Curriculum Subjects

Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

Purpose of Study, Mathematics National Curriculum, 2014

Our aim at CJS is to ensure that our children are confident mathematicians who are able to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to all areas of the primary curriculum and to real life contexts.

Maths at Christchurch Junior School is delivered through an exciting and engaging curriculum, which is taught from Year 3 to Year 6. As a school we follow the ‘Maths No Problem’ programme. Within this, learning is presented in small-step, logical sequences organised into individual lessons with a title indicating the focus of learning for that lesson. The sequence of lessons is carefully organised with clear lines of progression. The lessons provide varied challenges, which are designed to deepen pupils’ understanding. As children progress through the school, children are taught number, calculation, shape, space and measures and statistics. Through a range of problem solving activities, children are given the opportunity to explain the methods that they use and verbalise their reasoning.

Children regularly practise core number facts and calculation skills in lessons and at home. Children, parents and teachers have a shared responsibility to ensure that all pupils leave Christchurch Junior School being more able and more confident in maths.

Teachers’ planning will be based on the core objectives for each half term of the year for their year group.

Click below to see a term-by-term guide to the core objectives for Maths planning.

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.

Purpose of Study, Science National Curriculum, 2014

At Christchurch Junior School, we deliver a high-quality science education which provides the foundations for understanding the world.

Science has changed our lives and plays an integral role in the world’s future. Through building up a body of key knowledge and concepts, our children are encouraged to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about the world they live in. They are taught to understand how science can be used to explain what is happening, predict what will happen and analyse what they have observed.

 

Intent

At CJS, our children are urged to constantly ask questions and where practicable answer them.

Through the National Curriculum for science we aim to develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. It is our intent that children will develop an understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through the different types of enquiry that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them. Children will move on to their next stage of education equipped with the both the conceptual and disciplinary scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

 

Implementation

Throughout their science learning at Christchurch Junior School, much of the conceptual content of the curriculum will be taught through the disciplinary ‘Working scientifically’ skills, which specifies the understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science for each year group. It should not be taught as a separate strand.

These types of scientific enquiry include: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations); and researching using secondary sources. Through these investigations, children seek answers to questions through collecting, analysing and presenting data. Children are encouraged to complete ‘child-led’ investigations in Year 5 and 6, while in Year 3 and 4 they are taught the skills needed for this.

Children’s science capital is enhanced through opportunities to further inspire their scientific development through school visitors and visits, such as Winchester Science Museum and Planetarium and opportunities such as the annual Science Fair, A Family science Evening and an Astronomy evening.

Planning for science is a process in which all teaching staff are involved. Delivering a broad and balanced science education to our children is a core principle of our school. All classes receive a minimum of one and a half hours science per week ideally 2 hours, of which a minimum of 50% of lessons overall include practical scientific enquiry (recommendation – 1 long afternoon lesson of 2 hours.). To better suit the needs of individual classes, units may have been moved between years or amalgamated, where appropriate. However, science is taught every half term throughout the school year.

 

The school ensures that a broad and balanced science curriculum is followed in which enquiry is at the heart of our children’s scientific learning.

 

Click to view Our Science Principles.

Click to view a Unit overview of  the topics covered in Science across the school:

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Impact

At Christchurch Junior School, children are involved in the process of self-improvement, recognising their achievements and acknowledging where they could improve. Many opportunities are provided throughout a unit of learning for the teachers to observe children’s knowledge, such as through questioning, listening to group discussion, observing presentations and through the written work produced. Activities during, and at the end of each topic record achievement and celebrate success. Continuous assessment of children’s work, much of which is informal is used to inform teaching throughout the school.

 

Throughout their journey at Christchurch Junior School, we aim for all children to develop a love for Science and a sense of wonder and amazement for the world in which they live. Science is in everything we do and all around us. We hope to plant the seeds for our future scientists.

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

Purpose of Study, Art National Curriculum, 2014

 

Art, craft and design in CJS will follow the new guidelines in the National Curriculum. It will engage all children and teach them to become familiar with and to use a wide range of techniques, materials and skills.

Throughout the four years children will become familiar with a range of artists, designers and architects, recognising different movements.

All children will have a sketchbook.  The sketch book will record a wide range of techniques and practises, including the use of colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.

 

Intent

The Art curriculum at CJS is designed to build an enthusiasm and love for and enjoyment of Art and Design. It will engage, inspire and challenge all pupils, allowing them to appreciate creativity as a fundamental part of learning. By promoting these values they will develop deeper spiritual, moral, social and cultural beliefs. We have developed a curriculum plan which maps out the art skills that will be taught to children in their time here. These skills will be transferable across the curriculum and thus develop passionate and creative learners who will have a desire to learn.

 

Implementation

At CJS the teaching of Art is taught by class teachers with the support of the Art subject leader. It ensures all pupils experience creativity through many different processes. The children revisit skills throughout their time here. They will build their love of Art and Design using Art journals, recording their journey and deeper passion for experimentation, reflection and implementation of skills. Through the teaching of arts weeks, pupils will experience expert teaching led by the arts leader. As pupils progress, they will be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They will also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

In accordance with the National Curriculum’s expectations, we ensure that all pupils:

• Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences
• Become proficient in drawing painting, sculpture and a range of art, craft and design techniques
• Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design
• Know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms

Click here to see a term-by-term overview of the topics and the key techniques and media to be covered in Art.

Click here to see an overview of pupil’s progression in knowledge and skills across Key Stage 2.

Impact

The teaching of Art in CJS will produce positive attitudes to learning. It will foster creative and imaginative ways to experiment, invent and create own works of art, craft and design. These skills will be derived from our whole school unit over view. Creativity and uniqueness will be celebrated as children exhibit both within school and at the Christchurch Priory, learning to share creativity to a wider community. By the end of Year 6 pupils will have developed the freedom to explore art using their imaginations and recorded their artistic processes through art journals. They will have embedded the key art and design skills needed to allow them to be creative and inventive artists.

Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils 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 acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they 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.

Purpose of Study, Design Technology National Curriculum, 2014

The DT curriculum at CJS

Design and technology at CJS will follow the new guidelines in the National Curriculum. It will inspire and encourage children to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. They will build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.

Throughout their four years at CJS children will learn a variety of skills and techniques such as how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce structures; understand and use mechanical systems; understand and use electrical systems in their products; how to apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products and to prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques. The children will also begin to learn and understand the seasonality of different foods.

A high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Purpose of Study, Geography National Curriculum, 2014

At Christchurch Junior School our Geography curriculum has been developed to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum, ensuring it is fully inclusive to every child. We aim for all children to develop an understanding of geographical concepts, knowledge and skills as well as a love for geography.

 

Intent

The Geography curriculum at CJS is broad and balanced. It aims to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people, encouraging pupils to be inquisitive, solve problems and develop a greater understanding of their world and their place in it. Many of the skills taught in our Geography lessons are transferable to other curriculum areas and can be used to promote children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

We aim to equip pupils with knowledge about places and people; natural resources; physical and human processes; formation and use of landscapes. This is achieved through different teaching methods, collecting and analysing data; using maps, globes, aerial photographs and digital mapping.

We want our children to enjoy and love learning about Geography, communicating learned information in a variety of ways both through experiences in the classroom and educational visits.

 

Implementation

At CJS we maintain high teaching standards in Geography and aim to implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Geography is taught in each year group through a variety of topics focusing on the knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. By blocking our topic units on a half-termly basis, we are able to fully submerse the children in the aspect of Geography they are studying, incorporating this into other subjects from Literacy and Maths to Art and PSHRE. We feel it is important for children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences in their learning.  To do this, we offer a number of off site visits, visitors and home learning projects to support our class based teaching of Geography.

Examples of this cross-curricular teaching and wider learning opportunities can be seen on each year group’s termly overview by following the link below:

Click here to see a term-by-term guide to the core objectives for Geography topics.

Click here to see an overview of pupil’s progression in knowledge and skills across Key Stage 2.

Impact

We want our children to gain an in-depth and coherent understanding of all aspects of Geography taught, whether these are the acquisition and development of geographical skills or the retention of key facts about the world around them; both of which are important for adult life.

Transferability of skills is key, not only within an educational institution, but also to harness the many opportunities that will arise in our learners’ lives. Therefore the impact and measure of this is to ensure that children at CJS are equipped with the geographical skills and knowledge that will prepare them to undertake new life experiences.

Throughout their time at CJS, pupils will (among other things):

• Produce models and designs linked to geographical processes
• Use computer technology such as PowerPoint to present facts they have researched
• Work collaboratively and/or independently to research and present learning based on different countries
• Take part in active fieldwork data collection offsite and relating to the local area
• Use geographical skills, such as map and compass reading in a real life situation.

A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. 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.

Purpose of Study, History National Curriculum, 2014

History at Christchurch Junior School will assist children to gain a valuable knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. The curriculum has been designed to fulfil the standards of the National Curriculum and ensure that it inspires and enthuses every child’s interest in the subject.

 

Intent

At Christchurch Junior School, we aim to create a History curriculum that develops children’s curiosity to know more about the past and explore ideas about people and events. Teaching will be guided by the Unit Overviews, showing clear guidance and aims for the children’s learning. Teaching will enable pupils to ask thoughtful questions, think critically about historical information and interpret evidence from a range of sources. History should help our pupils to understand the complexities of different groups, cultures and societies in the past both in Britain and the world. Therefore, the children will be able to reflect on their own identity and their place in history and why it’s so important to understand our past to help us better deal with challenges in the future.

Children will learn and hone many skills such as researching, analysing and interpreting. These skills, and more, can be used and applied across other subjects in the curriculum. Children will be taught through numerous mediums including; primary and secondary sources, maps, online technologies, school trips and educational events in and outside of the school.

It is our aim at CJS, to encourage children to become passionate about the past and to experience and explore both their own history and the world’s in an engaging and exciting environment.

 

Implementation

When studying history at CJS, the children will gain knowledge through high teaching standards that enable progression throughout their school career. Pupils will be given the tools to become good historians and have the chance to build upon their experiences and develop skills. This will be achieved through studying different topics in every year group that are linked to the National Curriculum. These will range from the Stone Age and Iron Age in Year 3, to the Ancient Greeks and Titanic in Year 6.

Using a range of teaching tools, themed topic days and trips to various historical localities, the children will be engaged in their learning. Topic days will range from a field trip to Cranborne Ancient Technology Centre in Year 3 and a Roman Museum visit in Year 4. Pupils will have the chance to participate in significant historical events such as The Holocaust Memorial Ceremony and Remembrance Day. By involving Christchurch Junior School in these important occasions, the children see the school as an important part in the wider community’s history.

In addition, history will not be taught as just a single, stand-alone subject but will filter into others in the curriculum. For example, children in Year 4 will be studying recounts and letters in English about the Roman city of Pompeii and children in Year 3 will be writing diary accounts about the day in the life of an Egyptian Pharaoh. History will also be linked to other subjects such as Art, where children will be given the opportunity in Year 5 to create propaganda artwork linked to World War Two. As well as this, children’s home learning projects enable them to showcase their engagement with history by creating projects that show independent learning. In Year 3, the children have the chance to show their home projects in an Egyptian Museum and Year 4 children create their own Roman shield to use in a Roman Army re-enactment.

By providing cross-curricular links across a child’s learning, every child has the opportunity to learn history in a variety of exciting ways and through numerous media.

Click here to see a term-by-term guide to the core objectives for History topics.

 

Impact

At CJS, teachers will provide children with the opportunity to show what they have learnt and how they have developed their knowledge and understanding of the history subject covered. This will be assessed, not by exam questioning, but through the opportunity for pupils to apply their subject knowledge to a task. This will be via a range of techniques such as hot seating, quizzes, presentations and reports. Tasks will be designed to address key skills that have been identified in the Unit Overviews. For example, in Year 5, after learning about the Blitz, the children will have the opportunity to write diaries, personal recounts and descriptions about their experiences. Monitoring of their writing will enable teaching staff to assess their understanding of the historical event. By applying these skills across a variety of tasks, children will be transferring their skills such as researching, analysis, and cooperation between peers.

Our aim for every child in CJS is to be engaged and enthused in their history learning and understand how their role in history can impact their future.

A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

Purpose of Study, ICT National Curriculum, 2014

 

Intent

At Christchurch Junior School we believe that computing is an essential and valuable part of the National Curriculum. Computing is an integral part of modern day life and therefore we provide a wealth of learning opportunities, within Computing lessons and also across other curriculum areas.

It is our intention to enable our pupils to find, explore, analyse and present information. We teach the skills necessary for our pupils to be able to use and present information in an effective and efficient manner.

Our school promotes E-Safety. Within assemblies, lessons and investigations upon concerns that arise from pupils using social media, we intend that our pupils understand how to be safe while online and how they should manage themselves while using the internet and social media.

Computing skills are a major factor in enabling pupils to be confident, creative and independent learners and it is our intention that our pupils have opportunities available to allow them to achieve this.

 

Implementation

At CJS we are fortunate to be equipped with a Computer suite, where every pupil has their weekly 1 hour Computing lesson. The curriculum is designed for pupils to learn new skills and build upon these skills throughout Yr3 to Yr6. We believe that pupils should be encouraged to use Computers independently and experience using a range of programs where their skills and knowledge can be transferred and continued into their future education and wider life experiences. We are fortunate to have a program called LanSchool which enables teachers to model and monitor their progress during Computing lessons.

 

The National Curriculum defines three clear aspects of computing curriculum: Computer Science (CS), Information Technology (IT) and Digital Literacy (DL). Pupils will be given the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding in each area from the Year 3 to Year 6.

 

At CJS pupils will, as the National Curriculum states:  design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts.  Pupils will be taught to understand computer networks, including the internet, and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration. They will search the web effectively, learn to appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content. Pupils will be taught to select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on laptops and computers to accomplish a given goal. They will use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable /unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

 

At CJS every year group uses the computer program called Scratch; this program enables pupils to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in computer programming. It is a programming language where pupils can create interactive programs such as stories, games, interactive quizzes and animations. As pupils create with Scratch, they learn to think creatively, work collaboratively and reason systematically.

 

E-Safety at CJS is taught during computing lessons. A widespread of topics are covered and consolidation of these topics occur throughout their CJS education. Each pupil has their own personal logon and saves their work in personal folders. This enables pupils and teachers to reflect upon their Computing achievements.

In addition to the Computer Suite, we have 4 trolleys of laptops which class teachers use to support other areas of the curriculum together with consolidating and implementing the skills they have learned during their Computing lessons.

Click here to see the Term by Term Computing Curriculum Overview

Click here to see the Key Skills Computing Curriculum Overview

 

Impact

Computing education at CJS is designed to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills to be independent, confident learners and users of computers. Pupils at CJS are positive about using computers and enjoy the experience. We envisage that pupils are able to choose appropriate programs to undertake tasks and use the tools effectively. They are able to connect with others responsibly and are competent, confident and creative users of technology.

Achievements of pupils computing knowledge, skills and understanding is reflected through the pupil’s ability to know, apply and understand the skills and processes specific to that unit. We assess the pupils through:

 

• Observing pupils at work during weekly computing sessions.
• Questioning the pupils in relation to their lesson focus, in order to assess their understanding.
• Setting tasks to reflect their level of understanding.
• Their personal folders which provides evidence for report writing and mastering the key elements of the curriculum.

 

Our pupils at CJS gain knowledge, understanding and skills from using a variety of Computing programs. Our aim is for the majority of our pupils to have the confidence to transfer and implement the computing skills and knowledge learned at CJS for tasks set in their future.

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high- quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.

Purpose of Study, Music National Curriculum, 2014

Our Music curriculum at CJS has been developed to fulfil the requirements of the National curriculum ensuring it is inclusive to every child. Music is a unique way of communication that can inspire and motivate children.

 

Intent

In CJS, music will follow the new guidelines in the National Curriculum. Children will be given the opportunities to play, perform, improvise, compose, record and listen to music. They will develop an understanding of the elements of music and how they can be incorporated into their own musical ideas. Children will explore different influences for their compositions and improvisations. All children will learn standard staff notation as well as other forms of graphic representation. Children will develop an understanding of the history of music as well as exploring music from a wide range of traditions and cultures. Over the four years, we look to develop and enhance their skills and inspire a love for music.

 

Implementation

At CJS, music is delivered by qualified music specialists. All children receive one hour per week of curriculum music in a purpose built, well-resourced music room. 2 practice rooms are available for small group rehearsal and for instrumental teaching. The music curriculum either links to year group topic areas or is delivered in discrete skills for music learning. Throughout the four years, children revisit, experiment and build on skills using a wide range of instrumentation available to them. Composing and improvising is undertaken individually and in small groups whilst performance could be as an individual, a small group or whole class. 

All children have the opportunity to learn and play a musical instrument during curriculum time.

All children in Year 3 learn to play the recorder and are introduced to reading standard notation.

Children in year 4 have a first access programme for 10 weeks delivered through Soundstorm where they learn rhythms as part of a samba band.

In Year 5, some children will have the opportunity to be part of a class concert band, learning to play a concert band instrument together. All children in Year 5 will also learn to play a Jumbie Jam as part of a group, reading and playing rhythms and tunes typical to the Caribbean.

Singing is an integral part of music and we encourage children to use their voices. They take part in a singing project with a specialist singing teacher in Year 5 with a view to taking part in a large scale performance.

We offer a broad choice of peripatetic teaching across the four year groups and a range of extra curricular activities for children to widen their musical experiences as well as to expand the most able.

 

Click here for a term by term overview of the topics covered in Music.

 

Impact

Throughout their time at CJS, children are offered many occasions to perform. All children will have the opportunity to perform in a recorder concert, a samba concert and a singing concert with other schools from Christchurch amongst other opportunities such as end of year shows, Christmas Carol service at the Priory and performing in our community.

Children are able to enjoy music, in as many ways as they choose- either as listener, creator or performer. 

There are many opportunities for the children to compose and improvise in small groups and these are recorded, either using graphic or standard notation, and recorded using technology.

We aim for children to have had a varied and wide experience of music in their time at CJS whilst instilling an enjoyment, appreciation and love for music.

A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.

Purpose of Study, PE National Curriculum 2014.

 

At Christchurch Junior School our Physical Education curriculum has been developed to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum, ensuring it is fully inclusive to every child.
We aim for all children to develop an active healthy lifestyle, delivered through physical education and sport.

 

Intent
A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.

 

Implementation

At CJS, we aim to inspire both boys and girls to engage in and enjoy physical activity as well as competitive sport. Children are taught the fundamental skills that underpin a range of sporting disciplines and given the opportunity to develop and apply these in context. The school provides each pupil with the opportunity to develop these fundamental skills in a range of settings and sports. Within the week each class with have a games lesson, which will focus more on teaching specific sports as a tool to develop healthy people. Each class is also scheduled for one PE lesson, which provides pupils with specialist Gymnastics and Dance teaching, as well as other aspects of physical education.  Classes in Years 3 and 4 are all timetabled for 15 swimming lessons over the two years (30 minutes) at a local sports centre.  In addition to this our school provides a wide extra-curricular offer of sporting clubs, including dance, hockey, football, gymnastics, and a Change4Life Club.

Click here to see a term by term guide to our PE units.

 

Impact

The school has a strong healthy lifestyle and physically active ethos. We would expect our children to learn about the benefits of physical activity and sport and why it is a fundamentally important aspect of everyday life.

By the end of their time at CJS, children will have learnt the importance of working as part of a team. They will have gained a good core stability through a series of Gymnastic movements and holding balances. Every pupils will have gained the experience of learning to swim with a range of strokes. Pupils will understand the rules of sports such as; football, handball, hockey, netball and many more.

Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an important and necessary part of all pupils’ education. All schools should teach PSHE, drawing on good practice, and this expectation is outlined in the introduction to the proposed new national curriculum.

PSHE is a non-statutory subject. To allow teachers the flexibility to deliver high-quality PSHE we consider it unnecessary to provide new standardised frameworks or programmes of study. PSHE can encompass many areas of study. Teachers are best placed to understand the needs of their pupils and do not need additional central prescription.

However, while we believe that it is for schools to tailor their local PSHE programme to reflect the needs of their pupils, we expect schools to use their PSHE education programme to equip pupils with a sound understanding of risk and with the knowledge and skills necessary to make safe and informed decisions

National Curriculum Guidance, 2014

 

Intent

Our PSHE curriculum is broad and balanced, with the aim that all children will be ‘lifelong learners’ with the confidence and ability to develop their skills and understanding when having new experiences, meeting new challenges and finding themselves in unfamiliar situations.  We believe that PSHE education develops the qualities and attributes students need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.  Our curriculum reinforces core British values and the also the principles upheld in our own “CJS Charter” which is the basis of our behavioural expectations.

 

Implementation

At Christchurch Junior School, we maintain high teaching standards in PSHE and aim to implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Therefore, we have adopted the mindful approach to PSHE using the Jigsaw programme. This is an integrated scheme of whole school learning for Personal, Social, and Heath Education with an emphasis on emotional literacy, mental health, and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development.

PSHE is taught in the same sequence, throughout the whole school, during weekly whole class Jigsaw lessons led by the class teacher and focusing on different topics each term. Jigsaw consists of six Puzzles (half-term units of work) containing six Pieces (lessons) for each academic year. Every Piece has two Learning Intentions, one specific to PSHE outcomes and the other designed to develop emotional literacy and social skills.

The themes covered below (known as the six Puzzles in Jigsaw) are designed to progress in sequence:

 

Autumn 1: Being Me in My World

Autumn 2: Celebrating Difference (including anti-bullying)

Spring 1: Dreams and Goals

Spring 2: Healthy Me

Summer 1: Relationships

Summer 2: Changing Me

We pride ourselves on our whole school events and activities e.g.

• An active School Council;
• Year 6 pupils acting as Peer Mediators to resolve friendship problems;
• Fundraising events for Children In Need, Christchurch Macmillan Unit etc

 

Impact

We feel it is important for children to make excellent progress not only academically, but to also enhance and support their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.

Through the teaching of PSHE, it gives children the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need to stay healthy and safe, develop worthwhile relationships, respect differences, develop independence and responsibility, and make the most of their own abilities and those of others. Additionally, children will come to appreciate difference and diversity. The teaching of our PSHE curriculum and of British values, as well as the school’s own Charter, all play a crucial part in the ethos of our school.

In Religious Education we aim to develop children’s own spiritual knowledge and understanding. We encourage the children to learn from religion as well as about religion.

At CJS the importance of R.E. as a subject in its own right and in the contributions it makes to promoting ‘the spiritual, moral, cultural, social, mental and physical development of pupils and of society’ is recognised and therefore R.E. is taught discreetly; but links are made with units of study in other subjects, especially Geography, Art and History.

 

Intent

The Religious Education (RE) curriculum at Christchurch Junior School is broad, balanced and creative. We believe RE should provoke challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality. It should enable children to contemplate issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. We believe RE is a thought provoking subject, encouraging pupils to be inquisitive and to develop a greater understanding of their own sense of identity and belonging. RE also encourages pupils to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions while respecting their own beliefs and those of their families.

We aim for children to experience an enquiry based approach to RE where children can speak confidently about beliefs and values and their own insights gained from it.

 

Implementation

At CJS, we maintain high teaching standards in RE and aim to implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. We use a scheme called Discovery RE which adopts a creative enquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. Each enquiry based topic has a ‘Big Question.’ Children have to apply their knowledge and understanding of what they have learnt to answer this question using their critical thinking skills.

Children are taught an RE lesson once a week by their class teacher.  We expect lessons to include opportunities for children to ask questions, discuss topics and to record their findings in different ways.  Sometimes we will invite visitors into school to enrich the learning.  Christianity is taught in every year group, with Christmas and Easter given new treatment each year developing the learning in a progressive way. One other key principle faith is taught per year group. These include: Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. Humanist perspectives are added when appropriate in some enquiries.

We feel it is important that children are able to have the freedom to freely express their ideas and opinions during RE discussions.

 

Click here to see a term by term overview of the R.E. topics in our school.

 

Impact

We want our children to be able to consider their own spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the teaching of RE. We also expect children to express their own opinions and ideas about RE. Showing an understanding for others with different views is important to us.  We expect children to learn key facts and values of major world religions, and to develop a tolerance and respect for different faiths and cultures (in line with our promotion of British Values and also in line with our regular assemblies).

Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.

Purpose of Study, Languages National Curriculum, 2014

 

At Christchurch Junior School, we believe that learning a language provides an opening to other cultures and offers an insight into the wider world around us.

 

Intent

Our MFL approach has the aim of igniting children’s curiosity about languages and cultures outside of their own. We believe that encouraging children to express their thoughts and feelings in another language and to understand diverse cultures and traditions helps children develop the tolerance and respect for others so important in our British Values. Languages and communication are vital in our increasingly connected world and we aim to equip our children with the skills and knowledge required to thrive.

 

Implementation

At CJS we are very fortunate to have a Secondary School Languages Teacher delivering all of our MFL. Each class receives 30 minutes explicit MFL teaching per week which not only provides them with expert tuition, but also prepares them to embrace languages as they move through their education.

Two languages are taught at CJS:

• In Year 3, all four classes learn French.
• From Year 4 to Year 6, children will either continue to learn French or will move to Spanish. The language they learn in Year 4 is the one they will continue to learn for the remainder of their journey with us. In Years 4 and 5 children are taught whole class. After class splits in Year 6, they will form Spanish or French groups for their lessons.

 

In addition to our explicit language teaching, we believe that MFL should be embedded in our school practices and community. As such, we endeavour to maximise opportunities for children to be exposed to Spanish and French language and culture through cross curricular lessons, (for example, comparing Religious Festivals in the countries of study) daily use of MFL in classrooms (for example common greetings, simple classroom commands and counting) and visible vocabulary and prompts.

 

Impact

Our aim is for our children to develop a deep and lasting curiosity for diverse languages and cultures. We hope the skills and knowledge gained at CJS are just the starting points of their MFL journey and that they inspire them to explore and gain an understanding of their world and its people.

 

 

Click here for a year by year guide to the key objectives and knowledge taught.