English

Reading - RWI Phonics 

At Wrotham Road Primary School we use the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme to get children off to a flying start with their English and literacy skills. RWI is a method of learning centered around letter sounds and phonics, and we use it to aid children in their reading and writing. Reading opens the door to learning. A child who reads a lot will become a good reader. A good reader will be able to read more challenging material. A child who reads challenging material is a child who will learn. The more a child learns, the more he or she will want to find out. Using RWI, the children learn to read effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into comprehending what they read. It also allows them to spell effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into composing what they write.

Read, Write Inc – Parent Information

English Long Term Planning

Mathematics

Maths No Problem

Maths - No Problem, is an approach to teaching maths developed in Singapore.

Singapore established a new way of teaching maths following their poor performance in international league tables in the early 1980’s.The Singapore Ministry of Education, decided to take the best practice research findings from the West and applied them to the classroom with transformational results.

Based on recommendations from notable experts, Singapore maths is a combination of global ideas delivered as a highly-effective programme of teaching maths.

The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by Singapore’s position at the top of the international benchmarking studies and explains why their programme is now used in over 40 countries including the United Kingdom and the United States.

What is so great about Singapore Maths?

Problem solving is at the heart of mathematics. The focus is not on rote procedures, rote memorisation or tedious calculations but on relational understanding. Pupils are encouraged to solve problems working with their core competencies, such as visualisation, generalisation and decision making. In summary:

• Singapore consistently top the international benchmarking studies for maths teaching.
• It is a highly effective approach to teaching maths based on research and evidence.
• It builds students’ mathematical fluency without the need for rote learning.
• It introduces new concepts using Bruner’s Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) approach.
• Pupils learn to think mathematically as opposed to reciting formulas they don’t understand.
• Teaches mental strategies to solve problems such as drawing a bar model.

How are lessons taught?

Concepts merge from one chapter to the next. Chapters are then broken down into individual lessons.Lessons typically are broken into three parts and can last one or more days. Pupils master topics before moving on.

The three parts to a lesson are:

1. Anchor Task – the entire class spends time on a question guided by the teacher. The children are encouraged during this time to think of as many ways as possible to solve the question as possible.
2. Guided Practice – practice new ideas in groups, pairs or individually guided by the teacher.
3. Independent Practice – practice on your own. Once children have mastered the concept they use their reasoning and problem solving skills to develop their depth of learning.

What impact will Singapore Maths have on our children?

• Children will have a greater conceptual understanding of number and calculation. They will be able to visualise and generalise more readily due to a more in-depth understanding.
• Struggling learners will be fully supported through accessing concrete equipment and use of visual models to support understanding.
• Confident learners will be challenged through exposure to unfamiliar problems, development of reasoning skills and by exploring multiple ways to manipulate numbers and solve problems.
• All learners will access teaching of content which matches the expectations of the new curriculum in England and be supported further, if needed, in order to access this. The resources match the expectations for formal written methods set out by the Government, alongside greater understanding.

International Primary Curriculum

Termly curriculum coverage letters and Knowledge Organisers for all year groups- link below. 

Click Here

The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is an international curriculum providing a cross-curricular, thematic, rigorous teaching structure designed to engage children of all abilities in today’s world.

Globally Competent Learners

At Wrotham Road Primary our children learn from a global perspective. For our students to become globally competent citizens, we feel it is vital for them to develop not only a strong interest in their own and other cultures and a deep understanding of multiple perspectives, but also desire to help shape the local and global communities through actions that impact positively on society. We want this curriculum to give our children the sense that they are capable of influencing change. The IPC, through its thematic units, covers the traditional subject areas of Science, History, Geography, Art, Design and Technology and Music.

10 things Parents should know about the IPC

1. The International Primary Curriculum is a curriculum that is being used in over 1000 schools in 65 countries around the world. It was launched in 2000 having taken three years to create by a group of leading experts in children’s learning from around the world.

2. The goal of the IPC is for children to focus on a combination of academic, personal and international learning. We want children to enjoy their learning; develop enquiring minds, develop the personal qualities they need to be good citizens of the world, and develop a sense of their own nationality and culture, at the same time developing a profound respect for the nationalities and cultures of others. Most of all, we want children to develop all the skills they will need in order to confidently face the world of tomorrow.

3. Children learn through a series of IPC units of work. Each unit of work has a theme that today’s children find interesting and relevant. Examples of these themes includes Treasure, Rainforest, Mission to Mars and Beyond and Fit for Life. Each unit of work lasts on average between four and eight weeks and children learn many of their subjects through this one common theme so that their learning has meaning to them.

4. Linking subjects means that children can make lots of connections with their learning. We now know that the more connections that the brain can make, the better a child can learn.

5. The development of skills is a very big part of the IPC and learning activities have been designed so that children can develop these skills. This development of skills even applies to the personal learning goals which emphasise adaptability, resilience, thoughtfulness, cooperation and respect and which, as a result of progressive skill development, help children to become able and inspired learners.

6. The IPC is not just topic learning. Although the learning is based around a theme, the learning that the children do within that theme has very distinct outcomes to ensure that children are learning exactly what they need to learn.

7. The IPC focuses children’s learning on a combination of knowledge, skills and understanding. No one can properly predict the nature of work and life opportunities that will be available for today’s primary age children by the time they are adults. Many of the jobs they will have don’t yet exist; especially in the fields of ICT, technology and science. So the IPC focuses on a skills-based approach, developing adaptable and resilient globally-minded learners, prepared for the fast-changing world that they’ll be living and working in.

8. The IPC has been designed for children of all abilities and all learning styles, and encourages learning in groups as well as individual learning.

9. In order that parents know what their child is learning, they are sent a letter at the beginning of each IPC unit which outlines what learning will be covered and how parents can help continue that learning at home if they choose.

10. The continued development of the IPC today ensures that children are learning a current and highly relevant curriculum based on the very latest research into the brain and children’s learning.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Jigsaw PSHE

The following information and more can be found in the introductory document below.

• Jigsaw-Information-Leaflet-for-Parents-and-Carers

For specific information about Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), continue to scroll down the page.

What is PSHE Education?
PSHE Education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) is a planned programme of learning through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to successfully manage their lives – now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE Education develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.
What do schools have to teach in PSHE Education?
According to the National Curriculum, every school needs to have a broad and balanced curriculum that:
• promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school;
• prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life;
• promotes British values.
From September 2020, primary schools in England also need to teach Relationships and Health Education as compulsory subjects and the Department for Education strongly recommends this should also include age-appropriate Sex Education.
Schools also have statutory responsibilities to safeguard their pupils (Keeping Children Safe in Education, DfE, 2019) and to uphold the Equality Act (2010).
 

The Jigsaw Programme supports all

What is Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE, and how does it work?
Jigsaw is a whole-school approach and embodies a positive philosophy and creative teaching and learning activities to nurture children’s development as compassionate and well-rounded human beings as well as building their capacity to learn.

Jigsaw is a comprehensive and completely original PSHE Education programme (lesson plans and teaching resources) for the whole primary school from ages 3-11 (12 in Scotland). Written by teachers and grounded in sound psychology, it also includes all the statutory requirements for Relationships and Health Education, and Sex Education is also included in the Changing Me Puzzle (unit)

Jigsaw has two main aims for all children:
• To build their capacity for learning
• To equip them for life

Jigsaw brings together PSHE Education, compulsory Relationships and Health Education, emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and spiritual development. It is designed as a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (Puzzle) at the same time at their own level. There are six Puzzles (half-term units of work) and each year group is taught one lesson per week. All lessons are delivered in an age- and stage-appropriate way so that they meet children’s needs.

Each Puzzle starts with an introductory assembly, generating a whole school focus for adults and children alike. There is also a Weekly Celebration that highlights a theme from that week’s lesson across the school encouraging children to live that learning in their behaviour and attitudes.
 

Religious Education

Discovery RE

Our Curriculum Intent for Religious Education 

Religious Education (RE) allows children to acquire core knowledge and understanding of beliefs and practices of the religious and worldviews which not only shape their history and culture, but which guide their own development. The children learn about the 5 major religions in a creative and explorative way, with local visitors and religious leaders visiting where possible. 

Teaching and Learning in Religious Education (Implementation)

At Wrotham Road Primary School, our RE curriculum ensures students gain knowledge and understanding of the major religions of the world, and can empathise and understand people with those religious beliefs.  This is embedded into lessons with highly experienced teachers. RE is structured in a way that allows pupils to extend and challenge themselves, learning more about themselves as they discover more about several key religions from our community and the wider world.

The Intended Impact of RE Teaching and Learning at Wrotham Road Primary School

We believe that Religious Education provides an opportunity to celebrate and foster awareness of these differences within our school and the wider world. It is a subject that celebrates diversity and challenges stereotypes. 

Planning for Religious Education is based on 2 targets from our RE scheme - Discovery RE:

1. Learning about Religions

2. Learning from Religions

Learning about religion includes enquiry into and investigation of the nature of religion, its key beliefs and teachings, practices, their impacts on the lives of believers and communities, and the varying ways in which these are expressed. It also includes the skills of interpretation, analysis and explanation. Pupils learn to communicate their knowledge and understanding using specialist vocabulary. It also includes identifying and developing an understanding of ultimate questions and ethical issues.

Learning from religion is concerned with developing pupils’ reflection on and response to their own experiences and their learning about religion. It develops pupils’ skills of application, interpretation and evaluation of what they learn about religion, particularly to questions of identity and belonging, meaning, purpose and truth and values and commitments, and communicating their responses.

Inclusion and differentiation for children with SEN and EAL are taken into account in our planning and teaching as they are in all areas of the curriculum. Within the teaching of RE we make the most of opportunities to help the children develop their sensitivity to relevant issues such as refugees and religious fasting, and to develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others.

Computing 

We provide a high-quality computing education that equips pupils to become digitally literate so that they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information and computer technology, allow them to continually practice and improve the skills they learn so that they become creative users of computing technology suitable for the future workplace. We take Internet safety extremely seriously. Our curriculum therefore places equal emphasis on teaching ‘Online Safety’ in line with the expectations of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021 (KCSIE 2021)

We have an E- Safety Policy as well as Remote Learning Policy that provides guidance for teachers and pupils about how to use the Internet and Online Platforms safely.

Purple Mash

Purple Mash is a comprehensive suite of online learning tools and content, designed to be used by Primary aged children in the classroom and at home. It also ensures that a Remote Learning Platform is established, so that should the need arise children can access education remotely on Online Learning platforms

Physical Education

PE- Skills for life

Our PE curriculum, based on the Greenacre Sports Partnership’s scheme of work, aims to ensure all pupils;

– develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities

– are physically active for sustained periods of time

– engage in competitive sports and activities

– lead healthy, active lives

MFL

Intent

It is our intent at Wrotham Road Primary School to provide all of our children with a high-quality education in Languages, which develops their love of learning about other languages and cultures. The language taught at Wrotham Road Primary school is French. It is our intention to ensure that by the end of our children’s primary education, they have acquired an understanding of both spoken and written French, confidence to speak in French with others and know how important other languages can be in their future.

Curriculum Implementation

Children have weekly lessons in French throughout Key Stage 2, using the Language Angels programme of study, in addition to other resources.  Areas covered include: numbers, colours, house and home, in town, food and drink, the classroom, clothes, transport, sport and hobbies.  

Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games. As confidence and skill grows, children record their work through pictures, captions and sentences.

• displays are used to remind children of key vocabulary
• practical activities, songs and games are used to help improve memory and recall.
• Visual prompts are used to support children in translating new vocabulary.

Impact

Our children will be able to read, understand, write and express themselves in French – at an appropriate level – using accurate vocabulary and intonation in the French language. Our children will leave Wrotham Road Primary school with a solid foundation upon which to build future skills and knowledge and will be well prepared for the next stage of their language education.

The Language Angels scheme

Language Angels is a ready-made foreign language teaching solution for all primary schools. This makes it possible for all primary school teachers to teach successful foreign language lessons irrespective of their linguistic confidence and without adding to their workload or stress levels. These resources are completely curriculum compliant. They have been written around the 12 DfE Languages Programme of Study attainment targets. The three ‘pillars’ of language learning (phonics, grammar and vocabulary) are all built into the scheme and, as pupils progress through the units and teaching types, previous language is recycled, revisited and consolidated.

Music Opportunities at Wrotham Road   

Ukulele and recorder lessons plus musical workshops.

Design Technology

The Phoenix Challenge

Home and school link

For home learning, we are aiming to make a link between our Creative Curriculum and things that you can try at home. Following Department of Education guidelines, we have created The Phoenix Challenge. This is a list of 20 activities that link to the IPC topics your child will be studying this year. Each child will keep a personal list and we will be giving awards to those who complete 15 or more.

 Year 4 Curley's Farm Visits

Throughout the last school year WRPS Year Four children have regularly attended Curley’s Farm on the Isle of Sheppey. Ten children go on each visit and they have six visits over a term. These visits occur on Fridays and each one takes up a full school day. The children are taken to the farm by school mini-bus, arriving there about 1030. They spend the day on the farm, returning to school for the end of the school day.

Curley’s Farm presents a unique experience to the children who visit. It is a proper working farm with poultry, pigs, sheep, cattle and alpacas. Each of these groups of animals is subject to or the product of a breeding programme.

As well as being a proper working farm, Curley’s Farm is an educational experience where children learn about animal husbandry and the business of farming. All the raw details of life on the farm are there for the children to see and hear. Every visit entails a different experience where the children can get ‘up close and personal’ with each type of animal on the farm. One week they might be mucking out the cow shed and feeding the sheep. Another week may find them feeding the pigs and moving the turkeys from one part of the farm to another.

Some of the typical questions that interested and curious children ask are answered by the extremely professional and personable staff in such a matter of fact and candid way that the children feel no embarrassment or concern about things that happen on the farm.

Curley’s Farm really does give our children an opportunity to experience life on a farm and see and touch animals that most of them have probably only seen pictures of. It is a truly enlightening experience for every child – each one deriving from these visits a wealth of experience and knowledge.

One of the most apparent things about the farm visits is what great levelers they are. Every child of every background and every ability level has their own experience and many of them show aptitude and skill as well as experiencing a range of emotions and personal qualities that do not necessarily show at school. It is with all these positive points in mind that it is pleasing that these visits will continue for the next year 4 classes.