St Stephen's Infant School

St Stephen's Infant School

SSIS invests love and care in all we do

Welcome to

St Stephen's Infant School

  1. Learning
  2. Curriculum

Please visit our Class Pages to see our curriculum in action!

 St. Stephen's Infant SCHOOL 

Curriculum Statement of Intent

 

At St Stephen’s Infant School our curriculum has been designed with our pupils at the centre. We consider the school’s local context by addressing typical gaps in pupils’ skills and knowledge through our curriculum plans. The National Curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage inform the statutory content of our curriculum, in addition we ensure that learning goes beyond this by providing experiences and opportunities that give children the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We use our Elli characters to help children to understand and develop the key skills needed to be effective learners.

 

We hold the same ambition for all pupils. Appropriate scaffolding and support are carefully planned for children with SEND and disadvantaged children in order that they achieve well from their individual starting points. Our curriculum is intended to challenge children so that learning becomes embedded and expertise within subjects is developed. Subject leaders work with teachers to make sure that curriculum end points are clear and the small steps needed to reach them are sequenced coherently. Key themes and concepts have been identified by subject leaders so that they can be revisited at intervals in order to help pupils retain learning in the long-term memory.

 

As an infant school we recognise that early reading is fundamental to children’s educational success, therefore high-quality phonics teaching and the opportunity to read and listen to carefully chosen books underpins our curriculum.

 

 

 Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 

The EYFS is based upon four principles:

  • A Unique Child – developing resilient, capable, confident and self-assured individuals.
  • Positive Relationships – supporting the children in becoming strong and independent.
  • Enabling Environments – where opportunities and experiences respond to the individual needs of the child by developing a strong partnership between practitioners, parent/carers/carers and the child.
  • Learning and Developing – An acknowledgement that children learn in different ways and at different rates

 

The seven areas of the EYFS curriculum aim to promote the development of the 'whole child': 

Three Prime areas: Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social & Emotional Development. 

Four Specific areas: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts & Design.

 

Planning Learning in EYFS

Teaching staff adhere to the EYFS principles by planning for a balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning opportunities.

Assessment is ongoing and is conducted through observations and talking with children, these may be recorded in each child's individual 'Learning Journey.'  

Learning opportunities are planned for through play, in order for children to work towards their ‘next steps’ in learning.  Planning ensures learning opportunities which are both  Life-long learning skills (the characteristics of effective learning) and attitudes (linked to Elli characters) are developed through whole class teaching, guided group sessions and child-led learning.  These are;

  • playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’;
  • active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements; and
  • creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

(Taken from statutory framework for the EYFS 2021)

 

Please click here for our reception curriculum 2023-24

 Key Stage 1 Curriculum

We use the National Curriculum and the children's interests and ideas as starting points for planning learning in Key Stage 1. (KS1) We employ a termly topic-based approach to planning. KS1 teaching staff maximise cross-curricular links between English, Maths, Science, Computing, RE, PE and the Foundation Subjects to plan engaging learning opportunities for the children.

'Our diverse and engaging curriculum promotes outdoor play, curiosity, creativity and independent learning.' [SSIS Vision Statement]

Topic learning allows us to utilise an area of interest to channel children's natural curiosity, creativity and enthusiasm.

Our Key Stage 1 curriculum is mapped alongside the National Curriculum to ensure subject coverage and breadth.

The National Curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens.

It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

The National Curriculum is just one element in the education of every child. There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the National Curriculum specifications.

The National Curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.

We complement the statutory curriculum requirements with specific St Stephen's Infant School content/provision. Our curriculum needs to meet the needs and reflect the interests of our children in our context.

Consequently the SSIS Curriculum is always evolving and focussed on ensuring we maximise positive outcomes for the children in all areas of learning.

 

Please click here to see our curriculum overview

 

Please see below for our Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural, Relationships, Sex

Education/Personal Development Overview.