(Curriculum Page 2)
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EARLY YEARS
The Early Years provision at Catcott School provides a secure continuation of the foundation stage which young children will have begun in their pre-school setting. Well planned play and a well organised environment give children rich and stimulating experiences. In our reception class the play structure of child-initiated and adult guided activities allows learning to take place with enjoyment and challenge. Our reception curriculum follows the six foundation stage areas with particular emphasis on personal, social and emotional development, phonics and numeracy. We are proud of our reception classroom which is bright and well equipped and has a low level interactive whiteboard. There is an outside play area which is used to extend the learning environment and provides a secure area for our children when they start school.
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LITERACY
In Literacy at Catcott Primary School, pupils develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing, enabling them to express themselves and to communicate with others effectively. Throughout the school, Literacy is taught as part of the National Literacy Strategy. During the daily Literacy Hour, pupils experience activities such as whole class reading or writing, work focusing on phonics, spelling and grammar. As well as working as a whole class they work independently or as part of a group with the teacher or teaching assistant.
The skills acquired during Literacy lessons are applied across the curriculum. For example, writing evaluations in Design Technology, writing and sending e-mails during ICT, interviewing members of the community as part of a History topic on Britain since the 1930's and using the Library to research. Each year at Catcott Primary, we have a 'Book Week' and in the past children have been involved in activities such as writing to authors of favourite books and dressing up as well known characters from their favourite books. Speaking and listening skills are developed in many ways including through drama and children have plenty of opportunities during class drama sessions and in school productions.
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NUMERACY
We recognise that Numeracy is an essential life skill and that without the basic Numeracy skills, children will be disadvantaged throughout life.
Maths teaching is organised around the National Numeracy Strategy and the Hamilton Trust although natural links with other curricular areas are exploited as opportunities arise. All children experience a daily Numeracy lesson, which emphasises mental and oral skills as well as aspects of Number, Shape and Space. Written calculations in the early years are kept to a minimum where teaching concentrates on a sound understanding of concepts. The school uses the Wave 3 strategy to give extra support to children as necessary for confidence and consolidation.
Numeracy lessons are practical, interactive sessions where children learn in whole class, group and individual situations. Work matched to the Numeracy is consolidated through games, practical activities and investigations linked to real life situations. Children of all abilities are supported in their learning by Teaching Assistants under the supervision of the class teacher. The school's ICT suite is time tabled weekly for Numeracy lessons with each class when the children use interactive Maths resources and games to enhance their Maths learning. |
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SCIENCE
Children study Science at Catcott School to develop an understanding of themselves, their local environment and the world beyond. Through exploration and investigation, the children's understanding of the physical, chemical and biological aspects of the world is increased.
At Catcott School, we encourage science to stimulate and excite pupil's curiosity about phenomena and events in the world around them. The importance of science is emphasised in specially organised Science Week Events Time is devoted to children trying out many practical activities and challenges around the school including shadow puppets, bubble making, chromatography, using the digital microscope in the ICT suite and many more activities.
The school has a good selection of science resources for teaching all aspects of the science curriculum. ICT is incorporated in to science for data handling and interpretation of investigation results, using temperature, light and sound sensors and in sorting activities as well as computer digital microscopes.
The new school environmental area with pond is a valuable resource for researching and observing pond life, minibeasts, plants, habitats and is used by all classes. |
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GEOGRAPHY
At Catcott School Geography is delivered through a wide range of topics which meet the National Curriculum requirements. The children develop a sense of place beginning with an understanding of the locality of the school, its relationship to the village and the area in which they live and gradually developing a global awareness. Links are made between Geography and other curriculum subjects such as Literacy, Numeracy and ICT and even P.E.
Many different field trips are organised and we now have an exciting link with Zululu School in Kenya and China School which has developed the children's geographical awareness of these very different locations.
Technology in the shape of the school's digital cameras is used for instant photographic resources. Digital Mapping Services have provided us with laminated local maps centred on the school and detailed maps of our local villages and the city of Wells. We use Ordnance Survey maps in our study of 'Struay' and the pack of Tocuaro resources from the Geographical Association. We enjoy studying the quality of the attractive local environment.
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HISTORY
History is delivered through a wide range of topics and the children develop a sense of identity through learning about the development of Britain, Europe and the world. This enables them to understand how the past has shaped the present. Links are frequently made between History and other curriculum subjects such as Literacy, Art, Geography and ICT.
The school draws on our historically-rich locality to provide resources which are relevant to the children's experiences, including study of local buildings, surrounding villages and other places such as the reconstructed Iron Age huts at Westhay.
We have dressed in Roman togas, Greek robes and Victorian schoolwear and spent whole days in another era. Visits to local museums, to National trust houses and to exhibitions help us with our enquiry into the past and we invite local 'experts' to share their experiences of, for example, being an evacuee in World War II or the finding of the wonderful Roman silver treasure hoard just a couple of miles away. The children have many opportunities to question, listen, observe and analyse. They walk the footpaths to Shapwick House to study the ways buildings and villages can change over a period of time. They travel to Bristol to experience a voyage on the 'Matthew' and to study the achievements of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Recent visiting theatre companies have engaged us in dramas about Brunel, the Suffragette movement and the war-torn 1940s.
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