Foundation Curriculum

Geography, History, Art and Design, Design Technology and Music

We follow the National Curriculum for Geography, History, Art and Design, Design Technology and Music. These documents identify and group subject objectives into those for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children. All of our humanities and creative arts studies happen through our connected curriculum adventures. Teachers will always look for links between subjects so that connections can be made, for example, as to how the geographical natural landscape has affected the history of the people who have inhabited that region. When studying a period of history or an area of our world, studies will expand to look at the creative people that relate to that era or country. Significant artist, inventors, architects and designers are studied along with their work and this serves as an inspirational starting point for our children’s own independent or group work. In many cases the music of the people from that point in history or nation is explored, leading to opportunities for children to create their own compositions based on what they have heard.

For more information on the National Curriculum for Geography, History, Art and Design, Design Technology and Music please follow the links below:

To view the breakdown of objectives for each subject please follow these links:

Religious Education

We follow The Staffordshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education which is broken down into year groups and themes allowing exploring, engaging and reflecting on subject knowledge and faith concepts. The three curriculum aims are supported by six broad dimensions:

Beliefs, teachings and sources
Practices and ways of life
Expressing meaning
Identity, diversity and belonging
Meaning, purpose and truth
Values and commitments

We use the resource ‘Discovery RE’ to direct learning around challenging ‘Big Questions’ and help teachers assess pupils’ progress accurately through Discovery RE’s attainment target descriptors.

For more information on the Agreed Syllabus’ year by year objectives for RE please follow the link below:

The Staffordshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education

For more information about Discovery RE, please follow this link: https://discoveryschemeofwork.com/

RE Long Term Plan

Promoting British Values at The John Bamford Primary School

The DfE has recently reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”

The Government sets out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values were reiterated in 2014. At our school we ensure these values are reinforced regularly by being embedded into our adventure style learning, and by being included within our assembly themes.

Relationships, Sex and Health Education | (RSHE)

Discreet units of sex and relationship education are taught to Years 5 and 6 building upon the earlier PSHE programme which deals with keeping safe, growing and changing, feelings and emotions, healthy relationships, valuing difference and rights and responsibilities.

Issues and questions are dealt with in a sensitive and appropriate way. The lessons within Years 5 and 6 are carefully planned and delivered using a range of approved resources, which are based on relationships and puberty. Some aspects are taught within the science curriculum. Parents are informed when these lessons take place. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from the discrete units in Years 5 and 6 and this should be done in writing to the Headteacher.

Computing

At The John Bamford School, we follow the Teach Computing Curriculum, which is developed by National Centre for Computing Education. The resources are underpinned by 12 principles of Computing Pedagogy:

Lead with Concepts
Work together
Get hands on
Unplug, unpack, repack
Model everything
Forster program cohesion
Create projects
Add variety
Challenge misconceptions
Make concrete
Structure lessons
Read and explore code first

Elements from Teach Computing have been incorporated into the Early Years Foundation Stage medium term plans to support objectives from Development Matters. A progression of carefully sequenced learning activities over the primary phase enables children to succeed in meeting the National Curriculum Attainment Targets for Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6). Children are passionate about their computing lessons and are able to build on skills lesson after lesson.

For More information on the Teach Computing Curriculum, please follow the link below:

https://teachcomputing.org/curriculum

Computing Long Term Plan

Languages | KS2 - Years 3, 4, 5 and 6

Following consultation with our local secondary schools, we have chosen to teach French to our children in Key Stage 2. We follow the National Curriculum for Languages which has a broad set of objectives for all children from Years 3 to 6. To ensure our children are being taught the fundamentals of language skills, they are taught by a visiting French teacher, Madame Rowsell, from Lingotot. Our curriculum is designed skilfully so by the end of Year 6, children are able to communicate in French in full sentences, both written and verbally. Madame Rowsell’s immersive teaching methods enable children to achieve this by gradually building their knowledge over the four years of Key Stage 2 through learning exciting songs, playing speaking and listening games and engaging with written resources.

Learning of French does not just begin at Key Stage 2 though. In our school, children are immersed in languages throughout Key Stage 1. Children become familiar with the basics of the French language through the use of French songs and stories, answering the register in French and counting in French. This allows for a smooth transition into learning more complex language skills in Year 3.

For more information on the National Curriculum for Languages, please follow the link below:

National Curriculum for Languages (KS2)

For more information about Lingotots, please follow the link below:

https://www.lingotot.com/