Subject Specific Information

English

Within English our aim is to ensure that all pupils have access to high-quality teaching and learning experiences that develop the fundamental skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. By exposing children to engaging and challenging learning experiences we aim to instil a love of reading and a passion for writing so that by the time our pupils move on to the next phase of their education, they can communicate their thoughts, ideas and emotions effectively.

Phonics and Early Reading

The school has adopted The FFT Success for All Phonics programme of systematic, synthetic phonics for the teaching of phonics and early reading in both EYFS and Year 1. The programme consists of daily phonics and shared reading lessons which are clearly linked to the phoneme focus. The shared reading book is sent home with the children each week to reinforce their learning. This is further enhanced, by The Big Cat reading scheme which gives children access to a wide range of genres.

Speaking and Listening

Oral skills and self-confidence are developed by participating in discussions, role play and debates; by presenting learning to others in the class; taking part in class assemblies to the school and parents and through participation in plays and productions.

Reading

From Year 2 onwards, children participate in daily 20-minute whole class reading lessons. During these sessions, they are immersed in high quality and age-appropriate texts. There are carefully planned opportunities for the children to develop their reading fluency and automaticity by hearing an adult read, taking part in choral reading and reading aloud with a partner. High quality discussions are an integral part of these sessions. Teachers carefully plan for the teaching of ‘lynchpin’ words and use VIPER style questions to deepen pupils’ understanding of the text.

Spelling

From Year 2 upwards, the children follow the Read, Write Inc. spelling scheme. RWI Spelling is a 15-minutes-a-day programme for Years 2 to 6 which uses a proven approach underpinned by phonics.  Read Write Inc. Spelling ensures spelling success for children who are fluent readers.

Writing

English lessons at Clarendon are centred on a class text and children are provided with regular opportunities to write creatively in response to this. Fundamental grammar and punctuation knowledge are taught discretely within a short part of the English lesson and is reinforced during teacher modelling sessions and by examining a good example.

At Clarendon, we follow the Nelson Handwriting scheme to ensure consistency of approach.

Maths

Our maths curriculum aims to ensure that pupils become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, developing conceptual understanding and the ability to recall knowledge rapidly and accurately, reason mathematically and solve problems by applying their understanding in different contexts. We strive to ensure that our Mathematics curriculum is meaningful and purposeful and we seek to give children opportunities to learn through practical equipment.

Using planning and resources from the White Rose Maths Hub, lessons are personalised to address the individual needs and requirements of children. By the end of Key Stage 2, we aim for children to be fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics with a conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. We also aim to ensure children develop a secure and deep understanding of maths through manageable steps using mistakes and misconceptions as an essential part of learning.

Science

At Clarendon we encourage children to be naturally curious and inquisitive about the world around them. Our science curriculum has been developed to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum and to foster a sense of wonder about the natural world; promoting a respect for the living and non-living.

Throughout each key stage, children are encouraged to develop and use a range of scientific skills including questioning, researching, investigating and observing for themselves. We promote and celebrate these skills and ensure that our working scientifically skills are revisited, built on, and developed throughout the children's time at school. This enables them to apply their knowledge of science when using a range of equipment, conducting investigations, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently. In addition, we want our children to have a broad vocabulary and to develop the confidence to continually raise questions and to question concepts and results. Scientific language is introduced and taught at the start of each new topic and is then built upon as topics are revisited in different year groups and across key stages.

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in science, we implement a curriculum that is built around enquiry-based questions, progressive throughout the school and which builds upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. Furthermore, wherever possible, science is linked to other curricular areas especially English, maths and geography as well as incorporating, where possible, our core school values.

Computing

The children begin to develop their computing skills in Reception when they are taught mouse control, keyboard skills and how to save and print work. Beyond this, the NCCE ‘Teach Computing’ scheme is used in Years 1 – 6 to ensure thorough coverage of the National Curriculum objectives, as well as clear progression between year groups. The units for key stages 1 and 2 are based on a spiral curriculum, meaning each theme is revisited (at least once in each year group), through a new unit that consolidates and builds on prior learning. Our Computing curriculum aims to build key skills in digital literacy, information technology and online safety to help children confidently and safely use the different technologies that surround them. These skills are also built on each year to ensure that knowledge is securely embedded and can be successfully developed. Regular online safety lessons, which are planned using Project Evolve, teach children how to be safe when working in a digital environment and understand the digital footprint we leave.

History and Geography

We believe that Geography and History helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world in both past and present day. Children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it. We hope to inspire curiosity within the children through a well taught and balanced curriculum. Much of the History and Geography curriculum taught at Clarendon is supported by well-planned and relevant enrichment activities to make the children’s experiences and learning as real and as practical as possible. This is achieved through trips and visits, visitors, workshops and themed days. Planning in Geography is supported via the Oddizzi scheme and planning in History is supported via the Keystage History Scheme.

Art and Design

As a school, we follow the Kapow scheme of work which is taught through the practical application of skills and, where possible, uses cross-curricular links. The children develop their knowledge of art and learn new techniques and skills throughout their art journey. The scheme follows a detailed progression, ensuring basic and more challenging skills are taught as they move through the school.

Design and Technology

Design and Technology lessons are taught in all year groups through at least one topic per term. Design Technology projects are either cross-curricular - linking to other subjects or stand-alone projects. Planning is also supported by following the Kapow schemes of work.

We encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Children are taught to use a range of tools and to use these creatively. Children have the opportunity to understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook. Children learn to analyse, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.

Physical Education

Our PE curriculum aims to provide every child with high quality PE and sport provision that develops the skills, motivation and appreciation required to live a healthy and physically active lifestyle. Every child is expected to be a fully active participant in twice-weekly PE lessons.

PE lessons aim to provide enjoyable and challenging (but accessible) learning experiences through the delivery of a range of sporting activities, including invasion games; net and wall games; striking and fielding games; gymnastics; dance; swimming; and outdoor and adventure activities. These are planned and delivered using the ‘GetSet4PE scheme’ which runs throughout the school, and aims to develop skills and concepts in relation to creativity, physical activity, health and fitness, cognitive skills and personal-social skills.

Children in Year 4 swim once a week (for 18 weeks) during the autumn and spring terms. These lessons are taught off-site and are delivered by specialist swimming coaches. Furthermore, children in Year’s 5 and 6 have the opportunity to experience additional outdoor and adventure activities through a 5-day residential trip.

In addition to skills focused PE lessons, children are encouraged to participate in a varied range of extra-curricular activities. Inter-house sporting competitions are run at lunch times and children can attend a wide variety of after school sports clubs.

Music

We firmly believe that a high-quality, inclusive music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians as well as to increase self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

The National Curriculum is taught to each year group through the Surrey Arts music scheme ‘Charanga’, which incorporates the new model music curriculum. Children develop and apply their knowledge and understanding through a range of musical based activities. They also develop their skills through the interrelated skills of listening, improvisation, composition, performance and evaluation. They progress by understanding and exploring how music is created, how it is produced and how it is communicated through pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, structure and appropriate musical notation. Whole school and small group performance opportunities within and outside school are developed through school events and local music festivals.

Modern Foreign Language (French)

Children begin formal learning of French when they enter Year 3. However, children in EYFS and Key Stage 1 are exposed to French, predominantly through songs to give them exposure to basic vocabulary.

Key Stage 2 lessons are planned using the Language Angels scheme, which develops the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Learning a foreign language in Key Stage 2 provides pupils with the opportunity to find out about other cultures, to recognise that people around the world communicate using different languages, whilst encouraging their curiosity of the world and promoting a desire to learn further languages. French lessons aim to develop the children’s ability to understand spoken French as well as communicate orally and in writing.

PSHE, RSE and Citizenship

Children are growing up in an increasingly complex world, which often involves them living their lives seamlessly on and offline. As a result, we believe it is critical that our PSHE curriculum, (alongside other curriculum subject areas and cross-curricular opportunities) teaches and helps children develop the key building blocks, knowledge and skills they need in order to develop positive healthy relationships with others, (peers and adults) positive family relationships and respectful friendships. Furthermore, we believe our curriculum also needs to teach children about how to stay safe and live active healthy lives, know how to positively manage and make informed decisions about their academic, personal and social wellbeing, and learn about the benefits of good physical health and mental wellbeing.

PSHE is taught using the ‘SCARF’ PSHE schemes of work that have been designed to provide a progressive whole school approach to the teaching of PSHE and the delivery of the government’s intentions outlined in the DfE’s statutory guidance for ‘Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education’ September 2021. PSHE lessons are timetabled and discretely taught each week and focus on the delivery of knowledge, skills and concepts through the following study units:

• Me and my Relationships

• Valuing Difference

• Keeping Myself Safe (on and off line)

• Rights and Responsibilities

• Being my Best (this includes keeping healthy and looking after our bodies)

• Growing and Changing
  In Key Stage 2, the teaching of basic first aid also takes place and is supported by resources created by the St John’s Ambulance.

Alongside discrete teaching PSHE, a wide range of cross-curricular opportunities are used to enhance, teach and provide an important context for key topic areas covered. These include teaching aspects of ‘sex and drug’ education within science, online safety within computing, healthy living within PE and healthy eating within design technology.

Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
As part of our PSHE curriculum, children are taught Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) as we believe this can make a significant contribution to the development of the personal skills needed by children if they are to establish and maintain positive and healthy relationships with others.
 

For more detailed information about the PSHE curriculum and how it is taught and organised in the school, please refer to our separate PSHE and the Relationship and Sex Education Policies. These can be found on the Polices part of our school website.

Parents have the right to request that their child is withdrawn from any sex education that is additional to the sex education contained within the National Curriculum for Science; but they cannot withdraw their child from learning contained within statutory Health Education or Relationships Education.

Religious Education

The Surrey Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education is used as the basis for planning. This aims to enable children to develop their knowledge and understanding of Christianity and of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain, both through their history and their contemporary diverse expressions. RE lessons aim to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding whilst encouraging them to explore, reflect and respond to religious beliefs, values and experiences.

Whilst we expect all children to receive access to the full breadth of our curriculum, should parents / carers wish to exercise their right to withdraw their child/ren from all or part of the RE curriculum, they should make contact with the school in order to discuss this with the headteacher. When this occurs, alternative arrangements are made for these children, which include the completion of other learning tasks.