Curriculum

English includes Speaking and Listening and Reading and Writing. English is an integral part of the whole school curriculum.

Talking is fundamental to a pupil’s learning. Pupils are encouraged and helped to talk clearly, confidently and with expression in order to communicate ideas and feelings. Similarly, and just as importantly, is the need to listen to others and respond appropriately. All children are provided with opportunities in all areas of the curriculum on a regular basis to develop skills in speaking and listening and to enrich their vocabulary. At Brierley, we feel strongly that in order to be able to write something, children need to be able to first say it with confidence.  Having the chance to explain their ideas helps them not only to build their confidence but to also deepen their understanding of sentence structure and audience.

One of the greatest gifts we can give a child is the ability to read. We believe that reading should be an enjoyable activity, and our approach to reading is based on this.

At Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 there is great emphasis on the teaching of reading using a structured phonics programme.  At Key Stage 2 we extend and develop each child’s reading skills to enable them to be confident, independent and skilled readers.

We aim to develop a love of reading and therefore encourage our children to take books home and share them with you. Children need to be able to read with understanding, for pleasure and for information. The children work their way through levelled books until they eventually become ‘free readers’.  As both levelled and free readers, the children’s reading is monitored regularly and they are encouraged to choose books which are both appropriately challenging and of a range of genres and authors.

Children are heard on a one-to-one basis as well as during whole class and group choral reading sessions.  Reading skills are taught through group and whole class lessons.  Our children are taught to read fluently and with expression and to be able to demonstrate an understanding of what they have read through a variety of activities. At Brierley, we encourage our parents to read with their children daily to support with their child’s reading.  We also read a variety of high quality texts to the children on a regular basis.  Some of these texts link with topics we are covering in other lessons and others are purely for the enjoyment and to suit the interests of the children.  Many of these texts can be found in our reading spine.

The link between reading and writing is strongly emphasised and reading sessions are often used to allow children to familiarise themselves with different text types, including their purpose, audience, language and features. It also provides an opportunity for them to build up the language and vocabulary needed to be able to write a specific text type. Our long term English plans are used to ensure that children are exposed to a range of genres throughout their time at Brierley, although sometimes teachers change the texts and outcomes to suit the needs and interests of their children.

Daily work on SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar), as well as handwriting, is used to help children to build up the skills they need in order to eventually plan and write their own independent piece of writing. During this build up of skills, there are regular opportunities for children to engage in shared writing sessions. Writing outcomes often link to other areas of the curriculum as well as current texts which are being read in class.

It is important that our children have some free reign over their writing which is why they are often given choices in what they would like to write. We want them to be confident writers who take pride in both the content and presentation of their work. We feel that this is best achieved when children see a purpose to their writing and have the skills and language necessary in order to produce their own written piece.

From the time the children first come into school, they are introduced to the world of mathematics, its language, use and meaning. Every class has a daily Maths lesson lasting from 450 minutes to approx 60 minutes depending on the age of the children. Whenever appropriate, the children learn from practical approaches in which they are actively involved. Through this, their understanding of the basic rules of number, pattern, shape and relationships is developed, as well as how to apply their mathematical knowledge.

Investigative approaches are used to further the children’s understanding and application of maths. The Headteacher is a Primary Mathematics Specialist Teacher and our maths curriculum is based on the most up to date research and understanding of how children learn maths. This can mean that sometimes the methods used in the classroom can seem unfamiliar to parents and carers. Please feel free to arrange to see the class teacher if you would like to discuss how to help your child to develop their understanding of maths.

We aim to develop the pupils’ scientific skills through first-hand experiences. Pupils are encouraged to solve problems by making close observations, planning, predicting, fair testing, recording their findings in a systematic way and drawing conclusions. The children work in small groups allowing them the opportunity to hypothesise and develop their own ideas and thoughts. Our curriculum sets out to develop enquiring minds, and children are encouraged to ask questions and attempt to solve them.

Emphasis is placed on developing children’s ability to use Computing skills across the whole curriculum and in their daily lives. This is done through building communication skills (word processing, graphics and art), Handling Information and Data, Modelling and Simulation, Monitoring changes such as temperature and light, Music and Sound and multi media presentations.

Children have access to up to date technology in the form on laptops, interactive whiteboards, cameras, iPads and tablets. As well as the ICT suite, we have two laptop trolleys and a class set of tablets to enhance our computing experience. All children have supervised access to the internet.

E-Safety is one of our priorities. All children and parents are required to sign an acceptable use agreement. Safe use of the Internet Policy is available on request.

History fires children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world. Children consider how the past influences the present, what past societies were like, how these societies organised their politics, and what beliefs and cultures influenced people’s actions. As they do this, children develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. Children will develop skills, through researching, sifting through evidence and engaging in active discussion -skills that will prepare them for adult life. Through the course of their school life children will also make visits to museums and local historic sites as part of their studies.

Geography provokes and answers questions about the natural and human world. It develops knowledge of places and environments throughout the world, an understanding of maps, and a range of problem-solving and investigative skills both inside and outside the classroom. We hope to stimulate pupil’s interest in their surroundings and in the variety of physical and human conditions on the Earth’s surface. We wish to develop an informed concern about the environment. Field work is an important part of a child’s learning and children have plenty of opportunities to be involved in field work and experience residential trips in key stage two. Outdoor orienteering activities are enjoyed here, also encourage reinforcing geographical skills.

Children have the opportunity to work on different skills in Art including sketching, painting and sculpting. Across the school children have the opportunity to study the work of different artists and create work in different styles. We provide the children with a range of stimuli. We provide a range of media for the children to develop and extend their artistic skills in line drawing, colour, pattern and texture. Children’s work is proudly displayed throughout the school.

Design technology at Brierley gives all children the opportunity to acquire, reinforce and develop knowledge and practical skills. We have a variety of construction materials that will help children to design and make models and prototypes in both ‘free play’ and problem solving situations. The programme of work allows these techniques to be applied progressively as the children design, construct, evaluate and modify objects with a real purpose. These tasks are linked, where appropriate, to other areas of the curriculum.

We aim to develop skill, agility, co-ordination and confidence through physical activity both within the indoor and outdoor environment. They are encouraged to sustain energetic activity over a period of time and understand the effects of exercise. The children develop their skills and become increasingly able to plan, perform and evaluate what they do. We encourage a competitive spirit but recognise the value of cooperation with others. Pupils are often encouraged to take on leadership roles, in the form of coaches or officials. Year 3-6 children are involved in our swimming programme, which covers the National Curriculum Statutory requirements. This takes place at Crewe Lifestyle Centre swimming pool.

Music is an important part of the curriculum at our school. Children have regular music lessons which focus on different skills such as singing, composition and the history of music. During Key Stage 2 each class will have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument.

Every child is involved, be it by singing, drama, dance or instrumental playing in our Christmas performances, which take place in the Church.

Personal, social, health and economic education promotes pupils’ personal social and emotional development, as well as their health and well-being. It helps to give children the knowledge and skills they need to lead confident, healthy and independent lives. It aims to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. It gives children an understanding of the rights and responsibilities that are part of being a good citizen and introduces them to some of the principles of prudent financial planning and understanding.

Years 3 to 5 study French as a Modern Foreign Language whereas our current Year 6 class continue to study Spanish, having spent the previous three years learning the language. At Brierley, we recognise that learning a foreign language at a young age is fundamental to pupils’ preparation for further study of Modern Foreign Languages in secondary school, and, more broadly, for their participation in an increasingly diverse society and interconnected world. We hope to inspire a love of learning languages by connecting languages to real-life, practical contexts, and aim to develop pupils’ vocabulary through an engaging, thematic approach (e.g. ‘All About Me’, ‘Food and Shopping’) that develops pupils’ skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

We follow the Cheshire Syllabus for Religious Education and present Religious Education in a balanced way as part of the children’s learning experiences; utilising outside church leaders where possible. Multi-faith topics are introduced and taught from a non-biased perspective. Children are actively encouraged to share their faiths. Parents have a right to withdraw their children from Religious Education and from the daily act of collective worship if they wish to do so. Please discuss your views with the Headteacher in the first instance.