At Watchlytes our curriculum has been carefully designed for our pupils and their community. We want pupils to leave Watchlytes with a love of learning, a thirst for knowledge and be ready for the next stage in their education.
Pupils will become resilient learners, who understand that making mistakes is a valuable part of the learning process and that working hard will enable them to achieve.
This underpins our school values and growth mindset beliefs. We want our pupils to realise their potential, respect differences and go out into the world as successful citizens.
Drivers
Our drivers are elements that are central to our school vision and ethos. They help to drive and shape the curriculum and are incorporated across all subjects and themes
Oracy – to ensure our pupils can communicate effectively, using language effectively and ambitiously
Opportunities and possibilities – to raise aspirations and broaden horizons showing curiosity and fearlessness of what is new or unknown.
Independence – to ensure our pupils develop the life skills necessary to work with growing independence and perseverance and to develop a commitment to learning and self-improvement.
Curriculum overviews
Early reading
In EYFS and KS1, phonics is taught systematically through the Read Write Inc. (RWI) programme. Half-termly assessments ensure children are grouped according to their ability, with one-to-one tutoring offered for those needing extra support. To reinforce learning, children take home books matched to their phonic knowledge, allowing them to celebrate reading achievements with parents and carers. This builds confidence and nurtures a love for reading. Additionally, weekly QR codes of the sounds taught each week are shared, helping children to practice and strengthen their skills at home.
Reading
Destination Reader is an approach to teaching reading in KS2. It involves daily sessions incorporating whole class modelling prior to the children applying these skills through partner work and independent reading. Children deepen their understanding of the texts they read through the systematic use of a series of strategies and language stems.
The approach encompasses the key principles of effective reading provision and fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum by creating deep understanding of texts, developing oracy around reading and increasing breadth of reading. Destination Reader also helps to build a culture of reading for pleasure and purpose.
Writing
Our Writing Curriculum follows the Write Stuff scheme and incorporates a diverse range of literary genres and themes. Throughout school, we delve into narrative fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and persuasive writing. Our students engage with beloved titles such as I believe in Unicorns, Malala’s Magic Pencil, The BFG, and The Explorer among others. Our curriculum is designed to foster strong writing skills and expose our students to a wide array of literary forms throughout their academic journey.
Handwriting
At Watchlytes School, we use the LetterJoin program alongside the National Curriculum to ensure children develop fluent, legible, and automatic handwriting. Starting with letter formation in Early Years, progressing to joined handwriting in Key Stage 1, and focusing on speed and consistency in Key Stage 2, our curriculum builds confidence and efficiency. Regular practice across subjects helps pupils take pride in their writing and use it effectively in all areas of learning.
Maths
Across the school, we use a mastery approach to maths, where all children progress together through small sequential steps in learning. In EYFS we use Master the Curriculum and Mastering Number to support the EYFS mathematics curriculum. Mastering Number continues into Years 1, 2,and 3 and, in addition, Maths No Problem is introduced as the starting point for all planning in KS1 and KS2. Maths No Problem is linked to the National Curriculum and is an approach to teaching maths developed in Singapore. We chose Maths No Problem because problem solving is at the heart of the mathematics. The focus is not on rote learning but on relational understanding. This helps pupils develop a deep, long-term and adaptable understanding of maths. Pupils are encouraged to think mathematically and are introduced to new concepts using the Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract (CPA) approach.Science
Watchlytes Primary’s Science curriculum aims to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and an understanding of how the scientific community contributes to the past, present and future. The curriculum aims for pupils to develop a complex knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics but also adopt a broad range of skills in working scientifically and beyond.
Computing
Our computing scheme is based on the Kapow Computing Scheme. We aim to instil a sense of enjoyment around using technology and to develop pupils’ appreciation of it’s capabilities and the opportunities technology offers. We revisit the concepts of to code, to connect, to communicate and to collect. Tinkering with software and programs forms part of the ethos of the scheme as we want to develop pupils’ confidence when encountering new technology. We intend for pupils to be digitally competent and have a range of skills for the future workplace, but also to be responsible online citizens.
History
Watchlytes School’s History Curriculum covers a variety of historical topics using Kapow History planning. In order to prepare pupils for their future learning in History, we aim to introduce them to key substantive concepts including power, trade,invasion settlement and migration, and civilisation and achievements and follies of mankind. We aim to support pupils in building their understanding of chronology in each year group, making connections over periods of time and developing a chronologically-secure knowledge of History.
Geography
The Geography Curriculum at Watchlytes school covers various topics from the Kapow Scheme of Work. Our curriculum aims to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world; in other words, to think like a geographer. We want pupils to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and record necessary data in various ways, and analyse and present their findings. Pupils study the concepts of space, place, scale, human and physical processes, interdependence, and environmental impact.
RE
The RE Curriculum at Watchlytes covers a range of themes and religions. Students explore concepts like creation, incarnation, salvation, and moral values through Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, and Humanism. Key questions prompt critical thinking about the significance of Christmas, Easter, prayer, worship, beliefs, and commitment to God. The curriculum encourages understanding of different faiths, their practices, and the relevance of religious teachings in today’s world.
The Right of Withdrawal from Religious Education
The RE syllabus is relevant to all pupils and respects personal beliefs. We welcome parents/carers to discuss our RE curriculum.
Parents have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of the RE curriculum.
We have a duty to supervise any pupils who have been withdrawn from RE, but not to:
– Provide additional teaching that is not RE
– Incur extra cost
Music
The Music Curriculum covers a diverse range of musical genres and activities, fostering a comprehensive approach to music education. Students explore various styles of music from the Kapow curriculum, through singing, performing, composing, and listening. They also learn to play instruments like the glockenspiel. The curriculum emphasises revisiting and consolidating learning, developing skills in dynamics, harmony, melody, rhythm, improvisation, and composition. Students engage in collaborative music-making, listening, appraising, and sharing performances.
Art and Design
We aim to inspire pupils and develop their confidence to experiment and invent their own works of art. We follow the Kapow scheme of work, which has been written to fully cover the National Society for Education in Art and Design’s progression competencies. Throughout pupils take inspiration from the great to developing ideas and master techniques. We aim to give pupils every opportunity to develop their ability, nurture their talent and interests, express their ideas and thoughts about the world, as well as learning about art and artists across cultures and through history.Design and Technology
At Watchlytes we use the Kapow scheme of work and aim 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. 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.
MFL
At Watchlytes we learn the Modern Foreign Language of French. We want pupils to develop the confidence to communicate in French for practical purposes, using both written and spoken French. We use the Kapow scheme of work, which aims to give pupils a foundation for language learning that encourages and enables them to apply their skills to learning further languages, developing a strong understanding of the English language, facilitating future study and opening opportunities to study and work in other countries in the future.
PE
The PE curriculum at Watchlytes School covers a range of activities and skills including locomotion, ball skills, gymnastics, dance, and various sports such as netball, football, handball, basketball, tag rugby, hockey, striking and fielding, net/wall tennis, cricket, and athletics. The Complete PE curriculum focuses on developing physical abilities, promoting health and wellbeing, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and coordination.
Early Years curriculum
Our Early Years curriculum endeavours to provide the best start for our youngest children. The curriculum has been planned to meet the needs of our cohorts and follows the Statutory Framework and the New Development Matters.
All areas of the curriculum are planned to progress into the National Curriculum.
The Early Years Foundation Stage strives to ensure that the children become confident, independent and resilient learners, thus enabling them to build on these skills throughout their education at Watchlytes.
British Sign Language
British Sign Language is taught to all children at Watchlytes. As well as teaching children another form of communication, they also learn how to be inclusive and about the different challenges met by those with specific impairments.
PSHE
At Watchlytes School, our PSHE curriculum is designed to provide children with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives. We focus on empowering students to reflect on their learning and apply it both within school and in the wider community, using the One Decision scheme of work to support us with our aims. The curriculum is structured around three core themes: Health and Well-being, Relationships, and Living in the Wider World. These themes interconnect through engaging lessons that encourage discussions around healthy and unhealthy choices, fostering critical thinking and decision-making skills.