Our curriculum covers the whole experience that we offer the children at F& B. We provide an exciting, 'hands on' approach to learning appropriate to the children's ages and stage of development. We aim to ensure that every child's thirst for learning will be nurtured and encouraged through the many and varied learning experiences offered to them throughout the school day. Teacher's planning takes account of government requirements as well as using the school's own chosen schemes of work.
In the EYFS we have an integrated Montessori approach to children's learning. Our classes are beautifully prepared with a good range of Montessori materials to support children's learning. We have teachers and assistants that have been trained by the Montessori Centre to integrate the approach into our EYFS.
What is Montessori?
Montessori is an approach to early education that focuses on the immense capacity of children to absorb information when given the freedom and independence to learn at their own pace. It takes its name from Dr. Maria Montessori whose scientific background and belief in the potential and uniqueness of children empowered her to develop an educational approach that appreciates how children's thought processes differ from those of adults. Her insights and approach to child development have been enormously influential all over the world, both through which has become the Montessori movement and through mainstream education, which has come to accept many of her practices. Increasingly, evidence from scientific research on how the brain develops, supports Montessori's views on how children learn and how to optimise their developmental progress.
What makes the Montessori approach different, and what makes it work so well, is that it is based on this deep understanding of the way children learn - through choosing, trying and doing themselves. When allied to the availability of specially developed materials in a prepared environment, and the close observation and guidance of a trained teacher, this leads to an enormously powerful, confidence-building approach to learning. (Reach Magazine).
In KS1, our children are taught in mixed ability classes. During the day they will be taught in a variety of groupings within the class - whole class, small ability groups, small mixed ability groups and sometimes, where appropriate individually. A variety of teaching strategies will be used by the teachers. To ensure children receive the best possible teaching all our Senior Leaders, including the Head Teacher/s will teach whole class, small groups or individual children at various times during the year.
This is our whole school curriculum overview
The Fawbert & Barnard Infants’ School 2020/21
Imaginative Learning Projects
Year Group | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
EYFS Nursery | Why do you love me so much?
| Why do leaves go crispy? | Where does snow go? | Are eggs alive? | How many colours in a rainbow? | Can we explore it? |
EYFS Reception | Do you want to be friends? | Why do squirrels hide their nuts? | Are we nearly there yet? | Will you read me a story? | Why do ladybirds have spots? | Who lives in a rock pool? |
Year 1 | The Enchanted Woodland | Moon Zoom | Bright lights, Big City | Paws, Claws & Whiskers | Superheroes | Dinosaur Planet |
Year 2 | Towers, Tunnels and Turrets | Beat Band Boogie | Street Detectives | Muck, Mess & Mixtures | The Scented Garden | Land Ahoy! |
Specific Science Projects
Year Group | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
Year 1 | How do leaves change?
| How does it feel?
| How do you make bread? | What is camouflage for? Can you leap like a frog? What can our hands do? | Can you be a superhero? | Whose Poo? Why do we have teeth?
|
Year 2 | Can you make a paper bridge? Where do worms like to live? | Can water make music? | How do plants grow in winter? | Which stuff is stickier? How is mud made?
| Can seeds grow anywhere? Do snails have noses? | Why do boats float? Will it degrade? |
Whilst there is a curriculum focus/project each half term, all curriculum areas are taught throughout the term and cover learning intentions specified in the National Curriculum. Maths may link and children are given opportunities to apply and consolidate skills learned, but the teaching and learning of new concepts will be taught as a discreet subject.
In addition to the above themes and topics, we hold regular themed weeks and days linked to important days in the British Calendar such as Remembrance Day, Harvest, Comic relief, key religious festivals and any events special to our local community.
All children follow the National Curriculum as follows:
The Core Curriculum | The Foundation Subjects |
English including Phonics | History |
Personal, Social and Health Education/Citizenship, including Relationships/ Health education also forms part of our curriculum. Our curriculum is broad and balanced. The development of Literacy and Numeracy skills form a major part of our teaching and underpin the learning in other areas of the curriculum.
Fuller details about the curriculum content for Literacy and our approach to the teaching of phonics can be found in our School Brochure on our parent page.
To support reading and writing at home, please see the document on our parent page.
We have developed a new Calculation Policy which can be found on our policies page.
Phonics
We use the DfE's Letters and Sounds principles and practice of high quality phonics across the school. We support our phonics teaching with Montessori phonics, Espresso Education, Education City & Phonics Play.
This covers the period from Birth to the end of Year R.
Our work with our youngest children is guided by four principles:
The characteristics of effective learning are:
The Early Years curriculum is planned around the seven Prime and Specific areas of development.
This prime area focuses on supporting children's sense of confidence and independence, helping them to feel good about themselves and teaching them to get along with others.
This covers:
This prime area focuses on children being able to focus attention and listen.
It covers:
This prime area underpins all other areas of learning. movement supports the growth of the brain and nervous system and is involved therefore in all aspects of development.
It covers:
This specific area covers Reading and Writing.
This specific area is a hands-on, practical and exploratory area of learning using exciting , stimulating and real objects that the children can explore, count, talk about and move.
It covers:
This specific area focuses on the beginnings of history, geography, science and technology and covers:
In this specific area there is a strong focus on children's experiences of exploring and learning through their own creative expression and covers:
The Early Years staff provide the children with freedom within a structured environment. This allows the children to develop their skills within a range of teacher-led and self-chosen activities. A range of records and observations are kept of each child and next steps are used to continually take each child's learning forward. The Nursery forms part of the Early Years Foundation Stage and is part of the school. There are close links between the nursery and reception classes. We use certain principles of the Montessori philosophy in our Early Years provision as referred to above.
To find out more about the National Curriculum, please go to the Department for Education website at www.gov.uk/collections/national-curriculum
To find out more about the EYFS curriculum, please go to the Department for Education website at www.gov.uk/early-years-foundation-stage