In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children follow the National Curriculum which consists of the following subject areas:
Frequently referred to as Literacy, English incorporates reading, writing and speaking and listening. This is one of the core subjects and is essential for children to be able to access all other areas of the curriculum. Children have daily Literacy lessons as well as phonics and guided reading sessions.
As Literacy is integral to all aspects of the curriculum it is frequently linked to other topics being studied so that children can learn to apply the skills they have been taught in realistic and relevant ways.
Each child is assessed using detailed documents for reading and writing so that their progress can be monitored and any areas where they may need additional teaching can be identified.
Parental support is vital for children in developing good Literacy skills. Talking to children enables them to extend their vocabulary and communication skills while sharing books and reading together builds confident readers.
- How we teach reading (106KB)
What is Letters and Sounds?
Letters and Sounds is a phonics resource published by the Department for Education and Skills in 2007. It aims to build children's speaking and listening skills in their own right as well as to prepare children for learning to read by developing their phonic knowledge and skills. It sets out a detailed and systematic programme for teaching phonic skills for children starting by the age of five, with the aim of them becoming fluent readers by age seven.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIpcahxNSU4 - Phase 2 phonic sound mat
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU2vWZKS7rY - Phase 3 phonic sound mat
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR_IgfIgz10 - Phase 4 blends and clusters
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3S5sJw7MfI - Phase 5 sounds
There are six overlapping phases. The table below is a summary based on the Letters and Sounds guidance for Practioners and Teachers. For more detailed information, visit the Letters and Sounds website.
Phase |
Phonic Knowledge and Skills |
| Phase One (Nursery/Reception) | Activities are divided into seven aspects, including environmental sounds, instrumental sounds, body sounds, rhythm and rhyme, alliteration, voice sounds and finally oral blending and segmenting. |
| Phase Two (Reception) up to 6 weeks | Learning 19 letters of the alphabet and one sound for each. Blending sounds together to make words. Segmenting words into their separate sounds. Beginning to read simple captions. |
| Phase Three (Reception) up to 12 weeks | The remaining 7 letters of the alphabet, one sound for each. Graphemes such as ch, oo, th representing the remaining phonemes not covered by single letters. Reading captions, sentences and questions. On completion of this phase, children will have learnt the "simple code", i.e. one grapheme for each phoneme in the English language. |
| Phase Four (Reception) 4 to 6 weeks | No new grapheme-phoneme correspondences are taught in this phase. Children learn to blend and segment longer words with adjacent consonants, e.g. swim, clap, jump. |
| Phase Five (Throughout Year 1) | Now we move on to the "complex code". Children learn more graphemes for the phonemes which they already know, plus different ways of pronouncing the graphemes they already know. |
| Phase Six (Throughout Year 2 and beyond) | Working on spelling, including prefixes and suffixes, doubling and dropping letters etc. |
This is another core curriculum subject and consists of three areas:
- Number
- Measurement
- Geometry
- Statistics (from Year 2)
These three aspects are underpinned by the key skills of Working Mathematically which is the way children are able to think mathematically, use their knowledge flexibly to solve problems, see patterns and adapt what they already know to new situations that makes them good mathematicians.
In our teaching we therefore balance these aspects of mathematics with lessons focused on developing understanding and the challenge of applying their knowledge and skills in practical tasks and activities.
We have a detailed and thorough assessment document for each child and teachers use this to plan future learning experiences and ensure children have the basic skills to enable them to achieve at higher levels of mathematics.
Science is the third core subject and is divided into three areas:
- Life Processes and Living Things
- Materials and their Properties
- Physical Processes
As in mathematics these areas are linked through the element of Scientific Enquiry. The teaching of science is dependent on investigation and children are taught to ask questions, find ways to answer these questions or prove their ideas and interpret and explain what they have found out. This depends on being able to communicate using correct scientific vocabulary and by presenting data that they have collected in graphs, charts, tables, diagrams and written reports. Science therefore has strong links within the curriculum to Literacy and mathematics.
The school has developed an assessment document which details class progress and gives teachers a clear indication of what has been taught so that they can build on children’s previous knowledge and experience.
Computing underpins all subjects within the National Curriculum. Children use technology throughout the school and although this is mainly linked to working with computers, they use a wide range of additional equipment including; recording devices, cameras, microscopes, data logging and programmable devices.
Children learn the necessary ICT skills in lessons but then apply them across the curriculum for research, presenting their work and increasingly through the internet to extend their learning.
The school has adopted a scheme of work that is used for both planning and assessment and is constantly reviewing provision for ICT in a quickly changing and developing area.
The PSHE curriculum aims to help children to develop into active and responsible citizens of the future. They learn about health issues, practise their decision-making skills, and develop respect for themselves and others. They have the opportunity to participate in decision making through the School Council and older children are encouraged to take responsibilities across the school as House Captains, Eco-Councils, play leaders and peer mediators.
Sex and Relationships Education is part of the PSHE and Curriculum from Foundation Stage to Year 6. The youngest children begin by thinking about families and simple differences between boys and girls. Children in Year 5 and 6 have sessions with the School Nurse to consider changes at puberty, sexual intercourse and the birth of a baby, within the context of an adult, loving relationship. Children’s questions are answered sensitively, honestly and in as much detail as is appropriate to the age and stage of development of the individual.
All materials are available for parents to view and parents have the right to withdraw their child from the parts of sex and relationships education that are not covered by the National Curriculum for science. Any parent wishing to do so should make an appointment to see their child’s class teacher and inform the Headteacher in writing.
Throughout the school, children are encouraged to develop the self-esteem and confidence which they need to respond safely and responsibly to situations as they arise, both while they are at Greenfields and in the future. As part of this the school uses the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) curriculum and linked learning skills aimed at teaching children how to work successfully together, negotiate and compromise, persevere and have the confidence to take risks in their learning.
All children have access to two hours of PE each week plus the opportunity to take part in clubs and after school activities. Dance, gymnastics and games are taught in both Key Stages while swimming, athletics and outdoor adventurous activities are taught in Key Stage 2. During the summer term the school holds a Sports Week in which the children experience a wide range of activities and the older children organise and support activities for the younger children.
The school follows the Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus of Religious Education (2017) where the six major religions of the world are introduced, with an emphasis on Christianity. RE is often taught as part of a wider topic putting the beliefs of different cultures into an historical or geographical perspective.
An act of collective worship, or school assembly, happens each day. The themes are based on mainly Christian beliefs and incorporate aspects of the SEAL curriculum, but also reflect other religions and cultures.
Parents have the right to withdraw their child from acts of collective worship and from religious education lessons. If you wish to do so, please inform the Headteacher in writing.
In geography children learn about their local area, the UK and the wider world. They learn to use maps and atlases to gain and understanding of where places are on a local and global scale. They learn about physical features that change places and environments such and rivers and mountains. Throughout their studies they are encourage to develop an appreciation, understanding and respect for the lifestyles and cultures of other peoples and to acquire a feeling of responsibility for the care of our planet.
Children study aspects from local, British, European and world history looking at why things happened and how changes in the past affect us today. They consider historical evidence and how this should be interpreted as well as making links between events and how these have changed societies and belief systems.
Literacy, ICT and aspects of mathematics are integral to the teaching of history and enable children to develop the correct vocabulary and an historian’s viewpoint.
In music children are asked to perform, compose, listen and respond to a variety of musical forms and composers from different times and cultures. They use aspects of ICT to research, record and present their work. In Key Stage 2 all children are given the opportunity join the choir and learn the tenor horn.
Art and design gives children the opportunity to develop their imagination and creativity. Throughout they are taught to observe carefully and develop a range of techniques such as collage, painting, drawing and printing. The work of artists and designers from different cultures and times is used to highlight different styles, approaches and methods which the children can then apply to their own work
Children are taught how to use a variety of tools, techniques and materials to produce quality products. They plan and develop ideas, evaluating the results to make improvements in their designs.
In addition to the National Curriculum subjects French is taught across all year groups by a specialist French teacher. The aim of these lessons is to develop the ability to understand and communicate at a simple level in familiar situations.