English

secure basis in English lessons focus on developing a lifelong love of reading and writing. We follow a model text based approach to teaching, which exposes children to a wide range of high quality and engaging texts. Our children are supported and scaffolded with their writing to become confident in adapting their language and style for a range of contexts. Children read every day and improve vocabulary and text comprehension through a structured teaching programme. We aim for all of our children to leave the school as confident and enthusiastic speakers, readers and writers. Strong English knowledge and associated skills are seen as crucial in enabling children to flourish – now and in the future.

Maths

We employ a mastery approach to build pupils’ mathematical confidence and passion. Maths units are ordered logically and taught systematically at a pace that enables pupils to deeply embed all associated knowledge before moving on.

Pupils are regularly given the opportunity to apply their maths across a range of reasoning and problem-solving contexts, with staff always ensuring that pupils have the mathematical knowledge necessary for success.

To support our mastery approach, planning focuses on pupils firstly accessing a new concept through the use of concrete resources, building to representing pictorially, where appropriate, before the final abstract convention is taught.

Our pupils are also taught to progressively acquire instant recall across multiplication tables and number bonds, enabling the fast recall necessary for computational fluency.

The work of the American academic ED Hirsch was a key influence behind the current knowledge-based National Curriculum. Hersch’s work has been adapted for English primaries and we use the maths intent documentation to underpin year group medium planning.

Science

The science curriculum developed at Alfred Sutton Primary School has been carefully designed to provide all children with the foundations necessary for deepening their understanding of the world around them. In a fast-changing society in which science plays an ever-expanding role, all pupils are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to help them think scientifically and recognise how science may impact on their lives – now and in the future. Children investigate different methods, processes and uses of science. In this way, children come to understand how science can be used to predict the outcome of, explain and analyse, events occurring around them.

Enquiry skills are embedded within each planned topic and these topics are revisited across the key stages to ensure the deepest possible level of understanding for all children. Through repetition of topics, children are exposed to increasingly sophisticated scientific vocabulary whilst key scientific concepts and procedures are reinforced.

Art

We believe that art lessons should be rich, stimulating and engaging, encouraging children to creatively experiment with a wide range of mediums in order to produce art work which they can feel rightly proud of.

As pupils progress through school they are also introduced to a variety of artists, with emphasis placed not only on their body of work, but also their social and historical significance, and impact on the culture and creativity of our nation.

Design and Technology

Our design and technology curriculum enables pupils to exercise their creativity through designing, making and evaluating. It is cross-curricular, building upon their knowledge of other subject areas, such as maths, science, art and writing. The DT curriculum is designed to develop the children’s understanding of consumers’ needs. They learn to advertise their product, manage risks – such as safety and hygiene – and work productively as part of a team. A wide variety of topics are covered, which include: architecture, electronics, mechanisms, nutrition, structure and textiles. Knowledge and associated skills are taught progressively to ensure age appropriate learning as pupils move through the school. Evaluation is a vital part of design and technology: children are taught to appraise their own and others’ work, making amendments where necessary. We aim to inspire a love of the subject and life-long skills.

Computing

We believe that computing lessons should be engaging experiences that provide children with foundational skill, knowledge and an understanding of computers to be built on through their ongoing education and life in a fast-changing world. Our computing curriculum is divided into three areas:

In Computer Science, principles of information and computational systems are taught using both computers and unplugged activities (which are viewed as equally important in developing children’s understanding). Computational thinking is an important cornerstone to teaching computing, allowing children to conceptualise, understand and adapt when solving problems. Children develop their computational thinking through programming projects with real-world relevance, thereby allowing them to be active participants in the digital world.

By building Digital Literacy, children become more confident in finding, judging, selecting and appropriately applying required information. This has broad application throughout school life, to a level suitable for the future workplace. Alfred Sutton has a strong sense of online safety. Children become aware of online behaviour- learning to independently judge whether content is acceptable or unacceptable and, in the latter case, how and when to seek help if they are concerned by what they have seen.

Information Technology equips pupils with the ability to create and use programmes and gain insights into systems – both natural and artificial – as well as producing digital expressions for a range of content across all curriculum areas. Children develop knowledge of ubiquitous software functions and are given the opportunity to use multimedia programs in the communication of their knowledge.

Geography

Geography lessons are engaging, developing a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that should remain with children for the rest of their lives. Pupils investigate a range of places – both in Britain and abroad- to help develop their knowledge and understanding of the Earth’s physical and human processes and the interaction between the two. Moreover, we are committed to providing children with opportunities to investigate and enquire about their local area so that they can develop a real sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes the local area unique and special. We also develop the children’s ability to apply geographical understanding to a range of audiences.

History

We believe that history lessons should be engaging experiences that foster curiosity and encourage children to connect with and understand the world around them children are taught to be reflective about how events from the past have both shaped today’s world and have the potential to impact on the future.

By linking learning to a range of topics, children have opportunities to investigate and interpret the past, understand chronology and build an overview of Britain’s past as well as that of the wider world. Furthermore, we also examine the historical significance of ancient civilisations and cultures.

By building an understanding of how to best weigh evidence, develop perspective and make critical judgements, children are equipped with the skills to engage in their own historical studies. Moreover, pupils learn how to use and apply their questioning skills to further their knowledge and understanding of the world they live in.

MFL

We aim to equip children with the tools and enthusiasm to learn languages – both during their primary education and beyond. Through the teaching of Spanish across KS2, by our specialist MFL teacher, children are encouraged to develop a curiosity in and deepen their understanding of the world around them. The Spanish curriculum has been designed to engage children through their participation in practical spoken activities. These are linked to study of Hispanic culture, such as key festivals, by exposing them to authentic sources e.g. video clips and local literature. Combining these elements brings the language to life, as well as modelling accurate pronunciation and ensuring children are not merely memorising disconnected facts. A continued focus on accuracy as children move up through the school ensures the children gain oral fluency and retain what has been learnt. By the time they leave Year 6, children have a solid foundation in the mechanics of language, which they will be able to apply to language learning in KS3. Moreover, their speaking and comprehension skills will assist when interacting with Hispanic people in Reading’s multilingual and multicultural community or travelling further afield.

Music

We believe our music education should help pupils develop a love of music and increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As they move through the school they should increase their engagement with different styles and genres of music both by listening and performing.

They will learn to sing and use their voices, as well as playing tuned and untuned instruments, in order to create, compose and perform music for a range of purposes. They will understand how music is created and communicated, by learning about the dimensions of music-such as pitch, timbre and texture, dynamics, tempo and appropriate music notations

The children will have exposure to a wide range of musical traditions, including the works of great composers – both historical and contemporary. They will be taught how to listen with concentration and respond in different ways to music they hear.

The music curriculum gives children the chance to perform and succeed, through singing in school, joining choirs and participating in musical instrument tuition. We believe in celebrating all musicality and enjoyment of music. In doing so, we foster an aspirational and positive mind-set in our pupils.

PE

At Alfred Sutton, we recognise the importance of PE and the role it has to okay in promoting long term, healthy lifestyles. We are committed to providing our pupils with high quality, rewarding PE opportunities with the aim of fostering a lifelong active engagement in physical activities. Our PE curriculum follows the ‘Teaching Games for Understanding’ philosophy. This is a child centred approach, whereby the teacher leads and the participants are given the opportunity to make adaptations in order to maximise the level of challenge and fulfilment. Our curriculum exposes children to the primary rules, fundamental skills and tactical problems associated with competitive sports and other physically demanding activities.

We believe in a holistic approach to teaching PE and each lesson has at its core intent, the promotion of the following key areas of personal development:

• Physical

• Social

• Emotional well-being

By focusing on these areas, children not only learn the skills and tactics of games but also the underlying values of fair play and collaboration.

Personal Development

Our lessons inspire a love of learning and give the children the skills to pose pertinent and interesting questions that they can find the answers to through investigation, supported by evidence.

We believe it is our duty to support children in developing into responsible and respectful citizens who are able to become actively involved in public life as adults. We aim to achieve this by championing several positive personal characteristics – our ‘Sutton Six’ core values: Respect, Resilience, Aspiration, Responsibility, Community and Compassion. These core values encourage children to value, respect and understand the diversity and differences within our community, thereby preparing them for life in modern Britain.

Alongside promoting our core values, British Values underpin our culture – supporting pupils in becoming reflective and empathetic citizens.

Our comprehensive PSHE curriculum provides children with the knowledge and skills they will require to face any situation head-on they learn how to manage and guard their mental and physical health; how to foster healthy relationships with peers and adults; how to stay safe in public and online and the importance of communicating respectfully with the people around them.

We further recognise that as primary educators, we have a responsibility to prepare children for the next stage in their education and future employment. As such, importance is given to careers based learning. Our Careers’ Week inspires the children to be aspirational in the goals and targets they set for their futures. By giving all children the chance to meet and talk with volunteers from a diverse range of cultural, social and employment backgrounds, they learn that a great range of opportunities are open to them but that responsibility for their future lies in their own hands.

RE

We believe that religious education has the potential to challenge children in seeking out answers to complex questions about the issues of right or wrong; the meaning and purpose of life and what it means to be human. By developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world’s major religions and religious traditions, children are equipped with the necessary tools to answer questions such as these.

Through RE, pupils develop their knowledge of world faiths, and their understanding and awareness of the beliefs, values and traditions of other individuals and cultures. We encourage our pupils to ask questions about the world and their place in it, and to reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences. In doing so, children are taught the importance of mutual respect and tolerance towards a diverse school community and wider society, whilst building their own sense of identity and belonging.

The school’s curriculum for RE also explores aspects of Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education (SMSC). The children are encouraged to develop their own moral compass and reflect upon their beliefs and cultural practices. As a subject, RE is therefore important in contributing to pupils’ personal development.

We use the agreed Berkshire Religious Education statutory syllabus as the basis for our curriculum.