Thurlstone Primary School – Curriculum Intent Statement
- With resilience
- With lifelong learning skills essential for adulthood
- With independence
- As empathetic, responsible citizens who care about our planet
- With an appreciation of the wider world and its cultures
- With a strong moral purpose and respect for others
- Happy and healthy in both mind and body
We believe childhood be a happy, investigative and enquiring time in our lives, where there are no limits to curiosity and there is a thirst for new experiences and knowledge.
We use our Thurlstone Values (resilience, appreciation and humanity) to launch our wonderful little ‘Rockets’ and grow them into ‘Great Explorers’ who are ready to take on the world.
Invisible - Please Ignore
Overview
General Principles:
Our curriculum will give children the opportunity to:
- experience the challenge and enjoyment of learning
- see clear links between different aspects of their learning
- explore the breadth and depth of the national curriculum and beyond
- develop and demonstrate their creativity in a variety of contexts
- learn within a coherent and progressive framework
- develop a rich and deep subject knowledge
- develop new skills through a variety of interesting contexts
- understand the purpose and value of their learning and see its relevance to their past, present and future
- develop values which enable them to be effective and happy world citizens.
Our curriculum will give also the children opportunity to:
- Cultural – Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain’s parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.
- Tolerance and respect – To respect and tolerate the opinions, beliefs and behaviour of others.
- Individual liberty – Be free to express views or ideas.
- Rule of law – Learn that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable for their actions and behaviour.
- Democracy – Be part of a system where everyone plays an equal part.
- Social – Use a range of social skills to participate in the school community; the local community and the worldwide community. To appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict.
- Spiritual – Explore beliefs, experience and faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity and reflect on experiences.
- Moral – Recognise right and wrong and respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues and offer reasoned views.
Wellbeing
The mental health and well-being of our whole school community is of paramount importance to us here at Thurlstone. We aim to provide all our children with the well-being support they need with the intention of equipping them with the skills and knowledge required to enable them to better manage their feelings and emotions, and in turn support their friends to the same ends.
A happy and healthy learning environment creates children who are successful, confident, resilient and with high self-esteem. Our curriculum will give the children opportunity to:
- learn how to respect themselves and others
- build respectful friendships
- Follow their own interests and be themselves
- work in a range of groups and settings
- recognise that people are good at different things
- reflect and think mindfully about their learning
- learn in a peaceful and supportive environment
- develop self-esteem and confidence in their abilities
- learn how to manage intense feelings and support others to do so
- to develop and demonstrate empathy
- have access to highly skilled Thrive Approach practitioners who are exceptionally well placed to support the emotional needs of our children.
- benefit from the whole school Thrive Approach ethos.
Click on the link below to see how we promote staff wellbeing at Thurlstone.
Click on the links below to read our pupil produced newsletter called Happy You, Healthy You.
Pupil Voice
Children have much to say, and we feel that they should be listened to. We feel that by listening we can improve the school and all we have to offer our children, staff and families. By allowing children to get involved in the ‘bigger picture’ of the school and world in general, they can develop vital skills, knowledge and understanding which can be of benefit to them as children, but will be useful in their adult life.
Our curriculum will give children the opportunity to:
- make a positive contribution to the school and local community
- express their opinions on a range of different topics and issues
- take part in democratic activities across the curriculum
- explore ways of becoming an active citizen
- make choices about things that are important to them
- take part in age-appropriate discussions
- say what they like and dislike about their learning
- make choices and plan opportunities to support local and national charities.
We love our children to have their say. We asked the children what they felt about behaviour in school, and this is what they said:
Our Approach
By using a wide and varied range of approaches we aim to meet the learning style of every child here at Thurlstone. We aim to provide opportunities for children to face their daily challenges with confidence, resilience and determination.
Our curriculum will be taught through a pedagogy that:
- excites, promotes and sustains children’s interest
- enables children to reflect on and evaluate their learning
- promotes innovation and entrepreneurialism
- enables and fosters children’s natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge
- promotes problem solving, team work, creativity and communication
- enables children to develop a wide range of life long values
- provides children with opportunities learn about and take steps to help our planet and environment
- enables children to learn about themselves and reflect on their sense of well-being
Personal Development and Enrichment
We believe that all children should be on the receiving end of an outstanding education. For us that means outstanding opportunities to succeed in every academic, and non-academic way possible. We aim to provide inspirational activities which open the doors to dreams of becoming a dancer, a musician, a stage designer, a landscape artist, an actor, a conductor, a mountain climber … the list goes on. By exposing children to these exciting and rich activities, we hope to inspire our children to aim high and aim wide.
We aim to enrich our curriculum by:
- offering opportunities for children to learn outdoors
- welcoming parents and carers to take part in children’s learning, experiences and successes
- holding specialist curriculum days or weeks
- developing partnerships with external providers (including the police) that extend children’s opportunities for learning
- providing on and off-site subject or topic related activities and trips
- taking our Y6 children to Crucial Crew (South Yorkshire Police) so they can learn develop valuable life skills
- providing our children with opportunities to experience large and small scale theatre productions
- providing our children with opportunities to take part in large and small scale musical productions
- providing our children with opportunities to experience the world of art and design by visiting a high quality gallery
- providing our children with opportunities to experience sporting activities in impressive sporting venues
- providing our children with the opportunity to attend a two day outdoor and adventurous residential trip
- providing a wide range of extra-curricular clubs designed to meet the needs and interests of as many pupils as possible.
Early Years
At Thurlstone Primary School we aim to provide our children with opportunities to develop through a broad, balanced and rich curriculum which is tailored to meet their needs within the context of the community in which they live.
As a result it is our intention that children will leave Thurlstone:
- With resilience
- With lifelong learning skills essential for adulthood
- With independence
- As empathetic, responsible citizens who care about our planet
- With an appreciation of the wider world and it’s cultures
- With a strong moral purpose and respect for others
- Happy and healthy in both mind and body
We believe childhood to be a happy, investigative and enquiring time in our lives, where there are no limits to curiosity and there is a thirst for new experiences and knowledge.
We aim to grow our wonderful little ‘Rockets’ into ‘Great Explorers’ who are ready to take on the world.
Curriculum Documents
Please click on the link to see the whole school curriculum overview:
WHOLE SCHOOL HISTORY PROGRESSION DOCUMENT
Whole School Geography Progression Plan
Whole School Science Curriculum Plan Sept 23
KS2 Spanish Curriculum Overview Sept 23
Whole School Computing Overview
Art Curriculum Progression Overview
Click on the links below to see our TERMLY TOPIC ROUND-UP newsletter which shows just how much our children know and understand.
Topic Round-Up YR and KS1 Spring 2022
Topic Round-Up KS2 Spring 2022
1Decision
1Decision is a PSHE scheme (Personal, Social, Health Education)
Click the clink to find out more about 1Decision, the amazing resources that support the teaching of Personal, Social and Health Education.
1decision PSHE progression document
1decision-pshe-programme-of-study-v3
1decision EYFS Mapping document
1DECISION years-1-3-knowledge-organisers
1DECISION years-4-6-knowledge-organiser
RSE
The teaching of Sex and Relationship Education is now compulsory in Primary schools. Here is some useful information for parents:
RSE primary schools guide for parents
Real P.E.
We are passionate about the teaching of P.E. Click on the link to find out about our whole school Real P.E scheme.
Long Term Plan (with End Points) 2023 24
Core Real PE – Progression of Skills
Foundation Stage Curriculum Map
Fundamental Movement Skills Progression of Skills
Real Gym:
Real Gym – progression of skills
Real Dance:
Real Dance – progression of skills
Sparkyard Music
Computing and DT
We use Kapow to deliver computing and DT across the school. Progression document and the curriculum overview can be viewed below:
The content within Kapow for EYFS is aspirational. The scheme will be used where it complements and supports the following document:
Whole School DT Curriculum Plan
Units of work are selected from the curriculum plan as clear in the school overview above.
Religious Education
We use Discovery R.E to support the teaching of Religious Education across the school.
Phonics
We use the government validated scheme – Rocket Phonics
Writing
At Thurlstone Primary School we provide pupils with a high-quality education in English that teaches pupils to write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas, opinions and emotions to others effectively.
At Thurlstone Primary School writing is a crucial part of our curriculum and underpins every aspect of it.
At Thurlstone Primary School we will teach our children to:
- write fluently and with interesting detail on a number of topics across the whole curriculum.
- use their imagination which makes readers engage with, and enjoy their writing.
- develop their vocabulary and knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description.
- produce well-organised and structured writing, which includes a variety of sentence structures.
- develop excellent transcription skills that ensure their writing is well presented and punctuated, spelled correctly and neat.
- develop a love of writing and an appreciation of its educational, cultural and entertainment values.
We follow a Mastery approach to English through the programme ‘Pathways to Write.’ Units of work are delivered using high quality texts and children in all year groups are given varied opportunities for writing. Skills are built up through repetition within the units, and children apply these skills in the writing activities provided. Many opportunities for widening children’s vocabulary are given through the Pathways to Write approach and this builds on the extensive work we do in school to provide our children with a rich and varied vocabulary.
Please click on the documents below to see what objectives are covered in each year group. More detail can be found in the curriculum class plans.
Spelling in YR, Y1 and Y2 is taught through Rocket Phonics.
We also use Pathways to Spell in KS2. Please click on the documents below to see what we teach in each year group:
Reading
Children routinely read in school independently, in guided groups, with partners and in shared class sessions. Children
Every day our children have the opportunity to listen to adults and other children read high quality and varied texts.
THURLSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL HAVE
- confidence and positive attitudes to reading through access to a wide range of literature
- Extensive knowledge through having read a rich and varied range of texts.
- The motivation to read for both study and for pleasure.
- Excellent phonic knowledge and skills.
- Knowledge of an extensive and rich vocabulary.
- Excellent comprehension skills, which enable children to analyse what they read and to participate in discussion and debate about texts.
- good home/school partnerships.
- Effectively support those children who require additional support with their reading.
- Fluency and accuracy in reading across a wide range of contexts throughout the curriculum.
We make every effort to ensure our children are exposed to a wide range of high quality texts, both as part of their literacy lessons and during their daily story times.
Click on the link below to see which texts we read for enjoyment over time:
We follow a Mastery approach to English through the programme Pathways to Read. Units of work are delivered using high quality texts and children in all year groups are given varied opportunities for reading. Skills are built up through repetition within the units, and children apply these skills in the reading activities provided.
We deliver one whole class shared reading lesson per week from years 2-6 with bespoke grouped reading for every pupil at least once a week as well as individual reading. For pupils still needing support with phonics from years 2-6, we provide an individual reading programme that has phonically decodable texts at the heart of it. In our shared and grouped reads, there is a clear teaching focus with the opportunity to master key reading skills in each session. There are follow on reading tasks to enable pupils to evidence the skills they have mastered independently.
Many opportunities for widening children’s vocabulary are given through the Pathways to Read approach and this builds on the extensive work we do in school to provide our children with a rich and varied vocabulary.
We also use Pathways to Write to drive our writing curriculum. This aligns with Pathways to Read ensuring meaningful links for our pupils with texts and topics that are used across Literacy, Humanities and Science.
Pathways to Read whole school overview
To view our half termly Reading Newsletter, please click on the links below:
Mathematics
Mathematics is an essential part of a balanced curriculum and it should be well matched and challenging to our children’s needs. We believe that all children should become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics and should be able to reason mathematically and solve problems by applying their mathematical understanding. We endeavour to ensure that children develop an enthusiastic attitude towards mathematics and enjoyment of the subject that will stay with them throughout their lives.
At Thurlstone Primary School we aim for all our children to have:
- An understanding of the important concepts and an ability to make connections within mathematics.
- The ability to demonstrate their mastery of mathematical skills, understanding and concepts.
- A broad range of skills in using and applying mathematics.
- Fluent knowledge and recall of number facts and the number system.
- The ability to show initiative in solving problems in a wide range of contexts, including the new or unusual.
- The ability to think independently and to persevere when faced with challenges, showing a confidence of success.
- The ability to embrace the value of learning from mistakes and false starts.
- The ability to reason, generalise and make sense of solutions.
- Fluency in performing written and mental calculations and mathematical techniques.
- A wide range of mathematical vocabulary
- An enjoyment of mathematics
We make effective use of White Rose maths. The long term plans can are provided below. More detail is provided in the year group class plans.
Science
We want our pupils to develop an interest in science, and curiosity about the world we live in, that carries through into later life, instilling in them an awareness of how science is relevant in today’s society.
We endeavour to ensure that the science curriculum we provide will give children the confidence and motivation to continue to further develop their skills into the next stage of their education and life experiences
THURLSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL DEVELOP:
- The ability to think independently and ask questions about working scientifically and the knowledge and skills that it brings.
- Confidence and competence in the full range of practical skills, taking the initiative in, for example, planning and carrying out scientific investigations.
- Excellent scientific knowledge and understanding which is demonstrated in written and verbal explanations, solving challenging problems and reporting scientific findings.
- High levels of originality, imagination or innovation in the application of skills.
- The ability to undertake practical work in a variety of contexts, including fieldwork.
- A passion for science and its application in past, present and future technologies.
P.E.
Our children will have opportunities to compete in sport and other activities that build resilience and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
P.E at Thurlstone Primary School is a vital element of our curriculum. It develops an understanding of the need for healthy life styles; a balanced diet; positive growth mind-set and the resilience to persevere with tasks and activities that may be challenging. We are passionate about the need to teach children how to cooperate and collaborate as part of a team, as well as develop competitiveness leading to a personal drive to do even better.
How we make our vision a reality:
PE at Thurlstone Primary School is taught by a combination of class teachers, P.E specialists and qualified sports coaches.
Our pupils participate in two high quality P.E lessons each week, as well as a Daily Mile running activity every school day and swimming in Key Stage 2. The Real P.E scheme is embedded across school: this exemplary programme develops, through clear skills progression, the gross motor skills needed to effectively participate in a wide range of sports. Other lifelong values, such as respect, resilience, cooperation, confidence and tolerance also underpin the Real P.E programme.
We provide opportunities for all children to engage in a range of extra-curricular activities and interschool sporting events in the form of the home-grown P4Sport (Penistone 4 Sport) network. These events and competitions are carefully planned to provide children with the opportunity to take part in fun, competitive sporting activities, as well as specific values building fun team events such as Get Mucky Assault courses.
Thurlstone Primary School is committed to The Girls and Sport Pledge which recognises the importance of raising sporting aspirations in girls and challenges sporting stereotypes held by both genders.
Computing
It is our intention to enable children to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information. We also focus on developing the skills necessary for children to be able to use information in a discriminating and effective way. We want children to know more, remember more and understand more in computing so that they leave primary school computer literate and computer wise.
From Foundation Stage through to Year 6, we teach our children how to use the internet safely so that they are equipped to be safe explorers and users of the online world.
THURLSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL HAVE:
* Competence in coding for a variety of practical and inventive purposes, including the application of ideas within other subjects.
* The ability to connect with others safely and respectfully, understanding the need to act within the law and with moral and ethical integrity.
* An understanding of the connected nature of devices.
* The ability to communicate ideas well by using applications and devices throughout the curriculum.
* The ability to collect, organise and manipulate data effectively.
History
Our history curriculum makes full use of the immediate and wider local area so that children develop a deep understanding of the rich history of the area in which they live.
The history curriculum is carefully planned and structured to ensure that the learning of skills and knowledge is progressive and fully covers all elements of the national curriculum. We aim to inspire our children’s curiosity about the past so that they maintain a lifelong interest in, and love for the subject as young Thurlstone historians.
THURLSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL HAVE:
- 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 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.
- 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.
- A respect for historical evidence 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.
Geography
THURLSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL HAVE:
- An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like.
- An excellent understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.
- An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
- Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques.
- The ability to reach clear conclusions and develop a reasoned argument to explain findings.
- Significant levels of originality, imagination or creativity as shown in interpretations and representations of the subject matter.
- Highly developed and frequently utilised fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques.
- A passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.
- The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.
Art and Design
THURLSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL HAVE:
- The ability to use visual language skilfully and convincingly (for example, line, shape, pattern, colour, texture, form) to express emotions, interpret observations, convey insights and accentuate their individuality.
- The ability to communicate fluently in visual and tactile form.
- The ability to draw confidently and adventurously from observation, memory and imagination.
- The ability to explore and invent marks, develop and deconstruct ideas and communicate perceptively and powerfully through purposeful drawing in 2D, 3D or digital media.
- An impressive knowledge and understanding of other artists, craft makers and designers.
- The ability to think and act like creative practitioners by using their knowledge and understanding to inform, inspire and interpret ideas, observations and feelings.
- Independence, initiative and originality which they can use to develop their creativity.
- The ability to select and use materials, processes and techniques skilfully and inventively to realise intentions and capitalise on the unexpected.
- The ability to reflect on, analyse and critically evaluate their own work and that of others.
- A passion for and a commitment to the subject.
Design and Technology
At Thurlstone we make music an enjoyable learning experience. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences. Our teaching focuses on developing the children’s ability to sing in tune and with other people. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music.
THURLSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL HAVE:
- A rapidly widening repertoire which they use to create original, imaginative, fluent and distinctive composing and performance work.
- Access to a full year of weekly instrumental lessons delivered by a music specialist
- A musical understanding underpinned by high levels of aural perception, internalisation and knowledge of music, including high or rapidly developing levels of technical expertise.
- Very good awareness and appreciation of different musical traditions and genres.
- An excellent understanding of how musical provenance – the historical, social and cultural origins of music – contributes to the diversity of musical styles.
- The ability to give precise written and verbal explanations, using musical terminology effectively, accurately and appropriately.
- A passion for and commitment to a diverse range of musical activities.
Music
At Thurlstone we make music an enjoyable learning experience. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences. Our teaching focuses on developing the children’s ability to sing in tune and with other people. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music.
THURLSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL HAVE:
- A rapidly widening repertoire which they use to create original, imaginative, fluent and distinctive composing and performance work.
- Access to a full year of weekly instrumental lessons delivered by a music specialist
- A musical understanding underpinned by high levels of aural perception, internalisation and knowledge of music, including high or rapidly developing levels of technical expertise.
- Very good awareness and appreciation of different musical traditions and genres.
- An excellent understanding of how musical provenance – the historical, social and cultural origins of music – contributes to the diversity of musical styles.
- The ability to give precise written and verbal explanations, using musical terminology effectively, accurately and appropriately.
- A passion for and commitment to a diverse range of musical activities.