The teaching and learning of Art

There is a programme of study for Art and Design in place from Year 1 through to Year 6. The programme promotes the progression and continuity of skills learnt over the years. These skills include; drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, printing, textiles. Throughout topics, children are shown how to experiment with different techniques, media and resources before producing their own final pieces. During art lessons, we create a calm and relaxing environment by playing music to show that art is a hobby and should be enjoyed.

Artists

Throughout the children’s time at Woodham Ley, they will learn about many different artists. We focus on traditional and famous artists like; Picasso, Turner, Goldsworthy, Dali and also local and topical artists like Don Dixon (space) and Karla Gerard (pattern).

Exhibition

At the end of the school year, we are hoping to put on an evening exhibition for parents and the local community to come and see the work the children have produced throughout the year.

Art club

Miss Kelsey runs an art club that is child-led. Each term children say what skill they would like to improve and what topic they would like to look at. We also run art competitions for the whole school; last terms topic was ‘wildlife’. We had many brilliant and creative entries including a welly boot covered in flowers and woodland animals made out of twigs and leaves.

Coming soon...

INTENT

It is our intention to ensure that, by the end of their primary education, all children can read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject. We intend for children to learn new vocabulary and feel confident and resilient when faced with new or challenging vocabulary. We encourage all children to read widely to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live, gaining a wider cultural capital. We want children to establish an appreciation and love of reading and be an active participant when reading. We want reading to help children gain knowledge and develop their comprehension skills across the curriculum. With regards to Early Reading, the systematic teaching of phonics has a high priority throughout Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1

IMPLEMENTATION

We use an Active Read approach to whole class reading. Encompassing the principles of; Prior knowledge, vocabulary, reading fluency, reading for meaning and reading comprehension.

In Active Read sessions, all staff use high-quality texts that have been specifically selected per year groups and then separated into four categories; Narratives, Non-linear time narratives, Archaic text and Poetry as well as a teacher chosen Non-Fiction text.

The children take reading books home regularly: EYFS and Year 1 take home three books; one colour band book that they choose because they have looked at the front cover and read the blurb and think they will enjoy it; 1 linked to the phonics phase they are on and one based on the specific sound they are learning that week.

In KS1, children are assessed using the recognition of phonics phonemes and grouped into phonics phase ability groups.

Phonics is taught every day and children are given spellings to learn each week based on the phonemes they have learnt that week. Phonics posters and mats are accessible for children in the classrooms at all times to give opportunity to implement their phonics knowledge into their writing. Phonics workshops are hosted by the teacher for parents in order for them to support children’s phonics learning when reading at home and helping with spellings. We acknowledge that children need to be taught the key skills in segmenting and blending to be equipped with the knowledge to be able to complete the phonics check at the end of year 1. We also value and encourage the pupils to read for enjoyment and recognise that this starts with the foundations of acquiring letter sounds, segmenting and blending skills. We display vocabulary in our learning environment. Teachers and children read aloud to their class regularly.

Children in Year 2 to 6 use the Accelerated Reader programme to select an appropriate reading book. They then use this programme to; rate the book, quiz their understanding and keep track of their targets and word count. Phonics resources are matched to the specific phase and sound that the children are working on. All resources have been made to look the same so that every phonics space is familiar to them.

All classes from Year 2 upwards have SQUIRT (Sustained, Quiet, Undisturbed, Independent, Reading, Time) each day. This, alongside Lucky Listeners enable the children to develop their love for reading whilst working on fluency, stamina and reading for meaning.

In EYFS, Reading Café is run weekly. Alongside this, Reading Bags or Communication and Language Bags are sent home to encourage parental engagement and promote a love of reading. To encourage and promote enjoyment in reading events take place often throughout the year. These include: World Book Day, library visits, visitors to assemblies, author/poet visits and Book Fairs

Intent

We are dedicated to developing children who are curious and fascinated about the world. We want to develop aspirational children who are aware that there is a wider world beyond their local environment and that they have an important role in protecting and sustaining our planet.

We intend for our children to investigate a range of places – both in Britain and abroad – to help develop their knowledge and understanding of the Earth’s locations as well as its physical and human features. We require all children to leave primary school having the following minimum place knowledge fully embedded into long term memory: names of the 5 oceans, 7 continents, 4 countries of the UK and their capital cities, the Poles and the equator.

We are committed to providing children with opportunities to investigate and make enquiries about their local area of Benfleet so that they can develop a real sense of who they are, where they come from and what makes their local area unique.

Implementation

Curriculum designed for our pupils - We have specifically selected in-depth study locations for each year group based upon the places the children in our school are less likely to visit, whilst also ensuring variety across different continents and curriculum breadth. 

Knowledge/Vocabulary - Knowledge Organisers used and mastered in all lessons and during home learning to develop vocabulary and knowledge.

Sticky Knowledge - A starter activity at the beginning of every Geography lesson to recap key locational knowledge - names of the five oceans, seven continents, four countries of the UK and their capital cities and/or the poles and the equator.

Progression - A cycle of lessons for each subject, which carefully plans for progression and depth concentrating on the geographical skills in the National Curriculum. 

Consistency - Consistent resources used throughout the school – A World Map, UK Map and Globe displayed in all classrooms and referred to every lesson to link learning with locational knowledge.

Experience - Yearly Trips and visiting experts who will enhance the learning experience of Geography.

Environment – Pupil’s knowledge of Pollution and Climate Change and the impact they have individually on protecting our planet is taught from KS1 and revisited annually.

Intent

It is our intention that children will develop a curiosity and passion for learning about Britain’s past and that of the wider world.

Children will:

• develop a secure understanding of chronology.


• understand the processes of continuity and change over time.


• think critically, ask questions, develop historical judgement.


• gain historical perspective by making connections.


• understand the methods of historical enquiry, including the use of evidence.

Implementation

Long-term plan which follows a two-year rolling program.

• Curriculum delivered in chronological order from Year 3


• Look at the ‘Big picture’ – what came before and after this historical period?


• Variety of teaching strategies.


• Questioning skills.


• Historical vocabulary.


• Use of evidence.


• Visitors and trips


• Cross-curricular links

Non-Negotiables for History:

Timeline in every classroom

School timeline

Key concepts in Knowledge Organisers:

KS1- legacy, power, change

KS2- legacy, power, change

Our Curriculum Intent

Our intention for the Computing curriculum, is that by the time pupils leave WLPS they will have:

Competence in coding for a variety of practical and inventive purposes, including the application of ideas within other subjects

The ability to connect Online with others safely and respectfully, understanding the need to act within the law and with moral and ethical integrity

An understanding of the connected nature of devices

The ability to communicate ideas well by using applications and devices throughout the curriculum

The ability to collect, organise and manipulate data effectively

Intention

· To develop resilient children who have a love of maths and enjoy learning new concepts.

· To create children who make sense of the world around them through developing a child’s ability to calculate, reason and to solve problems fluently.

· To challenge children to solve a variety of problems moving from the concrete, to the pictorial and then to the abstract.

· For all children to achieve their full potential and master the objectives laid out in the curriculum.

Implementation

Planning Daily

Woodham Ley consistently applies the principles of ‘diamond lesson’ planning to the daily teaching of mathematics. Teachers plan lessons according to this strategy. Teachers are required to either assess children’s understanding of the subject at the start of a lesson (a recap), refer to understanding exhibited in previous lessons e.g. through marking, or use data to inform their planning and teaching to both the individual pupil and the class.

Lessons are differentiated according to stars for children’s individual needs including SEN, gifted and talented or low ability children and should be supported through the appropriate use of resources including support staff. Toolkits, which model example questions, help to support the children during the lessons. Bar models are also used, where appropriate, in lessons to represent all types of problems. This means that children create stronger links between concrete, pictorial and abstract problems.

Planning considers a range of teaching strategies and a variety of activities (concrete, pictorial and abstract) to engage children and allow them to reach their full potential. For children who have individual learning plans, work based on the individual targets are set and worked on daily.

Coming soon...

 Intent 

For the children in WLPS to be physically and mentally fit.

To have a love for sport.

Build resilience – learning to fail and win.

 Build social skills and the ability to work within a team

Give the children opportunities to compete.

Opportunities to join local clubs to continue learning a specific sport.

Offer a broad and balanced range of sports

Implementation       

Across each year the children will be taught a range of sports to enable the children to be exposed to: fundamental skills (year 1 and 2), invasion games, striking and fielding, swimming, athletics, dance, yoga, outdoor and adventurous and Fit4Action.

PE to be taught twice a week – ensure every child has 2 hours of PE a week.

Access to Complete PE for lesson plans and sequences of lessons

Offering a range of clubs for the children before and after school: running, gymnastics, football, netball, street dance, cheerleading, basketball, tennis, soft archery.

Children earn badges once they have attended 10 sessions of a club and a star badge once they have attended 20 sessions.

Use of festivals and competitions for all children to be able to represent WLPS in a sport

Competitions throughout the year for children in clubs and gifted and talented children

Good use of the Sports Premium funding – see Evidence document.

SP funding has enabled all children including SEND and PPG to attend different events – competitions and festivals.

Exposure to specific vocabulary – science link

Encouragement of good sportsmanship – winning and losing

 OPAL during break times and lunch times

 PAL’s training

 Visit from National English Ballet

Professional basketball player Joe Hart visit

Non-Negotiables for PE:

Taught twice a week

Same expectations as any other lesson

Highly active during lessons

Warm-up – linked to the sport

Specific vocab – use in recap

Impact

Children in every year group, every year represent WLPS in a sporting event.

All clubs are over-subscribed.

Competition results are improving every year

Sports teams winning county finals and moving onto regional finals.

Staff confidence to teach PE is at an all time high

Children enjoy PE lessons

Coming soon...

Coming soon...

Intent

Science has been, is and will continue to be an integral part of understanding who we are, where we exist and actions that occur before our very eyes in an instant and over time.

We want to provide children with the opportunity to understand how the world works and why things are the way they are by understanding that Science can be used to explain action, change and existence.

We want children:

• To develop a curiosity about the world


• To be equipped with the subject knowledge to understand the human body and the world around them


• To be able to explain phenomena that occurs around them


• To understand changes, growth and reaction and the scientific cause and/or effect of these


• To use scientific vocabulary which is developed over time


• To develop the skills to flourish into careful, analytical, reflective and inquisitive scientists


• To be able to reflect on successes, failures and plans for future scientific enquiry (including the actions of famous individuals)

Implementation

We believe music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate children. We provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, and to develop the skills to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms.

The Teaching and Learning of Music
(Coming soon...)

Musical Instruments

Children have the opportunity to learn various different instrument throughout their time at WLPS. We have invested in a class set of glockenspiels and the children use these during their weekly music lessons.
The children in Year 4 receive ukulele instruction from a specialist instructor and will, this year, be performing at the annual music soiree.

Choir

Here at WLPS, we have an active school choir. They perform during events at school, such as the Christmas Bazaar, and in the community - singing to the residents of the Tyrrells Centre. We have also taken part in the Young Voices concert at the O2 Arena.

Soiree

For the past two years, we have organised a music soiree where pupils, ex-pupils, parents and staff are given the opportunity to perform in front of an audience of about 200 people. These have been very enjoyable evenings and enable the performers the chance to put their hard work of daily practise to good use.

At WLPS we help children to develop a positive Growth Mindset as we know that this is the pathway to success. We know that we are all guilty of having some Fixed mindset characteristics at times but it is the ability to recognise this and to move ourselves to have a Growth mindset.

What is the Growth mindset concept?

The Growth Mindset concept was developed by Dr. Carol Dweck who identified two different types of mindsets - the Growth mindset and the Fixed mindset. Dr. Carol Dweck explains that the Growth mindset occurs when we believe our intelligence and abilities can be improved upon with effort and the right strategies.

What are the characteristics associated with growth mindset?

These include:
a willingness to confront challenges
viewing failure as a springboard for growth
a passion for learning

Alternatively, those with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence and abilities cannot be altered in a meaningful way. As a result, mistakes are seen as failures rather than opportunities to grow and learn. When stuck in a fixed mindset, we may fear new experiences, avoid risks, and feel the need to prove ourselves over and over.

How do we help the pupils at WLPS?

We talk to the children constantly about the benefits of being in a Growth mindset.
We set work that challenges the pupils
We praise children in terms of their effort and the process they use.
We help pupils to 'fail well'.
We talk to the children about the power of 'Yet'. Therefore a child won't say, 'I can't do fractions', but rather, 'I can't do fractions - yet'. That way, the pupils understand that they are on a journey with their learning and they aren't going to understand every concept straight away.

By children learning this concept, not only will they be successful learners at primary and secondary school but also for the rest of their adult lives.

Coming soon...