Curriculum
Our curriculum is based around the National Curriculum 2014.
Overview
The national curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and secondary schools so children learn the same things. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject.
Follow this link to the Department of Education website.
Please use the links below to find out what our children will be taught.
KS1 long term plans for 2024-2025
Our Curriculum
please expand the topics below for more information
Art
“Art to the child is more than a matter of painting pictures or making objects. It is a means by which he/she expresses his/her individuality and communicates his/her ideas about him/herself about his/her world.” Jane Cooper Bland
We believe that high-quality Art lessons will inspire children to think innovatively and develop creative procedural understanding.
Our Art curriculum provides children with opportunities to develop their skills using a range of media and materials. Children learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing, collage, textiles, 3D work and digital art and are given the opportunity to explore and evaluate different creative ideas. Children will be introduced to a range of works and develop knowledge of the styles and vocabulary used by famous artists. We want our children to be exposed to the best thought and created and said and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement
The skills they acquire are applied to their cross-curricular topics, allowing children to use their art skills to reflect on and explore topics in greater depth; for example, by sketching historical artefacts in detail, using the local area to support their work on landscape painting or using art as a medium to express emotion and thought to enhance their personal, social and emotional development. Many areas of art link with mathematical ideas of shape and space; for example when printing repeating patterns and designs and thinking about 3D shapes to support structures. It is paramount that art work be purposeful; be this as a means of expression or to explore the styles of other artists that inspire our own work. Pupils should be clear what the intended outcomes are and have a means to measure their own work against this.
In Art, children are expected to be reflective and evaluate their work, thinking about how they can make changes and keep improving. This should be meaningful and continuous throughout the process, with evidence of age-related verbal and written refection. Children are encouraged to take risks and experiment and then reflect on why some ideas and techniques are successful or not for a particular project.
British Values
CHAMPS
At Glasshouses, the House Captains worked alongside teachers to review and revise the behaviour policy. We all decided what we thought was important for behaviour in school and came up with the attributes which spelt out CHAMPS.
The Positive Behaviour Policy is reflected in our School Superpowers which link to the Growth Mindset mantra, ‘It isn’t going to be easy, but it is going to be worth it…
We will be CHAMPS………
Show | good CHOICES |
Be | HONEST (Encourage others and self to be so) |
Have a great | Attitude |
Show good | Manners at all times |
We will | Perservere with things (even when they get tough ) |
Keep Yourself | Safe |
We get rewarded in house points and certificates of recognition in the Special Assembly on Fridays.
Collective Worship
Aims
Our Collective Worship policy has been devised using guidance from ‘Inclusive, Invitational, Inspiring’ a guidance document from The Church of England Education Office about Collective Worship in Church of England Schools. (May 2021)
Rationale and Aims
We aim for Collective Worship at St Cuthbert’s and Fountains Earth Primary Schools to be ‘Inclusive, Invitational and Inspiring. As Church of England schools, we are committed to offering high quality collective worship and we recognise and value collective worship as central to fostering a sense of community, as well as a way to further express our Christian vision. We view Collective Worship in our schools as a vital part of the school day and as such the structure, planning, evaluation, participation and collaboration of worship have a high profile. Collective worship is a part of our school’s contribution to promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of every child. It is a time to celebrate the worth and value of every single person in the school community.
We see Collective Worship as the unique heartbeat of the school. It is a wider opportunity for pupils and adults to encounter faith by engaging in conversations about God. Collective Worship in our schools, including prayer, reading and reflecting on the Bible, liturgy, sacrament and experience of the musical and other imaginative riches of Christianity provide a vital opportunity for all pupils to gain a rich experience and understanding of Christianity. Our approach to Collective Worship is to ensure that we meet the needs of all, wherever they may be on their journey of faith and belief.
Find out more about our collective worship policy by clicking here.
- Year 5/6 at St Cuthbert’s collected for the Australian Bush Fires following their moving collective worship about this event.
- The collective worship committee at St Cuthbert’s made Eco Bricks. We nearly have enough for our friendship bench!
- Fountains Earth harvest breakfast was a great success. Children made bread, jam and apple jelly for the community and the fairtrade team taught us about the importance of looking for the fairtrade logo.
- St Cuthbert’s harvest service, led by the children, would normally be attended by the entire community. Our harvest offerings are received with thanks and are donated to Nidderdale and Harrogate food banks.
Computing
Intent
All pupils have the right to have rich, deep learning experiences that balance all the aspects of computing. With technology playing such a significant role in society today, we believe ‘Computational thinking’ is a skill children must be taught if they are to be able to participate effectively and safely in this digital world. A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. At Abbey Hey Academy, the core of computing is Computer Science in which pupils are introduced to a wide range of technology, including laptops, iPads and interactive whiteboards, allowing them to continually practice and improve the skills they learn. This ensures they become digitally literate so that they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information and computer technology– at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
We teach a curriculum that enables children to become effective users of technology who can:
- Understand and apply the essential principles and concepts of Computer Science, including logic, algorithms and data representation;
- Analyse problems in computational term, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems;
- Evaluate and apply information technology analytically to solve problems;
- Communicate ideas well by utilising appliances and devices throughout all areas of the curriculum.
Related Documents
Design and Technology
We aim to provide all children with a broad and balanced curriculum which prepares them for life beyond primary education. We encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. It can be found in many of the objects children use each day and is a part of children’s immediate experiences. Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team.
The Design and Technology curriculum combines skills, knowledge, concepts and values to enable children to tackle real problems. It can improve analysis, problem solving, practical capability and evaluation skills. We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. The children are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.
Early Reading and Phonics
In Autumn 2021, we researched which of the DfE validated phonics programmes to adopt. We chose Little Wandle.
Little Wandle has been devised so that children are taught a cumulative progression of GPCs that they can immediately practise through oral blending, reading and spelling words and sentences
- Children can review and revise GPCs and words daily, weekly and across terms and years in order to move this knowledge into their long term memory.
- This momentum of progress is aspirational yet achievable, if schools maintain pace, practice and participation by all children.
- The spiralling curriculum, which includes periods of review, ensures that all children have adequate time to learn new GPCs, then practise, retrieve and apply their learning so that it moves into the long term memory and reading becomes automatic and fluent.
- The programme lends itself to a mastery approach to teaching phonics. This means that all children in the class learn the same content at the same time and it applies the principle of all the children keeping up.
Daily phonics lessons in Reception and Year 1
- We teach phonics for 30 minutes a day. In Reception, we build from 10-minute lessons, with additional daily oral blending games, to the full-length lesson as quickly as possible. Each Friday, we review the week’s teaching to help children become fluent readers.
- Children make a strong start in Reception: teaching begins in Week 2 of the Autumn term.
- We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised expectations of progress:
- Children in Reception are taught to read and spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPCs, and words with adjacent consonants (Phase 4) with fluency and accuracy.
- Children in Year 1 review Phase 3 and 4 and are taught to read and spell words using Phase 5 GPCs with fluency and accuracy.
Daily Keep-up lessons ensure every child learns to read
- Any child who needs additional practice has daily Keep-up support, taught by a fully trained adult. Keep-up lessons match the structure of class teaching, and use the same procedures, resources and mantras, but in smaller steps with more repetition, so that every child secures their learning.
- We timetable daily phonics lessons for any child in Year 2 or 3 who is not fully fluent at reading or has not passed the Phonics Screening Check. These children urgently need to catch up, so the gap between themselves and their peers does not widen. We use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised assessments to identify the gaps in their phonic knowledge and teach to these using the Keep-up resources – at pace.
If any child in Year 3 to 6 has gaps in their phonic knowledge when reading or writing, we plan phonics ‘catch-up’ lessons to address specific reading/writing gaps. These short, sharp lessons last 10 minutes and take place at least three times a week.
We teach children to read through reading practice sessions three times a week.
These;
- Are taught by a fully trained adult to small groups of approximately six children.
- We use books matched to children’s secure phonic knowledge using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised assessments and book matching grids.
- Are monitored by the class teacher, who rotates and works with each group on a regular basis.
Each reading session has a clear focus, so that the demands of the session do not overload the children’s working memory. The reading practice sessions have been designed to focus on three key reading skills:
- Decoding – word reading
- Prosody – teaching children to read with understanding and expression.
- Comprehension – teaching children to understand the text.
In Reception these reading sessions start in Week 4. Children who are not yet decoding have daily additional blending practice in small groups, so that they quickly learn to blend and can begin to read books.
In Year 2 and Year 3, we continue to teach reading in this way for any children who still need to practise reading with decodable books (in our school this is any child who is not reading fluently at Turquoise Book Band)
Home Reading – EYFS and Year One
The decodable reading book can be taken home to ensure that the success is shared at home on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
phonically decodable books that go home have been carefully matched to the children’s phonic ability using Little Wandle guidance ‘Matching 2007 Letters and Sounds Big Cat Phonics books to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised.’
We use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised parents’ resources to engage our families and share information about phonics, the benefits of sharing books, how children learn to blend and other aspects of our provision, both online and through workshops.
Monday | Take home a book to enjoy sharing at home. |
Tuesday | Take home a book to enjoy sharing at home. |
Wednesday | Take home a book to enjoy sharing at home. |
Thursday | Take home the book from the reading sessions to share success at home. |
Friday | Take home the book from the reading sessions to share success at home. |
Please click on the Phonics and Early Reading Intent to look at the reading books in our scheme and how they are carefully matched to the phonic ability of the children.
There are parent videos and resources available on the following link to help you to support your child with reading at home.
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Phonics and Early Reading Intent Federated
Early Years
An overview of the principles and practices in Reception Class
Our EYFS classroom is a learning environment which aims to be HAPPY (because we know that happy children are responsive, receptive and enthusiastic to learn) and CHALLENGING (because we know that children are capable and keen to learn and enjoy the challenge and achievement that comes with it.)
Through planned and purposeful play in designated areas, children are able to discover, investigate, practise and refine their skills in Literacy and Maths, as well as learn about themselves and their environment. In a broad and balanced way our provision ensures coverage of all the statutory areas of learning:
* Communication and Language
* Personal, Social, and Emotional Development
* Physical Development
* Literacy
* Mathematics
* Understanding the World
* Expressive Arts and Design
We follow the principles set out in The Statutory Framework for the Early Years and Development Matters. These documents can be viewed in the Class 1 – Useful Links area of the website.
Please click on the following links to view the various documents:
Early Years & Reception Long Term Plan 2023-2024
English
Intent
Our curriculum is ambitious and gives ALL learners the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We have taken a holistic approach to reading within school, placing it at the heart of everything that we do. This approach of equity reflects our determination to give ALL our pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged, the knowledge and experience to accumulate the cultural capital necessary to succeed in life in modern Britain and beyond.
Our curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced. We believe that it is the right of every child to have access to an exciting, engaging and innovative English curriculum which enables and empowers children’s written and oral communication and creativity. A high quality English curriculum should develop children’s love of reading. We aim to inspire an appreciation of our rich and varied literary heritage and a habit of reading widely and often.
The books and poetry that we will use in school are carefully chosen to give our pupils experience of rich and exciting vocabulary. We have carefully constructed a reading diet for our pupils that is ambitious and that will immerse them in a rich literary heritage, reflecting the best that has been thought and said. Our reading curriculum is designed to empower, engage and encourage children to develop a love of reading.
We recognise the importance of cultivating a culture where children take great pride in their writing can write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style for a variety of purpose and audiences.
We want to inspire children to be confident in the arts of speaking and listening, so that they can engage fully in discussions and debates.
We believe that a thorough grasp of literacy skills is crucial for full access to the rest of the curriculum and that it gives children the tools to participate fully as a member of society.
We are determined for ALL learners to reach their full potential, and for our pupils to know more and remember more. We adapt our planning to address misconceptions, gaps in knowledge and forgotten knowledge.
Federation Friday
First Aid
Food & Cooking
Geography
Intent
“A high quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.” DfE
Our Geography curriculum is designed to develop children’s curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.
Our school is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with woodland, rivers and Brimham Rocks nearby. We take full advantage of our beautiful surroundings.
Children investigate a range of places – both in Britain and abroad – to help develop their knowledge and understanding of the Earth’s physical and human processes. We are committed to providing children with opportunities to investigate and make enquiries about their local area of Glasshouses and Pateley Bridge, so that they can develop of real sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes our local area unique and special. We also developing the children’s ability to apply geographical skills to enable to confidently communicate their findings and geographical understanding to a range of audiences.
Through high quality teaching, we develop the following essential characteristics of geographers:
- An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like, both in Britain and the wider world;
- An comprehensive understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected;
- An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary;
- Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills, as well as effective presentation techniques;
- The ability to reach clear conclusions and explain their findings;
- Excellent fieldwork skills as well as other geographical aptitudes and techniques;
- The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current issues in society and the environment;
- A genuine interest in the subject and a real sense of curiosity about the world and the people who live here.
Global Education
Intent
At Glasshouses School, we believe that educating our pupils to be global citizens will make them more aware of the wider world and give them a sense of their own role as a global citizen. We also believe that it will promote mutual respect and tolerance and help our pupils to value diversity. We live in an increasingly globalised and interconnected world in which the global is part of our everyday lives. Global Education has a critical role to play in equipping a generation with the vision and means to rise to complex challenges that transcend national borders.
We are determined that a global education will equip our learners with the skills and knowledge needed for critical and active engagement with the challenges and opportunities of life in a fast-changing and interdependent world. We intend for our pupils to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes that they will need for life in the wider world. It is our intent that this knowledge will help them to participate fully in a globalised society and economy. It is our intent that the next generation will work towards securing a more just and sustainable world. We want our pupils to work to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place.
As a Rights Respecting school, it is our duty to ensure that our pupils have a good understanding of the rights of all children and how they, as Rights Holders, can help to uphold the rights of children all around the world. We don’t just want our pupils to know about their rights, we want to empower them to participate in the protection of their rights, and the rights of others.
History
Intent
“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.” – Theodore Roosevelt
We believe that high-quality history lessons inspire children to want to know more about the past and to think and act as historians.
By linking learning to a range of topics, children have opportunities to investigate and interpret the past, understand chronology, build an overview of Britain’s past as well as that of the wider world, and to be able to communicate historically. The history of our school and local area are given great importance. The cultural and social significance of events such as Remembrance Day are commemorated by the whole school and wider community.
We develop children with the following essential characteristics to help them become historians:
- An excellent knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from a range of historical periods, including significant events in Britain’s past;
- Learning about the concept of chronology, which underpins children’s developing sense of period, as well as key concepts such as change and causation.
- The ability to think critically about history and communicate ideas confidently to a range of audiences;
- The ability to support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using historical evidence from a range of sources;
- The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past by formulating and refining questions and lines of enquiry;
- A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make critical use of it to support their learning;
- A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics;
- A developing sense of curiosity about the past and how and why people interpret the past in different ways.
Modern Foreign Languages
Intent
the Upper Nidderdale Primary Federation have the right to a rich and deep learning experience that includes the learning of the basics of an additional language. The study of Languages prepares pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly carried out in languages other than English. Language learning provides liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. Pupils use language to communicate information responsibly and creatively; learning how to use languages to enable access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures across our school and wider demographic. In addition, understanding a modern foreign language increases a child’s understanding of their own language, and the building blocks which form this..
We teach a curriculum that enables our pupils to become effective users of language, and show an understanding and respect of different cultures in our local, national and global communities.
Through the teaching of French at The Upper Nidderdale Primary Federation, we aim to:
- Ensure every child has the opportunity, throughout Key Stage 2, to study French as a foreign language; developing their interest in the culture of other nations, communities and beliefs.
- Ensure pupils have access to high-quality teaching and learning opportunities.
- Ensure pupils have exposure to simple commands including day-to-day French language, including days, months, numbers and classroom instructions.
- Ensure pupils develop an increased wider cultural understanding through our enriched and varied curriculum to which languages contribute.
- Provide language informed by the National Curriculum and the skills expressed in this: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing and Cultural Understanding.
Maths
Intent
Across our federation, we have the firm belief that mathematics underpins much of our daily lives; both the ability to adapt with number and the vast skill-set of being able to problem solve and reason. Our curriculum is ambitiously planned in order to give all learners in-depth knowledge and the cultural capital they need to succeed in life.
Our curriculum is carefully designed, planned and sequenced representing our belief that it is the right of every child to access and succeed in an engaging, creative and meaningful Maths curriculum that develops pupils’ number fluency and allows them to become critical thinkers when it comes to problem solving. A successful maths curriculum should develop and promote a child’s enthusiasm and resilience to fluency, problem solving and reasoning. Our aim is to allow pupils to make rich connections across mathematical ideas resulting in the development of fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems.
We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children are proud, reflective mathematicians, can reason their mathematical thinking and solve meaningful problems in context that serves purpose. We are determined for ALL learners to reach their full potential, and for our pupils to know more and remember more. We adapt our planning to address misconceptions, gaps in knowledge and forgotten knowledge.
Outdoor Education
Here at Glasshouses School we appreciate the value of learning outside the classroom and have this set into our weekly timetable. Each class has a dedicated weekly session to go into the outdoor areas within school, or sometimes further afield. These sessions are designed to help build teamwork, resilience, and independence. Within the overall programme we seek to develop practical skills and life skills that can stay with your child for their life. Examples of such are safe tool use, emergency first aid skills, knot skills etc.
Also weaved throughout the programme are links to our curriculum and the subjects taught within school, offering a marvellous opportunity to see classroom learning brought into the real world. This allows many children to see the use of their learning and for some allows them to grasp a concept that may seem abstract whilst sat at a desk. All subjects are brought out of the classroom; art, design and technology, science, history, geography, maths, and English.
Overall we seek to allow our children to grow and see that there are different strategies to accomplish a task, appreciate the environment in which they live, and learn in fun ways.
On the day that your child takes part in Outdoor Education please ensure they have all of the correct kit in school – it is all for their own safety and they may not be able to take part without it.
- Sturdy boots or wellies
- Complete change of underclothes (warm layers throughout most of the year)
- Waterproof trousers and waterproof coat
Personal, Social, Health, & Citizenship Education (PSHCE)
PSHE stands for Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education. The National Curriculum states that ‘all schools should make provision for personal, social, health and economic education.’
PSHE is a school subject through which pupils develop knowledge, skills and attributes to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepare for life and work in modern Britain. PSHE also helps pupils to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. It also helps to prepare children for making responsible decisions about a whole range of subjects, from alcohol and drugs, to succeeding in their first job. PSHE helps students to manage many of the most critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face growing up.
Evidence shows that PSHE has an impact on both academic and non-academic outcomes for pupils, particularly the most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils. PSHE develops attributes such as resilience, self-esteem, risk-management, teamwork and critical thinking. In PSHE, this learning is grouped into three core themes:
*Health and Wellbeing
*Relationships
*Living in the Wider World
Intent
Our PSHE Intent promotes an approach to relationships and sex education (RSE) that ensures children are able to cherish themselves and others as unique and wonderfully made, and to form healthy relationships where they respect and offer dignity to others. Our PSHE curriculum is accessible to all. It ensures that each of our pupils will know more, remember more and understand more about how to play a positive and successful role within our society, both as a child and as an adult within the future. It is our aim to prepare our pupils for life beyond school and a good understanding of how to keep physically and emotionally safe both on and off line.
The overarching focus of our PSHE curriculum is our commitment to our School Vision, which ensures our school is inclusive, enabling all our pupils to flourish
We consider the PSHE document about why PSHE is so important for preparing our pupils to make safe life decisions:
In the next 15 years I will…
- Go out on my own for the first time
- Cross my first busy road without someone to watch over me
- Travel to school on my own for the first time
- Have my first ‘sleep over’ at a friend’s home
- Travel into town on my own for the first time
- Experience my first ‘dare’
- Make my first decision to spend my own money
- Question if my body image is okay
- Make my first independent decision about my diet and exercise
- Witness or experience my first incident of bullying, either in person or online
- Experience the start of puberty
- Experience my first bereavement
- Witness or experience my first incident of homophobia or transphobia
- Witness or experience my first incident of racism
- Open my first savings account
- Go on my first date
- Have my first kiss
- Fall in love for the first time
- Meet my first boyfriend or girlfriend
- Have my first sexual experience
- Be offered a cigarette for the first time
- Be offered and perhaps have my first taste of alcohol
- Make my first decision about drug use
- Have my first opportunity to become a member of different groups, perhaps have my first opportunity to join a gang
- Make my first choice of whether or not to carry a knife or weapon
- Make a choice about my career path
- Live my first day when I am responsible in law for my own actions
- Sign my first legally binding contract
- Take on my first financial debt
- Attend my first interview
- Live my first day on my own
- Have my first day at college or at my first job
Physical Education
Intent
At The Upper Nidderdale Primary Federation, we aim to develop pupils who will be physically active and can flourish in a range of different physical activities.
The aims of our PE curriculum are to develop pupils who:
- Are willing to practise skills in a range of different activities and situations, alone, in small groups and in teams, and to apply these skills in chosen activities to achieve exceptionally high levels of performance;
- Have and maintain high levels of physical fitness;
- Lead a healthy lifestyle which is achieved by eating sensibly, exercising regularly and being aware of the dangers of drugs, smoking and alcohol;
- Are able to remain physically active for sustained periods of time and have an understanding of the importance of this in promoting long-term health and well-being;
- Take the initiative and become excellent young leaders, organising and officiating, evaluating what needs to be done to improve and motivating and instilling excellent sporting attitudes in others;
- Employ imagination and creativity in their techniques, tactics and choreography;
- Are able to improve their own and others’ performance;
- Can work independently for extended periods of time without the need for guidance or support;
- Have a keen interest in PE – a willingness to participate eagerly in every lesson, highly positive attitudes and the ability to make informed choices about engaging fully in extracurricular sport;
- Can swim at least 25 metres before the end of Year 6 and know how to remain safe in and around water.
Relationships and Sex Education
At the Upper Nidderdale Primary Federation, we believe that the teaching of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education represents an opportunity to enable and equip our pupils to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships. It will give them the knowledge and skills to make sound decisions when facing risks, challenges and complex contexts. We know that everyone faces difficult situations in their lives. The teaching of these subjects can support young people to develop resilience, to know how and when to ask for help, and to know where to access support.
Today’s children are growing up in an increasingly complex world and live their lives seamlessly on and offline. We acknowledge that this presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. We firmly believe that young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their lives in a positive way online and in real life. We aim to put in place the key building blocks of healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships, in all contexts, including online. This will be complemented by the development of personal attributes including kindness, integrity, generosity and honesty, in line with our CHAMPS ethos.
Teaching about mental wellbeing is central to this teaching. We aim to give children the knowledge and capability to take care of themselves and receive support if problems arise. We aim to help to foster pupil wellbeing and to develop resilience. These life skills are fundamental to pupils being happy, successful and productive members of society. Central to this is pupils’ ability to believe that they can achieve goals, both academic and personal; to stick to tasks that will help them achieve those goals, even when the reward may be distant or uncertain; and to recover from knocks and challenging periods in their lives.
This subject area represents a huge opportunity to help our children to develop. The knowledge and attributes gained will support their own, and others’ wellbeing and attainment and help our children to become successful and happy adults who make a meaningful contribution to society.
We have consulted with both parents and the School Governors and the Relationships & Sex Education Policy has now been approved. To view the policy, please click on the link below. We have also produced a Diversity Dictionary to accompany this Policy and our teaching of the subject. Again, please click on the link below to view it.
Religious Education
Intent
Our intent is based upon The Church of England’s ‘Statement of Entitlement.’
Religious Education in a church school should enable every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness. (John 10:10). It should help to educate for dignity and respect encouraging all to live well together.
“Such an approach is offered through commitment to generous hospitality, being true to our underpinning faith, but with deep respect for the integrity of other religious traditions (and world views) and for the religious freedom of each person.”
Aims and objectives
- To know about and understand Christianity as a diverse global living faith through the exploration of core beliefs using an approach that critically engages with biblical text.
- To gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews appreciating diversity, continuity and change within the religions and worldviews being studied.
- To engage with challenging questions of meaning and purpose raised by human existence and experience.
- To recognise the concept of religion and its continuing influence on Britain’s cultural heritage and in the lives of individuals and societies in different times, cultures and places.
- To explore their own religious, spiritual and philosophical ways living, believing and thinking.
Religious Education offers opportunities to develop spirituality in children by
A high-quality sequential religious education (RE) programme is essential to meet the statutory requirement for all state funded schools to teach a full curriculum that prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in modern Britain. The study of Christianity is central to our Religious Education in the Federation. We study Christianity as a living and diverse faith, focused on the teaching of Jesus and the Church. We offer an RE curriculum that enables pupils to acquire a rich, deep understanding of Christian belief and practice, this includes ways in which it is unique and diverse. We have chosen to delver a large part of our RE curriculum through ‘Understanding Christianity.
We offer our pupils an RE curriculum that will engage and challenge them through the exploration of core concepts and questions, as well as meaningful and informed dialogue about a range of religions and world views. We also provide opportunities for them to understand the role of foundation texts, beliefs, rituals ands practices and how they help form identity in a range of religions and world views. We also explore how these may change in different times, places and culture. Our pupils will develop confident religious literacy.
Our RE curriculum is designed to be fully inclusive, meeting the needs of all pupils. The curriculum is firmly rooted in the sequential acquisition of knowledge alongside the development of skills such as enquiry, interpretation, evaluation and reflection. We will provide a safe space for pupils to explore their own religious, spiritual and philosophical ways of seeing, living and thinking, believing and belonging. We provide opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue about all religious and world views.
Although a variety of religions and world views are explored, Christianity is the main religion studied in each year group. The content of our curriculum is taken from two sources:
- NYCC Agreed Syllabus for RE
- Understanding Christianity.
Our fidelity to these documents ensures that our curriculum is coherent and enables pupils to progress through ordered and sequential learning, developing both knowledge and skills. We have established clear end points for each year group, and the new knowledge and skills being taught build towards these points.
“Religious education (RE) should make a major contribution to the education of children and young people. At its best, it is intellectually challenging and personally enriching. It helps young people develop beliefs and values, and promotes the virtues of respect and empathy, which are important in our diverse society. It fosters civilised debate and reasoned argument, and helps pupils to understand the place of religion and belief in the modern world.”
– Ofsted
To view Upper Nidderdale Primary Federation’s documentation with regard to our RE Policy and Syllabus, please click on the links below:
RE Policy – St Cuthbert’s and Fountains Earth
Science
Intent
“Children are naturally curious. Science at primary school should nurture this curiosity and allow them to ask questions and develop the skills they need to answer those questions.”
Louise Stubberfield
Science teaching at our schools aims to give all children a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring specific skills and knowledge to help them to think scientifically, to gain an understanding of scientific processes and also an understanding of the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.
Scientific enquiry skills are embedded in each topic the children study and these topics are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. Topics, such as Plants, are taught in Key Stage One and studied again in further detail throughout Key Stage Two. This model allows children to build upon their prior knowledge and increases their enthusiasm for the topics whilst embedding this procedural knowledge into the long-term memory. Enjoyment of Science is further promoted through our Outdoor Education and through weekly STEM activities.
All children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills including observations, planning and investigations, as well as being encouraged to question the world around them and become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their scientific based questions. Specialist vocabulary for topics is taught and built up, and effective questioning to communicate ideas is encouraged. Concepts taught should be reinforced by focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that pupils learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions.
Glasshouses – Science Ambassadors
Meet our new Science Ambassadors! They will be helping to plan science enrichment activities, support the teaching and learning of science in our school and inspire other children to love science as much as they do.
SMSC (Social, Moral, Spiritual, Cultural)
SPIRITUAL – At Upper Nidderdale Primary Federation we provide opportunities for pupils to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise. Our RE curriculum is planned to expose the pupils to a variety of different religions, learning about what is special to followers of each religion studied. We use these sessions, especially through discussions, to encourage pupils to develop interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values. This is intrinsic to our RE and PSHE lessons, as well as through enrichment experiences such as our Cultural Diversity Week.
We also encourage pupils to use imagination and creativity in their learning and to reflect on their experiences. We encourage our pupils to develop a sense of enjoyment and fascination when learning about themselves, others and the world around them.
MORAL – We encourage pupils to recognise the difference between right and wrong. We use our CHAMPS ethos to encourage staff and pupils to apply this understanding in their everyday lives, through values such as honesty and courtesy.
We help children to recognise legal boundaries, and to respect the civil and criminal law of England. We have developed links with local police officers, who visit school to discuss following the law and the consequences of not doing so.
We also encourage children to develop an interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues. We use PSHE lessons to develop these skills and to help children to understand and appreciate viewpoints of others on these issues.
SOCIAL – At the Upper Nidderdale Primary Federation, we encourage pupils to use a range of social skills in different situations, such as, taking part/chairing house team meetings, presenting assemblies for parents/carers and the local community and participating in pupil leadership meetings.
We use our Rights Respecting ethos to help children to understand about working with and socialising with pupils from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. We further enhance this with our Linking Schools work.
We also provide opportunities for pupils to participate in a variety of local community activities such as our Remembrance Day ceremony on the village green or the village May Day celebrations. When participating in these activities, children need to co-operate well with others and to be able to resolve conflicts effectively. Our children are part of a wider Pupil Voice group which has representatives from over 12 schools from across the Harrogate district.
We encourage the acceptance and engagement with Fundamental British Values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We have developed links with our local MP, who came to visit our school to learn more about our Rights Respecting status. Also, we have a visit to the Houses of Parliament planned. Our whole school ethos, and PSHE curriculum help pupils to develop and demonstrate the skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.
CULTURAL – Upper Nidderdale Primary Federation, we help pupils to develop their understanding of and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and those of others. We do this on a local, national and international level through PSHE, History, Geography and RE. We also develop children’s appreciation of the range of different cultures, within school and further afield. We believe that this is an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain.
We also provide children with knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and continuing to develop Britain. We make this more relevant to the children by teaching lessons about democracy, encouraging the children to prepare speeches, and to take part in debates over issues of interest for themselves.
Pupil Voice is particularly strong at The Upper Nidderdale Primary Federation, Through our Rights Respecting initiative, all children know that they have the right to be listened to.
We provide opportunities for children to participate and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities. Our pupils enjoy taking part in a variety of sporting activities, including the Harrogate Inter school Swimming Competition, which Glasshouses School won. We also take part in local musical concerts and enjoy whole school art days.
Pupils at the Upper Nidderdale Primary Federation enjoy exploring, understanding and showing respect for different faiths and celebrating diversity. They show tolerance and respect to different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups locally and nationally. Through our Rights Respecting work, pupils gain a global outlook on the world.
Spoken Language
Is your curriculum and teaching organised to support pupils’ growing depth of learning and understanding?
Does your curriculum ensure progression across all year groups and phases? (knowledge, skills, vocabulary)
We consider spoken language and the ability to communicate effectively to be of the utmost importance at Glasshouses School. These skills are of great value in school life and beyond.
The national curriculum for English reflects the importance of spoken language in pupils’ development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. Spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear and speak are vital for developing their vocabulary and grammar and their understanding for reading and writing.
We will therefore ensure the continual development of pupils’ confidence and competence in spoken language and listening skills. Pupils should develop a capacity to explain their understanding of books and other reading, and to prepare their ideas before they write. They must be assisted in making their thinking clear to themselves as well as to others, and teachers should ensure that pupils build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions. Pupils will also be taught to understand and use the conventions for discussion and debate.
All pupils will participate in and gain knowledge, skills and understanding associated with the artistic practice of drama. Pupils will be able to adopt, create and sustain a range of roles, responding appropriately to others in role. They will have opportunities to improvise, devise and script drama for one another and a range of audiences, as well as to rehearse, refine, share and respond thoughtfully to drama and theatre performances.
As with all of our curriculum design, we have carefully planned objectives that will support our pupils’ growing depth of learning and understanding. We have planned for progression across all every year group, with challenge for our more able pupils.