Our Curriculum

Curriculum Overviews by Year

Reception learning overview Autumn 2 Year 1 Autumn 1 and 2 Year 2 Autumn 1 and 2 Year 3 Autumn 1 and 2 Year 4 Autumn 1 and 2 Year 5 Autumn 1 and 2 Year 6 Autumn 1 and 2

Reception Spring 1 Year 1 Spring 1 Year 1 Spring 2 Year 2 Spring 1 Year 3 Spring 1 Year 4 Spring 1 and 2 Year 5 Spring 1 Year 5 Spring 2 Year 6 Spring 1

Reception Summer 1 Reception Summer 2 Year 1 Summer 1 and 2 Year 2 Summer 1 and 2 Year 3 Summer 1 and 2 Year 4 Summer 1and 2 Year 5 - Summer 1 and 2 Year 6 - summer 1and 2

Our curriculum has been designed to cover all of the skills, knowledge and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum. We then enhance the National Curriculum by ensuring that it relates to our locality and the heritage of our pupils. In addition, we enrich learning through providing opportunities, visits, visitors and experiences that build real-life learning.

To ensure that pupils develop secure knowledge, skills and understanding that they can build on, our curriculum is organised into a progression model that outlines the knowledge, vocabulary and skills to be taught in a sequentially coherent way in each year group. All aspects of the curriculum are carefully mapped out to ensure that pupils build on secure prior knowledge so that they can make meaningful connections. Each subject taught has its own progression grid, designed by the curriculum leader for that subject.

When covering each subject, the progression grids will be carefully organised by each year group through a long-term plan. Knowledge, vocabulary and skills will then be planned for at a greater level of detail in medium term plans. All subjects are delivered through subject specific teaching organised into blocks under a theme if suitable. Meaningful links with other subjects are made to strengthen connections and understanding for pupils.

Whole Class Learning - we value music in our school and aim to provide a high quality curriculum. Music lessons are taught using Charanga, a virtual learning tool created and run by the Essex Music Services. While singing and playing both tuned and untuned musical instruments, our children experiment with and explore the dimensions of music and are given opportunities to compose and improvise music too. The children listen to music from a range of genres, styles and traditions and learn to discuss it using their developing musical vocabulary. We learn to form an understanding of basic musical notations and develop an introductory understanding of the history of music.

Singing - We sing regularly in school as part of our learning, assemblies and productions. The children develop skills of unison, rounds, volume, pitch and tone through these opportunities. The children perform to an audience in each year group from EYFS singing Christmas Songs to their parents to play productions involving year 1 and 2 at the then at the end of year 6. All KS2 children have the opportunity to sing to an audience during the 'Singing Around The Christmas Tree' Event .There is also a school choir, they have the opportunity to sing for the local community and it is run by one of our teachers.

Whole Class Music Tuition - Our Year 3 children take part in a whole class Pea Trumpet tuition which progresses into small group tuition in Year 5 and then 1:1 tuition in Year 6 . This is important as it enables children to develop a passion for playing an instrument, build on prior learning and gain experience of sheet music. Children also enjoy the 1:1 tuition from Essex Music Services with a wide range of instruments as well as the opportunity to join band with Rock Steady.

The National Curriculum sets out the minimum content. At Boxted, we make sure children learn additional skills, knowledge and understanding. For example:

Our curriculum is underpinned by our Christian Values (Perseverance, Hope, Forgiveness, Respect, Compassion & Peace). Children are taught these through whole school and class worship.
Alongside our curriculum we teach our Code of Conduct through our PSHCE lessons. These are skills that we believe children should be explicitly taught; skills and habits they will need as life-long learners .
We offer a range of after school clubs and opportunities, which go beyond the statutory requirements (anything from Fencing to Big Art club).
We learn from our local community: community members attend out Maths Career Convention and local artists turn our hall into an art gallery.