Curriculum

Intent: What we aim

We believe that reading is an essential skill to lifelong learning and is key for academic success. Therefore, we are committed to enabling our children to become discerning, lifelong readers who are able to develop and deepen their knowledge of their community and the diverse world in which they live in. We aim to build a community of engaged readers who turn to reading for meaning and pleasure by engaging with parents and incorporating into our school regular DEAR time and opportunities to access a range of literature. At the heart of our strategy is our drive to foster a love of reading by enriching children’s learning through imaginative, inspirational stories and thought-provoking texts, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, picture books and film. 

Furthermore, we look to develop and provide a consistent whole-school approach to the teaching of reading with the intention of closing any gaps and targeting the highest number of children to attain Expected standard or beyond. We recognise that reading is a transferable skill that enables children to develop their learning across the wider curriculum and lays the foundations for success in future lines of study and employment.

Implementation: How do we achieve our aims?

There are two threshold concepts at Beam that drive our curriculum and aim to build conceptual knowledge and understanding through continuous repetition: ‘reading words accurately’ and ‘understanding texts’. In EYFS and KS1, we use a systematic synthetic phonics programme called ‘Little Wandle’ which is supported by a comprehensive scheme of reading books provided by Collins Big Cat Letters & Sounds. All children have daily phonics sessions where they participate in speaking, listening and reading activities that are matched to their current attainment.

Where phonics is a primary focus in EYFS and KS1, in KS2 the focus is primarily on comprehension, as the expectation is that children will read with an appropriate level of fluency by the end of Year 2. Children in KS2 read daily across the curriculum and three times a week during Whole Class Reading sessions. Those who are less fluent in KS2 receive regular intervention through the Little Wandle Rapid Catch Up programme. We recognise the importance of reading at home to practise and embed reading skills. In EYFS and KS1, decodable texts are closely matched to children’s phonic abilities, which are then used within reading groups and for home reading to ensure children take home a ‘fluency’ book that is right for their level of reading. In KS2, books are banded by age-appropriateness and text difficulty. Children are benchmarked using PM Benchmarking to an appropriate reading level and freely select a book within the band of their choice. Teachers monitor choices to ensure texts are appropriate for reading ability and are appropriately challenging. Pupils in both key stages also take a ‘home share’ book of their choice for pleasure and to share with parents.

Teachers draw upon observations and continuous assessment to ensure children are challenged, and that they identify those who may need additional support. Children requiring phonics intervention are carefully planned for by assessing individual gaps and using Little Wandle Keep Up planning to support. Many of these children are targeted for our ‘Breakfast Blenders’ intervention that we run before the school day begins. We recognise that systematic high, quality phonics teaching is essential, but additional skills and opportunities are required for children to become accomplished readers. In Reception and Year 1, the children take part in group reading sessions with the focus on developing fluency, comprehension and phonics skills and in Years 2-6, we deliver Whole Class Reading sessions three times a week based on building knowledge, comprehension and vocabulary development. Whole Class Reading lessons in Years 2-6 are structured to allow children to develop as competent readers who can discuss and record their level of understanding around texts read. In order to achieve this, pupils are explicitly taught comprehension strategies including prediction, questioning, clarifying, summarising and activating prior knowledge. Pupils are supported through dialogic interactions, in which they verbalise the reading processes as signposts in their thinking. 

During EYFS/KS1 group reading sessions, the adult conducting the session will formatively assess pupils’ progress and keep tracking records for each pupil based on their decoding, prosody and comprehension. Throughout KS2, pupils record responses to texts within their Whole Class Reading book. Assessment for Learning opportunities are carried out throughout the lesson where pupils share and discuss the thoughts and observations they have made. Teachers also use Rasinski’s fluency rubric as a formative assessment tool whilst NFER comprehension assessments are carried out termly.

Across the school, children are exposed to high-quality books that reflect the diversity of our modern world. Our classrooms all have ‘class libraries’ in which the children are able to borrow books from. Teachers are able to take out termly loans with our borough library service to ensure they have a plethora of quality texts to aid with teaching upcoming topics across the curriculum. Within the Literacy Curriculum, Doug Lemov’s ‘Five Plagues of the Developing Reader’ have been a basis for developing a strong spine of texts containing: archaic language, non-linear time sequences, a complex narrative, figurative/symbolic references, resistance in meaning. We are also keen to expose our pupils to modern texts which represent the diverse nature of the world around us. In particular, the themes of ‘Race & Social Justice’ are prominent throughout our Literacy and Whole Class Reading Curriculum enabling a progression in text and thematic complexity. High quality texts and passages are chosen to give children a breadth of exposure.

Vocabulary is explored and developed with teachers providing opportunities to explore definitions of new words and to make links between these words and known words. Across the curriculum, pupils develop their use of tier 2 language and knowledge of tier 3 language in order to enhance their knowledge across the curriculum. Teachers provide opportunities to read a range of texts in different subject areas, either to further their understanding of a topic, or to develop their emotional literacy.

Impact: How will we know we have achieved our aims?

 Children will display enthusiasm for reading and choose to read for pleasure and meaning. Children will choose books for pleasure, entering a wide range of worlds that reading opens up and immersing themselves in topics of interest during lessons and beyond. As we believe reading is key to all learning, the impact of our reading curriculum goes beyond the result of our statutory assessments, and essential skills allow children to transition confidently to secondary school and beyond. Children read in other subject areas and as a result, their reading skills are enhanced and understanding of the world increased. Staff enthusiastically share texts and show themselves as reader whilst parents would enthusiastically support us. We have a process of monitoring to ensure standards are maintained and these include; learning walks, targeted CPD sessions and moderating pupil outcomes. A high number of children achieve the expected standard of higher and, through targeted intervention, those who find reading challenging are helped to make accelerated progress. By the time children leave Beam County Primary School, they are fluent, confident and able readers, who can access a range of texts for pleasure and enjoyment, as well as using their reading skills to unlock and enhance their knowledge and understanding of all subjects on the curriculum. 

Intent: What we aim

We deliver daily phonics through a high-quality phonics programme and consistently implement it to equip children with the lifelong skills they need to decode and become fluent readers. Teachers provide children with books that are closely matched to their phonic abilities to ensure they can experience success when practising. Children are supported in catching up quickly with teachers making ongoing assessments and targeting interventions. It is our duty to ensure the highest number of children possible pass the phonics screening check, with expectations that are aspirational yet achievable. We aim to foster community engagement by holding coffee mornings with parents, sending books home and directing parents to resources that they can use to support their children’s learning.

Implementation: How do we achieve our aims?

 We use a DFE validated phonics programme called ‘Little Wandle Letters & Sounds’ in EYFS and KS1. This systematic and synthetic programme lays out clear expectations term-by-term from the beginning of Reception to the end of Year 1 which enables our children to develop a strong awareness of phonics and effective blending and decoding skills, which ensures they can meet our threshold concept of ‘reading words accurately’. As a school, we have purchased the Collins Big Cat books which perfectly align to Little Wandle progression. This ensures that children read a book which matches their current phonics knowledge. Teachers identify this through their own formative assessment and also half-termly summative assessments which help identify knowledge/gaps and contain guidance to help match children to the correct decodable book.

Embedded into the programme are half-termly assessments for Reception and Year 1 pupils. This enables teachers to identify any children who may need extra support. Assessments also contain detailed guidance which helps teachers pinpoint the gaps in learning and subsequently allocate the appropriate targeted intervention to address the need. Teachers draw upon observations and continuous assessment to ensure children are challenged, and they identify those who may need additional support. We recognise that some children may benefit from further instruction beyond Year 1 and will ensure that high quality phonics provision is in place for:

• Children who did not pass the Phonics Screening Check in Year 1.
• Children in KS2 who have not progressed beyond Phase 5 books.
• Children with SEND who are struggling to decode.

For children in years 2-6 still working within phonic levels, they embark on the Little Wandle Rapid Catch Up programme which aims to accelerate progress for underachieving readers.

In Nursery, you will see:

• Children learning in a language rich environment.
• Children having access to high quality adult interactions.
• Engaging and accessible free choice activities available daily. These encourage children to develop their speaking and listening skills.
• Children have the opportunity to engage in challenging adult-led tasks to consolidate their learning.
• Children have access to a range of high-quality books and mark making resources.

Throughout Reception & Year 1, you will see:

• Phonics taught daily in a regular slot on all class timetables.
• Phonics lessons led by the teacher who explicitly models strategies and skills.
• All teachers follow and use Little Wandle planning and resources.
• All lessons follow a consistent lesson structure with embedded Little Wandle routines.
• The same visual representations and mnemonics are used by all teachers.
• Each class has an engaging phonics area, where wall friezes and Grow the Code charts are referred to, and this is where lessons are taught from.
• Teachers ensure that all children make progress through quality first teaching or, if needed, targeted intervention.
• Children are encouraged to apply their phonics knowledge throughout the day in other curriculum areas.

Impact: How will we know we have achieved our aims?

Children will be able to decode, segment and blend in line with the Little Wandle programme. By the end of Year 1, children will be ready to move from ‘Learning to Read’ to ‘Reading to Learn’. Children feel successful in reading and are more willing to read because books are well-matched to their needs. By implementing high quality intervention effectively and promptly, the majority of our children will become fluent readers by the end of KS1 with a high number of children passing the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.

Intent: What we aim

We aim to deliver an engaging, exciting and diverse curriculum which helps develop a lifelong love of writing and inspires children to strive to write around a range of genre and different purposes. We want to encourage children to be imaginative and to bring this to their writing. Teachers look to support children to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and creatively through their written word. Children are provided with essential skills in grammar, punctuation, spelling and composition that will be life-long. At Beam, we seek to develop children into writers with an understanding of the writing process, including planning, drafting, proof reading and editing to enhance their work. Furthermore, we will support children to be articulate and confident communicators who express themselves and enhance their learning when engaging in discussions. Overall, we aim to create a culture where children independently can ‘read as a writer’ and ‘write as a reader’.

Implementation: How do we achieve our aims?

Our threshold concepts in writing run throughout the curriculum from Year 1 to 6. These are to:

• Write with purpose.
• Use imaginative description.
• Organise writing appropriately.
• Use paragraphs.
• Use sentences appropriately.
• Present neatly.
• Spell correctly.
• Punctuate accurately.
• Analyse writing.
• Present writing.

These concepts are broken down into smaller, assessable components at a word, sentence and text level which permeate throughout each phase group and are repeatedly built upon through a spaced repetition approach. Each term, teachers assess pupil application of these statements within their writing outcomes. Moderation is carried out termly across the school to strengthen accuracy of teacher judgements.

To ensure consistency throughout the teaching of writing, teachers deliver a writing unit through a three phased teaching approach. Phase One consists of immersing pupils into the text/topic and providing them with the contextual knowledge to be able to write on a deep level. In this phase, cultural capital is embedded through immersing pupils with carefully planned activities such as debates, workshops, school trips and introduction of literature and arts from different cultural backgrounds. Phase Two surrounds teaching grammar in context to the text. Grammar lessons are purposeful and involve writing tasks which aim to build writing stamina and grammatical application as opposed to stand-alone tasks. At the end of phase two, a WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like) is deconstructed using all of the skills which the pupils have learnt within the unit. Phase Three consists of the writing process: planning, drafting, editing, reviewing, publishing. Teachers model how to plan and draft in order to set high expectations and routines to the children.

From the outset at Beam, children are taught to see themselves as authors and that there is an audience and purpose to their writing. The purposes of writing are repeated across the key stages through a range of writing outcomes to solidify understanding of text types and to enhance skills in grammar, punctuation and sentence construction. These purposes are to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to discuss, to describe, to perform, to instruct and to explain.

Within the Literacy Curriculum, Doug Lemov’s ‘Five Plagues of the Developing Reader’ have been a basis for developing a strong spine of texts containing: archaic language, non-linear time sequences, a complex narrative, figurative/symbolic references, resistance in meaning. We are also keen to expose our pupils to modern texts which represent the diverse nature of the world around us. Texts are used throughout each year group as stimuli to provoke discussion, explore language and produce writing outcomes.

During a written unit, pupils will explore WAGOLLs to examine and measure the impact of grammatical choices made. Teachers will also model the authorial decision making process and will highlight important grammatical choices throughout. Pupils will have opportunities to experiment with applying grammatical features with support from the teacher during the shared writing process. In KS1, for children to become fluent, creative writers, they are encouraged to express ideas through speaking & listening opportunities including partner talk, roleplay and hot-seating. In KS2, drama techniques like the aforementioned and additionally conscience alleys, role on the wall and playing ’devil’s advocate’ are explored and repeated to enhance children’s spoken language, presentation skills and to use as a stimuli pre or post-writing.

In addition, there are opportunities across the curriculum for children to enhance their vocabulary through exploring tier 2 and 3 vocabulary and carrying out formal presentations, taking part in class performances and engaging in debates. Children explore a range of poetry types in KS1 and KS2 with a focus on solidifying understanding of poetic techniques, enhancing skills at crafting poetry and practising performing poems. In KS1, pupils focus on appreciating rhythmic structure, the recitation of this and also receiving an introduction into narrative poetry. This is built upon in KS2 with pupils studying poems with more complex meanings whilst continuing to perform and craft works of their own.

In Year 1, children are taught how to make simple edits and additions to their writing so that they are able to do so more independently in Year 2. In KS2, post-writing, teachers model and encourage children to proof-read and edit their work with the use of a green pen. Teachers make it clear that writing has an audience and purpose to highlight the importance of the publishing part of the writing process. We encourage children to publish their works through artistic means (E.G. the use of double page spreads) and ICT (E.G. the use of word, publisher and PowerPoint to present information) on occasions.

In EYFS and Year 1, the Little Wandle phonics scheme is used to teach spelling. In Year 2 onwards, pupils embark on Beam’s research-led spelling scheme which aims to combine the key aspects of spelling such as investigating rules; exploring the etymology of words; identifying sounds and syllables within words; and morphology. Each week, pupils aim to prove or disprove a spelling hypothesis before a progress check occurs. A spaced repetition approach is used whereby children recap key learning intermittingly to help attribute spelling to long-term memory.

Correct letter formation is taught from EYFS and is practised daily. Once Year 1 are confident with printing letters, they are introduced to cursive handwriting which is further developed in Year 2 and beyond. Handwriting is taught regularly through the Nelson Handwriting scheme and is reinforced through teacher modelling.

Impact: How will we know we have achieved our aims?

Children will be engaged and thoughtful in writing lessons. They will take pride in in their work by making choices in language and presentation to appeal to the reader. Children will have strong writing skills that allow them to access the whole curriculum and transition to secondary school with confidence. Pupils know and remember more and have the skills which equip them to progress from their starting points. Writing will be developed from good ideas and is imaginative in use of ambitious vocabulary and figurative language. In addition, Writing will be high quality and well-presented in a range of ways. Children’s understanding of the writing process will help them make good progress, with a high percentage achieving age-related expectations or beyond. Communication skills will be strengthened and children articulate themselves effectively.

Intent

Our belief in the power of art extends far beyond the mere acquisition of technical drawing and painting skills; it encompasses a profound recognition that art can offer students a much broader and multifaceted understanding of life and its diversities. Engaging with art enables students to transcend the boundaries of language and culture, fostering empathy, critical thinking, and creativity. It encourages them to observe the world from various perspectives, instilling a deeper appreciation for human experiences and the beauty of diversity. The process of creating art hones skills such as problem-solving, resilience, and discipline, which are invaluable in navigating the challenges of their academic future and beyond. Art, in all its forms, is a gateway to self-expression, self-discovery, and a richer comprehension of the world, equipping students with essential attributes that extend well beyond the canvas or sculpture, which ultimately enhances their capacity to excel in diverse academic pursuits.

The intent is for pupils to:

• Develop their own ideas; expand their knowledge of artists, designers and craft makers.
• Enable students to develop proficiency in drawing, painting, sculpting and other forms of art, craft and design.
• Develop their historical/cultural knowledge of art and its significance in society.

Implementation

The teaching and implementation of Art and Design is based on The National Curriculum and linked to topics to ensure a well-structured approach to this creative subject.

• Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording experiences.
• Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
• Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design.
• Explore great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development in their art forms.

At Beam there is a strong focus on teaching our pupils a wide variety of new skills and techniques. Our carefully planned and structured curriculum makes explicit connections to other subject areas. This in turn will deepen the child’s understanding of key learning within their class topics.  An example of this is can be seen through our Year 3’s study of plants. In which we discuss the structure of flowers and label the different parts of plants during our initial drawing research, before moving on to study the works of famous artists. This will further reinforce their class learning throughout their science unit of work on plants as it will be stored within their long-term memory.

Impact

The creative arts within our school are regarded as an essential part of the children’s learning. Our pupils create work using a range of art media, displaying an immense sense of pride in all of their work. This can be seen through the journey documented in their sketchbooks and throughout the wider school setting in the form of displays. We are a school that nurtures our children’s love of arts and promotes a range of art opportunities for pupils to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in a range of disciplines. Every child at Beam will be taught to analyse, share opinions and ideas on each other’s work and reflect and appreciate the individuality of each piece of artwork.

If you were to walk into an Art lesson at Beam, you would see:

• Clear skills being taught and developed.
• Regular study of chosen artists alongside artists of pupil interest.
• A variety of visual resources used to inspire creativity and ideas.
• Sketchbooks being used for children to document their journey of art from nursery through to year 6.
• A wide range of materials and resources on offer for children to access and master the use of.
• Children passionately involved in creative processes such as producing, confidently analysing, reflecting upon and critiquing their work.

Our computing curriculum is designed to give children the ability to use computers and software and to become digitally literate. In our modern society, where new technology is being introduced and developed constantly, it is important that children have an insight into how digital systems work and how they can use programming to effect changes. They also need the skills to be able to respond to developments in technology and gain new knowledge.  Particularly given the fact that a new film studio is being built in Dagenham.  

Information technology plays an important role in the delivery of the National Curriculum across all subjects. Children at our school have the opportunity to use a range of technology to learn about Computing and support their learning in other subjects. Every classroom has an interactive whiteboard and Wi-Fi access is available throughout the school for teaching and learning. Trolleys of Chrome books and iPads are timetabled to be used throughout the school.

E-safety is taught each year with special lessons to focus on how to keep safe on-line.

All computers are networked and linked to the Internet. The school has an ‘Pupil Acceptable use policy’, which is shared with parents.  We are also supported by the local authority, Elementary ICT and LgFL for our curriculum and firewall, ensuring that children are protected from inappropriate content.

Intent

Our intent is to provide a comprehensive, forward-thinking, and transformative education that equips our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in our digitally interconnected world. We aim to achieve the following:

• Digital Literacy: Foster a deep understanding of digital technologies and their responsible use, empowering our students to navigate the digital landscape confidently.
• Problem Solving: Develop computational thinking and problem-solving skills to enable students to tackle real-world challenges and become adept problem solvers.
• Creativity: Encourage creativity in technology, inspiring students to innovate, create, and explore the possibilities of the digital realm.
• Digital Citizenship: Instil in our students the importance of responsible online behaviour, cyber safety, and ethical considerations in the digital world.
• Coding Proficiency: Provide opportunities for students to become proficient in coding, enabling them to develop practical applications and software.

Our Computing curriculum is designed to align with our school's core values, driving our students to strive for excellence, find inspiration in technology, and cultivate a sense of community within the digital landscape. We aim to prepare our pupils for success in a rapidly evolving technological landscape, equipping them with 21st-century skills and the ability to adapt, innovate, and contribute positively to their communities and beyond. Through our Computing program, we endeavour to create lifelong learners who not only use technology but understand, shape, and harness it for the betterment of themselves and society.

Implementation

Our curriculum is designed to cover the full range of National Curriculum objectives for KS1 & KS2. National Curriculum objectives for Computing are outlined by Key Stage, not year group or phase. Accordingly, pupils will achieve progression by repeating key stage objectives from one year group to the next, but in increasingly complex contexts or with increasingly complex tasks. This applies particularly to the e-safety and programming elements of the Computing curriculum. For example – To write programs that accomplish specific goals in Year 3 may be achieved with simple forward/back/turn movements on-screen, but in Year 6 it would be achieved by programming a physical system to grab hold of an object and then release it elsewhere.

Our curriculum is designed to maximise the use of efficient and intuitive technology and therefore focuses on using touch-screen and block-based programming software in KS1 & Lower KS2 before advancing to keyboard and screen and character-code programming in Upper KS2. Our aims within computing align with the National Curriculum.  We aim to ensure that all pupils:

• can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
• can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
• can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
• are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology

We recognise that children in our school use a wide range of technology in a range of contexts and they need to be equipped with a solid understanding of internet safety. 

How will we implement our computing curriculum?

Computing is a significant part of everyone’s daily life and we want our children to be at the forefront of new technology.  Children will have opportunities to use a range of technology both within computing lessons and across the curriculum. 

In the Early Years, children will be taught to recognise that a range of technology is used both at home and at school.  Children will have opportunities to select appropriate technology for a particular purpose and we will encourage parental feedback so that we know how children access and use technology at home. 

How will we evaluate the impact of the computing curriculum? 

A pupil’s attainment is evaluated at the end of each unit, using formative assessment and from assessing the pupils’ online folders.

We expect our pupils, following our Computing curriculum, to emerge with:

• A Profound Understanding: A profound grasp of how computers function and the effective ways to utilize them, fostering a deep appreciation for the intricacies of technology.
• Creative Programming Skills: The ability to code and craft their digital content, encouraging innovative thinking and empowering them to create in the digital landscape.
• Safe and Responsible Tech Usage: Proficiency in using technology safely and responsibly, promoting digital citizenship and ensuring their security in the online world.
• Problem-Solving Proficiency: Skills honed in problem-solving and creative thinking through the lens of technology, preparing them to face real-world challenges with confidence and ingenuity.

Intent

At Beam County Primary School our vision is to instil a life-long love of learning in all of our children, As a virtue, ee recognise the importance of creativity.  

The breadth of the history curriculum is designed to fulfil Beam’s vision, values and virtues as follows: 

1. Striving:

 
The curriculum is designed to enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets in the national curriculum and the aims also align with those in the national curriculum. Kapow Primary is an Artsmark partner and is able to support schools on their Artsmark journey, inspiring children and young people to create, experience, and participate in great arts and culture. With the development of TV studios in Dagenham we feel that DT will provide them with the foundation skills needed within the media industry.  

2.Inspiring:  

Our DT curriculum aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation.  

We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others.  

3. Community: 

Through our scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements. 

Implementation

 
The Design and technology national curriculum outline the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand.  

Our Threshold concepts align with the National curriculum attainment targets under five strands:

1. Design 
2. Make  
3. Evaluate  
4. Technical knowledge  
5. Cooking and nutrition 

Within each strand there is clear progression of skills and knowledge across each year group. . Our Progression of skills shows the skills that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop to ensure that attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage. Through our DT scheme, pupils respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in six key areas: 

1. Mechanisms
2. Structures
3. Textiles
4. Cooking and nutrition (Food) 
5. Electrical systems (KS2) and  
6. Digital world (KS2)  

Each of the key areas follows the design process (design, make and evaluate) and has a particular theme and focus from the technical knowledge or cooking and nutrition section of the curriculum.  

The spiral curriculum ensures that key areas revisited repeatedly with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning. Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including practical hands-on, computer-based, and inventive tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles.  

Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.  

Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to be able to deliver a highly effective and robust Design and technology curriculum.  

Design and technology is blocked so that pupils can focus and absorb in their task so they can delve deeper into their understanding within this subject. 

Pupils attend DT workshops and secondary schools to broaden and deepen their knowledge and skills.  

Impact  

The impact of the pupils’ understanding is constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. Furthermore, each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher which is used at the start and/ or end of the unit.  

Pupils should leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society.  

Children should be able to:

• Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources.  
• Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products.  
• Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD, and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios. Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key processes, food groups and cooking equipment.  
• Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world.  
• Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues.  
• Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at various stages and identify areas to improve.  
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Design and technology.  
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing. 

Intent

At Beam County Primary School, we believe teaching Geography is an essential part of developing children’s curiosity and understanding of the world we live in. We recognise the importance of providing pupils with real world skills that are progressive and easily transferable to other areas of the curriculum. Our geography lessons are taught so that children:

• Have extensive knowledge of where different places are located and what they are like
• Develop an understanding of how places are interconnected through space and time and how key human and physical processes contribute to the Earth’s landscape
• Adopt an investigative lense through geographical enquiry.
• Deepen their geographical knowledge and vocabulary
• Ask relevant questions about different concepts and use effective analytical tools to enhance learning

Think critically and draw conclusions to present findings using primary, secondary data and research

• Obtain to a wide range of geographical skills and techniques through fieldwork
• Produce well-balanced opinions about contemporary social, economic and environmental issues.

Implementation

Geography at Beam County is taught in blocks throughout each half term by making cross curricular links across subjects such as English, History and Science. At the start of each unit, children are encouraged to convey what they already know about a specific topic using a stimulus to draw ideas. Our carefully sequenced lessons are mapped out and implemented so that children can develop their geographical knowledge, investigative skills, concepts and vocabulary at a high level. We are fortunate to have vast grounds and use our outdoor environment as a key learning tool to understand our local area and its people. At KS2, pupils have further opportunities to learn about environmental issues by comparing and contrasting areas around Britain and the wider world.

Impact

Through our continued CPD, monitoring , support for teachers, pupil voice and rigorous assessments, our rich curriculum will ensure teachers build on their skills and knowledge, and in turn, are well equipped to deliver lessons. At Beam County, we offer children many opportunities to expand their knowledge and understanding of the world, its environment, places near and far, as well as the processes that change and affect them. Pupils therefore will become confident geographers as they progress their learning into KS3.

Intent

At Beam County Primary School our vision is to instil a life-long love of history in all of our children; our historians. We recognise that learning history is vital for our pupils; as Marcus Garvey states, “A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”

The breadth of the history curriculum is designed to fulfil Beam’s vision, values and virtues as follows:

• Striving:

The curriculum is designed to build secure and rich substantive knowledge across a wide range of time periods. As pupils move through the phases, they will begin to engage with disciplinary knowledge. By studying specific historical context in detail and building their knowledge in overview, children can strive to achieve greater depth understanding in this subject

• Inspiring:

Children are provided with a rich cultural capital by learning about events, people and ideas of significant historical interest within their local area. Historical visits are arranged in each year group as learning beyond the classroom can inspire pupils and their love for the subject can flourish.

• Community:

Pupils have the opportunity to develop an appreciation of people, events and contexts from a range of historical periods and contexts. Understanding the complexity of people’s lives and the process of change, allows the pupils to respect the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups. Their understanding of self and others and their place in the community helps develop their sense of identity.

Implementation

The history curriculum reflects the school’s structure of the three core pillars:

• Curriculum breath:

History is delivered through subject specific teaching, organised into carefully sequenced themes. Meaningful cross-curricular links are made with other subjects to strengthen connections and understanding for pupils while exploring historical contexts.

The spiral curriculum allows pupils to revisit key content and secure it in long-term memory. Core learning for each topic is outlined for teachers in the overviews. Prior knowledge is consistently revisited and secured through teacher exposition and questioning.

• Threshold concepts:

Build an overview of world history: For pupils to engage meaningfully with the past, they need a rich knowledge of the period/place/society they are studying.

Understanding chronology: Pupils need a secure overview of major developments and periods to contextualise new knowledge. In KS2 they should be learning secure narrative across and within  periods.

Communicate historically: Pupils develop knowledge of substantive concepts such as: empire; civilisation; parliament; peasantry. These important substantive concepts are readily transferable to new context and greatly aid pupils in developing new historical knowledge.

Investigate and interpret the past: Pupils need to know how historians use sources of evidence to construct knowledge about the past. Though to make historical judgments, pupils must have sufficient substantive knowledge to draw valid conclusions.

• Progression of learning:

At Beam, we recognise that children make progress in history by knowing and remembering more history content. Great emphasis is placed on pupils developing their substantive knowledge of the past: people, events, ideas. Topic knowledge; chronological knowledge; and knowledge of substantive concepts are mapped and embedded across the history curriculum to ensure progression.

Pupils become knowledgeable about British history by studying the Stone Age to the present day. Through the study of ancient civilisations of Egypt, Rome, Greece and Benin, pupils are able to draw comparisons and make connections between time periods and their own lives.

Careful consideration has been given to how children develop disciplinary knowledge –  how historians use sources of evidence to construct knowledge about the past. The history curriculum allows pupils to build knowledge about the discipline over time. In the early years, pupils will observe chronological concepts such as ‘the past’ or substantive concepts such as ‘the king’ through reading fictional stories. In KS1, pupils progress to studying specific events from the past by reading texts based on real historical settings. At KS2 pupils will use second-order concepts such as causation, change and continuity, similarity and difference, and historical significance to develop disciplinary knowledge. By the end of this phase, pupils will have some knowledge of the kinds of questions and methods which historians bring to their study of the past, in order to prepare them for study at KS3.

Impact

Beam County provides a motivating history curriculum that leads pupils to be enthusiastic history learners. Through the monitoring of teaching, pupils’ work, rigorous assessments, pupil voice and continued CPD, children are able to develop a strong foundation on which they can build their historical knowledge at each phase.  The vast majority will have sustained mastery of the history content; some pupils will have a greater depth understanding.

By fostering a love of learning for history, we hope pupils have no limits to their ambitions, and strive to achieve careers related to this subject such as: archivists; museum curators; archaeologists; research analysts.

Intent

At Beam County Primary School, we considered which language would have the best long term learning implications for our children. When researching Latin, we found that:

Latin studies help improve children’s overall school performance because it …

• Lifts academic outcomes in other subjects
• Assists understanding of mathematical concepts
• Strengthens English literacy knowledge
• Facilitates learning another language
• Provides exposure to ancient history and cosmology
• Prepares pupils for scientific, legal or medical careers
• Equips a child for coding and computer programming

We learnt that Latin threaded through modern-day English as a significant proportion of English vocabulary is derived from Latin.

Implementation

Latin lessons at Beam County Primary School build on prior learning and teachers support children to learn and remember more through:

• Carefully planned and tailored lessons to build on pupils’ ability and prior knowledge
• Use and adaptation of Maximum Classics and Minimus Latin courses
• Support from “Classics for All” and “The Primary Latin Project”.
• A focus on key knowledge that children develop and progress with as they move through Key Stage 2
• A cycle of lessons for each topic, which carefully plan for progression and depth
• Elaborative questioning to challenge pupils to apply their learning in a range of ways
• Focus on vocabulary, grammar and phonics that will allow pupils to manipulate the language for themselves.

Latin is taught weekly in Key Stage 2 and from the Summer term in Year 2.

Impact

After the implementation of Latin, pupils should leave Beam County Primary School equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education. Latin prepares children to learn modern foreign languages, and has enormous cross-curricular potential, drawing in literacy, history, geography, art, drama and philosophy, as well as helping children with maths and science vocabulary,

The expected impact is that children will have:

• developed understanding of Latin including phonics, grammar and vocabulary
• secure understanding of the key techniques and methods for each key area of the languages curriculum: speaking and listening, reading and writing.
• a progression of understanding, with appropriate vocabulary which supports and extends understanding.
• confidence in discussing their own work and identifying their own strengths and areas for development.
• A secure understanding of how knowledge gained in Latin lessons develops learning across the curriculum including reading and spelling.

Intent

At Beam, we believe that every child is capable of being an inspiring and confident mathematician and a problem solver. The overarching aim of our curriculum is designed to:

• foster interest in Mathematics

• ensure all pupils achieve a level of mastery;

• build their capacity in solving practical problems in the real world;

• empowers them to take ownership of their learning;

• and continually challenge themselves in the pursuit of Mathematics at its highest possible level.

To inculcate zest for learning and build deeper understanding in maths in our problem solvers, we have designed our curriculum to support them develop the following competencies: communication, fluency, visualisation and positive attitudes. These competencies are cemented with metacognition so as to enable pupils to effectively extend and reflect on their learning processes.

Implementation

At Beam, our approach to mathematics follows a mastery framework, emphasising the use of concrete materials and pictorial representations to support pupils’ understanding of key concepts. Resources are sourced from the White Rose scheme of work. Mathematical language used in class is vital in deepening our pupils’ knowledge and understanding of a mathematical concept. To support the development of collaborative and communication skills, lessons are designed to provide opportunities for pupils to work together on a problem and reason their ideas using appropriate mathematical language and strategies. At the appropriate stage, resources are phased out once students have achieved a secure conceptual understanding, ensuring that they are not reliant on them for procedural calculations. Hence, our lessons promote collaborative problem-solving, fostering not only mathematical abilities but also social, communication, and teamwork skills among pupils.

EYFS

In Early Years and Nursery, continuous provision is carefully planned to ensure a variety of purposeful mathematical activities are available for children to access in freely. Mathematical language is modelled to children in order to encourage discussion during play and through the use of books and rhymes. In Reception, alongside continuous provision, structured mathematics instruction takes place through a daily mathematics lesson lasting up to, utilising resources from NCETM Mastering Number programme and White Rose. The Mastering Number program is employed to cultivate a strong sense of number proficiency for all children, with the aim of carrying this development into Key Stage 1.

KS1 and KS2

Lessons in Year 1 to Year 6 are planned to develop pupils on three elements- Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving.  Learning is broken down into a series of small, connected steps. This provides access for all pupils, enabling pupils to generalise and apply the concept to a range of context. Each small step builds on prior learning to ensure a concrete foundation to all aspects of mathematics. The small steps of learning are taught using a combination of concrete, pictorial and abstract approaches so that pupils develop a deep conceptual understanding of mathematics through experiencing a variety of manipulatives and representations. The curriculum ensures that both mental strategies and written algorithms are taught, focusing on the application of these in a variety of contexts, including reasoning and problem-solving scenarios.  

Lessons in KS1 and KS2 are structured as follows:

• Retrieval practice: fluency task to sustain prior knowledge and consolidate number facts:
• Engage and Explore: Pupils are presented with an anchor task where they collaborate in pairs to explore the task independently. They utilise concrete resources or various strategies to construct meanings and develop understanding.
• Explain: During this structured discussion, pupils will share and compare their ideas with their peers. Teachers will employ targeted questions to elicit ideas, address misconceptions, and demonstrate thinking using mathematical language.
• Elaborate: This stage assists students in recognising patterns and making generalisations. Through practice, students have the opportunity to expand their thinking and apply their growing knowledge to various contexts and problems.
• Evaluate: Reflection on learning.

Impact

Teaching for mastery allows our pupils to:

• feel a sense of success in maths and solve increasingly complex sentences with resilience
• use a range of manipulatives and representations to support their understanding
• recognise relationships and make connections within mathematics ideas, as well as mathematics with everyday life
• reason inductively by observing patterns, similarities and differences
• communicate effectively by using mathematical language in explaining their reasoning and thought process in oral/and written form
• formulate methods and strategies to solve problems, and develop the habit of checking the reasonableness of their answers against the real-world context 

Parents might find the following websites useful to support your child:

• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw9kdgbvpkgOWbqjgBVnyNQ/videos
• https://thirdspacelearning.com/blog/how-help-child-with-maths-at-home/
• https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/free-family-maths-toolkit
• https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/helping-children-maths/activities/ages-5-and-under

There are free workbooks for parents to download at home:  

https://whiterosemaths.com/parent-resources#download

EYFS and KS1
We aim to secure firm foundations in development of good number sense for all children from Foundation Stage through Year 1 and 2. 
Click on the following link for videos and activities to support your children at home.
https://www.learningblocks.tv/numberblocks/episodes

Please press here for the Parents Guide for NumBots, a motivational maths practice

Teaching For Mastery' KS1 and KS2 
 
At Beam, we use 'Teaching for Mastery' approach as the foundation for our Maths curriculum. One of the main aspects of 'Teaching for Mastery' is the concrete-pictorial-abstract approach (CPA) teaches children key concepts and mathematical structures using concrete manipulatives, and enabling them to explore different representations before abstractly apply this understanding.  Click on the following link to watch videos on how you can support your child at home. 
https://whiteroseeducation.com/parent-pupil-resources/maths/maths-with-michael#watch

Maths with Michael | Michael Underwood | White Rose Maths
White Rose Maths have teamed up with TV presenter, teacher and parent Michael Underwood to bring you a mini-series called Maths with Michael:  whiteroseeducation.com

 
Times table
Times tables are an important life skill that will be used by children throughout their education, as well as adult life. Securing times tables early enable children to store multiplication facts in their long -term memory and reduce cognitive load.  At Beam, pupils have access to TTRockstars in school and at home. Times Tables are an area of mathematics that parents can easily support at home. See below for a parent guide to using the website at home.  KS2: TTRS

Intent

In Beam County Primary School, Music is taught first and foremost to help children feel that they are musical, and to develop a life-long love of learning. We focus on:

• Developing the skills, knowledge and understanding that our children need in order to become confident performers, composers and listeners.
• Our curriculum introduces children to music from all around the world and across generations, teaching children to respect and appreciate the music of all traditions and communities.

Implementation

Music at Beam County Primary School takes a holistic approach to music, in which the individual strands below are woven together to create engaging and enriching learning experiences:

• Performing
• Listening
• Composing
• The history of music
• The inter-related dimensions of music

Throughout their time at Beam County Primary School, children will be taught how to sing fluently and expressively, and play tuned and untuned instruments accurately with control. They will learn to recognise and name the interrelated dimensions of music – pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and dynamics – and use these expressively in their own improvisations and compositions.

Our spiral model also follows the same learning sequence to ensure all interrelated elements of music are covered and implemented. Within the EYFS setting, music is an integral part of children’s learning journey. Rhyme and rhythm are utilised throughout the learning of phonics, handwriting and mathematics. Children learn a wide range of songs and rhymes and develop skills for performing together. Singing and music making opportunities are used frequently to embed learning, develop musical awareness and to demonstrate how music can be used to express feelings.

Music is taught through the use and adaptation of the Kapow Music course and specialist teaching provided by specialist music teaching, Logan Brothers. These lessons allow children the opportunity to learn to play an instrument as part of an ensemble and to engender a love of music learning. Throughout the sessions the interrelated elements of music are developed.

Performance is at the heart of musical teaching and learning at Beam and pupils participate in a range of performances during their school ‘career’. These include Christmas concerts, mid year musical performances, and a Leavers performance (Year 6). Pupils also take part in Harvest assemblies and singing assemblies. Pupils who are confident are encouraged to perform in solo performances. Parents are invited and welcomed to watch all of these performances whether at school or outside of school.

Impact

After the implementation of music, pupils should leave Beam County Primary School equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and to be able to enjoy and appreciate music through their lives.

The expected impact is that children will:

• Be confident performers, composers and listeners and will be able to express themselves musically at and beyond school.
• Show an appreciation and respect for a wide range of musical styles from around the world and will understand how music is influenced by the wider cultural, social and historical contexts in which it is developed.
• Understand the ways in which music can be written down to support performing and composing activities.
• Demonstrate and articulate an enthusiasm for music and be able to identify their own personal musical preferences.

Across all subjects, learning outside of the classroom is an essential part of finding out about our world around us. Beam County Primary School is particularly fortunate to have a vast outdoor area including a pond, a garden and a nature trail which all children have access to during their time at school.

At Beam, we have a whole school approach to teaching PSHE and RSHE. Our curriculum is aspiring, well-sequenced and progressive and there are many opportunities for building resilience and nurturing mental and physical health. With a key focus on developing emotional literacy, our approach builds children’s self -awareness and the recognition of one’s feelings and how to manage them.

Our PSHE curriculum meets the aims of the Relationships and Health Education statutory guidance (as set out by the Department for Education), including the non-statutory sex education. Our PSHE curriculum is supported by Kapow RSE and PSHE, a comprehensive scheme of work that enables us to deliver an ambitious PSHE curriculum from EYFS through to Year 6, covering key areas which will support children to make informed choices now and in the future around their health, safety, wellbeing, relationships, and financial matters and will support them in becoming confident individuals and active members of society. 

Our PSHE pathways:

The Kapow Primary scheme is a whole school approach that consists of three areas of learning in EYFS: Reception (to match the EYFS Personal, social and emotional development prime area) and five areas of learning across Key stages 1 and 2. 

EYFS:

·      Self-regulation

·      Building relationships 

·      Managing self 

Key stage 1 and 2: 

·       Families and relationships 

·       Health and wellbeing 

·       Safety and the changing body 

·       Citizenship 

·       Economic wellbeing

·        

Each area is revisited to allow children to build on prior learning.

RSE Curriculum

RSE stands for “relationships and sex education” and as part of relationship and health education is a new approach to teaching children about relationships and health.

The Relationships Education, RSE, and Health Education (England) Regulations 2019 have made Relationships Education compulsory in all primary schools. Sex education is not compulsory in primary schools.

All primary school children will be required to learn about relationships and health. Relationships and Health Education comprises two distinct areas:

· Relationships

· Physical health and mental wellbeing

By the time a child finishes primary school, they will have been taught about the following in Relationships Education:

· Family and people who care for them.

· Caring friendships.

· Respectful relationships.

· Online relationships.

· Being safe.

Parent Curriculum Information

To support parents understanding of RSE we deliver annual workshops to discuss the lessons that will be taught and resources used. If you are unable to make the meeting, parental slides can be accessed here:

PARENTAL SLIDES-RSE

M_RSE-Kapow-Primary-Parents-Guide-unknown_2020

Our PE curriculum aims to provide children with knowledge and skills in the following areas:

• Games
• Dance
• Gymnastics
• Athletics
• Swimming
• Outdoor and adventurous activities

Intent

A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.

Through the teaching of PE we intend to:

• enable pupil’s to develop and explore physical skills with increasing control and coordination.
• encourage pupils to work and play with others in a range of group situations.
• develop the way pupil perform skills and apply rules and conventions for different activities.
• show pupil’s how to improve the quality and control of their performance.
• teach pupil to recognise and describe how their bodies feel during exercise.
• develop the pupil’s enjoyment of physical activity through creativity and imagination.
• develop an understanding in pupils of how to succeed in a range of physical activities and how to evaluate their own success.
• assess pupil’s learning, analyse and interpret the results to inform future planning and lessons.

Implementation

PE develops a child’s knowledge, skill and understanding, so that they can perform with increasing competence and confidence in a range of physical activities. A varied curriculum is in place to support this, with activities including: dance, athletics, gymnastics, games, swimming and water safety and outdoor adventure activities.

The National Curriculum states that:

EYFS

We encourage the physical development of our pupil in the EYFS as an integral part of their work. We relate the physical development of the pupil to the objectives set out in the Early Learning Goals, which underpin the curriculum planning for pupils aged three to five years of age.

We encourage the pupils to develop confidence and control of the way they move, and the way they handle equipment. We give all pupils the opportunity to undertake activities that offer appropriate physical challenge, both indoors and outdoors, using a wide range of resources to support specific skills.

Key Stage 1

Pupils should develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.

Pupils should be taught to:

• master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and coordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities
• participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending
• perform dances using simple movement patterns.

Key Stage 2

Pupils should continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They should enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other.

They should develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.

Pupils should be taught to:

• use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
• play competitive games, modified where appropriate and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
• develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance
• perform dances using a range of movement patterns
• take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
• compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best.
• swim competitively and proficiently for at least 25m
• use a range of strokes effectively
• perform self-rescue in different water-based situations

 At Beam, PE is an important subject in which pupil learn the importance of an active land healthy ifestyle and have the opportunities to play in competitive sport.

All pupils (Year 1-6) receive 2 hours of PE teaching a week.

We use a variety of teaching and learning styles in PE lessons. Our principal aim is to develop the pupil knowledge, skills and understanding and we do this through a mixture of whole-class teaching and individual/group activities. Teachers/ Coaches model sporting skills then provide pupils with opportunities for them to practise their newly learnt skills. Teachers/ coaches draw attention to good examples of individual performance as models for the other pupils and we encourage the pupil to evaluate their own work as well the work of other pupils.

Additional PE Opportunities

We aim to provide a variety of sporting opportunities. These encourage pupils to further develop their skills in a range of the activity areas. The focus sport in each lesson changes each term in the school year. As well as sporting opportunities within the school community, we also enter partnership and county sporting events. The pupils have opportunities to competitively play in tennis, athletics, rugby, cricket, dodgeball, netball and dance. These experiences allow for pupils to apply their sporting skills, develop team skills and learn how to play competitively.

Impact

Pupils have a wide range of physical ability. Whilst recognising this fact, we provide suitable learning opportunities for all pupils by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child and in doing so raise pupil’s health (considering childhood obesity) and fitness levels, improve skills and develop pupil’s resilience, teamwork and perseverance and to embody the school values of striving, community and for them to inspire others and be inspirational.

P.E is taught as a basis for lifelong learning, where the children have access to a wide range of activities in the belief that if taught well and the children are allowed to succeed, then they will continue to have a physically active life. A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all children to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities.

At Beam County, we provide opportunities for children to become physically confident in a way that supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.

The school participates in many local competitions and has enjoyed great success over the years.

We listen to our children’s wants and needs and provide them with various after-school sports clubs. We aim to provide those who excel in and show great enthusiasm for sport an opportunity to represent the school and compete against children from other schools and backgrounds. We participate in inter-school competitions arranged through our partnership with other schools and the local authority. Our commitment to these competitions has earned us the School Games Mark Gold Award, winning numerous competitions and representation at local and national levels.

We encourage our pupils to take pride in representing the school and expect them to show sportspersonship and dignity in victory or in defeat. We want to aid our children in obtaining the values and skills to celebrate and respect the success of others, as well as modestly celebrating their accomplishments. We want our children to play sports outside of school, and we do our best to encourage our families to do this through our links with local clubs and other partnerships within our community.

The use of assessment, questionnaires and surveys (pupils and staff) and by talking to pupils the quality of lessons and confidence in the teaching of PE improves and as a result the enjoyment and positive outcomes increases.

To read our PE Curriculum Policy please press here. 

Intent

Religious Education is taught at Beam because it makes:

“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”. (RE: realising the potential, Ofsted 2013).

Religious Education (RE) enables our children to investigate and reflect on some of the most fundamental questions asked by people. At Beam, we develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of the major faiths, and address fundamental questions concerning, for example, ‘how Jesus and Buddha made people stop and think’ and ‘what people believe about life after death’. Children reflect on what it means to have a faith and develop their own spiritual, knowledge and understanding.

 Our school curriculum for religious education meets the requirements of the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA). The ERA stipulates that religious education is compulsory for all children. RE is part of the basic curriculum. The school’s Religious Education Curriculum is based on Barking and Dagenham’s Agreed Syllabus, which is agreed by the Standing Advisory Committee on RE (SACRE). The curriculum has been designed to contribute to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of children, taking into consideration the diversity within our community. Therefore, we do not support selective withdrawal from Religious Education or collective worship sessions.

Collective worship makes an important contribution to developing pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values as defined by Ofsted. Effective SMSC development can support pupils in better understanding and applying these fundamental British values.

At Beam, we strive to help our children recognise and value the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities, while exploring, improving and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity.

The School's Senior Leadership Team will:

• ensure Religious Education has a significant role for the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• promote respect and open-mindedness towards others with different faiths and beliefs
• encourage pupils to develop their sense of identity and belonging through self-awareness and reflection
• engage pupils in an enquiry approach where they can develop an understanding and appreciation for the expression of beliefs and cultural practices
• encourage the influence of principle religions and worldviews in the local, national and wider global community.

The key aims for religious education are reflected in the two attainment targets. 

Attainment Target 1- Learning about the local community and religion 
Attainment target 2- Learning from religion and belief 

The development of knowledge, skills and understanding focuses on these two key aspects of learning in Religious Education.

Implementation

Religious Education is a core subject. It is the intent of Beam County Primary School that Religious Education promotes an enquiry-based approach through the implementation of the Barking and Dagenham RE syllabus outlining the curriculum, which covers the Agreed Syllabus for RE from Key Stage One and Two and can be used to contribute to the learning experiences of the Early Learning Goals within the Foundation Stage.

Experiences and enrichment opportunities at Beam County Primary School:

• handling artefacts
• exploring sacred texts
• using imaginative play or drama to express feelings and ideas
• responding to images, games, stories, art, music and dance
• meeting visitors from local religious communities
• making visits to religious places of worship where possible, and where not, making
• use of videos and the internet
• taking part in whole school events - (multi-faith days, Harvest Festival, school performances)
• participating in moments of quiet reflection
• using technology to further explore religion and belief globally
• comparing religions and worldviews through discussion
• debating and communicating religious belief, worldviews and philosophical ideas and answering and asking ultimate questions posed by these
   

Key Stage Two

During this key stage, pupils are taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through deeper enquiry into known religions and in Year 6, encountering secular world views. Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 consider the impact of beliefs and practices in greater detail and respond to more philosophical questions.
 

Learning about religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

• Explore and comment on the key aspects of religions, believer’s lives, their stories and traditions and their influence
• Explore how practices are related to beliefs and teachings
• Interpret information about religion and religious beliefs through a range of sources
• Recognise similarities and differences within and between religions
• Consider how religious and spiritual ideas are expressed
• Describe and begin to encounter religious and other responses to ultimate questions and ethical or moral issues
• Use a developed religious vocabulary when discussing and expressing their knowledge and understanding 

Learning from religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

• Reflect on what it means to belong to a faith community and how this relates to them and others’ lives
• Recognise how religious practice is conducted in a variety of ways
• Discuss their own and other’s views of religious truth and belief
• Reflect on morality and how people respond to decisions they are faced with
• Reflect on sources of information and what they find value in in their own and other’s lives
   

Impact

At Beam County Primary School, we envision the RE curriculum impacting the pupils in the following ways:

• extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and beliefs
• develop a religious vocabulary and interpret religious symbolism in a variety of forms
• reflect on questions of meaning, offering their own thoughtful and informed insights into religious and secular world-views
• explore ultimate questions of beliefs and values in relation to a range of contemporary issues in an ever-changing society

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, understand and apply skills related to the two attainment targets and learning themes embedded with the Barking and Dagenham Curriculum.

Assessment criteria has been developed in line with the expectations laid out in the Agreed Barking and Dagenham Syllabus, to enable teachers to assess the progress of the children as they move through the key stages.

Termly summative assessments (6 in total) are used to determine the children’s understanding and inform teacher’s planning and further differentiated support for pupils.

The impact our RE curriculum is also sought directly from the pupils as surveys and questionnaires are used to gather pupils’ voice on this subject and together with summative assessment, action can be taken to further develop the RE curriculum.

“to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.” (DfE)

The government set out its definition of British values in the, and these values have been reiterated by the Prime Minister this year.  At Beam County Primary School the 2011 Prevent Strategy values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:

Democracy:

Democracy is rife within the school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our Pupil Council and Pupil questionnaires. Our school behaviour policy involves rewards.

The Rule of Law:

The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police; Fire Service; etc. are regular parts of our calendar and help reinforce this message.

Individual Liberty:

Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make choices safely, through of provision of a safe environment and empowering education.  Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advise how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. Whether it be through choice of challenge, of how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.

Mutual Respect:

Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy has revolved around Core Values such as ‘Respect’, and pupils have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is shown. Posters around the school promote respect for others and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our behaviour policy.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:

This is achieved through enhancing pupils understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. Assemblies and discussions promote tolerance as we play music from different cultures. Assemblies and discussion involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE. The school has a high-profile ‘Language of the Term’ subject that runs throughout the year, linking to languages spoken by our EAL pupils. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Our School Council in particular show that this has been successful.

Science at Beam gives children the opportunity to be inquisitive, to explore and find out about the world around them.  As they progress through the school, the children carry out practical investigations with greater independence and have the opportunity to research information, use a variety of equipment and resources.  We are particularly fortunate to have our own wildlife area which we use to ensure that our pupils gain firsthand experience. In their work children develop a variety of strategies to analyse what they have found out and are encouraged to record their findings accordingly. The Science units can also be linked to other areas of the curriculum such as ICT, Maths and Art, Outdoor Learning and topics covered include Light and Sound, Changing Materials, Forces In Action, Life Cycles, habitats, and Healthy Living.  In years 5 and 6, our pupils receive a unit of lessons at our feeder Secondary Schools.