Curriculum Intent 

At Tylers Green First School our curriculum is planned to be developmental.  Key areas, such as phonics, maths and PSHE run as a thread through the school, with all year groups taking a similar approach to the planning and delivery of lessons. 

We ensure that learning is inclusive and the learning activities planned by the teachers can be adapted for pupils who need additional support or who have a disability.  We are also committed to challenging all pupils and stretching the more able through problem solving and challenge work. 

We are fully committed to meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage.   

Our curriculum intent is underpinned by our School values: 

Happy 

Child initiated planning in the EYFS means that children are able to lead their own learning and follow their interests.  The teachers plan the learning sessions around the children’s fascinations and interests.  Learning is brought to life by using fun, interactive resources, games, songs and activities. 

In Key Stage 1 the children follow the National Curriculum through topic based learning.  The topics are designed to interest the children and ensure that learning continues to be fun using as much hands-on learning as possible. 

Our topics have recently been updated to ensure that there is representation for our changing demographic of pupils in the authors and topics studied. 

Safe 

Our curriculum aims to teach the children the skills to keep themselves safe, whether this is learning to take risks safely den building and climbing trees in the woodland, or using tools safely in Design and Technology sessions. From Reception onwards we teach children self regualation to support their emotional safety and mental health wellbeing 

Our PSHE curriculum, Jigsaw, supports children developmentally as they move through the school.  Through the curriculum they learn how to keep themselves safe at school, in the community and online.safe relationships as part of the curriculum. 

Learning 

Our curriculum encourages children to find different ways to approach problems and tasks, with a focus on hands on learning as much as possible.   

Reasoning and problem solving  are encouraged through discussion and questioning. 

We have  designed the curriculum to promote independence and finding things out for themselves, including exploring independent thought.  The characteristics of effective learning in EYFS follow through into KS1 through children learning to self assess and think about how they are learning. 

We encourage our children to develop their independence by encouraging children to make mistakes taking away the fear of failure. 

Creative 

Our children sing, dance, create artwork, make films, write performance pieces such as poems and play scripts and express themselves in amazing ways.  Creativity is not restricted to the arts – the children are encouraged to problem solve in maths and science, and find different ways to prove things.  Our topic based and child initiated learning lends itself to children finding many different paths to reach their goals.  Our children participate in performances, assemblies and productions to audiences of their peers and to their parents. 

Play based learning is important for our children and is used as a way for children to consolidate their learning in topics.  This provides enrichment to our curriculum.  Our teachers see this as vital to learning so this has been explicitly added in to the curriculum in Years 1 and 2. 

Successful 

We are very proud of our children and the progress they make academically.  Our curriculum is designed to be ambitious and to challenge every child to reach their full potential.  Our children develop skills, knowledge and understanding through the curriculum.   

Small goals and successes are celebrated along the way and we make sure that every child is making good progress through regular assessments. 

Grading and success outside of school for example in Beavers, Rainbows or sports  is celebrated in assemblies. 

Praise and encouragement is provided for successes in perseverance and independence, teaching our children that success takes many different forms.