Curriculum Intent

Please find below details of our curriculum.  Should you need further information, please contact Mrs Michele Kirkbride, Headteacher, or Mrs Lisa Vitiello, Deputy Headteacher/SENCo, via the school e-mail office@ethelbert-road.kent.sch.uk or by calling 01795 533214.

Our Creative Curriculum

 At Ethelbert Road Primary School, we believe that active, confident, creative and curious children will be successful in all areas of life. We value every subject and pride ourselves on using the creative arts to inspire and embed a love of learning. Using a cross curricular approach reinforces skills and knowledge and supports children to successfully engage with the National Curriculum.

What is cross-curricular learning?

Cross-curricular learning involves establishing patterns of information between different academic subjects. It offers a creative way of developing knowledge, understanding and practical skills through a study of interconnected topics. To embed knowledge and skills Ethelbert Road uses History and Geography topics to engage and embed learning. 

How can cross-curricular learning benefit students?

Cross-curricular learning allows for more inter-connected lessons that capture our students' imagination. It also enables them to identify patterns of information between subjects that will help to enforce key knowledge. Our cross-curricular learning involves a wide variety of different subjects, but it more usually relies upon links between only a couple of key subjects. Making sure the links between lessons are natural and not forced is key to our successful cross-curricular learning strategy.

Our Curriculum operates within the National Curriculum and Foundation Stage Curriculum Framework. We know our community well and have developed our curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of our learners and enables them to reach their full potential. To ensure the children are learning to the best of their ability, each teacher uses Progression in Knowledge, Skills and Concepts documents that we have aligned with our curriculum to help their planning and ensure coverage and progression is achieved. 

Cultural Capital at Ethelbert Road Primary

At Ethelbert Road, cultural capital is the variety of experiences, skills and knowledge children need to prepare them for future success. We give all our children the opportunities to experience a wide range of activities they may not otherwise experience in their lives, as the exploration of new skills and experiences helps to nurture resilience, teamwork, curiosity and creativity. Opportunities include cross curricular learning, extension to the school day, pure music teachers, whole school Creative Arts Leader, performances in and outside of school, access to a wide range of sports and coaching, off site visits and a variety of workshops delivered by school visitors.

Please look at our Class Pages and Gallery to see all the amazing experiences

we have to offer.

Our Statement of Intent for Supporting Equality

At Ethelbert Road, we celebrate our achievements, gifts and cultural diversity, irrespective of individual differences within the protected categories of the Equality Act of 2010. Together we take pride in making a positive contribution to our school and the wider community. We aim to provide every child with access to a broad and balanced education. This includes the National Curriculum in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

We are committed to equality. We aim for every pupil to fulfil their potential no matter what their needs. Our School is committed to anti-discriminatory practice to promote equality of opportunity and valuing diversity for all children and families.

We aim to:

• Provide a secure and accessible environment in which all our children can flourish and in which all contributions are considered and valued.
• Include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity.
• Provide positive non-stereotyping information about gender roles, diverse ethnic and cultural groups and disabled people.
• Improve our knowledge and understanding of issues of anti-discriminatory practice, promoting equality and valuing diversity.
• Make inclusion a thread that runs through all of the activities of the school.

You can find out more about our curriculum by looking at our Long Term Plans, Subject Overviews on the Curriculum page and Termly Plans found on the Class Pages. We also add photographs, work and other curriculum information on our Class Pages to demonstrate how our Curriculum is put into practice. 

Curriculum Intent

Ethelbert Road’s Creative Curriculum has been carefully crafted around the needs of our pupils and families and embraces the community we serve. Each individual child is recognised, valued and their successes celebrated. We want learning to be fun, meaningful and memorable so our pupils can build upon knowledge and skills to retain long life learning. Staff have drawn on their expertise and constantly research teaching methods in order to create a relevant, successful and rewarding curriculum.

Our cross curricular approach enables children to make links in their learning and revisit concepts and themes. We pride ourselves on our creative arts offer, which includes a bespoke Creative Arts Leader who drives art, drama and music through our curriculum and skilled peripatetic music teachers offering piano, cello and violin lessons. Our curriculum is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and values. We strongly believe phonics and reading opens up  doors to all learning and this is a focus throughout the school. We want our children to use language creatively and confidently and with this in mind we design our curriculum to encourage them to use and understand the language of the subject. We want our children to talk like scientists, historians, mathematicians, geographers and artists. Magic moments during a topic via workshops, visits and drama ensures the learning is memorable and purposeful.

Our curriculum is regularly reviewed to ensure it meets the needs of all our children, and more recently to consider the global pandemic. We consistently provide enhanced opportunities to engage learning and to celebrate and develop the individual talents of our pupils. We recognise every child has different strengths, ambitions, skills and dreams and we aim to build upon these. Our school vision is that everyone reaches their full potential within our exciting, creative and nurturing environment. Our children leave Ethelbert Road as active, confident, creative and curious children who flourish and become successful in all areas of their lives.

Ethelbert Road Primary School Curriculum

English

The teaching of English at Ethelbert Road is designed to instil in children a love of speaking and listening, reading and writing that will last them a lifetime. Giving pupils the key skills in English enables them to access material in all curriculum areas, and provides a foundation for their learning throughout their school career. To achieve this, teachers are focused on delivering a rich and exciting curriculum, teaching key skills through topics and texts. Our aim is to engage pupils with the joy and wonder of books, piquing their imagination and creativity. At Ethelbert Road, we view the teaching of English as a fundamental part of the holistic development of the pupil, fostering positive behaviours and attitudes toward learning, and providing key knowledge and skills to benefit pupils throughout their education and beyond.

Our Approach to Reading

We use Rocket Phonics as a structural basis of our phonics programme, which provides the sequence of learning and the structure for our assessments, but we enrich the programme with carefully chosen resources and activities in order to meet the criteria set down by the DfE for good phonics teaching.

Our Literacy/Early Years Leader regularly monitors provision of our phonics programme, to ensure that learning meets our high standards, that lessons are multi-sensory and that children’s progress is carefully tracked. We make sure all new staff are given high quality phonics CPD, and we provide regular ‘refreshers’ in terms of monitoring and feedback, staff twilights, and peer coaching, using our own experts to demonstrate lessons and share experiences. We all teach to the same programme.

As we believe the reading scheme should fit the child’s needs, and not the child fit into one scheme, we use a range of reading schemes to support reading. We have Reading Ambassadors and Reading Volunteers who support the lowest 20% readers in the school. Our Reading Ambassadors hear these children read at least 3 times a week and promote reading for pleasure. 

Our Ethelbert Road reading journey ensures:

• ALL children will be heard read every week (guided reading, individual reading, reading volunteers, Reading Ambassadors, reading buddies).
• ALL children, by the time they leave school, will be able to decode and read ANY word they encounter, regardless of ability.
• ALL children will have access to high-quality texts pitched at their level.
• ALL children will be encouraged to read for pleasure.
• Parents/Carers will play an active part in their child’s learning journey and hear them read at home.

Maths 

At Ethelbert Road Primary School, we intend to provide a maths curriculum, which recognises previous learning and builds upon it, giving our children the necessary skills and knowledge to become successful in their future endeavours. We believe in a mastery approach which includes sustained levels of challenge through varied and high-quality activities with a focus on fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. To support us deliver this we use Power Maths White Rose Edition.

Through mastery pupils are required to explore maths in depth, using mathematical vocabulary to reason and explain their working. A wide range of mathematical resources are used to ensure we use a combination of concrete, pictorial and abstract approaches across the school.

Children are taught to explain their choice of methods and develop their mathematical reasoning skills. we encourage resilience, adaptability and acceptance that struggle is often a necessary step in learning. Our curriculum encourages the children to enjoy the learning process and be curious learners. It allows them to make better sense of the world around them relating the pattern between mathematics and everyday life.

At Ethelbert Road Primary School, the majority of pupils move through the curriculum of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly should be challenged by being offered rich mastery and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material should consolidate their understanding including through additional practice, before moving on.

We aim to ensure that all children:

• Become fluent in the basics of mathematics, including varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problem solving over time, so that pupils are able to recall and apply their knowledge and use their skills rapidly and accurately.

• Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, identifying patterns and relationships, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.

• Can solve problems by applying mathematical skills learned to a variety of increasingly sophisticated problems, where several steps are needed to find a solution.

• To develop resilience that enables all children to reason and problem-solve with increased confidence.

Science 

At Ethelbert Road, children are encouraged to explore their curiosities and theories relating to Science. We ensure that children are excited and intrigued by the topics, through varied and exciting activities and investigations. We strive to incorporate Science across the curriculum, linking themes from other topics or organised days, events and trips to the subject. Our curriculum aims to broaden the children's scientific view of, and respect for the world around them, whilst promoting a love for enquiry and a desire for exploring new things. During our annual Science Weeks, the children have the opportunity to observe, investigate, explore, ask questions and understand more about the world around them.

We are always eager to work with professionals within the STEM industries to promote a positive attitude towards the exciting and fascinating world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. With this in mind, we have a well-established Go Kart Club where children design, build and race their Go Kart.

We aim to give children the freedom and autonomy to explore their ideas and make mistakes which can be reflected on. Much of our learning in Science is delivered through first-hand practical experiences, but there should also be some use of secondary sources, such as books, photographs and videos.

At Ethelbert Road, we believe that Science should allow children to:

· Experience and observe both the natural and humanly-constructed world around them.

· Be curious and ask questions.

· Explore, test and develop their understanding of scientific ideas.

· Use appropriate scientific language to communicate ideas and findings.

· Have knowledge of and exposure to the 5 types of enquiry: Comparative and Fair Testing; Observing Over Time; Investigating, Classifying and Grouping; Using Secondary Sources; Pattern-Seeking.

· Have a growing confidence when ‘working scientifically’.

Computing

We value the contribution that ICT can make for the benefit of all pupils, staff, parents, governors and the wider community.  Our aim is to provide an ICT rich environment which allows pupils to gain the confidence and ability to prepare them for the challenge of a rapidly developing and changing technological world. 

We aim for our children to become digital leaders, who are ready to meet the challenges of their digital future.  At Ethelbert Road we value the contribution that technology can make for the benefit of all our pupils.  We provide an ICT rich environment from Year R to Year 6 including use of our revamped laptops, I Pads, programmable toys, interactive whiteboards, and our own filming equipment.

History

We believe that children should gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain's past and that of the wider world which helps to stimulate children's curiosity to know more about the past. Children should learn to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Our History curriculum ensures that children will have a chronological understanding of British history from Stone Age to present day. They are able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives. Interlinked with this is the need to look at world history such as the ancient civilisations of Greece and the Egyptians.
The units are enriched by cross curriculum work when appropriate. Children learn through enquiry based learning opportunities to gain a greater understanding of Britain’s and the World’s history.
 

Geography

We believe that Geography helps to provoke and answer questions about the natural and human worlds, encouraging children to develop a greater understanding of their world and their place in it. It helps to develop a range of investigation and problem-solving skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can be used to promote children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Geography is, by nature an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. 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; to promote children’s interest and understanding about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

PE

At Ethelbert Road we believe that PE plays an important role across the curriculum. Not only can it teach children about developing important skills and keeping themselves healthy but also about problem solving, self-assessment (identifying their strengths), communication, team work and competitiveness which can be carried across all the different subjects in the curriculum. It has been proven that PE now plays an important part in supporting positive mental health and our curriculum has been recently adapted to ensure this important area is covered throughout the year groups.

Building vital skills, whether in football, gymnastics or dance to name just a few areas are extremely important and every child will constantly and consistently develop their own personal PE skills from Year R up to Year 6. The PE curriculum is varied as we aim that all children will find at least one area that they can excel in and enjoy.

Our PE Coach supports teachers with PE and enables us to provide many opportunities for children to access sport. We used the facilities at our local Secondary School, the local swimming pool and gym.

Our aim is that children enjoy their PE lessons so much that they then choose to extend their skills in our wide range of sporting extracurricular clubs where they will get the opportunity to also take part in competitions at all levels.

Being part of the School Sports Partnership ensures our children are offered a wide range  competition opportunities and events with other schools. Supporting children to be good sports people and to embrace competition. Our School tries to ensure that all children wanting to take part in competition are giving the opportunity which is why historically we have always entered A, B and occasionally C teams at all ages.

The school trains sports leaders every year in the upper school to assist with internal competitions, events, clubs and fundraising opportunities.

Arts

The Arts are a particular  strength of Ethelbert Road as we believe that they offer opportunities for our children to explore, express and communicate their feelings whilst gaining experiences of the wider world. Our children are provided with opportunities to enjoy a wide range of arts experiences as part of, and in addition to, the curriculum. Through experiencing the arts, children develop their creativity, self-esteem and confidence. Our creative arts programme, including music, dance, drama and art significantly impacts cognitive development, increases self-esteem, and actively engages everyone in learning.

Art and Design

At Ethelbert Road we recognise that Art and Design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a special way of understanding and responding to the world. It enables children of all abilities to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern, tone, space, line and shape using a variety of different materials and processes.  

We encourage children to explore ideas and meanings through the work of a diverse range of artists and designers.

Explicit links to all subjects enable children to understand how Art and Design reflects and shapes our history, and contributes to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

We aim to ensure that all pupils:

• produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their 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.
• know about great artists, craft makers and designers and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms including local artists and environment.

Design Technology
Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. This vital subject encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. At Ethelbert Road, we encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. The children are also given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, its uses and its effectiveness and are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers. Through a variety of creative and practical activities, we teach the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. 

Children will be exposed to a wide range of media including textiles, food and woodwork through this, children will develop their vocabulary, team work self esteem  and lifeskills.

Children learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

PSHE

At Ethelbert Road we have begun following the LifeWise PSHE scheme this year to deliver our Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education and it is an embedded part of our broad and balanced curriculum. Children are able to look at a wide variety of issues in their PSHE learning covering living in the wider world, Health and wellbeing and relationships. In addition, teachers often teach mini PSHE lessons in response to situations arising in the day to day life of the classes, both inside and outside of school, often basing these on our three school rules: Be safe, Be kind, Be ready.

  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is at the heart of our school ethos. British Values are promoted through the overarching aims and objectives of PSHE by supporting our children to become healthy and responsible members of society, as well as preparing them for life and work in modern Britain.

 Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Manager (MHWB manager) supports our curriculum development, working with both staff and individual children, where needed.

  Classes also have a mixture of: feelings walls, worry monsters and non-verbal ways of indicating children would like to speak to an adult.  

RE

At Ethelbert Road we believe that Religious Education plays an important part in developing our children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural growth. Through the teaching of R.E. children gain a better understanding of themselves and their belief system and also develop an awareness of the differing beliefs of others. R.E. offers our children a means by which to understand how other people choose to live and to understand why they choose to live in that way. This helps children to develop respect and tolerance towards their peers, staff and the community as a whole. As well as developing factual knowledge of a variety of religions, R.E. also encourages students to ask questions about life, develop self-reflection and promotes attitudes of confidence and thoughtfulness about themselves and others. We aspire to help children to develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues which is an essential skill in our 21^st century multi-cultural society.

  We currently follow the Kent Agreed Syllabus, which gives children a key question to explore each term, focusing on one or more religion. This allows children to explore a variety of religions across their time at Ethelbert Road, noticing both the similarities and differences between different beliefs. It also gives them space to consider their own beliefs and how these are similar and different to the beliefs of other people.

MFL 

The intention of the Spanish curriculum at Ethelbert Road is that children are taught to develop an interest in learning other languages in a way that is enjoyable and engaging. Where possible, the Spanish curriculum at Ethelbert Road is designed to complement the children's topic-based learning across the broader curriculum; promoting confidence and creative skills. We endeavour to encourage children’s growing curiosity about language learning so that they develop a desire to be life-long language learners. Through relevant stories, poetry, games and song, we help children to develop their awareness of cultural differences and similarities in other Spanish-speaking countries. We strive to embed the skills of listening, speaking, grammar, reading and writing skills necessary to enable children to use and apply their Spanish learning in a variety of contexts whilst laying the foundations for future language learning. 

Our MFL curriculum is designed to develop children skills in languages in a way that is both relevant and progressive. With weekly taught sessions, children from Reception to Year 6 progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary organised around relevant topics. Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games. As confidence and skills grow, children record their work through pictures, captions and sentences. 

Our MFL curriculum ensures that all children are accessing work at age related expectations, with regular opportunities to be challenged through higher-level objectives. The varied nature of activities, using a range of teaching and learning methods, encourages participation for all. Children are assessed according to age related expectations, in line with curriculum requirements.