Curriculum Intent
The curriculum at Knaresborough St John's is broad and balanced. We have a creative approach which is specifically tailored to our children’s needs. As staff we have given careful consideration to our children; their experiences and needs and developed a curriculum that caters for them specifically.
Our curriculum intent is:
Art
We will ensure that children’s experiences of art are rich and diverse and that they develop the skills needed to see themselves as artists. Children learn about the work of artists from a young age and become independent in revisiting and applying a range of art skills and processes learnt over time. Children will also explore the limits of their creativity by ‘having a go’ and embrace their mistakes as a great learning opportunity this work is reflected in personal Art books over time.
Our curriculum is guided by the following academic fingerprint which is derived from the national curriculum and aims.
Children will:
- Become fluent with techniques and media across the formal elements of art in drawing, painting and sculpture
- experiment and make informed artistic choices
- reflect upon and evaluate their own artwork and that of others, thinking about their own artistic response to a given stimulus
Computing
At St. John’s C of E Primary School, we aim to equip children for the ever-changing digital world. Our computing curriculum ensures children have the knowledge and skills to become digital creators as well as users. Computing sessions are taught with a combination of discrete sessions as well as topic-based contexts to add purpose and understanding. Children become discerning digital citizens through a personalised and context-driven E-safety curriculum, which has a half-termly focus. By the time children leave us, we aim to equip children with the skills to be responsible, competent, confident and creative individuals.
Our curriculum is guided by the following academic fingerprint which is derived from the National Curriculum Purpose and Aims:
Children will:
- Learn through logic and creativity.
- Gain a solid understanding of programming, which is the foundation of this curriculum. Children will develop their understanding of the construction of computer programs.
- Collate, manipulate and present data.
- Experience the curriculum through a range of devices and software. They will create digital artefacts that achieve specific purposes.
- Understand how to keep themselves and others safe online.
Design Technology
Design Technology is a subject that allows children to be creative, show self-expression, develop techniques and create innovative designs. Children have the opportunity to use a variety of materials, develop motor skills, learn new vocabulary and processes to develop products based on a design brief. We encourage children to persevere, believe in their abilities and use time and effort to ensure that they learn from prototypes and develop new designs as well as supporting others in their creativity. It allows children to appreciate inventions and develop understanding of how things work.
Our curriculum is guided by the following academic fingerprint which is derived from the national curriculum and aims.
Children will:
- develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
- build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
- critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
English
At Knaresborough St. John’s Primary School we believe that literacy and communication are key life skills and that through the English curriculum we should help children develop the skills and knowledge that will enable them to communicate effectively and creatively with the world at large, through spoken and written language. We intend to provide a language-rich and stimulating environment, where speaking and listening, reading and writing are integrated.
In Writing we intend to:
- provide opportunities for pupils to become confident, competent and expressive users of the language with a developing knowledge of how it works
- provide opportunities for pupils to be reflective users of language, able to analyse and evaluate its main features
- provide opportunities for role-play and drama
- provide opportunities to write for a ‘real life’ purpose
- enable children to be aware of an audience and purpose when writing in a range of styles and genres
- encourage pupils to have fluent and legible handwriting
- develop a love of writing so they develop confidence
- inspire children by using a range of high quality texts to ignite interest and their imagination
- Click here for the 3i document for Writing outlining how our intent is implemented and the impact that will be seen
In Reading we intend to:
- to foster an enthusiasm for, and love of reading, a wide range of literature for life.
- give children access to a wide variety of literature that will allow them to not only develop intellectually but emotionally, socially and culturally. We intend to open their eyes to the world around them.
- develop independent readers, who have the stamina to engage with age-appropriate texts
- to close the ‘word gap’ by expanding children’s vocabulary and embed this into their writing and oral vocabulary
- enable children to use a full range of reading cues (phonic, graphic, syntactic, contextual) to monitor their reading and correct their own mistakes
- enable children to progress to read fluently and expressively.
In Phonics and Early Reading we intend to:
- present high quality, systematic phonic work as defined by phonics programmes (Little Wandle Letters and Sounds)
- enable children to start learning phonic knowledge and skills as soon as they start EYFS with the expectation that they will become fluent readers, having secured word building and recognition skills, by the end of Key Stage One
- ensure that the children apply phonic knowledge as their first approach to reading and spelling, even though all words do not conform to regular phonic patterns
Geography
At Knaresborough St John’s we seek to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives. We want our children to gain confidence and have practical experiences of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time. Through the curriculum, we provide opportunities for children to investigate and make enquiries about their local area to help them develop a sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes Knaresborough unique and special. Through their growing knowledge and understanding of human geography, children gain an appreciation of life in other cultures. Geography teaching also motivates children to find out about the physical world and enables them to recognise the importance of sustainable development for the future of mankind
Our curriculum is guided by the following academic fingerprint which is derived from the national curriculum and aims.
- Have secure contextual knowledge of local, national and globally significant places and be able to identify and locate a range of continents, countries and important cities.
- Have a secure understanding of a range of human and physical geographical characteristics and how these change over time.
- Be competent in the geographical skills needed to: collect, analyse and communicate a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork.
- Have secure knowledge of reading, understanding and creating/drawing maps. They will gain experience of using atlases, globes and aerial photographs.
- Have competent skills to communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
History
Knaresborough St John’s Primary school is passionate and enthusiastic about teaching an engaging history curriculum that encompasses exciting and meaningful knowledge, skills and concepts. We want the children in our school to understand more, remember more and know more. Our children will love and be enthused when learning history whilst gaining a cultural understanding both in the classroom and through educational visits/experiences. In doing this, the children have the opportunity to enhance their abilities to think critically, develop their own perspective and judgments and articulate their own evidence-based opinions.
Our curriculum is guided by the following academic fingerprint:
Children will:
- Have secure knowledge and understanding of the past, on a local, national and global scale.
- Have a coherent chronological understanding, be able to analyse sources and weigh evidence, and confidently enquire and ask perceptive questions about the past.
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Become confident in their understanding of key historical concepts (disciplinary knowledge), including continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference, sources and evidence, interpretation, and significance.
- Use their knowledge and understanding to make connections, create historically valid questions, and create structured accounts, including, but not limited to, written responses.
- Grow in their curiosity and enthusiasm about the past and use this to understand the diversity of different cultures and societies, as well as their own identities.
Mathematics
Mathematics is an important subject that helps us to understand so much about what happens in the world. We want all pupils at Knaresborough St John’s Primary School to experience enjoyment of mathematics and develop a sense of curiosity about the subject with a clear understanding gained through positive attitudes. We believe all children can achieve in mathematics and develop a secure and deep understanding of concepts through fluency, reasoning and problem solving. We use mistakes and misconceptions as an essential part of learning and provide challenge through rich and varied problems. At our school, all children will have the opportunity to access age related content (and above) and will be supported in understanding this through pre-teaching and corrective teaching when necessary. They will spend time applying and being creative with new knowledge in multiple ways. We aim for all pupils to:
- become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics so that they develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry and develop and present a justification, argument or proof using mathematical language.
- be able to solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of problems with increasing sophistication, including in unfamiliar contexts and to model real-life scenarios
- have an appreciation of number and number operations, which enables mental calculations and written procedures to be performed efficiently, fluently and accurately to be successful in mathematics.
Modern Foreign Language
The benefits of learning a language in primary school include improved problem-solving skills and creativity, and more opportunities in adulthood. Children find it easier to connect with other cultures which makes them more open-minded and tolerant of diversity. At St. John’s, by the end of KS2, children will be able to understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of sources. Children will be able to speak with increasing confidence and fluency, finding ways of communicating what they want to say.. Children will be able to write for different purposes, using the grammatical structures they have learnt, laying the foundation for future language learning at KS3. MFL education will foster children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world.
Our curriculum is guided by the following academic fingerprint:
- Speak and write to convey ideas, facts and feelings and communicate for practical purposes.
- Understand and respond to spoken and written language using authentic sources.
- Develop language acquisition strategies to provide the foundation for further language learning.
- Understand and apply a variety of grammatical structures.
- Deepen understanding and foster curiosity of the world through developing inter-cultural understanding.
Click here for the 3i document for MFL outlining how our intent is implemented and the impact that will be seen
Greater Depth
Knaresborough St Johns is committed to providing a rich, inclusive personalised and challenging curriculum for all its learner; one that promotes the highest standards and encourages each and every individual to achieve their full potential. Our school aims to offer a personalised curriculum which ensures all have the opportunity to achieve their potential. As for all other pupils, we aim to encourage and support the the children working at greater depth through a broad based, relevant and challenging curriculum, encouraging the pursuit of excellence and celebrating the achievements of each pupil. We will ensure that all have opportunity to an extensive curriculum whereby ability, gifts and talents can be expressed. For children working at greater depth, this requires the best possible provision in order to facilitate their success. Successful provision for these children provides not only inherent value in terms of enabling them to pursue their interests and areas of expertise, but also the foundations of improving the numbers of students achieving greater depth across all subjects.
Music
At Knaresborough St John’s Primary School, the intention is that children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of musical genres. Our objective at Knaresborough St John’s Primary School is to develop a love for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the importance of all types of music. We are committed to ensuring children enjoy music in the wider community, and are able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in a variety of different contexts.
Our curriculum is guided by the following academic fingerprint which is derived from the National Curriculum Purpose and Aims:
Children will:
- Listen and critically engage with live and recorded music (from a range of styles and historical eras), commenting on it using age-appropriate music vocabulary.
- Sing with confidence, engagement, and authority
- Improvise and write music using tuned and untuned instruments.
- Play and perform both solo and in groups (voice and instruments.)
- Instil a love for music in all pupils
- Follow simple graphic scores and begin to understand and use musical notation
Physical Education
At Knaresborough St. John’s Primary School we recognise the importance of PE and the role it has to play in promoting long term, healthy lifestyles. Our intent is to provide a fun, high-quality and inclusive PE curriculum that inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in lessons, competitive sports and other physically demanding activities. We want our pupils to appreciate the benefits of a healthy and physically active lifestyle and for them to become physically confident. We are passionate about providing children with opportunities to learn transferable skills such as cooperation and collaboration, as part of a team, understanding fairness, respect and equity of play. We believe that PE and sport is a natural gateway to make resilient learners who enjoy being challenged and finding ways to complete tasks they once found too difficult, using a growth mind-set approach.
Our curriculum is guided by the following academic fingerprint:
All pupils will:
- develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
- are physically active for sustained periods of time
- engage in competitive sports and activities
- lead healthy, active lives.
PSHE
At Knaresborough St. John’s C of E Primary School we ensure that PSHE is not only an embedded part of our broad and balance curriculum but that skills and knowledge are taught and promoted through overarching aims and objectives. We support our children to become healthy and responsible members of society equipped with the skills to embrace challenges. Our aim is to build on these skills for our children to enable them to create and lead a happy and successful adult life. We support them in gaining knowledge and skills to enable them to make informed decisions about their well being, health and relationships and to build their self-efficacy. Experiences are given to put these into practice as they develop the capacity to make sound decisions when facing risks, challenges and complex situations. We strive to foster a sense of respect and belief in order for our children to flourish, achieve and develop resilience.
Religious Education
Our key intent in RE is to allow pupils the opportunity to explore the big questions of life, appreciating their own and other’s beliefs and cultures in an environment of acceptance and respect. Though this, children can make sense of religion and worldviews and can reflect on their own views and experience, beginning at a local level, then broadening to national and global perspectives.
RE is taught in accordance with the North Yorkshire Agreed Syllabus (2019), and is underpinned by Christian values and aims. The curriculum allows children to explore, discover and achieve through an enquiry approach, resulting in confidence to engage in balanced and considered discussion about religion, belief and moral issues.
SEND
At Knaresborough St. John’s, we believe that every pupil, regardless of needs, disability, race or gender, has a right to equal access to a broad and balanced curriculum. We present this curriculum in a supportive and stimulating atmosphere, which values each child and encourages them to achieve their full potential. We recognise every child as an individual, promoting self-esteem, independence, respect and responsibility. We work closely in partnership with parents and the wider community, as we understand that this is effective in helping children to learn and develop. We encourage children to be proactive in their learning by helping them to understand what they are good at and what they can do to get better.
It is our intent for all children with additional needs to:
- Have access to a broad balanced and relevant curriculum
- Be happy and feel secure.
- Be included.
- Achieve the very best of which they are capable.
- Demonstrate personal development and growth.
- Make good progress based on their personalised targets and Individual Provision Map (IPM)
- Experience wider activities leading to greater independence.
- Make effective independent decisions.
Science
We provide an exciting and engaging curriculum and learning environment, which enables children to nurture and encourage curiosity about science. In classes we develop creativity and independence in planning and carrying out investigations, using a range of enquiry types. Teachers encourage children to question, explore and investigate with passion and enthusiasm, showing them the impact that scientific discovery has had in the past, and can have on the future of our planet and humanity.
Our curriculum is guided by the following academic fingerprint, which is derived from the National Curriculum purpose and aims. Children will:
- Gain an understanding of key scientific principles within biology, chemistry and physics.
- Use scientific enquiry to establish scientific knowledge through purposeful, practical opportunities.
- Develop awareness of the different enquiry types: comparative / fair testing, research, observation over time, pattern seeking and identifying, grouping and classifying.
School Council
Our School Council aims to ensure that our pupils have a greater say over matters that affect their school and wider lives. We believe that all children have the right to say what they think should happen, and most importantly to have their opinions taken into account when adults are making decisions that affect them.. We will encourage each member of the school community to express their views and share these with their School Council representative, preparing them to play an active role as a citizen. Our pupils understand that School Council represents a key part of our British Values (democracy). Our School Council will take an active role in organising events and will work as a team to suggest and implement changes for the good of our school.
Eco Council
Our children will develop an awareness of the environment, both local and global. They will understand the impact humans have had on the environment historically and are current issues. and they will understand the part they can play in protecting the environment, and think about strategies we can implement as a school and wider community to help protect the planet
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