Curriculum
Our curriculum is designed to be broad and balanced and to offer a wide range of engaging, learning opportunities for our children.
Intent
Our curriculum is underpinned by our core QUALITIES/VALUES
- Passionate learners: Tendring children have a love of learning and want to succeed.
- Considerate learners: Tendring children play a positive role in society and look after their environment.
- Capable learners: Tendring children have the skills and knowledge to thrive in our changing world.
Implementation
Passionate learners
Developing a passion for learning is essential if children are to become motivated, life-long learners. At Tendring we do this by carefully sequencing our curriculum so that learning is cumulative and reduces cognitive load so that it is ambitious but not overwhelming. Well chosen experiences, resources and texts enhance curriculum areas, helping to inspire children and spark their curiosity. Children ARE SHOWN what success looks like in all curriculum areas through modelling and high-quality examples. When children first arrive at Tendring we work closely with families to build on children’s interests especially for those in EYFS and those with SEND. Through learning about Growth Mindset and Fish Philosophy we build resilience and develop perseverance. Staff and children celebrate their successes and the successes of others.
Considerate learners
Our curriculum prepares our children to play a positive role in society by equipping them with the ability to listen to and respond appropriately to views different to their own; by exploring big concepts such as fairness and truth; and exploring their place in the world and impact on it. Through PSHE, RE and wider curriculum, children learn about taking responsibility and making a positive contribution to their community. Across the curriculum there is INCREASED emphasis on cultures and experiences different to those of our rural school community. THIS IS DELIVERED IMPLICITLY AND EXPLICITLY AND does NOT REINFORCE STEROTYPES. Leadership skills are fostered by teaching collaborative learning strategies and pupil leadership roles such as House Captains, Pupil Council and Reading Ambassadors, which are integral to our unwritten curriculum. These roles are aspirational and develop a sense of belonging, responsibility and pride in the school.
Capable learners
We know how important reading, oracy and vocabulary are in forming the building blocks for learning and navigating a changing world. That is why they are prioritised from the outset. We have invested in extensive resources and training to deliver our synthetic phonics programme and deliver the best outcomes for our children. We consciously tackle the word gap through a mix of implicit and explicit vocabulary instruction. Class books and texts are carefully selected to build children’s vocabulary and word consciousness. Reviews are used to reflect on learning, make links and provide opportunities to recall information, so strengthening the retention of new knowledge in the long-term memory. Skills such as analysis, evaluation, reasoning and challenging ideas are explicitly taught in the subjects and topics most suited for delivery.
Impact
By the end of Year 6, children are ready for the next stage in their education by having developed knowledge and skills of a broad and balanced curriculum.
Early reading and phonics
Reading is taught using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics programme. We start teaching phonics in reception and the children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through the school. Phonics is taught daily in Reception and Year 1, and any gaps in knowledge are addressed as they move into Year 2 and beyond.
The children also have reading practice sessions three times a week in small groups. These focus on the three key skills of decoding, prosody and comprehension.
We continue teaching reading in this way for any children who need it beyond Year 1.
Reading for pleasure books go home for parents to share and read to their children.
Parents can access information and resources here:
For parents | Letters and Sounds (littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk)
RE
At Tendring, RE is taught throughout the school following the Sat RE curriculum. It is an enquiry-led, multi-faith syllabus viewed, considered and explored through three distinct lenses: theology, philosophy and human & social science.
Learning about religion is balanced with learning from religion; children are encouraged to explore their own ideas and beliefs, reflecting on their own feelings and experiences and developing a sense of belonging, whilst developing qualities of respect, empathy and compassion.
British Values
At Tendring Primary School we recognise the important role schools play in ensuring that pupils develop into ethical and responsible members of society. British values form the basis of good citizenship so these values are taught explicitly through PSHE and RE as well as through our daily assemblies and whole school systems and structures, such as electing and running a successful School Council and House system. We also teach British values through planning and delivering a broad and balanced curriculum. Beyond the curriculum, through the ethos of the school (SHINE), we expect pupils to uphold these values and give them responsibilities to further their understanding and put these values into practice.
Taking account of pupils’ capacity to understand these concepts and ideas at Tendring School we aim to:
Democracy
- listen to all views
- debate arguments for and against
- get involved
- express our views appropriately
- vote and respect the view of the majority
Rule of Law
- make sure rules and expectations are clear and fair
- can distinguish right from wrong
- respect the law, and school rules, and the basis on which they are made
- know laws protect us
Individual Liberty
- promote self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
- take responsibility for our own behaviour
- model freedom of speech in a peaceful manner
- challenge stereotypes and bias
- are an anti-bullying school
Respect & Tolerance
- promote respect
- respect our own and other peoples’ cultures and way of life
- challenge prejudice and discrimination
- discuss differences of faith, ethnicity, disability, gender and families