Our curriculum is designed to encourage and provide children with the skills and attitudes necessary to develop as independent learners. We believe that the National Curriculum provides a sound basis on which to build these and approach the subjects in a manner which enables children to think and reason, problem solve, to question, to find their own solutions and use their intellectual, emotional, social, physical, moral and spiritual natures to explore their world. At Stanbridge Lower we devise innovative approaches to curricular subjects which produce standards of academic excellence.
To enable children to derive the maximum benefit from their studies, careful planning needs to take place and staff meet regularly to plan their lessons and share expertise. All pupils are challenged whatever their abilities and are provided with a wide range of experiences in order to stimulate and foster a love of learning. Children’s achievements are tracked across the year in Reading, Writing, Maths and Science. This ensures children are working towards their full potential. Targets are set in all these areas with the children.
Copies of the Medium Term Plans for each subject area / class are found in the Reception Area under the heading Information for Parents.
The majority of English is taught through the daily Literacy hour, although other aspects such as Speaking and Listening are a priority in every school day by the promotion of a good standard of spoken English. All children belong to one of four Literacy teaching groups named after three authors of children’s literature, Nimmo, Wilson, Dahl and Ahlberg. Regular assessment and tracking of achievement ensures that each child is placed in the group that will give the correct level of challenge and support.
We encourage our children to read for pleasure and with understanding. We value the help parents can give when practising reading with the books that the children bring home. Our core reading schemes are ‘Ginn’ and ‘Storyworlds’ but these are supplemented by a wide range of other scheme books across the range.
We have a library with a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction books, which the children have access to as reference material for independent research. Library skills are taught early, our main aim is to foster a love of books.
Children are taught mathematics in a daily Numeracy session. The four teaching classes in Numeracy are named for two dimensional shapes hence Circle, Triangle, Pentagon and Decagon. Children are assessed regularly to ensure they are in the correct group. By encouraging confidence and a true understanding of numbers we aim to develop mental agility with a quick recall of basic number facts leading to the recording of results.
A range of mathematical equipment is used by the children for sorting and partitioning, sequencing and matching.
Every child has a weekly lesson in Science. We provide learning opportunities in a variety of practical and active settings, the children are able to investigate many aspects of plant and insect life in our extensive environmental garden.
We aim to develop questioning, planning, decision making and the children’s powers of deduction based on evidence gathered. Pupils are taught to record their work in a number of ways, to evaluate their work meaningfully and to know and use appropriate vocabulary and equipment. The children are taught to work safely often in collaboration with others.
Every child spends a Literacy lesson, a Numeracy lesson and a lesson in ICT skills each week in the computer suite. Where appropriate, the suite is also timetabled to support the foundation subjects.
Regular access to modern technology ensures confidence and competence in the children’s computer skills. The computer suite is equipped with a wide variety of programs appropriate to the age of the children and meeting the needs of all curricular subjects.
Teaching is further enhanced by the use of the interactive whiteboard. The children learn to use computers for a variety of tasks, for example, handling data and word processing.
The younger children are taught through a series of mini topics including ‘Childhood Clothes’ and ‘Toys’. The lessons aim to help the children begin to form an understanding of the differences between now and then. All study in years 3 and 4 builds upon earlier lessons. Themes extend across a whole term where the children study ‘The Romans’, ‘Invaders and Settlers’ and also local History during the second World War.
In Geography children start by learning about the familiar aspects of the local features around the school and village. They also share their holiday experiences and hear about those of “Barnaby Bear”, whose experiences puts differing locations into a simplified story form.
The older children study the subject in themes, for example they consider the development of Leighton Buzzard and compare differing world locations in terms of climate, physical and social geography. Where appropriate they will use research material in the library or on computers.
Religious Education follows the guidelines laid down in the Agreed Syllabus for Bedfordshire. The emphasis for study in both lessons and assemblies is Christianity. Respect and tolerance for all religious beliefs and religions are taught in themes such as ‘Special Books’ and ‘Special People’.
Study widens with the older children to include the five main religions of the world, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. The children’s religious experience is enriched by visits to and services held in the parish church of St. John the Baptist. Also the local vicar conducts assemblies and is a regular visitor to the school.
In Design and Technology children are taught to safely use basic tools such as scissors, rulers and glue. They are encouraged to develop skills in design through the processes of investigation, planning and later evaluation. Themes studied include Vehicles, Packaging, Alarms and Money Containers.
Music is an important aspect of life at our school. A great variety of music is played in school every day, for example as the children enter the building in the morning and as they walk to assembly.
Children sing at a daily assembly as well as many events when friends and familes are invited. In lessons children will be given every opportunity to develop their musical skills, abilities and talents. Their skills of musical appreciation are actively encouraged by listening to as well as participating in music.
In art all children are encouraged to develop a wide variety of skills. They learn to communicate their ideas using different mediums including drawing, painting, collage, printing and working with clay.
Throughout their units of work children are given opportunities to talk about their own and the work of others and to reflect on how they might improve or change it. They have opportunities to become aware of and appreciate works of famous and contemporary artists. In Key Stage 2 the children visit the National Gallery to study several famous paintings in detail.
We are extremely fortunate to possess a school field in excess of two acres in area, this is further enhanced by the recently finished “Rosie Court”, a marked hard-court for all weather use. These are used as much as possible to encourage positive attitudes to physical exercise in all our children.
All children are taught skills in the use of balls and bats as well as dance and gymnastics. These skills are built upon in the lessons of all older children. The school participates in all locally organised sporting events, as well as display performances of Maypole dancing at the local church fetes and the annual “Country Dancing Festival”.
Annually our older children can take part in a Residential Field Trip which supports ICT, PE and Geography. Our swimming takes place in the Summer term for the Year ¾ children.
Regular Assessment in English, Mathematics and Science is an essential feature of the teaching at Stanbridge Lower School. Teachers discuss how children are progressing and there are strategies in place to address the needs of individual pupils. In Literacy and Numeracy children will be moved into the teaching groups which reflect their abilities and needs. Teachers are always available to discuss any parental concerns.
We believe that children should be educated for today’s society. They need to be able to make informed decisions on many issues and become citizens in their own right. We aim to teach them how to be aware of personal safety, to adopt a healthy lifestyle and recognise the dangers present in the world at large. Sessions in PSHCE are presented at a level of understanding appropriate for the children in the class often in the form of discussions in Circle Time.
Although SRE is not a lesson on any timetable the relevant strands of the National Curriculum Programme of study are addressed for all children within PSHCE and Science.
Stanbridge Lower School is a registered charity (Number 1049285)
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