At Summerville Primary School, we aim to make every day full of wonder, excitement, challenge and fun, equipping today’s children for tomorrow’s world.

The aim of the curriculum at Summerville Primary School is to provide the knowledge and skills needed for our pupils to develop as independent, confident, successful learners with high aspirations, who know how to make a positive contribution to their community and the wider society.

Our curriculum has been designed so that it:

• is relevant and useful, enabling children to develop sustainable skills and knowledge for life in the 21st century;
• is based on current research around cognitive learning;
• develops children’s moral, spiritual, social and cultural understanding alongside physical development, well-being and mental health;
• provides a highly inclusive environment where learners enjoy their education and pupils at all levels are helped to achieve their potential;
• develops critical, creative, philosophical thinkers who have something to think and talk about;
• takes into account the context of the school, our community and the local area;
• promotes diversity and reflect our commitment that ‘there are no outsiders here’;
• develops kind, brave, humanitarian, active members of the school, local, national and global community;
• recognises that development of reading and vocabulary is essential so that children can access all learning and read well enough to question and challenge what is written in publications, social media, online and in the press. We will develop proficient readers who love literature and read widely, crossing the gateway into knowledge that has been set down for us in print;
• at all times endorses high expectations, quality support and challenge to motivate children to produce their best work;
• nurtures and challenges children, teaching them essential life skills so that they can and will look after themselves, others and the planet;
• provides our children with wider experiences, adventures and an insight into a range of culture so that as young people and later as adults, they believe they can join in with all that life offers, transcending social boundaries.

In our curriculum, the development of knowledge, skills and understanding is carefully planned to ensure coverage and progression through a 3D curriculum. This is structured in a way that makes remembering inevitable. From EYFS to Year 6, the children revisit content and skills, building on what has been taught before to ensure learning is transferred to pupils’ long-term memory. Subject leaders play a crucial part in the success of the curriculum by sequencing, planning, monitoring and evaluating the knowledge and skills that are built upon across school in their subject and between other subjects.

Our curriculum provides pupils with memorable experiences, in addition to diverse and rich opportunities from which children can learn and develop a range of transferable skills. The children's own community, its heritage and traditions are frequently used as a starting point for engaging interest. A primary focus of our curriculum is to raise aspirations, engender a sense of personal pride in achievement, and provide a purpose and relevance for learning.

We actively promote British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs to prepare our pupils for life in modern day Britain. We also provide opportunities for our pupils to learn about the contribution of Britons to innovation, excellence and changes in the world.

The school provides the full core offer of extended school provision. To promote physical health and wellbeing, a range of clubs gives learners an opportunity to access a wide variety of sports clubs and activities after school hours and during lunch times.

Curriculum Implementation

Our curriculum which has been designed by our subject leaders and SLT is based on the EYFS Framework and the National Curriculum, which can be found by clicking the relevant links on this page.

The National Curriculum document shows the statutory objectives for the knowledge, skills and understanding that we teach at Summerville Primary School from Year 1 to Year 6. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught using the EYFS framework with an emphasis on developing key skills, knowledge and understanding through direct teaching and structured continuous provision.

At Summerville, we want to define our curriculum more widely than just statutory requirements alone, reflecting our context and vision. We offer a broad, balanced curriculum for all our learners which is carefully sequenced and designed with knowledge, creativity and life skills at its heart. We want the children to learn about a wide range of subjects and develop a wide range of skills. Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and children are encouraged to read widely and regularly to ensure that they develop a strong vocabulary base and understanding of the world.

Cognitive Research
Our curriculum promotes long-term learning and we believe that progress means knowing more and remembering more. We have designed a curriculum built on current cognitive research regarding how memory works to ensure that children not only have access to 'the best that has been thought and said', but are taught this in a way that ensures they can remember the curriculum content in future years. We make use of knowledge organisers (which are sent home regularly) to ensure children know exactly which information is expected to be learned over the course of their study in a particular subject. We also revisit and reinforce key knowledge, prior learning, skills and concepts to ensure children securely grasp what they learn.

One of the central aims of the curriculum at Summerville is to ensure that our pupils are both "interesting and interested". We want them to be 'interesting' to talk to, because they know a great deal about the world and 'interested' in finding out more. We understand that knowledge is 'sticky', in other words, the more pupils know the easier it is for them to know more. This is why we place particular emphasis on children knowing by heart and building rich webs of knowledge as they progress through the curriculum. Then they are able to make connections and develop their own schema as they move through school.

Planning
All our units of work have been carefully planned by the subject leaders to ensure full curriculum coverage and progression within units, within year groups and throughout the school. The subject leaders have also made the explicit links within and between subjects and included these in the medium term plans so teachers can share them with the children.

Quality First Teaching
At Summerville we provide high quality, inclusive teaching for all our pupils and all our staff have the highest possible expectations for the children. Teachers are expected to impart knowledge accurately and with enthusiasm and take into account prior knowledge and build upon this in a systematic way.

Each lesson has clear, concise learning objectives and the children will be supported in a variety of ways so that everyone can achieve their potential. Teachers are highly skilled in how they explain, model and question the pupils to move the learning on.

We expect that children will develop resilience and accept responsibility for their own learning and work independently.

Assessment
Assessment for learning is continuous throughout the planning, teaching and learning cycle.

Assessment may be formative or summative and is supported by use of the following strategies:

• observing children at work, individually, in pairs, in a group and in class during whole class teaching;
• using differentiated, open-ended questions that require children to explain and unpick their understanding;
• providing effective feedback during the lesson and through marking;
• providing opportunities for self-assessment;
• using retrieval activities to establish prior knowledge;
• end of unit mini quizzes;
• diagnostic testing to identify gaps in learning;
• use of more formal standardised assessments including PIRA and PiXL termly tests;
• moderation and monitoring of written work, to evaluate the range and balance of work and to ensure that tasks meet the needs of different learners.

Interventions
In some subjects, individuals and groups who are not making sufficient progress are identified and provision for a suitable intervention is mapped according to need which will allow the child/children to progress. Detailed plans are put into place and the intervention evaluated and adjusted if necessary.

Monitoring
The subject leader will be responsible for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in their subject. They will regularly undertake book scrutinies, lesson observations/learning walks and review and improve units that have been taught.

Pupil and Staff Voice
We regularly conduct pupil and staff voice questionnaires to seek views on our curriculum and identify areas in which we could improve.

Parental Involvement
Parents will be given opportunities to support and be involved in pupils’ learning at Summerville through our open door policy, parents’ evenings and regular communication and publication of information electronically.

Balance of our curriculum
Balance in the curriculum is about the amount of time dedicated to each curriculum area and how it is used. At Summerville, we have allocated time for each subject in order to meet statutory requirements. Consideration has been given to the frequency of subjects taught and whether some subjects can be taught in blocks.

Curriculum Impact

As a result of our curriculum, all children will make at least good progress from their starting points. By the time the children leave Year 6, they will be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world. We want the children to have thoroughly enjoyed learning about their world and have a secure grasp of reading, writing and mathematics. They will be confident and motivated learners ready for the next stage of their education.

The children will demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding across a wide range of subjects and state that they have enjoyed their time at Summerville Primary School, have fond memories and a platform to confidently access opportunities in the future.

Evidence of work will show that the National Curriculum has been met and a wide range of topics covered. Standards will be high and the quality of learning in the foundation subjects will match the standards in the core subjects such as English and maths.

Early Years Foundation Stage

Our children in Nursery and Reception are taught using the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework. This government document sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old and ensures they learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.

The EYFS framework outlines seven areas of learning and development and educational programmes. There are three prime areas of learning, which are particularly important for children’s development and future learning:

Communication and Language
Personal, social and emotional development
Physical Development

There are four specific areas of learning, through which the prime areas are strengthened and applied:

Maths
Literacy
Understanding the World
Expressive arts and design

Three characteristics of learning are also fostered to enable the best development in every child. These are:

Playing and exploring
Active Learning
Creating and Thinking Critically

The EYFS framework identifies the essential role of play in children’s development including child-led play and play guided by an adult. This play based learning develops confidence and relationships with others, extends vocabulary and develops communication skills.

In our EYFS Unit, we provide a curriculum which:

is carefully planned by the teachers and covers all areas of the curriculum, with opportunities to learn inside and outside, pursuing self-initiated and adult directed activities;
allows the children to learn through play sometimes for extended periods;
provides activities which allow children to explore, be active learners, be creative and think critically;
encourages children to take responsibility for their learning;
is planned weekly, taking into account the children’s' interests;
meets the diverse learning needs of all the children;
respects the cultural differences of all children and communities.
is dependent on practitioners and parent/carers working together;
ensures all children feel secure and confident;
builds on what children already know and can do and takes them to the next steps
uses varied approaches and teaching methods.

Click on the links to find out more information about the EYFS curriculum.

Key Stage 1 & 2

In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 we follow the National Curriculum. We focus on English and mathematics as the foundations for all learning and these lessons are taught every day. The skills learnt in these lessons are then applied across the curriculum.

Lessons in geography, history, art, design technology, science, computing, religious education, music, physical education and Spanish (KS2) are taught as discrete lessons.

Sports coaches support teachers in the delivery of PE lessons.

We follow the Salford Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. Copies of the RE curriculum can be provided to parents/carers through the school office. Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from RE lessons.

We ensure the curriculum is creative, exciting and fun. Out of school visits and enrichment activities are an integral part of our curriculum and these are carefully mapped into our yearly teaching programme.

Click on the links to find out more about the National Curriculum at Summerville Primary School.

Click on the links below to see the progression from the EYFS framework to the National Curriculum in Y1

Inclusion and SEND

We provide a curriculum that is successfully adapted, designed and developed for pupils with special educational needs, disadvantaged backgrounds and/or disabilities and that challenges the more able children. We recognise the fact that children have different abilities and at Summerville we teach the full curriculum to all children, whatever their ability. We provide suitable learning opportunities for them by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child and removing any potential barriers. We achieve this by:

• setting common tasks, which are open ended and can have a variety of responses;
• setting tasks of increasing difficulty with some children not expected to complete all the tasks;
• grouping children by ability and setting different tasks to each ability group;
• providing resources of different complexity according to the ability of the child;
• challenging more able children;
• supporting children with EAL;
• using learning support assistants to support the work of individual children or groups of children.

Teachers will plan lessons so that pupils with SEN and/or disabilities can study every National Curriculum subject, wherever possible, and ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving.

Teachers will also take account of the needs of pupils whose first language is not English. Lessons will be planned so that teaching opportunities help pupils to develop their English, and to support pupils to take part in all subjects.

Further information can be found in our statement of equality information and objectives, and in our SEN policy and information report. At Summerville Primary School, we are committed to providing a teaching environment which ensures all children are provided with the same learning opportunities regardless of social class, gender, culture, race, special educational need or disability.

P4C (Philosophy for Children)

We teach P4C across the school. P4C is an approach to learning that was founded by Professor Matthew Lipman. P4C has developed over 35 years and is practises in approximately 60 countries.

In P4C children are taught how to create their own philosophical questions. They then choose one question that is the focus of a philosophical enquiry, or dialogue. For example the question might be 'is it ever okay to steal?'

The teacher as a facilitator, supports the children in their thinking, reasoning and questioning, as well as the way children speak and listen to each other in the dialogue. After the enquiry the children and facilitator reflect on the quality of their thinking, reasoning and participation, and suggest how they could improve, either as individuals or as a group (community).

No Outsiders

We are proud to be a 'No Outsiders' school which teach children about the Equalities Act through story books. The aims of this initiative are:

To promote equality of opportunity
To teach children about the Equality Act 2010
Create a positive culture in the school where all groups of people are welcome
To teach children to be comfortable in their own skin while recognising and celebrating difference and diversity in others
Reduce vulnerability to radicalisation and extremism
Prepare children to contribute to society and life in Britain as they grow up

If parents and carers would like to know more about our curriculum please contact Miss Jordan through the school office.

Our vision for Art

We believe that through art at Summerville we will aim to nurture and build creativity. Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. Art will help the children lose themselves and find themselves in a creative way. Our high-quality art education will engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art. They will gain a deeper understanding of colour, a design process and the thought that goes into creating a unique piece of art through various mediums. Every pupil will achieve in art.

Our vision for Computing

We believe that through computing, our children will gain the confidence and ability they need to prepare them for the challenge of a rapidly changing and developing technological world. We aim to use ICT to enhance and extend the children’s learning across the whole curriculum, whilst developing computational thinking skills, which are vital in enabling children to solve problems, design systems and understand the capability and restrictions of human and machine intelligence.

Our vision for MFL

We believe that learning a modern foreign language provides an opening into other cultures and deepens the children’s understanding of the world. We want them to develop a genuine interest and curiosity about the wider world acquiring knowledge about the language, culture and traditions of Spanish speaking countries.

Our vision for Design and Technology

Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. At Summerville Primary School we plan interesting, creative and motivating projects within a range of contexts. Pupils identify, appreciate and develop an understanding of the contribution that innovative design and technological advancements have in the shaping of our world. We also apply the iterative process of design and making to food technology and cooking healthy meals.

Using creativity and imagination, Summerville pupils will design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, geography, computing and art. Pupils will learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they will develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

Pupils will be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.

Our vision for English

We believe that some of the most transformative skills that we can develop in our children are having the confidence and ability to communicate their feelings and ideas and exploring those of others. Through developing their reading, writing and oracy skills, children will be able to critically explore the world around them, create and explore imagined worlds, develop empathy and have the skills which will enable them to contribute and participate fully as adults in their communities.

Our vision for Maths

At Summerville Primary School we recognise the beauty and wonder of maths and the significant contribution maths makes to everyday life. Mathematics is a universal language that enables us to understand the world. Beyond the study of numbers, shapes and patterns, it also provides important tools for work in fields such as engineering, physics, architecture, medicine and business. It nurtures the development of a logical and methodical mindset, as well helping to develop focus and the ability to solve problems.

Maths is a creative and highly interconnected and has developed over time. It is essential to science, technology and engineering and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment.

At Summerville Primary School, we:

Foster a positive attitude to maths and believe that, ‘everyone can do maths’.
Teach and practice the fundamentals of maths to develop greater recall and fluency
Solve problems using different approaches and explain our reasoning.
Use a concrete, pictorial, abstract, (CPA) approach to maximise conceptual understanding and expose mathematical structures
Apply our skills and knowledge in other areas of the curriculum.

Our aim is to develop deep maths mastery; where pupils can apply their skills efficiently in a variety of contexts and explain why they chose a particular approach.

Our vision for Geography

We believe that through geography our children will develop a fascination and curiosity about the world around them that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. As geographers, they will acquire a detailed knowledge of the people, places and environments that shape our world. This geographical knowledge will help the children to explain the physical features of the world they live in, how they are interconnected and how humans have shaped and changed the land over time.

Our vision for History

At Summerville we believe history is a valued part of our curriculum which allows our children to gain knowledge and understanding of the past in Britain and in the wider world. History is about real people who lived, and real events which happened in the past. History is concerned with sequence, time and chronology and is the study of evidence about the past; it gives us a sense of identity, set within our social, political, cultural and economic relationships.

History fires the children’s curiosity about the past and plays an essential part in preparing us for living and working in the contemporary world. As historians, pupils 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. Our history curriculum will equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement – skills which are prized in adult life.

History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

Our vision for P4C

We believe that through P4C our children will grow in confidence in expressing themselves and develop higher order thinking skills which will benefit them for the rest of their lives. As they engage in enquiries, they will develop skills in active listening (caring thinking), learn how to respond to and build on the ideas of others (collaborative thinking), learn how to respectfully interrogate the ideas of others (critical thinking) and develop skills in making links between different ideas (creative thinking).

Our vision for PSHE

Through our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) curriculum we want to equip our children with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives now and in the future. We want them to become more independent, form healthy relationships, manage their feelings & emotions and stay healthy and safe. We want them to develop into well-rounded individuals who have self-confidence, are motivated to learn and be active and responsible citizens.

We want to prepare our children for the future by encouraging the development of characteristics for life such as a love of learning, resilience, integrity, team work, critical thinking and independence. We want to prepare them for the world of work and support them in developing enterprise skills and financial awareness.

Our vision for RE

At Summerville we believe that R.E offers children opportunities to develop and understand their own position and beliefs and in turn appreciate the beliefs of others.

Through the programme of study, the children will develop an understanding and knowledge of the principal religions around the world and will learn how these beliefs, values and traditions of influence individuals and communities. Pupils are encouraged to reflect upon these aspects of human life and the natural world, which raise questions of ultimate meaning or purpose, and to recognise the spiritual dimension of experience.

We also believe that religious education plays a major part in the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of every pupil in the school. They will develop positive attitudes of respect towards other people who hold views and beliefs different to their own; they will embrace living in a society of diverse religions and beliefs.

Our vision for Science

Science is the understanding of the world around us. Through learning facts and testing ideas we seek to develop enquiring minds who can find answers to their own exploratory questions.
In line with the National Curriculum, we aim to ensure all children develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding, develop an understanding of nature, and are equipped with knowledge of scientific procedures to test and answer scientific questions about the universe we live in.

By working scientifically, we intend to explore and demonstrate how the world functions. We will observe changes, find patterns, group and classify, conduct fair tests and research using secondary sources. The children will be encouraged to draw conclusions using their scientific knowledge and evidence to explain their findings.

In our science learning, we inspire and encourage curiosity through understanding so that our confident, independent learners can make sense of the world.

Our vision for PE

‘A real education has to give equal weight to the arts, the humanities, to physical education’ (Sir Ken Robinson, Ted talk, May 2013).

At Summerville we believe that this balance and range of opportunity underpins everything we plan and deliver. Since the beginning of the human species there has always been a need to move and be active but as time has gone bye, and technological advances have been made, there has been an increase in sedentary lifestyles and the associated health problems. There is strong and consistent evidence that doing regular, moderate-intensity physical activity provides a range of physical, intellectual and emotional benefits for everyone. At our school we recognise the importance of being fit and agile and the effect it has on a child’s health and wellbeing, their ability to learn effectively and achieve in school. As a healthy school we want to promote participation in sport and physical activity and believe we have an important role in partnership with the family and wider community in promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. Information on our PE curriculum, extra-curricular activities and how we use our Schools Sports Premium Funding can be found on our website.

We also aim to increase enjoyment and participation in sport and physical activity for all pupils.

PUPIL INVOLVEMENT AT SUMMERVILLE PRIMARY SCHOOL
At Summerville Primary School, we actively engage pupils in the life of the school, so that they have a voice and a role to play in its development. These roles can give children influence and an increased choice over the provision we offer. It also helps empower them, giving a sense of self efficacy, which in turn raises self-esteem. This is important for all children.

Pupil participation is one of the ways our school promotes the values of tolerance of others, mutual respect and enables children to begin to explore democracy, the rule of law and individual liberty enabling them to become active responsible citizens.

SCHOOL COUNCIL
Children have an official voice in the school through the School Council. Each class (Y2-Y6) has 2 elected representatives who bring issues arising from class discussion to the School Council meetings. The children organise and run the meetings, but an adult is in attendance to support them and to communicate issues to staff.

The School Council allows our children to learn about citizenship and democracy, while also having a real impact on decision making in the school. Some examples of the work of the School Council include: sponsorship event which raised over £1300 for school fund and the NSPCC, review of the Behaviour Policy, organisation of a litter picking event to enhance the school grounds and local area and an Easter Egg Raffle.

DIGITAL LEADERS
The Digital Leaders programme coaches a number of selected students across school to be online safety experts. Under the guidance of the Computing Subject Leader, they are responsible for delivering class based and assembly activities and raising online safety awareness for the whole school community, including teachers, parents and governors. The work the Digital Leaders do has a huge impact in improving behaviour, safeguarding and reducing online safety issues.

SUBJECT AMBASSADORS
We are currently in the process of appointing ‘History Ambassadors’ and 'Science Ambassadors' to work closely with the Subject Leaders on the development of the history and science curriculum. Their role is to support the subject leader to improve the standards, raise the levels of attainment and progress and ensure that all of the children Summerville Primary School have the opportunity to achieve well in this subject. They undertake learning walks, book scrutinies, pupil interviews and planning meetings with the subject leader to decide next steps.
We’re hoping that after a successful start with history and science, we can extend this to other subjects.

ANTI-BULLYING AMBASSADORS
Our Anti- Bullying Ambassadors are a team of children from Y4-Y6 who work closely with our Learning Mentor to tackle bullying within school. After their initial training from the Diana Award, they work together as a team to raise awareness of bullying, address any issues and find ways to prevent it.

Examples of their work so far include delivering class assemblies and activities during Anti-Bullying Week, producing a child friendly anti-bullying policy and organising a LGBTQ+ Colour Run Funday.

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