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St Hugh's CofE Primary School

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Curriculum Information

2023-24 Whole school curriculum overview

St Hugh'c curriculum offer 2023-24 final

Curriculum Offer

Our curriculum offer can be viewed above.

School Vision Statement

‘Be the change you want to see in the World’ (Gandhi)

St. Hugh’s as a Christian family of God is aspirational, inclusive and loving.

We treat each person as a unique individual of inherent worth to support them towards academic excellence and personal growth, as they become advocates for change within society.

‘To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.’ Hebrews 11 v 1

School Mission Statement:

We aim:

To ensure that each child achieves high standards and makes good progress in relation to prior attainment in all areas of school life.
To provide all pupils with high quality teaching in order to achieve high quality learning, by means of broad, balanced curriculum within a framework of Christian values.
To provide a well-resourced, high quality learning environment.
To create a positive, inclusive school culture, in which we promote our children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, helping children towards an understanding of Christian belief and other world faiths.
To promote an inclusive, mutually supportive learning partnership with parents and community and to encourage children to take a full role in their school community.
To support the work of the school by effective management of finance, curriculum, resources, administration and personnel.

Curriculum Intent:

Our Curriculum has been designed to ensure that each child can ‘be the change they want to see in the World’ by offering stimulating and awe-inspiring learning experiences with Christian values and high aspirations at its heart.

It is bespoke to the needs of the pupils at St Hugh’s, not only by focussing on appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum, but by modelling the virtues given to us by Christ and by developing individual and collaborative learning experiences, a sense of responsibility and challenges that take them beyond the classroom.

We are an urban school with a curriculum which responds to the needs of the learners and their interests by enhancing learning experiences and raising awareness from the local area to the national and global arenas.

We are highly ambitious for our children, irrespective of their background or academic prowess. All staff know what their children should achieve at the end of each year and the learning is carefully planned to meet these points. All of our pupils are provided with a rich and relevant curriculum, with enhancement activities - including those with special needs and disabilities.

The curriculum has been evaluated and re-designed following training and is even more bespoke to the school focusing on key concepts and knowledge, global links and diversity. The curriculum is blocked into learning units for science, history, geography, art and technology, to ensure emersion in learning and to support memory retention. Children will also have weekly MFL, PE, PSHE, RE, computing lessons along with a daily act of worship and daily English and Maths lessons.

Curriculum Implementation:

The curriculum has been designed to be a ‘Knowledge-rich’ curriculum focussing on knowledge for each learning unit. Each learning unit is complemented with a knowledge mat. See the school’s curriculum offer for more information about each subject.

Hooks and Wow starts

Where possible new learning units will begin with a ‘hook’ for learning or an experience.

Maths:

The school uses the NCETM ‘progression maps’ alongside Maths Shed to create a bespoke curriculum for St Hugh’s, which is in line with our school policy and reflects the core principles of CPA (concrete, pictorial, abstract) in mathematics. We also have a wide variety of resources to support pupils in their learning. The curriculum runs from EYFS through to Year 6 to ensure consistency for our pupils. We used standardised assessments using ‘PUMA’ from Rising Stars - and we moderate these scores alongside teacher assessments during regular Pupil Progress meetings.

English

Nursery to Year 2 use Read, Write, Inc. to teach phonics and RWI reading books are sent home for individual home reading along with supplementary books to be read at home, based on the ‘Reading 4 Pleasure’ approach. Once a pupil has completed RWI, they will move onto age related books and then free reading. There are also several interventions and initiatives to increase reading attainment including: Century Reading, Fast track phonics, Fluency and targeted 1:1 reading sessions for children that may need further acceleration.

Reading ‘Gems’ are utilised in KS2. These follow a progression of skills linked to the National Curriculum for word-reading and comprehension which are taught in a consistent manner and monitored rigorously throughout the year.

English lessons follow a 3 weekly cycle and writing is taught across a range of genres. A high-quality text is utilised for each 3 week block. Spelling is taught via the Spelling shed materials (based on etymology and morphology) - and common exception words/high frequency words, which are incorporated alongside the relevant texts. Similarly, grammar is taught explicitly within each genre, allowing for both technical and creative skills to be utilised. Reception to Year 3 follow the talk for writing approach – using ‘Mighty Writer’ as a vehicle for learning.

The school uses the new Manchester Diocese RE Syllabus, the 2023-2028 Manchester Diocese Board of Education Syllabus for RE. The syllabus incorporates the Understanding Christianity approach and is now rooted in the Understanding Christianity syllabus.

PSHE and RSHE

The school follows the Jigsaw scheme for PSHE with circle time and mindfulness sessions. Half-termly sessions are as follows:

	Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
Jigsaw	Being me in my world	Celebrating difference	Dreams and Goals	Healthy me	Relationships	Changing me

RSHE is incorporated in the scheme.

Science

Science at St Hugh’s is taught through the use of the Snap Science Scheme and learning units. We offer a knowledge-rich curriculum which continually develops children’s working scientifically skills and creates independent learners who are able to ask and answer scientific questions about the world around them.

The science vision and principles underpin the science teaching and learning.

https://www.st-hughs.oldham.sch.uk/oldham/primary/st-hughs/arenas/websitecontent/web/sciencevision.pdf

Working scientifically objectives:

KS1

Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways.
Observing closely, using simple equipment.
Performing simple tests.
Identifying and classifying.
Using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.

LKS2

Asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them.
Setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.
Making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of

equipment, including thermometers and data loggers.

Gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions.
Recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables.
Reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions.
Using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further conclusions.
Identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.
Using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.

UKS2

Planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables were necessary.
Taking measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate.
Recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs and line
Using test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests.
Reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.
Identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support of refute ideas or arguments.

Music:

Children in Nursery to Year 3 receive a weekly 30 minute curriculum music session, with the teacher focusing on singing, percussion, composition and performance. In the Nursery this is ‘Tune into Talking’ which invites parents and families to participate fortnightly. The Reception children have Musical Beginnings. The Year 1 and 2 classes receive curriculum music lessons and the Year 3 lessons focus on pre-wider opportunities music. In Years 4 and 5 the children receive Wider Opportunities Brass lessons. Those children excelling in music are invited to join the school band and on-going opportunities are extended to the Year 6 children. As an Arts Mark school the lessons focus on singing, performing and learning to play their instrument, covering all areas of the music curriculum.

Computing:

The school uses its own scheme to deliver the Computing curriculum (supplemented by D Primary and Code.org) with a high focus on digital literacy and internet safety. Each year group has a clear set of medium term plans to ensure progression and coverage.

MFL:

Our MFL programme of study teaches children French language skills in a variety of fun and creative ways encompassing the arts wherever possible. Each class follows a progressive, well-structured scheme of work (based on the National Curriculum requirements) to ensure continuity and a solid basis to increase the children’s attitude, skills and knowledge (ASK) throughout their primary experience.

Other Curriculum areas:

PE:

Nursery to Year 6 receive Ballet and dance lessons on a Friday from the Oldham Sports Development Team. All classes receive a weekly PE lesson from a qualified sports coach.

KS2 children receive swimming lessons. Year 4 for the full year and Year 3, 5 and 6 for one term.

The school offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities, special focus days/weeks, visitors and trips to enhance the curriculum.

The Annual Early Years to Year 6 curriculum plan is available at the top of this page, this has more detail about the curriculum and details about all curriculum areas.

Curriculum Impact:

We aim to provide a curriculum enables children to be ready for the next stage in their education and make the best possible progress and achieve well. It is vital that we build children’s confidence, self-esteem and aspirations, whilst helping each individual to develop personally and gain the skills for lifelong learning.

At St Hugh’s the children are a joy and have a love of learning. We know that the curriculum has a positive impact due the work in books, talking to children and the quality of learning around the school. The progress data illustrates the positive impact of the curriculum.

If you would like any more information about the school's curriculum offer or paper copies of any documentation, please email the school - info@st-hughs.oldham.sch.uk, or phone school on 0161 770 3171 and ask for Mrs Byrne.

Reading at St Hugh's.pdf