Subjects

Early Years

 

English

 Literacy Overview

Intent:

We believe it is our responsibility at Whitfield Aspen School to ensure that our children are not disenfranchised from the community due to their lack of fluent communication with others, whether this be through speaking and writing, or in how others communicate with them, through reading. Our lessons will be clearly sequenced so that children are building on what they have been taught before, always being supported by ambitious text choices (including regular exposure to poetry and noted literature), specific and co-constructed modelling, use of high-level vocabulary and giving children lots of opportunities to practice. Concepts taught by the teacher will be revisited regularly, developing independence of application to a wide range of contexts. Our teachers will place an emphasis on spoken language: reading to them daily; allowing children to regularly read out loud to their peers and modelling considered discussions on a range of subject matters.  Our children are individuals, each with their own pathway to success. We celebrate and support the progress made by all of our children along their pathways.

Implementation:

Whitfield Aspen School use the depth of learning approach to teaching and learning. This has clear application in the teaching of Literacy across the school. Namely, teachers will always establish how secure a child’s learning is in a subject before teaching new knowledge, understanding that learning is built upon prior knowledge and that adjustments may need to be made to ensure that any new learning is appropriate and challenging to the current knowledge of the child.

Teachers will focus on a child achieving fluency in their learning, acquiring the accuracy, automaticity and prosody (in reading) before deepening their understanding around a subject matter. Techers will initially explain, model and scaffold new learning before ensuring that children have opportunities for independence of application in Literacy and across the curriculum. We inherently know the impact of regular spoken communication with children. Our lessons will provide children with opportunities to read out loud, discuss and debate. Teachers will model the spoken language sympathetically and consistently. Teachers will encourage reading for pleasure, regularly sharing a whole class read and using this as an opportunity to develop comprehension of a text, creating worlds, characters and plots the children can fully absorb themselves into.

Impact:

Teachers at Whitfield Aspen School will follow Dylan Wiliam’s formative assessment theory, regularly unpicking a child’s understanding of Literacy knowledge and skills.

Formative assessment will, more often than not, be established through questioning in the classroom. However, teachers may also use written assessments, such as phonics checks, reading speed passages or reading and SpAG assessments, to establish whether children have secured basic understanding. Any gaps in learning will be established systematically with appropriate whole class teaching or small group interventions being put in place to secure understanding. To ensure that children are reinforcing their long term understanding of a subject, teachers will provide their classes with regular opportunities to practice their learning through continuous provision.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Teachers know their children best and will adopt assessment methods to ensure they understand where each individual sits in their understanding of a subject.

Teachers will regularly converse with one another, including to members of the Literacy team, to reflect on the attainment of the children in their class and how they will ensure that their teaching leads to children learning. We know that this assessment process happens in the majority minute by minute, and day by day, not at the end of a sequence of learning. When end of term assessments are adopted, these will be used by a teacher formatively to identify adaptations to future teaching. The Literacy team will support members of staff in unpicking this information. The Literacy team will support all members of staff in the teaching and learning of Literacy at Whitfield Aspen School, through coaching, reciprocal sharing of ideas and moderation. It is our aim to support teachers in the delivery of the curriculum through professional conversations and specific professional development, where necessary.

Partnerships with parents

Whitfield Aspen School works in partnership with the parents and carers of our children. Teachers will celebrate the successes of the children with parents and carers through for example, publishing work on the school’s website and social media accounts, telephoning to explain the achievements of their child and encouraging children to speak to their grown-ups about the books they are reading and lessons they are being taught. Whitfield Aspen School will support parents and carers in reading with their children at home, demonstrating effective but simple strategies to build their child’s fluency in reading and oracy at home. 

Mathematics

Mathematics Overview

 Intent:

Mathematics is important in everyday life and, with this is mind, the purpose of Mathematics at Whitfield Aspen School is to develop an ability to solve problems, to reason, to think logically and to work systematically, accurately and to make connections with the real world. All children are challenged and encouraged to reach their full potential in Maths. New mathematical concepts are introduced using a ‘Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract’ approach; enabling all children to experience hands-on learning when discovering new mathematical topics, and allows them to have clear models and images to aid their understanding. Arithmetic and basic math skills are practised regularly to ensure key mathematical concepts are embedded and children can recall this information to see the links between topics in Maths.

 

Implementation:

Maths at Whitfield Aspen School: 

• Maths is taught daily following White Rose small steps for Pathway 4. All other pathways differ, please see appropriate documents.

• A range of reasoning and problem solving resources are used to challenge all children and give them the opportunity to deepen their understanding.

• Children are taught altogether and are able to access the same opportunities to achieve. Adaptive teaching is applied to ensure all pupils are able to succeed.

• Lessons use a Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract approach to guide children through their understanding of mathematical processes. 

• Retrieval opportunities are planned into lesson to ensure prior learning is revisited.

• When appropriate, homework is set to develop and review children's learning. 

• Where possible, links are made with other subjects across the curriculum

Impact:

As a result of our Maths teaching at Whitfield Aspen School you will see:

• Engaged children who are all challenged.

• Confident children who can all talk about Maths and their learning and the links between Mathematical topics.

• Lessons that use a variety of resources to support learning.

• Different representations of mathematical concepts.

• Learning that is tracked and monitored to ensure all children make good progress.

 

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Summative assessment is carried out using White Rose assessment papers for Pathway 4 Years 1-5. Year 6 revisit old SATS papers. Teachers then identify areas of strengths and areas that need developing further.

• Teachers to highlight small step trackers to ensure curriculum coverage.

• Pupil data is entered on Chris Quigley 3 x yearly.

• Maths subject leaders to monitor, evaluate and give feedback inline with action plan.

• Pathway 1-3 have their own cognition & learning assessments.

Partnerships with parents

• Calculation policy is shared with parents on Whitfield Aspen’s website.

• Regular communication through class teachers.

• Parents evenings

• School reports

 

Science

 

Intent

 

At Whitfield Aspen Primary School we believe that teaching and learning in Science should stimulate and excite children’s curiosity about the world around them.  It provides first-hand experiences and support for children to develop enquiring minds, learning how to question and discuss science through collaboration.  Starting from the views already held, children are given the opportunity to have their views challenged, to change their views, and ultimately improve their understanding.  A planned range of practical work in meaningful contexts helps to develop a range of investigative skills and allows children to take risks and learn from their mistakes, developing them into independent learners.

We aim to:-  

• build on the children’s natural curiosity.  

• teach the children scientific knowledge.  

• teach the children scientific skills.  

• stimulate them to investigate, question, and develop attitudes toward science.  

• teach them to communicate ideas using appropriate scientific language.  

• teach them how to evaluate their findings and suggest explanations 

 Implementation

 Science is taught in every Pathway. The different aspects to Science teaching at Whitfield Aspen are:   

• ‘Working Scientifically’ - Throughout each unit, the emphasis is on the children learning by doing. The units of work encourage the teachers to provide activities that will enable the children to test their previously held ideas. In doing so, they will also be encouraged to develop a bank of skills and an understanding of the processes required to be able to carry out a successful science enquiry.   

• Scientific vocabulary - Each unit of work contains a section outlining the most appropriate scientific vocabulary to be used when studying that particular area of science. This will help children become familiar with, and use, technical terminology accurately and precisely. At the beginning of each unit, a Vocabulary Planner is included in the children’s books with relevant vocabulary they will come across throughout the unit.   

• Resources–We have an extensive list of resources that are available to teachers to support the learning that occurs in lessons and across each unit of work.   

• Engagement - Within every unit of work there are many suggestions as to strategies that teachers can use to ensure that children are interested and engaged in the content from the very beginning.   

• Scientists - Every unit of work lists some of the scientists who are working, or have worked, in that particular area of science. Teachers can use these to extend the children’s understanding of different scientific discoveries.  

•  A range of learning strategies - As well as the full range of practical scientific enquiries outlined, there are plenty of other strategies provided to engage the children in their science learning; drama, deep thinking time, problem-solving in various contexts, videos from web pages, etc.   

  For pupils whow are working at a non subject specific level of development, they access the curriculum by using The Engagement model. This has 5 areas of engagement, which are exploration, realization, anticipation, persistence and initiation.  

• The role of ICT in supporting pupils learning in science is recognised   

• The emphasis of this being placed on enabling each pupil to progress and demonstrate achievements in contexts appropriate to their age   

• Pupils learn in a variety of styles e.g. individually, in pairs, small groups or as classes   

• Pupils participate in a variety of practical activities using a range of equipment appropriate to their individual needs   

• The units can be delivered to the pupils via a wide range of sensory experiences; therefore science has its value for PMLD pupils.    

 Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Special Provision, Science is developed through purposeful play-based experiences which are represented in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments. The Long-term plan focuses on the expectations from Development Matters / Early Years Outcomes and our own bespoke Pathway curriculum.   

 Children are encouraged to record their scientific thinking and the expectation of formal recording increases during the year. Photographic evidence and discussions with the children are a main aspect of Science learning in EYFS and Special Provision. The Forest School is also used on a weekly basis to give the children the opportunity to explore and discover the world they live in.  

 Impact

 Most children will achieve age-related expectations in Science at the end of their cohort year.   

• Children will retain knowledge, relevant to Science with a real-life context.    

• Children will be able to question ideas and reflect on knowledge.    

• Children will work collaboratively and practically to investigate and experiment.    

• Children will be able to explain the process they have taken and be able to reason scientifically  

• Pathway 1: Pupils begin to communicate intentionally. They show anticipation in response to familiar people, routines, activities and actions and respond appropriately to them. They explore or manipulate objects, toys, artefacts or other equipment. 

  Monitoring and Evaluation 

 The Science curriculum is implemented through the planning, teaching and assessment of the subject as a specific discipline in each milestone group. The teaching of Science is designed to make purposeful links between subjects where possible.

 Class teachers assess children that are working towards the expected standard in each unit. Children are assessed against their knowledge and also their ability to work scientifically. During each teaching sequence or ‘unit’ of science, teachers collect evidence and make summative assessments of each child’s progress and attainment against the defined milestones. Subject Leaders and teachers share an overview of children not meeting pathway/milestone group expectation. This ensures that any children not meeting expectations are identified and support can be put in place if necessary.  

 Teachers at Whitfield Aspen Primary School build on prior learning. The Reception class and Special Provision deliver Science content through the ‘Understanding of the World’ strand of the EYFS curriculum and Pathway 2. This involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment. They are assessed according to the Development Matters attainment targets.  

 Partnerships with parents 

 Shared experiences with parents are highly valued at Whitfield Aspen School. We endeavour to share our science learning experiences through the Class Pages on our websites and when events take place at school, where possible, parents will be invited to attend or view these. 
We welcome any parents who wish to support the teaching and learning of Science at school. 

Religious Education

 

Religious Education Overview

Intent:
The principal aim of Religious Education (RE) is to assist children in their own search for meaning and 
purpose in life by examining those aspects of human experience which give rise to fundamental 
questions. 
RE provides, within the curriculum, a reminder that education concerns the whole person: body, mind 
and spirit. It seeks to provide children with knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other major religious traditions represented in contemporary society. The diversity of religious beliefs and practices should be appreciated. Children should be given the opportunity to develop an understanding of ultimate questions and religious and non-religious responses to them. 
For pupils with SEND, RE can enable these pupils to:
• Explore their feelings
• Enhance their sense of worth
• Help them develop positive attitudes both about themselves and others.
We value the importance of sensory awareness in RE lessons. A great deal can be learnt about the world in this way. Religious concepts may be difficult to understand but curiosity can be encouraged by letting children feel the crunch of Autumn leaves, the smoothness or acorns; the smell of freshly baked bread. 

Implementation:
We follow the Kent Agreed Syllabus and across both the Mayfield and Richmond school sites, RE is taught in a range of ways including; role-play, story telling, discussion, theme work, reflection, use of visitors and use of the local community. RE can be part of cross-curricular themes, and can be linked with acts of worship, e.g. in Science – a respect and awe for the natural world is fostered when learning about Space or Life Cycles.
Teachers offer new insights to provoke discussion and questions to help children to be more aware of 
their own worth, to respect the views of others, and to show them consideration.
RE teaching does not seek to 
• merely convey information about religions
• convert pupils to a particular religious viewpoint or tradition
• compromise pupils’ integrity by promoting the view of any one religion as superior to others.
Teachers have the flexibility to teach RE weekly or to block their lessons as they see fit. 

Impact:
By the time pupils leave our school, our aim is that their RE lessons will have provided the opportunities to develop the following skills:
Pathway 1: Pupils begin to communicate intentionally. They show anticipation in response to familiar 
people, routines, activities and actions and respond appropriately to them. They explore or manipulate objects, toys, artefacts or other equipment.
Pathway 2: Pupils express and communicate their feelings in different ways. 
Pathway 3: Pupils listen attentively and respond to religious stories or to people talking about religion. 
Pathway 4: Pupils discuss own ideas around the meaning of life and consider how religion impacts on 
world issues.

Monitoring and Evaluation
We put high value on discussion and experiences within our RE lessons. Monitoring of RE takes place 
through focus group conversations with the RE Coordinator. Outcomes of these conversations are 
feedback to teachers to inform their planning and teaching. 

Partnerships with parents
Shared experiences with parents are highly valued at Whitfield Aspen School. We endeavour to share our RE learning experiences through the Class Pages on our websites and when religious or spiritual events take place at school, where possible, parents will be invited to attend or view these.
We welcome any parents who wish to support the teaching and learning of RE at school.

Art

 

The Arts Overview

 

Intent:

To use the arts as a tool to promote inclusion and develop emotional literacy. To connect to the arts by ensuring children have regular opportunities to engage with all the Arts and use a variety of resources including new technology.

To engage our pupils and parents with community arts initiatives

and be able to evaluate and analyse creative works.

To challenge each other’s thinking by asking questions.

To gain knowledge of great artists, craft makers and designers and understand the cultural development of their art forms.

To engage, inspire and challenge pupils so that they develop knowledge and skills to express themselves when creating their own works of art.

In order to achieve this, we will ensure that all pupils

• Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences

• Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other craft and design techniques

• Evaluate and analyze creative works using the language of art craft and design

• Know about renowned artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

 Implementation:

The teaching of art will be delivered through a combination of teaching and assessing as a specific discipline and within defined cross curricular links where creatively possible. The long-term plan will include progression within the exploration of colour, drawing, painting and sculpture. This will be directed within year groups and or Whitfield Aspen's pathway curriculums. Integral in our teaching will be the observation of 3 main thresholds

• To develop ideas

• To master technique

• To take inspiration from the leading artists and the everyday world.

 

To enable teachers to be creative in their approaches to ensure maximum engagement with the arts, skills are built on year by year.

To provide regular opportunities to learn and build key skills to develop the pupil’s personal toolkit, thus enabling free creative expression to their fullest potential.

 

Impact:

By the time they leave our school children will have gained a broader experience of the arts.

They will have developed a range of skills to express themselves creatively.

We hope children will have developed an interest in the arts and will have the motivation and confidence to engage with the arts outside of school.

Monitoring and Evaluation

To gather examples from teachers of how each key skills is being delivered across the year.

To view examples of assessment of Art to ensure skills are being developed.

 

Against defined milestone or pathway descriptors children can be assessed as basic, advanced, or deepening

Partnerships with parents

To provide opportunities for parents to engage with the Art children create, for example: parent workshops, assemblies, school plays, posting work on the school website and sending work home.

Computing

 

Computing Overview

 

Intent: Subject Vision and how this link to the national Curriculum

At Whitfield Aspen School, we want to enable young people to gain the computing knowledge and skills that will help them make sense of, and contribute to, the society and world they live in.

We encourage computing to be hands on, breed resilience and develop children’s problem solving skills.

Our computing curriculum will support children to link subject knowledge to the four key areas within Computing:

1. Communicate

2. Collect

3. Connect

4. Code

Using these areas staff will give opportunities for pupils to apply their knowledge creatively within other subjects to help our pupils become skilful computer scientists.

 

Implementation: How your subject is delivered across the whole school

Using the four keys areas of Computing, we encourage staff to teach specific computing lessons and try and embed computing across the whole curriculum to engage, enthuse and cause a real spark in students. We want our pupils to be fluent with a range of tools and hope by upper key stage 2, children have the independence and confidence to choose the best tool to fulfil tasks and challenges set by teachers.

 

Impact: The skills you expect pupils to have achieved by the time they leave our school

We are becoming ever more reliant on technology in every aspect of our lives so it is imperative that children leave primary school with a good grounding of computational thinking and problem solving so they are prepared for opportunities in the future.

As an educator, there is nothing better to see than the face of a student light up when they have solved a big problem, be it fixing a bug in their code, managing to get a robot to follow a line around the floor, or making a sprite in their game do exactly as they wanted. The feeling of success after solving a problem that perhaps they would have given up on months or years earlier is one which often remains with that child.

 

Monitoring and Evaluation

Through explicit teaching of Computing and creative projects, both teachers and the pupils assess their learning continuously throughout lessons and projects. Our assessment systems enable teachers to make informed judgements about the depth of children’s learning and the progress they have made over time.

 

Partnerships with parents

Through the use of special events, Internet Safety Day and Coding week, we hope to provide parents with support in the safe use of technology at home to support their children’s future with technology. The use of our school website supports parents in the understanding of Computing taught in our school and gives ideas and activities to deepen both their child’s knowledge and engage parents in learning alongside their child through problem solving and computational thinking tasks.

 

 

Design and Technology

 

Design & Technology Overview

 

Intent:

Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation. 

 

Implementation:

The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils: 

• develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world 

• build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users 

• critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others 

• understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook 

 

Impact:

• By the end of each Milestone, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study. 

• Pupils will master practical skills within seven areas of DT: Food, Materials, Textiles, Electricals and Electronics, Computing, Construction and Mechanics

• Pupils will be able to think critically and understand the design process, including being able to take inspiration through design through the years  

 

Monitoring and Evaluation

• The monitoring of DT will take place through the pupils design folders that will follow their journey through the school.

• Top, middle and bottom photos of pupils project outcomes will be taken and shared to moderate alongside year group and Milestone teachers, sharing good practice and making sure that expectations of outcomes are high. Examples will also be taken to share at Samphire Learning Hub meetings.

• Questionnaires to teachers will provide insight into CPD opportunities and providing support where required.

Partnerships with parents

• DT will be reported to parents annually within a pupils end of year report.

• It is important for parents to engage in child’s DT learning, this will be done by inviting parents to take part in DT afternoons and other activities which may be put on throughout the year.

• Work will be shared on the school website both on class pages and the DT page

• Finding out if parents have skills that they could use to help in class sessions is a good way to engage parents in their child’s learning.

 

French

 

MFL Overview

Intent:

At Whitfield Aspen we view learning French as a liberation from insularity and the beginning of a child’s engagement with neighbouring cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. Our teaching should enable children to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries The teaching of MFL at Whitfield Aspen Primary School will be based on the new National Curriculum and underpinning these aims are the School’s core values of Learning Together with Aspiration, Imagination and Determination. We also ensure that we revisit learning and cover a depth of learning in conjunction with Chris Quigley.

Implementation:

Learning Objectives Lesson objectives are based on the new National Curriculum and will develop the children’s linguistic abilities in Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing whilst developing their awareness of the patterns, phonics and basic grammar of the French language.

Timetabling

Each class in Key Stage 2 will receive 30 minutes of discreet language learning a week from their class teacher. Further opportunities to include French in other subjects will be made at the class teacher’s discretion. An annual Language Awareness Day provides an intercultural experience for children to learn together. There will also be opportunities to exchange pen-pal letters and receive occasional visits from children at our link school in France. Whitfield Aspen intends to use the Language Angels scheme of work and resources to ensure we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. All pupils will be expected to achieve their full potential by encouraging high expectations and excellent standards in their foreign language learning - the ultimate aim being that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond key stage 2. The intent is that all content will be continuously updated and reviewed annually, creating a dynamic programme of study that will be clearly outlined in both long-term and short-term planning. This will ensure that the foreign language knowledge of our pupils progresses within each academic year and is extended year upon year throughout the primary phase and, in so doing, will always be relevant and in line with meeting or exceeding national DfE requirements.

The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing will be taught and all necessary grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across the primary phase. This will enable pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning and also helping the children improve overall attainment in other subject areas. In addition, the children will be taught how to look up and research language they are unsure of and they will have a bank of reference materials to help them with their spoken and written tasks going forward. This bank of reference materials will develop into a reference library to help pupils recall and build on previous knowledge throughout their primary school language learning journey.

Inclusion 

• Learning a modern foreign language helps all pupils develop their interest and curiosity in the similarities and differences between themselves and others. This includes learning about countries, cultures, people and communities.
• Any programmes of study or teaching materials in use may be modified to give all pupils relevant and appropriately challenging work.

Gifted and Talented

Pupils who clearly show they have a particular aptitude for languages will be given the opportunity to work at a higher level during lessons and can be assessed against the Languages Ladder ‘Preliminary’ criteria. This is in line with our personalised learning ethos.

Transition

To support the transition of our pupils to secondary school, all children will leave Whitfield Aspen School with a comprehensive folder of the work they have undertaken in French from Year 3 through to Year 6.

Impact:

The skills we expect our children to achieve by the time they leave school will include, but not be limited to: 

• develop awareness that languages other than English exist
• become increasingly familiar with the sounds and written form of a Modern Foreign Language
• learn simple vocabulary and structures which can be used in a variety of contexts • develop language skills and language-learning skills
• understand and communicate in a new language
• make comparisons between the foreign language and English or another language 
• increase their cultural awareness by learning about different countries and their people, and working with materials from those countries and communities
• foster positive attitudes towards foreign language learning
• become aware of aspects of mother tongue by encountering other languages
• become aware of some aspects of home culture by encountering other cultures and raising awareness of citizenship issues
• use their knowledge and growing confidence and competence to understand what they hear and read, and to express themselves in speech and writing
• form a sound basis for further study at Key Stage 3 and beyond
• to have fun and enjoy their learning

Monitoring and Evaluation

Children will be assessed formatively during each lesson, which will inform subsequent planning. Towards the end of the academic year, children will be more formally assessed and their performance will be graded according the Asset Languages Ladder ‘Breakthrough’ criteria. Yearly reports are made to parents on MFL in Key Stage 2.

Partnerships with parents

All information regarding the children’s curriculum will be shared with parents along with their French folders and opportunities to engage with language Awareness Day once a year

Geography

 

Geography Overview

 

Intent:

 Through the teaching of Geography at Whitfield Aspen School, we aim to inspire a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. As they progress through the school, children should gain knowledge about a range of different places, people, resources and natural and human environments as well as an understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. The skills taught will help them to understand how the Earth’s features are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Children will have the opportunity to collect, analyse and communicate data through experiences of fieldwork both on the school site and on school trips. They will interpret information through the use of maps, diagrams, globes and aerial photographs and communicate information through maps, numerical and quantitative skills, speaking and writing.

Children with Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) will be given opportunities to experience the world through school trips, sensory activities and meeting new people.

Additionally, through our yearly whole school ‘Recycle Day’, children will learn ways in which to care for and protect the world in which we live.

 

Implementation:

 Geography is taught in all year groups and provides continuous provision to develop skills and progression through the school. It is split into four areas:

Locational Knowledge – this involves naming and locating countries, cities and the human and physical characteristics of these places. They will also cover how some aspects of these have changed over time.

Place Knowledge – this involves understanding geographical similarities and differences between a range of places, both in the UK and around the world.

Human and Physical Geography – this involves describing and understanding key aspects relating to human and physical features such as the weather, topography, biomes, types of settlements, the water cycle, trade between the UK and Europe and the distribution of natural resources.

Geographical Skills and Fieldwork – this involves using maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features. The eight points of the compass and four and six-figure grid references will be used. Fieldwork will be undertaken to study the geography of the local area.

 

Impact:

 Children will have developed a curiosity and fascination of the world.

Children will have a knowledge of a range of places both in the UK and around the world.

Children will be able to independently use OS maps, atlases and digital technology for use in every day life.

Children will understand the diversity of cultures around the world and respect and celebrate these.

Children will have learnt ways in which to care for and protect the world in which we live.

  

Monitoring and Evaluation

 Monitoring of Geography takes place through liasing with class teachers, looking at evidence in children’s books and through focus conversations with children. This information is evaluated and feedback to teachers to inform their planning and teaching.
 

 Partnerships with parents

 

 Shared experiences with parents are highly valued at Whitfield Aspen School. We endeavour to share our Geographical learning experiences through the class pages on our website. When Geographical events take place at school, where possible, parents will be invited to attend or view these.

We welcome any parents who wish to support the teaching and learning of Geography at school.

 

History

 

Intent

At Whitfield Aspen Primary School, our intent is to deliver a high-quality history curriculum that will inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It will equip children with:

• An excellent knowledge and understanding of people, events, and contexts from a range of historical periods and of historical concepts and processes. 
• The ability to think critically about history and communicate ideas very confidently in styles appropriate to a range of audiences.
• The ability to consistently support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using detailed, appropriate and accurate historical evidence derived from a range of sources.
• The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past, formulating and refining questions and lines of enquiry.
• To inspire in learners a passion for history and an enthusiastic engagement in learning, which develops their sense of curiosity about the past and their understanding of how and why people interpret the past in different ways, using a variety of sources.
• To develop a resilience and determination in children to become better historians and to have a deeper knowledge and understanding of the wider world.
• An aspiration to become better historians through a mutual respect for historical evidence and cultures, and the ability to make robust and critical use of it to support their explanations and judgments.
• A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics.
• To use their imagination to consider how people lived their lives in the past.

Implementation

In order to achieve these aims we have a curriculum that is coherently planned to fulfil the requirements set out in the National Curriculum. We have developed a history schema that organises historical knowledge in a meaningful way; allowing the children a deep understanding in the way they are connected. The history schema has been developed using “threshold concepts” which underpin the main historical ideas, which are then broken down into facets of knowledge to help deepen children’s knowledge and understanding.

 

The Threshold Concepts in History are:

1. Investigate and interpret the past – This concept involves recognising that our understanding of the past comes from an interpretation of the available evidence.

2. Build an overview of world history – This concept involves an appreciation of the characteristic features of the past and that these features are similar and different across time periods, and an understanding that life is different for different sections of society.

3. Understand chronology – This concept involves an understanding of how to chart the passing of time and how some aspects of history happened at similar times in different places.

4. Communicate historically – This concept involves using historical vocabulary and techniques to convey information about the past.

The Knowledge Categories in History are:

Sequencing The history curriculum for history is designed to help children meet the attainment goals of key milestones.

The milestones describe attainment at the end of a two-year period.

The knowledge categories help children to meet these goals.

Years 1 and 2: Milestone 1 Years 3 and 4: Milestone 2 Years 5 and 6: Milestone 3 EYFS – address the threshold concepts through the Understanding the World ELG to provide exposure to skills developed throughout KS1 and 2.

Although the history curriculum is not taught chronologically, the threshold concept to “Understand Chronology” ensures that by the end of Year 6 children will have a chronological understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day. They will be able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives The History Long Term Plan sets outs the intended sequencing of the curriculum History Implementation The intended History curriculum is implemented through the planning, teaching and assessment of the subject as a specific discipline in each year group. The teaching of History is taught in tandem with or alternated with Geography and has been designed to make purposeful links between subjects where possible.

The detailed Long-Term Plan (see link above) sets out when, within the curriculum’s design, each concept is taught, revisited and assessed. All learning will start by revisiting prior knowledge. This will be scaffolded to support children to recall previous learning and make connections. Staff will model explicitly the subject-specific vocabulary, knowledge and skills relevant to the learning to allow them to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts. Learning will be supported through the use of knowledge organisers that provide children with scaffolding that supports them to retain new facts and vocabulary in their long-term memory. Knowledge organisers are used for pre-teaching and also as a part of daily review. Cross curricular links in history are made and planned for when appropriate, to enable further contextual learning. Where the topic allows, the local area may be utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice.

Planning is informed by and aligned with the national curriculum using the schemas provided by Chris Quigley History Companion. History assessment is ongoing throughout the relevant cross-curricular topics to inform teachers with planning lesson activities and differentiation. Summative assessment is completed at the end of each topic where history objectives have been covered; and a foundation assessment will be completed. Consideration is given to how mastery will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. The foundation assessments inform leaders of school improvements or skills that need to be further enhanced and progress can be tracked throughout school. EYFS record their observations and evidence on Evidence for Learning, this allows judgements to be made regarding whether a child has achieved the Early Learning Goal, in this case Understanding the World.

History Impact Outcomes in children’s books, evidence a broad and balanced history curriculum and demonstrate their acquisition of identified key knowledge and skills. Pupils work demonstrates that history is taught at an age appropriate standard across each year group and that children working at all levels are considered and planned for effectively. This includes recording work in a variety of ways and the use of technology to aid SEN learners. Senior leaders, subject leads and teachers are able to use the evidence collected alongside the assessment information to monitor and track the implementation of the subject’s curriculum to ensure that our intentions are achieved.

The impact of the history curriculum is evaluated and reviewed through annual reports that are created and shared with governors by the subject lead. The purpose of these reports is to highlight the impact of the implemented curriculum, its strengths and areas for review.

Partnership with parents

• Dressing up days
• Significant days celebrated in school
• School’s website
• Communicated from classes
• Open days
• Jigsaws
• Parent interviews

Music

 

Music Overview

“Music is all around us. It is the soundtrack to our lives. Music connects us through people and places in our ever-changing world. It is creative, collaborative, celebratory and challenging. In our schools, music can bring communities together through the shared endeavour of whole-school singing, ensemble playing, experimenting with the creative process and, through the love of listening to friends and fellow pupils, performing. The sheer joy of music making can feed the soul of a school community, enriching each student while strengthening the shared bonds of support and trust which make a great school.”   DFE Music Curriculum

Intent:

The aim of music teaching at Whitfield Aspen is to ensure that music is accessible to all, and promotes inclusion and emotional wellbeing. The children should have regular opportunities to show what they have learnt through performance. This builds children’s confidence and is key for motivation. Children should gain a wide-ranging knowledge of composers and genres of music, having listened to a variety of different types of music, including the opportunity for ‘cultural capital.’ The children should be confident discussing and analysing this music using the correct musical terminology. The children should have opportunities to create their own music, drawing on the skills that they have gained through listening and appraising music. Perhaps most importantly, the children should gain a lifelong love of music, and be able to state and explain their preferences. Throughout their music lessons, children will learn to work collaboratively, to defend their own views whilst listening and respecting others, to develop their leadership skills and to think creatively. These are important skills that the children can use not only across their whole curriculum, but that they can take into the wider world beyond their school life.

 

 

In order to achieve this, we will ensure that all pupils:

• Have the opportunity to take part in music activities, inside and outside the classroom
• Understand the language of music and be able to use this language to analyse pieces of music that they hear
• Are exposed to a range of different genres of music, including key cultural pieces

 

Implementation:

Currently, the music curriculum is in a period of transition as we shape a new curriculum around the new Model Music Curriculum produced by the DFE. The long-term plan and progression documents have been updated to reflect this and to ensure that no learning is missed and that it enriches learning which is already taking place in the classroom. The different strands of music: listening, theory, performing and composing will be taught together so that the children understand that they are intertwined very closely. The long-term plan will allow for repetition across the year groups, building on previous learning. This means that by the end of year 6, the children should be confident using musical language to appraise a piece of music and should know the musical building blocks to be able to perform and compose. Children will therefore be able to confidently transition to a Year 7 curriculum. Where possible, there will be cross-curricular links with other disciplines in order to help the children to make links with other subjects and therefore understand more fully how music is a part of everything around us. The long-term plan includes progression though the year groups and the pathway curriculum.

 

Impact:

Throughout their time at Whitfield Aspen, the children will gain a knowledge and appreciation for different genres of music. They will be able to discuss these confidently and fluently, using key musical vocabulary. They will have the confidence to perform solo, in a small or large group in front of an audience. It is our aim that the children will leave at the end of year 6 enthused about a variety of music, and eager to experience more.

 

Monitoring and Evaluation

Pupil Voice

Informally assess at the end of each unit, through teacher assessment against the progression of skills document.

 

Partnerships with parents

Concerts and other performances throughout the year enable pupils from both the mainstream and SRP to come together to share their musical achievements to parents and the wider community, such as local care homes, Whitfield Summer Fete and the choir Christmas Concert. 

PE 

 

Physical Education Overview

 Intent:

 

Your subject vision and how this links to the National Curriculum

At Whitfield Aspen School, we aim to ensure that every child can progress through their own individual learning journey so that they can live a happy and healthy lifestyle. We aim to encourage pupils to look after themselves mentally and physically. This is done as daily movement through a range of both indoor and outdoor physical activity and encourage friendly competition to build resilience and confidence as well as team-work skills in order to promote their physical literacy understanding.

 

Implementation:

Within our school setting, we offer a range of ways in which PE is delivered to all pupils. In mainstream classes, all teachers use the Greenacre Sports Partnership plans, which aim to deepen skills and further pupil’s knowledge and experiences of sports. Furthermore, opportunities are provided to most pupils to engage with competitions with other schools and clubs out of school hours.

We follow a skills based curriculum, that develops their knowledge of different sports whilst also promoting and developing their skills e.g throwing and catching.

Fundamental movement skills – play, different ways to travel in a space, control, co-ordination,.

Attacking and defending – netball, football (Year 1)

Balance – athletics, gymnastics, dance.

Spatial awareness – dance, gymnastics, football (Year 1), netball.

Co-ordination – cricket.

Individual skills – athletics, infant-agility, swimming.

Continuous provision – water safety, safe PE practice e.g landing and rolling

SRP below to include DSC

How your subject is delivered across the whole school

Impact:

At Whitifeld Aspen School, all pupils will leave with a deep understanding of how to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. They will experience a deepened knowledge of different sports, this will enable them to access physical opportunities in their future learning journey beyond Whitfield Aspen school, we will also offer a range of after-school clubs to enrich their primary sport experience.

 

The skills you expect pupils to have achieved by the time they leave our school

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring will take place through active participation from pupils via the use of peer on peer filming (through the use of iPads), this will support the development of their learning and empower them to understand their own next steps.

In order to evaluate the success of our curriculum intent, a range of factors will be taken into consideration including: peer-on-peer evaluation, pupil voice and assessment techniques to identify working towards and greater depth pupils. Subject leads will also have drop ins during lessons across all stages of development during week 3 or 4veach term.

Partnerships with parents

In order to ensure parents are working alongside the school in order to develop their child’s physical literacy skills, we have got a range of opportunities where they can actively support their child’s learning. For example, sports day, competitions and matches outside of school time. On the school website, any events that we do attend are posted online so that they can see the impact of their child’s progression and success.

Subject_Progression_For_PE_Milestones_and_Pathways.docx

Long-term-plan-PE.docx

 

PSHE

 PSHE Overview

 

Intent

 

The intention of our PSHE and RSE curriculum is that when children leave Whitfield Aspen School, they will do so with the knowledge, understanding and emotions to be able to play an active, positive and successful role in today’s diverse society. We want our children to have high aspirations, a belief in themselves and realise that anything is possible if they put their mind to it. In an ever–changing world, it is important that they are aware, to an appropriate level, of different factors which will affect their world and that they learn how to deal with these so that they have good mental health and well-being. Our PSHE and RSE curriculum aims to promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences for later life and enables our children to learn how to be safe, and to understand and develop healthy relationships, both now and in their future lives.

Implementation

 

EYFS/Pathway 2 & 3 –

In these years, PSHE and RSE is taught as an integral part of topic work and is embedded throughout the curriculum. Personal, social and emotional development is one of the three keys areas in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The prime areas of Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development lay the foundations for children to achieve in all areas of learning and life.

 

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 –

In Key Stage 1 and 2, PSHE and RSE are taught using a spiral, progressive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum that aims to prepare children for life, helping them to know and value who they are and understand how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world’. Our cyclical curriculum allows pupils to revisit the five key areas each year throughout KS1 and KS2, these key areas are revisited and covered with greater depth and increasing maturity. Upon returning to each key area, prior knowledge is utilised so pupils can build on previous foundations, rather than starting again. There is a strong emphasis on emotional literacy, building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health. It includes mindfulness to allow children to advance their emotional awareness, concentration and focus.

Impact

 

By the time our children leave our school they will:

 

· be able to approach a range of real-life situations and apply their skills and attributes to help navigate themselves through modern life

· be on their way to becoming healthy, open minded, respectful, socially and morally responsible, active members of society

· appreciate difference and diversity

· be able to understand and manage their emotions

· be able to look after their mental health and well-being

· be able to develop positive, healthy relationship with their peers both now and in the future.

· understand the physical aspects involved in RSE at an age appropriate level

· have respect for themselves and others.

· have a positive self esteem

 

 

 

Why the mental health of young people and adults matters

 

Forest School

 

 

Confidance

  

Confidance are an inclusive dance organisation creating high quality dance opportunities for and with learning disabled people. Based in East Kent, Confidance have been working for over 15 years in schools, community and professional dance settings.

 Confidance’s education work focuses primarily on deep engagement with partner schools. Through long-term engagement, the team can share practice with a wide range of staff and students, allowing for mutually beneficial relationships to develop.

 Confidance began working with Whitfield Aspen School began with the ‘Listen Up!’ project in 2015 which saw students from six schools in the Samphire Learning Hub, including students with PMLD, working together towards a performance at The Gulbenkian. The project also aimed to develop the non-learning disabled students’ ability to communicate through Touch Cue and Makaton, with the ambition that they go on to become inclusivity ambassadors in their own schools.

 Confidance began a new residency with Whitfield Aspen in 2020 and are now in their fourth year of partnership. Over the four years, Confidance have worked with over 650 students from across both school sites. Projects have included: a two-year person-centred residency with Bluebirds class; whole year engagement with Year 3s and 5s, responding to curriculum learning; performances from ConfiCo, our professional company of LD dancers; a flash mob dance event, engaging over 350 students in the Folkestone Triennial.

 Our website: https://www.confidance.org.uk/

 To find out more about the partnership with Confidance, click below to read reports and watch our dance films:

 2021 Residency: 

 Flashmob Dance Day - classes from across the school creating choreography inspired by ConfiCo and the Folkestone Triennial: 

 https://vimeo.com/600300808?share=copy 

 Confidance & Whitfield Aspen Connect Project: 

 https://vimeo.com/648556995?share=copy

 Bluebird's class residency films: 

 https://vimeo.com/821721876?share=copy