What does the curriculum at Beacon View look like?

 

We offer an exciting topic-based curriculum here at Beacon View that includes the core subjects of English, maths and science but also focuses on all of the foundation subjects including history, geography, computing, art and physical education (PE).

 

We use the National Curriculum to identify what the children need to learn and then supplement this with knowledge and learning that is valuable to our children and will support them to have high aspirations for their own lives.  We wholeheartedly believe in the United Learning philosophy that knowledge is power and we strive to impart the knowledge the children need whilst also giving them a curriculum with character that will help them to become better versions of themselves and increase their life chances,

 

To see the objectives laid out in the National Curriculum and for more information on the aims of the National Curriculum, please follow the link below.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-framework-for-key-stages-1-to-4/the-national-curriculum-in-england-framework-for-key-stages-1-to-4

 

  

The overall topics the children focus on change every term, for every ‘phase’.  The school has a 2-year rolling curriculum to ensure that no children ever repeat the same topic.  They do however, revisit the same learning objectives across different topics to ensure that the children’s learning is embedded and becomes practical skills and knowledge they can use throughout their lives. 

 

The overall topics the children are taught can be seen on our curriculum topic map below.  

 

	Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
Nursery	Humpty Dumpty – Nursery Rhymes (imagination and speaking and listening)		Traditional tales (imagination and speaking and listening)		Paws, claws or whiskers? (The World) (everyday animals-names, how to care for them, pets versus wide, animals that live in the same habitats etc)
Year R	Out of an Egg (Personal, Social and Emotional)		Once Upon a Time (imagination and speaking and listening)		Feathers, Seeds and Bumble bees (The World)
Year 1	All About Me (Science, PE and PSHE)	Now and Then Toys (History)	Pole to Pole (Geography and science)	Going on a Bear Hunt (Geography – local area- School Grounds and Paulsgrove)	Now and Then Homes and Castles (include some of the old castles and knights planning) (History)	Under the Sea (Geography- naming 5 oceans) (adaptation of the previous Year R topic)
Year 2	Into the Woods (Science and Geography)	Superheroes (PSHE)	London’s Burning (History and Science)	Pride of Portsmouth (Geography – local area- Portsmouth)	Florence Nightingale (History)	Savannah Safari (Geography – naming 7 continents and 5 oceans)
Year 3	Farm to Fork (Science and Geography)	Prehistoric World (History)	I love where I live (Geography – local area - Hampshire)	Ancient Egyptians (History)	Vicious Volcanoes (Geography and Science – Rocks)	Light, Camera, Action (Science)
Year 4	Pirate Adventure (Geography)	Swords and Sandals (History)	Into the Unknown (Geography and Science- states of matter)	Raiders and Traders (History and Geography) (adaptation of Year 5 topic)	Amazon Adventures (Geography)	Chocolate (Science, PSHE)
Year 5	Terrible Tudors (History)	One Giant Leap (Science and Art)	Sailors, Seadogs and Scurvy (History)	Incredible India (Geography)	Sail Away (Literature and art)	Extreme Earth (Geography – mountains, weather, earthquakes etc, including 1 week on evolution)
Years 6	What the Dickens!  (History)	Authors, Authors Everywhere (Literature – author study)	World War Two (History)		Brilliant Britain (Geography, PSHE)	Going for Goals (PSHE)

 

These topics are developed by the staff and are our way of grouping and teaching the objectives from the National Curriculum in a way that our children will find fun and interesting.  These topics can be based on high-quality texts; periods in times; recent film releases or areas of interest the children have expressed.  

 

Individual Subjects

Wherever possible, all subjects are based on this overall topic, however these links are not forced and the subjects only linked to the overall topics if these links are strong and purposeful.  Where this is not the case, the subjects are taught discreetly. 

All children enjoy weekly music lessons from Portsmouth Music Services and take part in different events to practise and enhance their skills.  This term, many children will take part in The Big Autumn Ceilidh, an event designed to promote singing and dancing whilst teaching the children about the traditions of other cultures.

We aim to teach children how to grow into positive, responsible people, who can work and co-operate with others while developing their knowledge and skills, so that they achieve their true potential. PSHE (personal, social and health education) is a focus for many of our curriculum topics and we adapt our topics constantly to suit the needs of the children.  For example, the children currently in KS1 are being taught to brush their teeth twice a day as part of their All About Me topic.  The brushing of teeth would normal stop after the children left Year R but we have decide to continue it into KS1 to meet the needs of our children. 

In Years 5 & 6, children take part in relationships and sex education lessons which are normally led by teaching staff.  Parents are invited into school before these sessions start so that they can see what the children are taught and parents are also given an opportunity to decide whether they would like their children to participate in these sessions.

 

Religious Education

Religious Education is taught in each year group across Beacon View.  To identify what aspects of religious studies to teach, we follow the agreed Hampshire syllabus Living Difference III.  To find out more information about this syllabus, you can follow the link below.

 

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/education/hias/curriculumsupport/living-difference.htm

 

Parents have the right to withdraw their children from Religious Education lessons on grounds of their faith.  Please speak to your child’s class teacher if this is something you wish to consider.

 

 

Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)

‘This year we are going to be introducing Spanish lessons to all the children at Beacon View, we are going to be following the scheme Espanol!Espanol! in KS1 and KS2.  Whilst our EYFS children will be starting the Lingotunes programme.  To find out more information about these schemes please follow this link: https://www.language-factory.co.uk/products/espanol-espanol

 

The children will start by learning greetings and nursery rhymes, they will also be learning things such as the months of the year and the days of the week.

 

 

 

 

Checking your Child’s Progress

Every child’s progress and attainment in English and maths is constantly assessed through both informal methods (staff observations, discussions and marking) within each lesson, and more formal methods (assessments) at regular points throughout the year.  Alongside these assessments for the core subjects, we have recently introduced key questions to all of our curriculum topics and use the children’s responses to these (written or verbal) to assess their learning in all foundation subjects. 

 Extra-Curricular Activities

Running alongside our curriculum, we have an extensive programme of extra-curricular clubs at lunchtime and after school, including a STEM club, where this term the children will get the opportunity to visit and take part in activities at the science laboratories of our local secondary school, Castle View. 

 

Extra-curricular clubs are updated every term and the children given the opportunity to choose new clubs.  Please visit the school office if you would like to know what clubs are available this term. 

 

 Have your say!

We offer opportunities for parents to come into school to learn about our curriculum and give their views. So far this academic year we have run 4 parent workshops on the curriculum and will be providing some more towards the end of the term.  

 

Parents enjoying the refreshments at a recent curriculum session!

We also have a suggestions box in the reception for parents to use and encourage parents to share their thoughts and ideas with us so that everyone has a say in how the curriculum is taught and developed.   

 

 

If you would like any further information about the curriculum taught at Beacon View, please make an appointment to meet with Mrs R Mitchell, the Deputy Headteacher.