Netherfield CE Primary School

At Netherfield, we believe that ensuring our children have the knowledge and skills required for the next stage of their education is vital to them both thriving as adults and finding their strengths and interests.

For History, Geography, Art and Design, Science, and Design Technology, we use the Cornerstones Creative Curriculum to both enrich our children’s learning experiences and ensure they are taught the knowledge and skills required in each subject. Click the picture below to be taken to the Cornerstones website to find out more.

Each of our main ‘topics’ last two terms, so three are taught across a school year. These are either History- or Geography-focused topics. Alongside each topic, there are linked Science, Art and Design, and Design Technology projects that are taught within the two-term timeframe. These projects build on children’s knowledge and skills throughout the project by focusing in on a specific aspect of the Science, Art and Design, and Design Technology curricula.

All of the topics and projects that we teach are carefully sequenced to provide a coherent subject scheme that develops children’s knowledge, skills, and subject disciplines over time.

Our other wider curriculum subjects – PSHE, PE, MFL, and Music – are taught discretely following appropriate schemes of work in line with the DfE-outlined national curriculum.

All our projects develop historical skills based on evidence and historical enquiry. Key aspects and concepts, such as chronology, cause and effect, similarity and difference, significance, and hierarchy, are revisited throughout all projects and are developed as children progress through the school.

The choice of historical periods follows the guidance set out in the national curriculum, with specific details relating to significant events and individuals chosen to present a rich and diverse account of British and world history. Where there are opportunities for making meaningful connections with adjacent projects, history projects are sequenced accordingly. For example, the project Dynamic Dynasties is taught alongside the art and design project Taotie to give children a better all-round understanding of ancient Chinese arts and culture.

Geographical locations are not specified in the national curriculum, so these have been chosen to provide a broad and diverse understanding of the world.

Where there are opportunities for making meaningful connections with other projects, these are taken advantage of. For example, in Key Stage One, children cover the geography of settlements in the history project School Days as well as studying types of settlements in the geography project Bright Lights, Big City.

The Art and Design projects are designed to improve children’s skills and knowledge of visual elements, art forms, artists, and art movements. Projects are placed alongside other subject projects where there are opportunities for making meaningful connections. For example, Beautiful Botanicals has been placed in the same teaching sequence as the science project Plant Nutrition and Reproduction.

Seasons are also a consideration for the placement of art and design projects. For example, if children are required to work outdoors, these projects have been placed in either the latter part of the spring or summer term.

Each Design Technology project is based around a subject focus of structures, mechanisms, cooking and nutrition, or textiles. The design and technology curriculum’s electronic systems and IT monitoring and control elements are explicitly taught in our science projects to ensure the links between the subjects are highlighted.

Where possible, meaningful links to other areas of the curriculum have been made. For example, the cooking and nutrition project Eat the Seasons is taught alongside the geography project Sow, Grow and Farm. All the projects follow a structure where children are introduced to key concepts and build up knowledge and skills over time, using a more comprehensive range of equipment and building, cutting, joining, finishing and cooking techniques as they progress through the school. All projects contain focused, practical tasks to help children gain the knowledge and skills needed to complete their Innovate tasks independently.

Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, children build up their knowledge and understanding of the iterative design process. They design, make, test, and evaluate their products to match specific design criteria and ensure they fit their purpose. Throughout the projects, children are taught to work hygienically and safely.

We have designed our curriculum coverage so as to consider the age, needs, and feelings of pupils. If pupils ask questions outside the scope of this policy, teachers will respond in an age-appropriate manner so they are fully informed and do not seek answers online.

Schools have a statutory requirement to teach the majority of the elements of the RSHE curriculum to meet government RSHE guidance, July 2019 and The Equalities Act, 2010.

PSHE is taught through a ‘spiral curriculum’. This approach means that pupils gain knowledge, develop values, and acquire skills gradually by re-visiting core themes to build on prior learning. PSHE supports the school’s commitment to safeguard pupils through an age-appropriate curriculum that prepares them to live safely in the modern world.

The statutory requirements of the RSHE curriculum are detailed below, but further non-statutory elements are also taught, including financial literacy, employment, aspirations, communities, and diversity. Our content may vary in response to emerging issues and to reflect the rapidly changing world in which our pupils are living and learning. If this is the case, parents/carers will be provided with appropriate notice before the amended programme is delivered. Where possible, the curriculum will be complemented by themed assemblies, topic days, and cross-curricular links.

Statutory RSHE

We cover a board range of sports as part of a core PE offer.  PE is taught by the class teachers as well as PE specialists who cover multi-sports, gymnastics and dance throughout the year.  Other sports and skills taught by the class teachers include throwing and catching, ball skills, and balance and coordination in EYFS and Key Stage 1, and football, basketball, hockey, tag rugby, cricket, rounders, and handball in Key Stage 2. Children have a guaranteed two PE lessons a week.

We use the Striver PE Scheme to enrich our lessons. Information on this can be found by clicking the logo below.

As part of our enrichment offer, we aim to take part in inter-school competitions and events across East Sussex.  To date, we have taken part in cross-country, football, tennis and golf tournaments.  The children also take part in a Daily Mile every afternoon. 

Our French curriculum offers a carefully planned sequence of lessons, ensuring progressive coverage of the skills required by the national curriculum. Our scheme of work is taken from the Twinkl PlanIt French scheme of work. Our chosen themes - Time Travelling, Let's Visit a French Town and This Is France - provide an introduction to the culture of French-speaking countries and communities. It aims to foster children’s curiosity and help deepen their understanding of the world. A linear curriculum has been chosen to allow opportunity for children to gradually build on their skills. This enables children to express their ideas and thoughts in French and provides opportunities to interact and communicate with others both in speech and in writing. At the heart of our French lessons is the desire to expose children to authentic French, so the scheme offers regular opportunities to listen to native speakers.

In Lower KS2, children acquire basic skills and understanding of French with a strong emphasis placed on developing their Speaking and Listening skills. These will be embedded and further developed in Upper KS2, alongside Reading and Writing, gradually progressing onto more complex language concepts and greater learner autonomy. Through our French scheme, we intend to inspire pupils to develop a love of languages and to expand their horizons to other countries, cultures and people.

For further information, please click the picture below to find out more about PlanIt French.

Music is taught using Charanga Music. Charanga is a bespoke music curriculum that provides schemes of work in singing, playing instruments, listening and appraising music, performing, and musical context. The children learn through focused pieces for each unit, learning to sing and perform these and then comparing these pieces to others either of a similar genre or style or from a similar time period. Click on the picture below to find out more.