St-Giles-Church-of-England-School-Curriculum- (ID 1011)

• Curriculum Overview
  Curriculum Overview

  School Values and Vision

  Nurture – Inspire – Respect – Achieve

  Bringing out the best in every child

  At St Giles, our distinctively Christian values shape all that we do. Our school is a nurturing community which inspires everyone to learn and achieve as individuals, with courage, compassion and creativity. We believe that our children will flourish in God's eyes, today and in the future. As a school, we work together with respect for God's world to create an inspiring, loving and caring community.

  St Giles is a village school with community at its heart. We recognise and celebrate partnership working and we strive to involve children, parents/carers, staff, governors, and the local community when planning and delivering our school curriculum.

  We are committed to inclusive, high-quality teaching to ensure that every child makes good progress and all children leave us knowing their strengths and weaknesses, and having reached their full potential. We aim to give all learners, particularly those disadvantaged and/or with special educational needs, the knowledge, skills and attitudes to achieve their full potential and to be lifelong learners ready for the next step in their education.

  Our curriculum is designed taking into account the local context, using the locality and local people, as a learning resource.

  At St Giles we have a broad and balanced curriculum that goes beyond the requirements of the National Curriculum. We follow the National Curriculum and EYFS Foundation Stage Curriculum. Overviews, skills progression documents and subject profiles can be found on each curriculum page.

  Curriculum Intent

  • provide stimulating teaching that engages pupil’s interest and fosters enthusiasm and a love of learning across a wide range of subjects;
  • develop a positive learning culture where perseverance and resilience are valued;
  • develop children’s confidence and capacity to learn independently within school and beyond;
  • provide a curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, and social development of pupils, in keeping with the nurturing Christian environment that we have at St Giles;
  • ensure we provide opportunities for pupils to develop healthy bodies and positive mental health;
  • encourage children to understand and value diversity within the society in which they live and to show tolerance and an interest in the wider world;
  • reading is prioritised to allow all pupils to access the full curriculum on offer;
  • have a high focus on oral language, writing and maths skills throughout all subjects.

  To achieve this across all areas of the curriculum staff provide the following:

  • carefully considered, well-sequenced lessons that build skills and knowledge incrementally;
  • a safe, calm working environment, in which children can learn and grow;
  • a learning environment in which courtesy, kindness and respect are fostered;
  • positive role models and strong personal relationships between children and adults;
  • a fair and disciplined environment, in line with the school’s behaviour policy;

  The leadership team endeavors to provide a supportive environment for staff enabling them to effectively manage their professional time, ensuring all have a positive work-life balance.

  Curriculum Implementation - Frameworks and Enrichment

  We follow programs of study detailed in the National Curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.

  We employ specialist teachers to provide weekly music lessons, across the school and french at KS2. Sport is a strength of the school and we employ South Coast Sport to deliver specialist PE coaching to every class each week. Year 3 and Year 4 have one term of swimming lessons per year.

  We provide a wide range of extra-curricular clubs, including art, ballet, netball, football, multi-skills, athletics and woodwork. We provide a range of additional sporting and enrichment opportunities through Mid-Sussex Active, the North-East Area Rural Small Schools Partnership and links with Cumnor House School and Ardingly College.

  We run a popular breakfast and afterschool club four days per week.

  To ensure continuity and strong teacher subject knowledge we have developed consistent planning approaches using a range of carefully selected schemes of work, in some cases these are adjusted to suit our school context. These are rigorously researched and evaluated to ensure they meet the needs of our pupils and school context.

  • White Rose Maths
  • Mastering Number
  • Write Stuff Writing
  • Write Stuff Spelling
  • Phonics – Little Wandle Letters and Sounds
  • Science - Hamilton Trust / PlanBee SoW
  • Geography and History -PlanBee SoW
  • Art / DT PlanBee Sow
  • RE – Discovery RE
  • RSHE/PSCE – Go-Givers / Christopher Winter Project

  Every year group enjoys regular outdoor learning sessions. These sessions are aimed at building a love of nature, resilience and teamwork and also link with subjects taught, (See outdoor learning page page).

  For each subject there are progression documents detailing the skills and knowledge taught at each stage of learning.

  Curriculum Coordinators are responsible for designing the curriculum in their area, and for ensuring it is delivered effectively and reflects our school vision and values.

  Teachers are responsible for developing medium term plans for their classes. These must include clear objectives, key vocabulary, and an overview of prior learning and the next step.

  Each class produces a ‘curriculum map’ detailing subject coverage in all subjects, this is updated annually. A parent friendly ‘learning grid’ is sent home each term, this highlights key learning and vocabulary in all subjects. These are available on the school website/learning.

  Some areas of the curriculum are taught through termly topics whiles others are taught discreetly. We aim to provide a context for learning and providing hooks for children to hang their learning on. To this end, staff routinely plan enrichment activities and a range of visits and visitors to enhance learning. Subject coordinators plan regular themed enrichment weeks.

  Link to St Giles School Teaching and Learning Policy here

• Enrichment at St Giles
  Enrichment at St Giles

  Enrichment at St Giles School

  We believe our curriculum is broad and balanced and we offer a very wide range of opportunities that enrich our children’s education.

  Examples include the following:

  School events and traditions - we have some unique traditions at St Giles, most notably our 'School Bishop Team' who are voted in by the school community. Their role is similar to a prefect or school council leaders. Other school traditions include a pancake race, making a school Christmas cake, country dancing, a talent show and our end of year school production.

  Music - singing and music is a key feature of our school. We have regular singing, rock steady lessons, music lessons and singing in the Church. An annual music bursary is awarded each year to pay for music lessons for one child. Year 5 and 6 regularly attend 'Young Voices' in London, and ‘Big Sing’ events with other local schools. Children experience regular live performances such as Ensemble Raza.

  Enriching History and Geography - we plan visits and visitors to support learning within these subjects. Where possible we use the local area to support learning e.g., the village, local woodland and St Giles Church.

  Celebrating different cultures - we have links to God Agak School in Kenya, exchanging cultural information through letters, and raising funds. Teachers work to ensure resources and topics used in teaching reflect a range of cultures and actively encourage children to think about the world beyond Horsted Keynes.

  People who help us - all children benefit from a range of visitors to school e.g. emergency services, the dog trust, vets, nurses, scientists etc.

  Educational Visits - these are planned to enrich and deepen learning. Year 5 and 6 children attend an annual residential trip aimed at developing confidence, resilience and strong personal relationships. Younger children all have the opportunity to go on an educational journey, these are planned to support learning taking place at school.

  Community links - older pupils help at the village lunch, younger children visit the local Pre-School, all pupils regularly attend and take part in church services. Church services are led by a wide range of local parishioners. The Church runs a Friday Club to support working parents, (as our afterschool club does not operate on a Friday).

  Road Safety - this is an important issue for us as the majority of our pupils walk to school down Church Lane. We regularly have a 'road safety week' that includes pedestrian training and road safety awareness.

  Clubs - we have a wide range of clubs e.g. Art Club, Football, Multi-skills, Netball, Woodwork and Ballet.

  Wrap Around Care - we run a breakfast and afterschool club 4 days per week.

  Sporting opportunities and events - we work closely with other small schools, local secondary and independent schools, and Mid-Sussex Active, to ensure our pupils experience a wide range of sporting opportunities e.g. festivals, competitions etc.

  Gardening and caring for the environment - the school has a 'quiet garden', a woodland area and a large field all used for both learning and recreation. We have raised beds to grow vegetables, growing and caring for plants is linked to learning in Science. Our PSHE curriculum also covers environmental topics to help children make sense of issues such as climate change and environmental issues.

  Outdoor Learning - all classes attend regular outdoor learning sessions, in addition pupils often take learning outdoors, for example, using the church to support RE teaching and the village to bring history and geography to life.

  Themed weeks - these bring learning to life and allow children to focus on a subject in greater depth. Examples of recent themed weeks have been Book Week, RE Week, Science, Maths, Art and DT, E-Safety and Sport. In addition, we mark themed weeks such as Dyslexia Awareness, Mental Health Awareness, Anti-Bullying Week etc. These increase children's knowledge, understanding and tolerance of difference.

  As you can see we offer a wide range of opportunities, we believe this helps our children to accumulate knowledge, behaviours, and skills. They draw upon these helping them to become confident, successful individuals ready for their next steps in their education.

  Please take a moment to enjoy the photos below showing some of our enrichment activities.

• Early Years
  Early Years

  We follow the EYFS Foundation Stage Curriculum.

  We believe a well planned EYFS curriculum provides a sound bases to develop positive attitudes to school and sets the tone for the years ahead.

  Our curriculum is adjusted to meet the needs of each cohort of children ensuring they receive the support they require to develop the core skills required for successful learning.

  We have a large classroom and well resourced outside learning areas that provide stimulating learning spaces. We make full use of these by planning a combination of teacher input and continuous provision opportunities to enable children to develop their learning through both independent exploration and supported by skilled adults guiding their learning.

  The Characteristics of Effective Learning are at the heart of the Early Years Curriculum developing pupil's skills in playing and exploring, active learning, creativity and critical thinking.

  KUW Curriculum Themes - link here

  Curriculum Overview Document

  Our profile document sets out our intent, implementation and intended impact - click here

• English
  Core Subject
  English

  We aim for every child to develop an in depth knowledge and the keys skills as laid out in the National Curriculum 2014 for English.

  It is our intention that the English curriculum enables pupils to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to read and write, enabling them to access learning in all subjects. We strive to ensure that all pupils receive a broad and balanced learning experience encompassing reading, writing, speaking and listening. We believe this will equip them with the tools they need to achieve highly at St Giles and beyond. We place high importance on developing pupil's vocabulary and encouraging children to use language effectively.

  As a school, we love books and reading. We have a wide range of reading material, a well stocked library and take every opportunity to use quality texts in teaching. Each year we celebrate World Book Day.

  Our profile document sets out our intent, implementation and intended impact - click here.

  Reading - click here for overview

  Phonics - Click here for an overview

  Reception teaching overview - click here

  Year 1 teaching overview - click here

  Writing - click here for overview

  Spelling - Click here for an overview

  Handwriting - click here for an overview

  Further information for each year group can be found on the class information pages under the learning tab.

  We love books! Giving children experience of quality books will not only enhance their literary skills but also inspire them to engage with books, develop a love of reading and create motivation to write.

  Book Trust - 100 best books over 100 years - click here

  Good Reads- 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime - click here

• Mathematics
  Core Subject
  Mathematics

  We aim for every child to develop an in depth knowledge of the mathematics and keys skills as laid out in the National Curriculum 2014.

  We want our children to show enjoyment and resilience when solving a range of problems. We believe children should be able to represent their maths in different ways, using a range of equipment and selecting resources independently in line with their developmental levels. We work to help our children have quick and accurate recall of mathematic facts, as once these are learned they are never forgotten! Children can earn bronze, silver and gold badges in recognition of their hard work learning their tables.

  Finally, we want our children to have a good understanding of how mathematics is used in the real world - so we give lots of opportunities for them to apply their learning through problem solving, We also take opportunities to use maths in other subjects and have a regular 'maths day'.

  Our profile document sets out our intent, implementation and intended impact - click here

  White Rose and Mastering Number Explained - click here

  White Rose Overview - click here

  Mastering Number Reception Overview - click here

  Mastering Number Year 1 Overview - click here

  Mastering Number Year 2 Overview - click here

  Knowledge and Skills documents for each class can be found in on class pages under 'class organisation' in the learning tab.

• Science
  Core Subject
  Science

  We aim for every child to develop an in depth knowledge and the keys skills as laid out in the National Curriculum 2014 for science.

  Year 1-4 are taught in single age groups. Year 5 and 6 are taught as one class with a two year program of science teaching.

  As one of the core subjects, we give the teaching of science the prominence it requires.

  During their time at St Giles children will acquire and develop the key knowledge and vocabulary identified within each unit. We ensure that the working scientific skills are developed throughout children’s time at the school. We aim to equip pupils with knowledge, skills and understanding to become confident scientists.

  The heart of science teaching at St Giles is our commitment to practical, explorative and investigative learning. We believe in a hands-on approach where children learn by doing it for themselves. This approach encourages our children to build resilience and become creative, critical thinkers.

  We recognise the importance of science in every aspect of daily life and organise events to illustrate this, such as Science Week, Science Fairs, and visiting speakers.

  Our Science Coordinator leads our Eco School Council organising a range of science projects across the school.

  Eco-School Plan 2022-23 here

  Our profile document sets out our intent, implementation and intended impact - click here

  Scientific enquiry progression document here

  Science knowledge overview here

  Science Week Photos 2023

  Science week 2021

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• Religious Education
  Core Subject
  Religious Education

  “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness” Dalai Lama

  As a Church of England School, we offer an RE curriculum which follows the West Sussex Agreed Syllabus and is in accordance with the Church of England Statement of Entitlement. Our provision offers children the opportunity to acquire an in depth knowledge and understanding of both Christian and other worldviews, beliefs and practices. RE is a core subject within the school and is taught primarily using the Discovery RE Scheme of Work and resources. Children are encouraged to explore the worldviews of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Humanism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhi through an enquiry based approach which allows them to reflect and consider both their own beliefs and those of others.

  We have strong links with our local parish congregation and the church of St Giles and use the church to celebrate our weekly Friday service. We also use the church to hold our KS2 Carol concerts, our Eucharists once a term and also as a teaching resource and place of reflection. The seasons and Church calendar are celebrated through our school events such as Harvest Festival, Easter and Christmas, and during our daily collective worship. Our annual RE week coincides with the start of Advent and allows children to prepare for the Christmas period by reflecting on an aspect or aspects of the Christmas story. In the Summer Term, we also hold our Prayer Day, involving members of the community in order to allow our children to reflect on the world around them and to pray for or think of themselves and others.

  Overview of RE teaching here

• Geography
  Foundation Subject
  Geography

  We aim for every child to develop the knowledge and the keys skills as laid out in the National Curriculum 2014 for Geography.

  At St Giles we aim to deliver a high quality geography curriculum, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also through the use of fieldwork and educational visits, which inspires pupils to be curious about the world and its people.

  We aim to instil a love for Geography in our pupils and to develop their knowledge of the world, as well as their place within it. We provide all pupils with opportunities to investigate and build geographical knowledge and skills using the local area and beyond.

  Our curriculum builds pupil's knowledge incrementally throughout their time at St Giles (see skills/knowledge progression document).

  We aim for our children to have increasing awareness of environmental issues and the impact humans have on earth, and we encourage pupils to become reflective members of society who consider their actions/choices and actively invest in protecting the planet.

  Implementation

  We have created a scheme of work using PlanBee units. We have reviewed these to ensure we make the most of our wonderful surroundings, and to take account of the local context. Teachers highlight, and teach key vocabulary for each unit taught. Key learning objectives are identified for each unit and revised regularly to ensure learning is secure.

  Each term we send home a 'learning grid' this give parents details of key learning and vocabulary. A choice of Geography homework is set each term.

  Curriculum coverage and topics here

  Skills / knowledge progressions document here

  Curriculum profile document here

• History
  Foundation Subject
  History

  We aim for every child to develop an in depth knowledge and the keys skills as laid out in the National Curriculum 2014 for History.

  At St Giles Church of England Primary School we provide our children with a relevant and challenging History curriculum that is engaging, sparks curiosity and enables them to develop as young Historians.

  Our curriculum teaches children about the lives of significant people and events from the past and most importantly, the impact that these things have on lives today. We ensure that our children develop an awareness of the relationships between different groups of people who have lived in the past, the challenges they faced and strategies they used to overcome them..

  We aim to develop pupil's vocabulary and knowledge, and to develop critical thinking and reasoning skills, together with their ability to ask considered questions as they make judgements based on evidence.

  We give careful consideration to the topics studied aiming to broaden our children's experiences and understanding of the world around them and preparing them for life in modern Britain today.

  Our profile document sets out our intent, implementation and intended impact - click here

  History overview - click here

  Key knowledge for each topic - click here

  Knowledge progress for Key concepts - click here

  Knowledge and Skills progression document here

  Vocabulary list - here

• Computing
  Foundation Subject
  Computing

  We aim for every child to develop an in depth knowledge and the keys skills as laid out in the National Curriculum 2014 for Computing.

  At St Giles Church of England Primary School we aim to provide a modern curriculum in computing which will allow all children to become independent, confident and responsible users of technology.

  In an ever-changing world, we aim to equip children with the knowledge and skills they need to use computational thinking and creativity to solve problems, enabling them to become active participants in the digital world and inspiring them to be the creators and inventors of tomorrow.

  Whilst ensuring they understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with online experiences, we want children to develop as respectful and responsible individuals online and to become aware of measures that can be taken to keep themselves and others safe.

  Computing Profile - click here

  Computing overview - click here

  Digital Literacy overview - click here

  Information for parents in relation to e-safety can be found on the 'parents' tab under e-safety.

• French
  Modern Foreign Language
  French

  One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages can open every door along the way” Frank Smith

  As a school, we believe that learning a language enriches the curriculum and is a necessary part of being a member of a multicultural society, as it provides an opening to other cultures. A high quality languages education should foster children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. Starting French early in KS2, helps to create enthusiastic learners with positive attitudes towards languages learning throughout life. Through learning French, our pupils will develop skills and knowledge to enhance their oracy and literacy within their own language, whilst deepening their understanding of the language and culture of others.

  We aim for every child to develop the key skills based on the Modern Foreign Language curriculum. Our pupils are encouraged to confidently vocalise in another language through real-life application and development of vocabulary.

  Documents to follow

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• Music
  Foundation Subject
  Music

  We aim for every child to develop an in depth knowledge and the keys skills as laid out in the National Curriculum 2014 for Music. All children have the opportunity to extend and enrich their musical experience by listening, composing and performing.

  We have a specialist music teacher and every class has at least one hour of music teaching each week, in addition we organise regular enrichment activities such as celebrating Sing up day, Big Sings' with other schools, music workshops and visits events such as Young Voices.

  Singing is a real strength of the school, we sing each week in Church and regularly in our collective worship sessions.

  Our profile document sets out our intent, implementation and intended impact - here

  Music progression document here

  A selection of resources used can be found here

  Big Sing at Christ Hospital School / Christmas visit by Ensable Reza/Music workshop Year 3/4

• Art and Design
  Foundation Subject
  Art and Design

  Every child is an artist - Picasso

  We aim for every child to develop an in depth knowledge and the keys skills as laid out in the National Curriculum 2014 for Art and Design.

  At St Giles Primary School, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Art and Design provides the children with the opportunities to develop and extend skills and an opportunity to express their individual interests, thoughts and ideas. We believe that by developing this, we can contribute to the quality of our children’s lives, both within and beyond school.

  Art and Design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

  Art Profile Document which sets out our intent, implementation and intended impact here

  Art Key Knowledge Overview here

  Art Skills Progression here

• Physical Education
  Foundation Subject
  Physical Education

  We aim for every child to develop the knowledge and keys skills for PE as laid out in the National Curriculum 2014.

  Sport is a strength of the school, children love their PE sessions and most have positive attitudes to physical activity and sport. We develop sport leaders though 'Sports Crew' training, older pupils use their skills to organise younger pupils at lunch and playtime.

  We employ a sports coach one day per week to ensure each child has specialist teaching every week. Pupils take part in a wide range of sporting events and competitions, and we provide a range of extra-curricular clubs. We gave strong links with local clubs including Horsted Keynes Tennis Club and Sussex Cricket.

  To ensure we give our pupils a wide range of sporting opportunities we subscribe to Mid-Sussex Active. They organise a wide range of local festivals and competitions which our children really enjoy. We have achieved Gold Schools Games Mark for our commitment and engagement to Sport.

  Our profile document sets out our intent, implementation and intended impact - here

  South Coast Sport progression pathway document here

  Skill progression document here

  Overview of provision - here

• RSE and PSHE
  Foundation Subject
  RSE and PSHE

  PSHE and RSE

  We provide a curriculum to ensure our pupils become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. Our curriculum provision includes opportunities for spiritual, moral and cultural development, whilst strongly upholding and promoting our Christian Vision and British Values. Our aim is for our children to gain knowledge and skills to enable them to understand and navigate the ever changing world in which they live.

  We believe that the special experience our pupils gain by working, playing and learning in a nurturing village school helps them develop an understanding of our values, resulting in pupils who are able to show empathy, respect, understanding and tolerance.

  We work hard to ensure that teaching approaches and resources reflect the multi-cultural world we live in.

  We use a combination of resources including Young Citizens and CWP. In addition teachers follow our whole school Collective Worship themes delivering in-class assemblies and teaching sessions. Every class takes part in regular special events such as Anti-Bullying week, Mental Health and Wellbeing week and Dyslexia and Autism Awareness days. Class teachers also respond to individual or class needs as issues arise. Our Inclusion Manager provides bespoke support for individuals or small groups of pupils as the need arises.

  We have a robust digital literacy curriculum based on Project Evolve. (See computing page for details)

  Click here to download our RSHE (including digital literacy) curriculum overview - here

  Click here to download our SRE and Drugs education overview - here

• Design and Technology
  Foundation Subject
  Design and Technology

  We aim for every child to develop an in depth knowledge and the keys skills as laid out in the National Curriculum 2014 for DT. Link to NC here

  Design and Technology prepares children to deal with tomorrows rapidly changing world. It encourages children to become independent, creative problem solvers and thinkers as individuals and part of a team. It enables them to identify needs and opportunities and to respond to them by developing a range of ideas and by making products and systems. Through the study of Design and Technology, they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industry. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate past and present technology, it's uses and impacts.

  Our profile document sets out our intent, implementation and intended impact here

  Our curriculum over view can be found here.

  Our skills progression document can be found here.

• Learning Outside the Classroom
  Enrichment
  Learning Outside the Classroom

  Learning outside the Classroom

  We are fortunate to be able to run outdoor learning sessions on site within the school 'moat' and in woodland near the school. The moat is a beautiful tree lined area that runs around the perimeter of the school grounds. We also have a large playing field.

  Pupils learn a range of skills through organised and self chosen activities. The sessions are run by a trained teacher and all children benefit, having two half termly blocks per year.

  The sessions give children the opportunity to develop their curiosity, confidence, communication skills, knowledge of the natural environment and the ability to assess risk.

  We also use the sessions to teach and/or revise knowledge and skills in relation to Geography, History, Science and PSHE.

  Click here for our overview on learning - here

  We also offer a wide range of educational trips and visits. Recent visits have included a residential trip at Bowles Outdoor Education Center, Herstmonceux and Tilgate Park.