The Curriculum
Foundation Stage l Literacy l Speaking & Listening l Reading l Writing l Handwriting l Numeracy l Science l Design & Technology l History l Geography l Art & Design l Music l PE l PSHE l RE
The Nursery children |
The school aims to provide a balanced and broadly based approach to the curriculum. Cross curricular topics are carefully planned by year group teachers. All children at Maidstone Infant School follow the National Curriculum comprising the core subjects of Literacy, Numeracy, Science and ICT and the foundation subjects of History, Technology, Geography, Art, Music and Physical Education together with the Suffolk agreed syllabus for Religious Education.
PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) is taught through other curriculum areas and as ‘stand alone’ lessons.
The children will gain experience of working individually, in groups or as a whole class depending on the activity.
The Foundation Stage
The foundation Stage includes the children from the Nursery
and the Reception classes.
Its main aims are to support, foster, promote and develop children
in six areas of learning by giving each child a broad based curriculum,
with a range of different experiences and opportunities to take
their learning forward and succeed.
These six areas are:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication, Language and Literacy
- Mathematical Development
- Knowledge and Understanding of the World
- Physical Development
- Creative Development
All children stating school will be at different stages of development and each child will be encouraged to progress at his/her own pace. A wide range of teaching and learning strategies will be used to ensure all children achieve.
Literacy
Speaking and Listening
It is essential that children are able to listen to others and communicate their thoughts and ideas through speech. We encourage children to listen and talk in class discussions, through drama in small groups and when working in pairs.
You can help your child at home by answering their questions, talking about books and pictures and discussing the things you do together at home and on outings. All these communication skills form the basis to reading readiness.
Talk, listen and discuss whenever possible.
Reading
We want our children to enjoy reading and to value the information they gain from books. When children begin the actual process of reading, they will bring a core of words home and then personal reading books before starting on a more structured reading programme. We have a comprehensive selection of reading books, giving breadth to each stage of a child’s reading.
Children take books home regularly to share with their family and are encouraged to take care of their books, handling them carefully and keeping them clean in a book bag.
Your child will bring home a home/school reading diary. Inside there are some hints on how you can help your child with reading and enjoying books. We welcome your comments in the diary which is a reading ‘link’ between home and school. Teachers are available to discuss your child’s progress, so if you have any concerns don’t hesitate to come in.
The Litearcy hour is now an established part of our curriculum. It involves:
- Shared reading – as a whole class, looking at books and enlarged texts; learning together aspects of grammar, punctuation and comprehension.
- Guided reading – reading an appropriate reading book in a group and concentrating on developing good reading strategies and skills.
- Independent reading – where children read to themselves, using the strategies and skills we have learnt.
There are many other reading opportunities throughout the day. Children will bring home the reading books they have read with the teacher, and they may choose a book from a graded selection as well as a chosen library book.
Every class has access to a selection of reference books and as the children become more capable they are encouraged to follow up special interests and learn to use books for information. Each classroom has a book area where children are encouraged to sit quietly, looking at books or reading to themselves or to other children.
We have worked hard to make our library a stimulating and interesting place to be. We have a lot of new books, which the children can borrow and bring home to enjoy.
You can help at home by reading stories to your children from books that they (and you) enjoy. The children learn about fiction and non-fiction books. If you can spare the time, take your children to the local library and choose books you can read together.
Reading is about enjoying books and having the skills to use them for pleasure and information.
Writing
From the Foundation Stage onwards, we want all children
to enjoy writing and share this enjoyment with other. We encourage
the children to ‘have a go’, so that they see themselves
as independent writer as early as possible.
Guided and shared writing sessions within the Literacy hour,
give children the strategies and ‘tools’ for good
writing. Writing skills are used across the whole curriculum
and it is important for the children to have confidence in their
ability to communicate with the written word.
Handwriting
Handwriting starts with scribbling and simple drawings. At this stage it is essential that children are taught to hold their pencil correctly. From this, they progress to writing letters and words. We teach lower case letters first because they are used more frequently than capitals and we call the letter by its name and learn its sound. Capitals are used at the beginning of names and sentences.
In year 2 the children are taught joined up writing.
If you have time, write underneath any pictures that your child draws or make little notices for his/her room, but please use lower case letters except where capitals are normally used – do not print words in capitals.
This is how we write our letters.
Numeracy
In maths we want children to understand numbers, shape and measures through practical activities and games. We do this by building on their enthusiasm for problem solving.
You can help at home by playing number games, and by using the correct mathematical language. Let your child help with shopping, cooking, laying the table and sorting everyday objects into sets. Look for numbers and shapes when you go out. Sing number songs. Count the buttons on clothes, look for pairs of things. All theses games help your child to have a good mathematical advantage. In the Reception and Year 1 classes, children can borrow a number game and take it home to play with the family. In year 2, the children have maths homework once a week, which follows on from work done in class.
Science
We want children to learn scientific skills through practical activities. The children handle a range of materials and talk about their properties and uses. They observe and record a range of living plants and animals during trips to other environments including a local allotment. They are given the opportunity to experiment with forces, magnetism and simple electrical circuits.
You can help at home by listening to your child and talking about their work in school. Do take them on a range of visits and talk about their experiences and let them help with simple chores such as cooking and gardening.
Design and Technology
Children will have access to a wide variety of materials such as wool, paper, card, food and construction kits which they will be taught to use effectively in performing simple tasks. They are given the opportunity to choose the most suitable materials for the task, shown how to plan and design and then encouraged to discuss their work and assess the finished product.
Information, Communications Technology (ICT)
Computers are part of our everyday lives and it is important that the children learn to use them effectively.
The children have access to computers in every classroom where they use them for all subjects in the curriculum. They gain experience in handling information, communicating information, measurement and control and the applications and effects of Information Technology. Working with computers enhances and extends their learning and encourages the children to become more confident. All classrooms have an Interactive Whiteboard which is used in most lessons. Year 1 and 2 visit Causton Junior school to use their ICT suite where they follow a particular scheme of work – ‘Smart Learning’.
History
We aim through our guidelines to develop children’s understanding of the past and to realise the differences between the past and present. The children will use different types of historical sources such as photographs and artefacts. We encourage children to bring in objects from home to support our topics.
Things to do at home include talking to your children about changes in family life through the generations, old and new buildings.
Geography
Children will be given the opportunity to explore their local area. This is linked to their interests, experiences and their capabilities. Their work includes classroom based activities and visits in and around the local environment. A study of another locality in the world is used to contrast different ways of life and surroundings. Geographical questioning is encouraged as well as the correct use of geographical terminology. The changes in the weather patterns are recorded daily.
We now have a collection of bears, which accompany children and staff on outings, weekends away and (sometimes) exotic holidays. Books are made about the places the bears have visited and displayed for the children to read and enjoy.
Art and Design
Children will take part in a broad and balanced programme of art, craft and design activities. They will develop natural skills and build on previous experience. They will learn to evaluate their own work and other artists work and develop an understanding and an appreciation of a variety of art styles from various cultures.
The children will use a variety of art materials including card, paint, paper, glue, fabric and clay. With experience they will be able to select appropriate and compatible materials for their chosen activities.
There work will be sympathetically displayed to show appreciation of their efforts.
Music
Mark brought his drums and taught the whole school drumming sequences. Year 2 then performed to the whole school |
We offer children a range of musical experiences to provide for continuity and progression in music. We have a good selection of percussion instruments for children to use, and we welcome friends and relatives with musical skills to come in and play to the children.
Music work is shared with other children, parents and friends during assemblies and concerts. Our aim above all is to give children the opportunity to enjoy music.
Before coming to school, a useful activity would be for children to listen to sounds in their own environment and learn nursery rhymes and songs.
Physical Education
We aim to provide opportunities for all children to learn the basic skills needed for all aspects of Physical Education so that they gain the confidence and ability to participate in and enjoy all sporting activities as they continue through their school lives.
An hour a week is allocated to P.E. activities and these are made up of a variety of lessons; working with large and small apparatus, traditional and modern dance and gymnastics. The children also participate in team games and enjoy all sports and fun day in the Summer Term.
You can help your child at home by encouraging them to dress and undress themselves, especially tying shoelaces!
Children should wear shorts and a tee-shirt for P.E. and slip on plimsolls for outside P.E. P.E. kit should be kept in a clearly named slipper bag and should be kept on the child’s coat peg all week.
Earrings are not to be worn in any P.E. lesson. Please read the Newsletters where you will find out when your child will be taking part in P.E.
PSHE and Citizenship
PSHE and Citizenship help to give children the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy and independent lives and to become informed active and responsible citizens.
At Maidstone Infant School we are involved in many activities which help deliver PSHE and Citizenship. We have a core group of charities, which we support every year. In addition there are other charities which we support in alternate years.
Religious Education
We follow Suffolk’s ‘Themes and Schemes’ programme. When the children are in Year 2 they learn about a religion from another culture.
At our Assemblies, we come together to share ideas and praise children’s achievements. Through Religious Education, the children are encouraged to help and understand the needs of others, and to care for all living things.
