbers, measurements, and shapes confidently; to solve problems and to handle data effectively.
The National Numeracy Strategy was launched in schools. It is recommended that all pupils spend 45 - 60 minutes a day working as a class on mathematics, with a range of teaching styles and strategies from whole class explanation and discussion, to group work, individual and paired work and investigational activities. A lot of time is to be spent on mental calculation and investigation of calculation strategies.
SCIENCE
Includes exploration of science, living things, energy, forces and materials. We aim for pupils to develop the ability to relate science to everyday life, to express and communicate their findings in a variety of ways and to plan and hypothesise on what might happen. They develop these skills through observations and investigations into natural objects and phenomena, themselves and other living things, energy, forces and materials.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
We aim for all children to use ICT tools and information effectively to analyse, process and present information. We aim to equip our pupils to live in a technological age, teaching them how to access and use ICT across the curriculum. Key Stage 1 and 2 children can access the Internet as a vital learning tool.
The additional areas of study of the National Curriculum are called the Foundation Subjects which are essential to a balanced education. These are:
HISTORY
In History children look at past events, beginning with their own experiences, using the local area as a starting point to explore what the past was like. They develop a sense of chronology, and begin to explore why things happened as they did. Periods such as Romans, Ancient Greece and Britain since the 1930’s are taught.
GEOGRAPHY
We focus on our environment as a geographical area and then begin to look beyond our familiar surroundings, looking at the natural and man-made environment, and reasons why the landscape and populated areas have evolved.
TECHNOLOGY
We aim for children to develop design and technology capabilities. By exploring familiar objects and environments, children will work with a variety of materials to develop and communicate their own ideas and design, make, test and assess simple models and constructions.
ART/MUSIC/DRAMA
We aim to give children the skills to express themselves through a variety of media to develop their own aesthetic awareness and their appreciation of the work of others. We offer recorder lessons and musical tuition through the Northamptonshire Music Service to pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 in violin, clarinet, oboe, flute and brass. We also have a super school orchestra that children are encouraged to join. As places are limited children have a simple audition. We have to charge for tuition.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
All children take part in a varied physical education programme. They will experience a range of team and individual sports as well as developing aesthetic skills through dance and gymnastics. In Key Stage 2 all children will visit Brackley Swimming Pool on a rota basis for swimming lessons. The children have access to fun equipment to use in lunch-time play which supports their physical development.
We also have lunchtime sports clubs and after-school clubs that include basketball, football, athletics etc.
If your child has pierced ears they need to be able to remove their studs themselves before taking part in sport. For health and safety reasons your child will not be able to take part in outside PE if he/she does not have a PE kit in school. A reminder note will be sent home. Indoor PE is done in bare feet unless a doctor requests otherwise.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
As a Church of England Aided School, Culworth has strong bonds with its local church. Religious Education is taught throughout the school. The Rector and other members of the church community visit the school on a regular basis to take assembly.
Assemblies are held daily. These are either in classes, groups or as a whole school. We begin the day with a Class Prayer which the children have written.
The ethos of the school is based on sound Christian principles whilst acknowledging the need for recognition and respect for other beliefs and faiths. Parents have the right to request withdrawal of their child from this area of the curriculum.
SEX EDUCATION AND DRUGS
We share the responsibility of educating our pupils with their parents and guardians. Sex education is presented within a Christian and moral framework. Carefully monitored, structured TV programmes are used in Year 5 and 6 with parental knowledge and consent. Throughout the school questions are answered frankly and naturally as they arise in the course of general class work.
The school takes a pro-active role in drug education. Awareness is taught through Personal, Social and Health Education, Science and English. The school actively co-operates with the community police, social services, the LEA and Health Authority.
In Year 6 all children take part in a programme designed to prepare them for the transition to secondary school.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Every child has the chance to participate fully in school activities irrespective of gender or race. The school has policies on Racism and Equal Opportunities which are available on request.
CITIZENSHIP AND CULTURAL AWARENESS
At Culworth School each individual is respected and valued. Awareness and respect for people from other cultures is taught through Art, Literature, RE, History, Geography and Music. Throughout the year visitors celebrate aspects of these cultures with the children. Values and relationships are promoted.
HOMEWORK
We increase the amount of homework that we give the children as they move through the school and use the National Homework Guidelines for Primary and Secondary Schools. This is in line with the DfES guidelines that were issued in 1998.
- Years 1 and 2. 1 hour a week on reading, spelling, other Literacy work and number work with occasional assignments in other subjects.
- Years 3 and 4. 1 1/2hours a week on Literacy and Numeracy with occasional assignments in other subjects
- Year 5 and 6. 30 minutes a day with a suggested weekly schedule, continuing on emphasis on Literacy and Numeracy and other areas of the curriculum.
Homework is given to children each Friday for the following week. Please could your child return it to school on the next Thursday. The children are encouraged to complete it neatly and independently where appropriate. You are welcome to help/support your child with their homework. Please could you add a comment to say how you have helped, in order to show the teacher your child’s true understanding.
TEACHING STYLES
A variety of teaching styles is used to deliver the curriculum. Sometimes the whole class is involved, in discussion or instruction, as in Literacy or Numeracy lessons, in specific skills teaching in subjects such as ICT, or in a whole class activity such as P.E. or drama. At other times teachers work with a group of children who may be at a similar level, a mixed ability group or with individual children, whichever teaching method may be most appropriate for the children’s needs. Children also learn from each other through co-operating in groups and working independently on set tasks.
Teachers usually plan work for their class using a theme that covers the concepts they want to teach. These themes have been devised through whole staff agreement and form a Planning Policy, which is followed by each class. Each theme covers the appropriate curriculum areas, whilst other subjects such as
English, Maths and I.T. are taught alongside the current theme. Teachers base the work on practical activities and first hand experiences using, where appropriate, a wide variety of methods for the children to record what they have discovered - written reports, graphs, poems, tape-recordings, pictures, prints, models, charts, etc.
ASSESSMENT
Careful records are kept to inform us about children’s progress and on areas for future development in all curriculum areas. Progress is discussed with parents at two parents’ evenings in the Autumn Term and Spring Term and a full report is sent in the summer term.
Foundation Stage Profile
During their first year of school Reception children are assessed through observation and discussion, ensuring they are meeting the requirements of the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. These assessments are kept in a portfolio for each child and are shared with the parents.
Standard Statutory Tasks
The children in Year 2 are assessed using the Statutory Standard Tasks during the year. The children in Year 6, at the end of Key Stage 2, are assessed using Statutory Standard Tasks in accordance with the Government Policy.
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Any child with learning difficulties in any area of the curriculum will receive extra support from both the class teacher and classroom assistants, working in a small group or individually on specific tasks aimed at tackling areas of difficulty. The special needs coordinator gives advice, helps set up programmes of support and monitors Special Needs across the school. Occasionally we might ask for extra support or advice from the local authority’s Pupils Support Service (IPS) and if this occurs parents are always consulted.