St Elizabeth School
RE
LITERACY
MATHS
science
humanities
RJED
PSHCE
music
COMPUTING
PE
CREATIVE ART & DESIGN
LANGUAGES
If you would like to find out more about the curriculum at St Elizabeth, please contact us via our general contact form, email school@st-elizabeth.uk or message your child’s Class Teacher on ClassDojo.
At St Elizabeth, we strive to provide opportunities and encourage participation and sportsmanship, whilst promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. Pupils achieve best when they get the opportunity to put into practise what they have been taught. Our P.E lessons always have an opportunity for pupils to practise skills and build on what they can already do. We believe in developing skill prior to implementing it in sport. For example, during our Hockey lessons, the PE Coach would demonstrate the skill then the pupils have ample time to practise it in groups or with their partner.
The effectiveness of the teaching and learning is evident as we build upon the skills previously taught to the pupils. There is a structure to the lesson sequence whereby prior learning is always considered and opportunities for revision and practise are built into lessons.
The ‘blocking’ strategy allows the topics to be broken down into smaller steps. Guidance is given to teachers, including key questions, to ensure discussions in class have an impact. The topics are taught at a slower pace so all children can achieve. There are also opportunities for combining fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. The strongest element of teaching and learning is the pitch of work – as teachers differentiate according to the level of pupils; they provide work that is Developing, Secure or Greater Depth. We use the White Rose scheme to guide our lessons – providing appropriate scaffolding to pupils within the sequence of steps. We follow the Calculation Policy to ensure there is a progression of skills.
We highlight the non-negotiables within the small steps of the White Rose curriculum and use the Assessment Guidance to judge if that pupil is ‘Emerging’, ‘Developing’, ‘Secure’ or ‘Greater Depth’ within that objective. We input our judgements onto the Ongoing Assessment Grids and use this to identify gaps within pupils’ learning or the whole class’ learning. We also use the White Rose End of Block and End of Term assessments as a guide. If pupils do not meet the objective, they will be targeted in an intervention group the following term. There is also time for consolidation at the end of each term and the year. We moderate each term to ensure staff are confident with their judgements.
Music is incorporated daily throughout the school across the curriculum.
Music learning entails:
– Listening to music from a variety of periods, genres and countries.
– Singing and exploring sounds
– Percussion (Djembe Drumming)
– Strings (Violin & Cello)
– Wind (Recorder)
Through learning these instruments, our pupils develop and improve music skills and perform during various events throughout the academic year. Music lessons follow the programs of study created by THAMES (Tower Hamlets Arts + Education Services). Our pupils also have the opportunity to attend extra-curricular music tuition as well as scholarship towards music awards.
Our Science curriculum teaches skills through lines of enquiry and investigation to stimulate creative thought and an understanding of natural phenomena through the disciplines of chemistry, physics and biology. Progression within these areas is developed through a variety of topics from Year 1 to Year 6.
Our Science Principles:
Ø Science lessons are practical and hands on
Ø Pupils will be encouraged to ask questions that they can investigate and answer themselves
Ø Science learning is child led
Ø Science lessons are relatable and relevant where pupils are enthusiastic, motivated and fully engaged in developing their Science Skills
Ø Science lessons are linked to other curriculum subjects
At St Elizabeth Catholic Primary School, we want to give children an education of the highest standard. We believe that providing pupils with a well-balanced, enriching and engaging Literacy curriculum will aid them in developing into becoming confident speakers, listeners, readers and writers, preparing them for life in the 21st century and beyond.
Writing
Our aim is to provide a rich variety of engaging, cross-curricular writing opportunities which are meaningful and relevant to the children. Writing is incorporated in all areas of our curriculum with an emphasis on writing for a real purpose. EYFS and KS1 pupils follow Pie Corbett’s ‘Talk for Writing’ approach. KS2 pupils follow Jane Considine’s ‘The Write Stuff’ approach.
As a school, we will deliver a broad, rich and deep literacy curriculum that considers the needs of all pupils in the context of our school covering Fiction; Non-Fiction and Poetry genres.
Grammar
Grammar is taught within each Literacy lesson. This is to ensure that grammar concepts are taught within context. Punctuation is also taught within each Literacy lesson. The punctuation for each year group will be covered throughout the year as a ‘learning chunk’.
Spellings
Spellings will be taught following ‘The Spelling Book’ approach, by Jane Considine in Years 2-6.
Handwriting
Handwriting should be taught via the weekly spellings using a modified Handwriting scheme.
Reading
Throughout the school, teachers use different strategies to improve the fluency of reading. This includes the teacher reading to the class.
KS1 follow the ‘Guided Reading’ approach. KS2 follow the ‘Whole Class Reading’ approach. Each session focuses on one of the Reading Domains (or VIPERS – vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval, summarising and sequencing), incorporating a breadth of texts – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, songs and picture books.
Phonics
At St Elizabeth Catholic Primary School, we follow the ‘Tower Hamlets Education Partnership Phonics Programme”. This phonics scheme is taught from EYFS-Year 2.
Humanities: History and Geography.
History
History ignites our children’s imaginations, interests and inquisitiveness about people, events and places in the past.
We hope to stimulate and challenge the children with the dilemmas, choices and beliefs of the people of the past: would they have made the same choices? We use a range of media to increase the children’s interest and knowledge of history each year.
Geography
Geography inspires and activates an interest in and a sense of wonder about places, peoples and their environments and the often complex relationships between these. The study of geography helps our children make sense of a very complicated and rapidly changing world. We build on the children’s geographical knowledge and skills year-by-year.
We aim to help children grow into curious, confident and reflective language learners and to provide them with a foundation that will equip them for further language studies.
At St Elizabeth, we incorporate Racial Justice, Equality andDiversity (RJED) across our curriculum. Our pupils thoroughly enjoy learning about different people, past and present, the challenges they face and achievements they have made throughout their lives.
RJED – Racial Justice Equality & Diversity: Our commitment:
Be visible and show support. Decolonise the curriculum. Representation matters.