The curriculum is everything to which the children are exposed at school. There is knowledge to be gathered and skills to be learned. There are values and beliefs that we promote which influence academic, social, cultural and personal development.
We hope that all of our children will find the curriculum and school life interesting and enjoyable, and that they will develop a curiosity and desire to learn that stay with them throughout their formal education and into adult life.
Our values are firmly rooted in Christian faith and belief. We value all of our children, whatever their background or ability. We expect them to show compassion, consideration and respect for others in the hope that they will develop into caring and responsible citizens. We encourage truth, honesty, fairness, loyalty and perseverance.
Personal faith and belief is a very individual matter and cannot be taught. However, we do aim to give children a sound understanding of what it is to be a Christian, and provide opportunities from which belief and faith may stem.
The Life Education Caravan visits with Harold the Giraffe
We also provide the opportunity to study other faiths and the ways in which those faith communities conduct their religious and spiritual lives.
We know that children will enter our school with differing levels of academic, physical and social development. We aim to cater for different needs, and for each child to achieve success and make progress. That success will be valued whatever the level of achievement.
St Laurence Church Infant School has places for 90 children in each of the three year groups.
There are two Key Stages:
Foundation Stage
Reception {aged 4/5 years]
three classes of 30 children
[21hrs 15mins curriculum time]
Key Stage One
Year One [aged 5/6 years]
three classes of 30 children
[22hrs 5mins curriculum time]
Year Two [aged 6/7 years]
three classes of 30 children
The curriculum time for each Key Stage meets Government recommendations. This excludes registration, breaks and Collective Worship.
Curriculum
Counting apparatus
Children in Reception are in the Foundation Stage and are taught through six Areas of Learning:
Personal, Social and Emotional Development [included throughout the curriculum]
Communication, Language and Literacy
Mathematical Development
Knowledge & Understanding of the World [includes Science, ICT, DT, History, Geography and RE]
Creative Development [includes Art & Design and Music]
Physical Development [includes PE and Outdoor Activities]
Children in Year 1 and Year 2 are in Key Stage One [KS1] and are taught twelve curriculum subjects:
English
Mathematics
Science
Information & Communication Technology [ICT]
History
Geography
Design & Technology [DT]
Art & Design
Music
Physical Education [PE]
Religious Education [RE]
Personal, Social & Health Education and Citizenship [PSHE & C]
Superb ICT Suite
Role play in Year 1
The curriculum is enhanced by the use of topics, educational visits and visitors into school who support the experiences we offer the children.
PSHE & C is further extended through whole school events including Healthy Food Week, Citizenship Week, Physical Activity Week and Road Safety Week.
Sex and Relationship Education [SRE] is included in the curriculum for PSHE & C, Science and RE. Parents have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of the SRE provided. Please inform the Headteacher if you wish to exercise this right.
Religious Education and Collective Worship
We aim to promote the spiritual growth of the children and hope to lay the foundations for a mature adult faith in Christ. Religious Education is mostly Christian and linked to the Church Year, although we do attempt to make children aware and respectful of other religions.
An act of Collective Worship takes place each day. On Mondays parents are invited to our Gold Award Assembly when children’s special achievements during the previous week are celebrated. We attend St Laurence Church to celebrate major festivals.
Who was swallowwed by a whale?
Parents have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of the Religious Education and Collective Worship provided. Please inform the Headteacher if you wish to exercise this right. Alternative provision can be arranged for children at these times.
Children work in small focus groups
Assessment
Assessment tells us what the children know and therefore helps us to plan the next stage of their learning.
In Reception ongoing assessment is recorded throughout the year in a Foundation Stage Profile for each child. End of Key Stage One Assessment for children in Year 2 takes place in the Summer Term to measure the progress they have made in English, Mathematics and Science.
The assessments include teacher assessment, practical tasks and written tests. These are also known as SATs [Standard Assessment Tasks and Tests].
Homework
The time and encouragement you give to support your child’s learning at home will benefit them greatly as they enjoy sharing their experiences with you.
We particularly encourage the children to listen to stories, share and talk about books, and read at home. We hope that sharing books will be a pleasurable experience and foster a life-long interest in reading. A Reading Diary is provided for home-school communication. In addition to reading, homework will also include high frequency words to learn, spellings and mathematics activities. Other homework may be provided as appropriate.
