Curriculum Overview
Intent
Our curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of the children at Dallam Primary School and is designed to develop both skills and knowledge. It encourages independence, curiosity, creativity and resilience. Through a variety of experiences, we strive to support pupils to be inquisitive about and understand the world they live in - and to believe that they can make a difference within it. It prepares children to be confident to take the next steps in their education.
Central to the curriculum are core skills that underpin everything we do:
Active Learning:
- To seek out and enjoy challenges
- To collaborate with others
- To show commitment and perseverance
- Assess themselves and others
Basic Skills:
- To speak clearly and convey ideas confidently using appropriate vocabulary
- To read and communicate ideas in writing efficiently and effectively.
- To calculate efficiently and apply skills to solve problems
- To use new technologies confidently and purposefully
Creative Thinking:
- To ask questions to extend their thinking
- To generate ideas and explore possibilities
- To overcome barriers by trying out alternatives or new solutions
- To connect ideas and experiences in inventive ways
IMPLEMENTATION
Core Subjects
English
Throughout all key stages, we follow the ‘Talk for Writing’ approach for teaching English. High quality texts are chosen to inspire and motivate our children, exciting and inspiring ‘hooks’ into the text are created by our teachers and clear and purposeful writing outcomes are planned for each unit. Our Talk for Writing approach supports the oral rehearsal of known stories and the innovation of new ones. The teaching of phonics is delivered using our Read Write Inc; in reception and Year 1 children have a daily phonics lessons and they begin to segment and blend words.
For further information please see the English page of our school website which can be found by clicking here.
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Science
At Dallam Primary, children acquire the key skills, knowledge and vocabulary outlined in the National Curriculum 2014 and the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, which enable them to think and communicate scientifically and ask scientific questions. We are committed to providing as many opportunities both inside and outside the classroom as possible, to expose our children to a wide range of scientific experiences..jpg)
Through our science curriculum, children develop as collaborative, independent and reflective learners. At each stage, children build upon prior learning so that they are well prepared for the next step in their education and ultimately, to make a true difference to the world they live in. Employment opportunities in Warrington have a strong STEM focus and we prepare our children for the jobs they may take in the future.
For further information please see the Science page of our school website which can be found by clicking here.
Maths
Throughout school, the teaching of maths is based upon the CPA approach (concrete, pictorial, abstract) which builds on children’s existing knowledge by introducing abstract concepts in a concrete and tangible way. This involves moving from concrete materials, to pictorial representations, to abstract symbols and problems.
In our EYFS, we follow the NCETM Number Blocks program, with a strong focus on using correct mathematical language. Opportunities are also provided each day for children to engage in meaningful activity and explore mathematical concepts by extending the mathematics into wider continuous provision..jpg)
In key stage 1 and 2 we use a mastery approach and follow Maths No Problem from Y1 to Y5, and then White Rose Hub in Y6 which allows more flexibility to match the needs of individual cohorts and transition through into secondary school. Each class takes part in 4-a-day maths session every day to allow the children opportunity to practice 4 operations or other basic skills and Numbots and TT Rockstars are used in school and at home to improve fluency in number bonds and times tables.
For further information please see the Maths page of our school website which can be found by clicking here.
Other Curriculum Subjects
In Early Years, we follow the Early Years foundation curriculum which can be found here.
We have designed our curriculum to follow the National Curriculum (2014). As well as the core subjects above, this includes ten other subjects: Computing, History, Geography, Art and Design, Music, Design and Technology, Physical Education, Languages (KS2) and Personal, Social, Health Education. Details of the National Curriculum for key stages 1 and 2 can be found by clicking here. We also teach a comprehensive RE curriculum.
Each individual subject is planned and delivered to ensure that children build their knowledge over time. You can find more information about each subject in our school by clicking on the tabs under the Curriculum heading.
Long Term Plans
Details of coverage for each year group in each subject can be found here in our long term plans and our progression document.
Throughout our curriculum we encourage children to work collaboratively, flexibly and with independence, whilst developing their basic skills. Opportunities are provided for the children to present their learning to a range of audiences at various points throughout each year, including to parents and carers through assemblies and visits to classrooms.
Designated Provision classes adapt the Year Group Curriculum documents on a rolling programme to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum.
Details of our EYFS curriculum for our Nursery and Reception classes can be found by clicking here.
Trips and Visits
We have in a place a well-planned programme of visits and visitors which is designed to enhance our children’s cultural development and provide experiences that enrich our curriculum. Alongside this, Year 6 are given the opportunity to attend a residential, where they participate in various adventure activities such as canoeing, a ropes courses and archery. We also work alongside a local charity to provide Key Stage 2 classes with the opportunity to take part in Adventure Days throughout the year. This is a chance for children to take part in quality outdoor learning activities, led by qualified instructors to develop their team work, leadership and communication skills.
Some of the trips our children have already been on in Autumn term have included a whole school trip to Chester Zoo, attending a Rugby World Cup match and visiting our local museum.
Outdoor Learning
We have a wonderful range of outdoor learning environments for our children to utilise for learning in different areas of the curriculum. Our woodland area is a calm and quiet space that has a living willow tree den, natural seating areas under a canopy of trees and a log circle perfect for participating in PSHE and Forest School sessions.
Our school pond was recently redeveloped by a volunteer party of parents, school staff and children. This wonderful area is now rich in wildlife such as newts, frogs and butterflies and the children can investigate much of the science curriculum here, including habitats, food chains and life cycles. As part of this redevelopment, we have also created an area containing raised beds where children have planted and grown their own produce, some of which has been taken home and some has been shared with the school kitchen.
Our large field is an open green space that is surrounded by our all-weather track. This space is not only used for sporting activities during PE and opportunities for regular walking throughout the school day but our children also have access to a range of bikes and scooters which can be used during break times.
If you have any questions please call school on 01925 633927 or send us an email we are happy to help.