GEOGRAPHY

At The John Wesley CEM Primary School (JWS) we shape our geography curriculum to ensure it is fully inclusive to every child. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for Geography; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum; ensuring the progressive development of geographical concepts, knowledge and skills; and for the children to develop a love for geography.

Intent

At JWS, we aim for a high quality geography curriculum which should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. Our teaching equips pupils with knowledge about places and people; resources in the environment; physical and human processes; formation and use of landscapes. We also want children to develop geographical skills: collecting and analysing data; using maps, globes, aerial photographs and digital mapping to name and identify countries, continents and oceans; and communicating information in a variety of ways. We want children to enjoy and love learning about geography by gaining this knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits.

Implementation

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in geography, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Geography is taught as part of our Connected Curriculum, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. At JWS, we ensure that geography has the same importance given to it as the core subjects, as we feel this is important in enabling all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences. For example, using the local area to follow maps in Key Stage 1, to comparing the similarities and differences in environments and communities in Lower Key Stage 2, through to debating world issues on pollution in Upper Key Stage 2.

Impact

The impact and measure of this is to ensure that children at JWS are equipped with geographical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world.

We want the children to have thoroughly enjoyed learning about geography, therefore encouraging them to undertake new life experiences now and in the future.

HISTORY

At JWS we shape our history curriculum to ensure it is fully inclusive to every child. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for History; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum that encompasses the British Values throughout; ensuring the progressive development of historical concepts, knowledge and skills; and for the children to study life in the past.

Intent

At The John Wesley CEM Primary School, we aim for a high quality history curriculum which should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our teaching equips pupils with knowledge about the history of Britain and how it has influenced and been influenced by the wider world; know and understand about significant aspects of the history of the wider world like ancient civilisations and empires; changes in living memory and beyond living memory; learn about the lives of significant people of the past; understand the methods of historical enquiry and be able to ask and answer questions. We want children to enjoy and love learning about history by gaining this knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits.

Implementation

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in history, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. History is taught as part of our Connected Curriculum, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. At JWS, we ensure that history has the same importance given to it as the core subjects, as we feel this is important in enabling all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences. For example, using the local area to look at how buildings have changed in Key Stage 1, to comparing the similarities and differences in environments and communities in Lower Key Stage 2, through to looking at an in depth study of the locality in Upper Key Stage 2

Impact

The impact and measure of this is to ensure that children at JWS are equipped with historical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world.

We want the children to have thoroughly enjoyed learning about history, therefore encouraging them to undertake new life experiences now and in the future.

COMPUTING

Intent

When planning and teaching Computing at The John Wesley CEM Primary School, we believe that it is an essential part of the curriculum; a subject that not only stands alone but is woven and should be an integral part of all learning.  Computing, in general, is a significant part of everyone’s daily life and children should be at the forefront of new technology, with a thirst for learning what is out there.  Computing within schools can therefore provide a wealth of learning opportunities and transferrable skills explicitly within the Computing lesson and across other curriculum subjects.

We use a range of cloud based learning tools and resources that celebrates the achievements of the whole person, to reach their maximum potential, where children flourish  and are all actively engaged in an e-confident environment. Empowering home-school and wider community involvement for all pupils to have equality of opportunity.

Through the study of Computing, children will be able to develop a wide range of fundamental skills, knowledge and understanding that will actually equip them for the rest of their life.  Computers and technology are such a part of everyday life that our children would be at a disadvantage would they not be exposed to a thorough and robust Computing curriculum.  Children must be taught ‘Computational Thinking’ in order to provide them essential knowledge that will enable them to participate effectively and safely in the digital world beyond our gates.

Implementation

In Key Stage 1 the children will learn to understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices. They will be shown how to use a range of technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content as well as recognise common uses of information technology beyond school. They will be taught to use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

In Key Stage 2 the children will design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems. They will use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs, use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and correct errors in programs. Children will be taught to understand computer networks, including the internet, and the opportunities they offer for communication. They will use search technologies effectively and be discerning in evaluating digital content. Children will be taught to select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals. They will use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

Even our children in Early Years provision will be exposed to the understanding of internet safety as they explore the world around them and how technology is an everyday part of their learning and understanding of the world.

Online safety is an integral part of our Computing curriculum from EYFS to Y6 and is an expectation of our safe behaviours online for our children.

Impact

After the implementation of this robust Computing curriculum, children at JWS will be digitally literate, with purpose and enjoyment, able to join the rest of the world on its digital platform.  They will be equipped, not only with the skills and knowledge to use technology effectively and for their own benefit, but more importantly – safely.  The biggest impact we want on our children is that they understand the consequences of using the internet and that they are also aware of how to keep themselves safe online.

As children become more confident in their abilities in Computing they are able to evaluate the benefits of technology and its impact on society. They will become more independent and develop key life skills such as problem-solving, logical thinking and self-evaluation become second nature.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Intent

At The John Wesley CEM Primary School, MFL should be fully inclusive to every child. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for MFL, which should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes in our chosen language which is French.

The aims of teaching Modern Foreign Languages in our school are to:

• Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of sources
• Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation
• Can write for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
• Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied

Implementation

To ensure good standards of teaching and learning in MFL, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout Key Stage Two. MFL is taught in discrete lessons covering at least one unit per half term.

The MFL curriculum at JWS is based on the National Curriculum, which provides a broad framework and outlines the knowledge and skills taught. Teachers plan lessons for their class using our MFL program ‘Tout le Mond’. A variety of teaching approaches are used based on the teacher’s judgement.

In MFL, skills in speaking, reading and writing another language are developed through a multi-sensory approach such as rhymes, songs, stories and repetition. In Upper Key Stage Two, children begin to develop their understanding of grammar in another language.

Impact

Our MFL curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills and discreet vocabulary progression also form part of the units of work.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Observing children speaking and listening in another language
• Images and videos of children completing speaking and listening activities
• Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice)
• Learning walks

The MFL subject leader will continually monitor the impact MFL teaching is having on the children’s learning through work scrutiny to ensure the progress of knowledge and skills is being taught.