“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.“ Dr Seuss
At St Michael's we want our curriculum to whisper to our
children: “You belong in this world. All this
came before you and one day you too might add to it.”
Our intent for our school curriculum:
Our school curriculum includes the national curriculum.
We want the children of St Michael’s to engage in a learning journey that will teach them to be curious and resilient learners, with a growth mindset, who are willing to try new things, learn from their mistakes and reflect on their learning. By making the learning memorable, we broaden children’s experiences and help them to grow into independent, confident and ambitious young people, who can make sense of the world around them and who play their part in making a positive contribution to the world they live in.
We have a knowledge rich curriculum, underpinned by our belief that knowledge is important in its own right and that knowledge is there for the taking. Our curriculum acts as a vehicle for building what the children need to know, but it also acts as a tool with which the children can better shape their school experience, their relationships with others and the future world they will inhabit. We want the children to deepen their understanding of the world and build up their knowledge over time, as we understand that knowledge is 'sticky', in other words, the more children know the easier it is for them to know more. We make use of knowledge organisers (KO) to ensure children know exactly which information is expected to be learned over the course of their study in a particular subject.
Our bespoke 'Knowledge Organisers' include:
The Knowledge Organisers give the children an overview of the content, it gives them ownership over their learning, it teaches them how to organise information in a systematic way and by using the knowledge organisers in a collaborative way, children learn 'how to learn', for example by teaching each other the facts through 'quiz, quiz, trade'.
Food for thought
• A good curriculum should lead to good
results. However, good examination results don’t always
mean that the pupil received a rich and full knowledge from
the curriculum. Tests are by-products, not end products.
• Our focus should not be on the content to
be delivered, but the recipient. Teaching is about being
attentive to the conditions and needs of those recipients.
• If we want the children to understand how
life works, then we should teach them that their present
choices have future consequences.
• The curriculum acts as a vehicle for
building what it is children need to know, but also a tool
with which they can better shape their school experience,
their relationship with others and the future world they will
inhabit.
“For everyone well-being is a journey. The secret is committing to that journey and taking those first steps with hope and belief in yourself.”
1. Health and well-being
2. Being safe in the school and beyond the school gate
3. Relationships
4. Living in the wider world
Within these themes, the lessons include discussions about British Values, global citizenship, personal safety, health and mental well-being.
See Collective Worship overview
See our BMS (Body, Mind & Spirit) overview“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book." Dr Seuss
English sits at the heart of the primary curriculum and at St Michael’s we value our children’s right to be literate and to enjoy literature. We teach the children to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and be able to listen and respond when others communicate with them. Reading in particular, helps children to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Reading not only enables pupils to acquire knowledge but develops knowledge, as it helps the children to build on what they already know.
All the skills of language are essential to fully participate as a member of society and therefore we aim to equip our pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, as well as develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.
Phonics
We follow a structured and systematic approach to teaching phonics. In Early Years and Key Stage 1, phonics lessons are planned and taught by using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Programme, accredited by the DfE.
Spelling
We follow a structured spelling scheme in Key Stage 2. A spelling rule is introduced at the beginning of each week. The children practise their spellings for the week by writing these words in the daily handwriting sessions, using the ‘Quiz, Quiz, Trade’ strategy, and revising at home. At the end of the week, the learning is assessed by a spelling test and dictation.
Punctuation, grammar and handwriting:
A consistently high standard of joined up handwriting and neat presentation are promoted across the whole school, which all children and staff recognise, understand and follow. In Reception, letter formations are taught alongside phonics and once the children have learned their letter formation and sounds, joined up handwriting is encouraged. From Year 1 onwards, all classes begin the day with handwriting practice. Grammar and punctuation learning opportunities are weaved into the literacy lessons, but also taught discreetly at times.
Writing
Writing is taught through the ‘Talk for Writing’ (T4W) approach, which gives the children the opportunity to learn quality texts off by heart so that they can internalise and embed rich language, sentence structures and vocabulary and build upon these skills every year. This approach also helps the children to learn key story plot patterns, which makes it easier for them to generate their own stories because they know where the story is going. As a result of this approach, the children can focus on their vocabulary choices, structuring their sentences, punctuation and making sure they include essential grammar elements so that their writing makes sense. A range of fiction and non-fiction genres are taught, as well as poetry, to ensure children are aware of the features of different text types. Once children have imitated a quality text, they move to the independent application - planning and producing their own writing. Alan Peat’s ‘exciting sentences’ are taught as a writing strategy in our aim to meet the expectations set out in the national curriculum. This approach equips the children with a bank of varied sentences, as well as punctuation used in context.
Reading
To develop their reading skills in Early Years, a structured phonics approach is embedded and every child receives 1:1 reading opportunities. In Year 1 and Year 2, daily guided reading sessions are held, with a focus on word reading and comprehension. We implement a whole class reading approach in the Spring Term in Year 2, with similar features as in Key Stage 2. From Year 3 upwards, reading is taught using a whole class teaching approach. In dedicated reading slots, the teachers use a range of strategies to aid comprehension and encourage reading with meaning. The sessions incorporate whole class modelling prior to the children applying these skills through partner and independent work. The children are frequently reminded that to be a good reader, they should read each day. Therefore, in addition to the dedicated teaching of reading, opportunities for ‘reading for pleasure’ are built into the timetable and children are always encouraged to read at home.
Click here to see the checklists we are using in Reading and Writing to track how well children are doing against age-related expectations:
“Maths may not teach me how to add love or subtract hate, but it gives me every reason to hope that every problem has a solution” Albert Einstein
At St Michael’s, we believe that a high quality education in Maths not only provides vital tools for understanding the world around us, but also helps develop broader problem solving skills. It also stimulates a curiosity that allows children to thrive in all areas of their learning.
Maths is all around us - we use maths skills and capabilities every day, from estimating and making calculated choices, telling time, handling money to following a recipe and measuring accurately. Everyone requires some level of specific mathematics knowledge! In most professions a sound understanding of maths is a key requirement and the stronger it is, the better the individual is able to perform in their role. The children of St Michael's are encouraged to develop their mathematical understanding to its full potential to prepare them for their future in the world.
To ensure we embed the fundamentals in Maths, we start our Maths lessons with ‘CLIC', which is an approach to embed basic number skills appropriate for each child's age. These skills focus on Counting, recall (Learn its), making connections (It’s nothing new) and Calculation strategies. Through learning these basic number skills, children develop their mathematical fluency and competency and as a result they have greater freedom to explore more complicated mathematical concepts through problem solving and reasoning.
Our whole class teaching is aligned to the National Curriculum and follows our whole school Maths overview, focusing on Mastery, number fluency and flexibility. Our resources are drawn from the Mastery teaching guides (pedagogy) and the White Rose maths scheme of work.
At the centre of the maths mastery approach is the belief that all children have the potential to succeed, with all children given the opportunity to develop a deep and lasting understanding of mathematical procedures and concepts. A child with maths mastery can represent a mathematical concept or skill in multiple ways, use precise mathematical language to communicate their ideas and independently apply a concept to new problems in different situations.
To this end we use concrete and pictorial models and representations to enable children to understand the structure behind the maths they are taught, engage fully as a learner by reasoning and making connections and demonstrate their thinking and understanding confidently. Our Calculation policy details the calculations, models and representations children are continuously exposed to as part of their learning. Children are encouraged to use stem sentences and jottings to verbalise and develop their ideas. We encourage children to learn from mistakes and develop the values of perseverance and resilience. Maths is an excellent opportunity to develop collaborative working and effective communication.
“All religions, cultures, and beliefs deserve the same amount of respect, even if they are different from your own.” “If you are unable to love and respect someone because they don’t believe as you do, maybe you need to have another look at what it is that you believe in.”
Religious Education plays an important role in reflecting and conveying the distinctively Christian character of the school. With the school’s vision 'for every child to live an abundant life', the child’s sense of own identity and worth as well as their personal beliefs and values are developed through the teaching of RE. Embedding core values will help the children to make reasoned and informed responses to life issues and moral choices. The RE curriculum helps children to develop both knowledge and understanding of Christianity as well as the other major world religions, including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. We want to give the children a platform to develop deeper thinking and reflect on truth, belief and faith. Religious Education is also an opportunity to foster children’s feelings of awe, wonder, joy and mystery and to extend their natural curiosity in God’s world.
Expectations in RE - information to follow soon
“Science is simply common sense at its best” Thomas Huxley
Our Science curriculum covers the three main areas of learning as set out in the national curriculum: life & living processes (biology); materials (chemistry) and physical processes (physics). We want to give the children the opportunity to explore for themselves and therefore much of our science learning is undertaken through investigations.
We have designed a knowledge organiser for each unit of study, which gives the children and teachers the 'bigger picture' of the topic they are learning about.
Content of learning in Science:
Y1: Everyday materials; Animals, including humans; Plants; Seasonal changes
Y2: Living things and habitats; Use of everyday materials; Plants & animals, including humans
Y3: Light; Rocks; Forces and magnets; Plants & animals, including humans
Y4: Electricity; Sound; States of matter; Animals including humans; Living things and their habitats
Y5: Forces; Earth & Space; Properties of changing materials; Animals including humans; Flowering plants (living things and habitats)
Y6: Light; Electricity; Evolution & inheritance; Animals including humans; Living things & habitats
We start each unit with a diagnostic assessment, which gives teachers an idea of where the children are in their learning and what prior knowledge they have. Our bespoke knowledge organisers sets out what we want the children to know by heart by the end of the unit of study. We expect the majority of children to be able to recall many, if not all, of the key facts.
At the end of the unit we assess the children's knowledge and understanding in relation to the content of learning.
Through their learning about the range of topics in Science and developing their scientific knowledge, the children of St Michael's have the opportunity to develop a strong set of skills in working scientifically. These skills are developed throughout the year and throughout the key stages by building upon previous skills.
See Science skills expectations by year group.
“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.” George Orwell
“People without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”
To develop children's knowledge and understanding of Britain's past and that of the wider world, we deliver our History curriculum through topics. With the topics we have chosen, we aim to inspire children's curiosity to know more about life beyond their living memory and equip them to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement. We also make make meaningful links to other subjects.
Content of learning in History:
We have designed a knowledge organiser for each unit of study, which gives the children and teachers the 'bigger picture' of the topic they are learning about.
We want our children to leave St Michael's with an understanding of how their lives are effected by the events of the past; a knowledge of the sequence of key events; an understanding of historical concepts; an ability to question sources and accounts and an enjoyment of history.
Our bespoke knowledge organisers sets out what we want the children to know by heart by the end of the topic. We expect the majority of children to be able to recall many, if not all, of the key facts. At the end of each unit we use a 'pop quiz' to assess the children's knowledge and understanding in relation to the content of learning.
“I began studying geography because I wanted to learn more about the world I live in.”Alice Hyde
“It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it.” Isaiah 45:12
Geography is more than learning about maps; it is the study of places, landscapes, environments and people - and how they have affected each other over time to become what it is today.
We teach Geography to develop a better world view – it helps the children to gain an appreciation for the world that goes beyond the borders that they live within and develops their understanding that they are part of a global community.
We want to
“The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It’s about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it’s about using all that knowledge to help build bridges and bring people together.” Barack Obama
To develop children's knowledge and understanding of locational knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical geography and geographical skills and fieldwork, we deliver our Geography curriculum through topics. With our chosen topics, we aim to inspire children's curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. The children are also encouraged to reflect on the key question, weaved throughout the topics, of 'How can we improve the quality of people's lives?'
Content of learning in Geography:
We have designed a knowledge organiser for each unit of study, which gives the children and teachers the 'bigger picture' of the topic they are learning about.
We want our children to leave St Michael's 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. We want to educate our children to know how
to improve their life chance and the quality of people's
lives.
Our bespoke knowledge organisers sets out what we want
the children to know by heart by the end of the
topic. We expect the majority of children to be
able to recall many, if not all, of the key
facts. At the end of each unit we use a 'pop
quiz' to assess the children's knowledge and
understanding in relation to the content of learning.
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live”. Jim Roh
‘Physical Fitness is not only one of the most important keys to healthy body, but it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity’ John.F.Kennedy
We teach PE to encourage children to become actively involved in sports as well as to recognise the benefits of health and fitness. Physical Education gives us the perfect chance to build on children’s ability to be part of a team and additionally to support the building of individual character. Physical Education is also the ideal opportunity to solidify our school rule of respect as children learn the values of fairness and respect within sport.
An opportunity to succeed and excel in competitive sport , learn how to deal with the highs and lows of winning and losing is also a reason for teaching PE. It is of great importance to s that children experience the enjoyment of PE and how it can help us to feel good about ourselves , consequently gaining skills that last a lifetime.
Lessons involve a range of team work predominately in houses -led by House Captains in upper juniors-paired work and some individual activities.
At St Michael's we are committed to provide opportunities to learn to swim. Swimming is the only sport which can save a child's life... drowning is still one of the most common causes for accidental death in children, so being able to swim is an essential life-saving skill. Swimming also keeps children's heart and lungs healthy, improves strength and flexibility and it increases stamina, balance and posture. Another great thing about swimming, other than the fact that it is lots of fun, is that children of any age or ability can take part in this form of exercise. (Currently we have suspended swimming due to CV-19 restrictions).
Click here to see more information about our 'Walk-a-Mile' initiative.
Click here to see more information about our PE and Sports Premium funding
At St Michael's we want children to succeed and excel in physical activities as well as competitive sport. Children are encouraged to join school sport's clubs and signposted to clubs outside of school. In Physical Education (PE) we focus on making sure that all the children are active and engaged throughout the lesson. Our varied programme includes:
We are committed to the national expectations that all children learn to swim at least 25m and therefore Year 3, Year 4 and Year 5 children visit our local swimming pool each week, all year long. The children have the opportunity to develop their skills and confidence during these years.
St Michael's is part of a network of schools and teams which attend sports tournaments where we compete against others. Children of all ages compete in multi-skills tournaments, football, cricket and sports-hall athletics.
The highlight of the year is the Sports Day which is held at The Bridge in the Summer Term. This is a chance for the children to take part in fun events as well as to show off their skills in both field and track events. Parents, carers and family members are encouraged to come and watch their children compete at this lovely sporting event.
In PE, the children will develop fundamental movement skills and are encouraged to become increasingly competent and confident in their physical abilities, agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. Further on in the school pupils continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways , find ways to to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They will be taught to communicate, collaborate and compete with each other. The children will evaluate and recognise their own success.
Click here to see progression in multi-skills (Autumn I)
Click here to see progression in dance skills (Autumn II)
Click here to see progression in gymnastics skills
(Spring I)
Progression in invasion games (Spring II) to follow
Progression in net games (Summer I) to follow
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” Scott Adams
Autumn Term
Spring Term
Summer Term
We expect our children to make informed judgements, aesthetic and practical decisions. We want them to explore ideas and meanings through the work of artists and designers. By experiencing appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts, we want to enrich their lives.
The skills we are focusing on in art this year are drawing, painting, 3D work (sculpture) and printmaking. Click on the link to see the progress drives for each skills:
Printmaking skills progression
Design & Technology progression in
skills
“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” Victor Hugo
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity – it is a key part of our lives and therefore we recognise its value at St Michael’s. We believe it offers children something that is emotional, imaginative and fun.
We also teach music to:
In addition to our weekly singing assemblies, drumming lessons in KS2, guitar lessons and Christmas and Summer performances, we also have weekly music lessons.
This year we introduced the Music Express scheme of work, which is matched to the National Curriculum objectives.
Click here to see an overview of our music scheme
We believe music can play an important part in
spiritual development - music 'instructs the mind,
inspires the emotions and challenges the will'
and therefore music is an integral part of our
Collective Worship. During Collective Worship,
children have the opportunity to listen to a range of
beautiful songs and they also take part in singing
songs, which our children have said to be a 'very
uplifting' experience.
“Whether you want to uncover the secrets of the universe, or you just want to purse a career in the 21st century, basic computer programming is an essential skill to learn.” Stephen Hawking
We are very excited about our new class set of i-pads we have just purchased! We are looking forward sharing with you the learning of computing on our blog, so watch this space.
We teach the National Curriculum and we have organised the content of learning as follows:
Autumn Term - Online Safety & internet
Spring Term - Computer Skills
Summer Term: Programming
The objectives for each unit of study are outlined on
our STM computing overview document
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart." (Nelson Mandela)
There are many good reasons for learning a second language; research has proven the cognitive benefits, such as memory improvement and longer attention span. Also, learning a foreign language provides an opening to other cultures and a high quality language education will help to foster pupils' curiosity; deepen their understanding of the world and develop their respect for people from different cultures, lifestyles and customs. The world is forever changing and learning a second language could potentially improve an individual's employment prospects. More companies than ever are managing business in several countries around the world, but they are unable to do this without hiring globally-minded people able to speak at least one foreign language. If an individual makes the effort to learn another language, rather than expecting the world to accommodate their own language, then it shows the ability of that individual to adapt and cope to different situations as well as to have a wider interest about things.
At St Michael's, we have chosen Spanish as the modern foreign language that we teach in Key Stage 2. Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world and it is the native language for 460 million people in the world. With Spain being a popular destination when travelling, it makes it a relevant language to learn for the children growing up in Britain. It will also allow them a head start in Secondary School. In addition to Spanish, the children in Key Stage 1 are also exposed to the foreign language of Italian, as we have a teacher from the Italian Embassy visiting the school once a week.
Spanish:
At St Michael's we use quality resources to support the teachers with the teaching and delivery of lessons. We do our best for the lessons to be enjoyable and fun, so that the children develop a positive attitude to learning a Foreign Language.
Italian:
We have an Italian teacher, from the Italian Embassy, exposing our younger children (Reception and Key Stage 1) to Italian.
Teachers assess children's progress informally during the lessons. They evaluate progress against the national attainment targets of:
1. Listening & responding
2. Speaking; Reading & responding
3. Writing
“Relationships are like birds, if you hold tightly they die, if you hold loosely they fly, but if you hold with care they remain with you forever...”
Health & Relationship Education (HRE) is a lifelong learning process of acquiring information, developing skills and forming positive beliefs and attitudes about sex, sexuality, relationships and feelings. Parents/carers have a major responsibility to help children cope with the physical and emotional aspects of growing up, however, the intent of the school is to support parents in this task. We believe effective HRE could make a significant contribution to the development of the personal skills needed by pupils if they are to establish and maintain healthy relationships. It also enables young people to make responsible and informed decisions about their health and well-being. Consistent with the Church School ethos, we base the teaching of HRE on the premise that all life is from God and we are created in the image of God. We are called to love, as God is love.
Currently our HRE curriculum is weaved into our Body, Mind and Spirit Curriculum... see overview
A revised HRE curriculum is currently being developed,
in consultation with parents, to be implemented Summer
2021.
“Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s the same, but you leave them all over everything you do.”
Even though the world is changing, the values that children need to develop do not really change over time - it is the application of these values that changes. ‘Values’ are the long-term underlying principles used in deciding what is right and wrong, good or bad and helps children learn and practice healthy attitudes and behaviour, such as respect, trust and resilience. Our values education underpins everything we do and encourages the children to make a positive contribution to the development of a fair, just and civil society.
Our one school rule is respect. We expect children to demonstrate the value of respect by respecting themselves and their learning, respecting their peers, respecting the staff and community, respecting the school environment and ultimately respecting God. In addition to the value of respect, the school has adopted 6 further key values we actively teach and promote - love, hope, peace, joy, trust and resilience.
We teach the British Values to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, democratic, tolerant, responsible and respectful individuals who make a positive difference to British society and to the diverse world we live in. We encourage our children to be creative and open-minded, respectful of themselves and of others in our school, our local community and the wider world.
"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning." Mr Rogers
The EYFS curriculum into prime and specific areas
with the prime areas forming the foundation of all
learning that follows.
The prime areas of learning are:-
The activities and experiences offered in the Early Years
are designed to enhance the all round development of the
children and help them to make sense of the world. The
children have a mixture of discrete learning time and free
flow activities, with plenty of opportunities for
challenge. The discrete learning time is planned
from a vibrant curriculum and tailored to the needs of the
child. In the free flow areas there are adult-led
activities, which are linked to the development matters.
Throughout their time at St Michael’s, the children will
learn through active and investigative play both inside
and out. Through this the children explore and develop
learning experiences, which they practise and build up
ideas and learn how to control themselves and understand
the need for rules. They have the opportunity to think
creatively alongside other children as well as on their
own. They communicate with others as they investigate and
solve problems, making and testing predictions and they
develop an understanding of and respect for the needs and
emotions of others.
The children in Reception have free access to our outdoor
environment for most of their session, whatever the
weather. We have embraced the Swedish saying; “there is no
such thing as bad weather…just bad clothing” and encourage
children and families to dress appropriately for the
changeable British weather. We plan for the
children’s learning outside in the same way that we plan
for the indoor learning experiences, drawing on the
children’s interests in order to really excite and
motivate them.
Emotional Development: We aim to help all the
children become more adaptable and confident. We want them
to believe in themselves and their own abilities and to
develop a growth mindset where if they can’t do something,
it just means they can’t do it yet. We know that
high self-esteem and confidence within the children is a
very important key to success. We know that the
relationship we build with children and parents is an
essential part of this and that is why, in addition to the
daily contact and communication, we also have ‘Stay &
Play’ opportunities for parents. The induction of families
into school is also managed carefully. The process
includes an induction meeting at school, as well as a home
visit - prior to children starting in Reception.
Social Development: This is a very important
area. It includes being socially aware of the needs of
others, e.g. sharing and being fair, reasoning out
disagreements rather than using physical measures,
co-operating with others, forming relationships with other
children and adults, and helping to care for God’s nature.
The beginnings of independence are fostered in the
children, by encouraging them to cope with their own
clothing, cleanliness and toileting needs. This idea of
doing as much as possible by themselves encourages them to
be aware of the needs of others too e.g. an older or more
able child helping a younger less able child. Another
aspect of social development is that the children are
encouraged to leave a piece of equipment, or an activity
as they would wish to find it. They are also encouraged
generally to help with the preparation and clearing away
of activities, and everyone helps at “tidying up time”!
Children tidy – adults support! At St Michael’ we
are very proud of our buddy system, which plays an
important role in helping the younger children to feel
safe and cared for, whilst the older children feel valued
and respected. At the beginning of each year, every
Reception child gets paired with a Year 6 child and over
the year they have many opportunities to develop that
relationship, for example the Year 6 children accompany
their buddies for their ‘Walk a Mile’. The buddy
system give children the opportunity to practise the
important values of respect, valuing difference,
responsibility, friendship and it contributes to the
caring ethos in the school.
Physical Development :
This is a crucial area in the children’s development, as
many children learn best through physically active play.
We plan activities inside and out that will develop the
children’s coordination, balance, control and movement.
Activities that will raise their confidence and ability to
take safe, manageable risks and that will help the
children to feel the positive benefits of being healthy
and active. Outside the children will develop confidence
in climbing, balancing, running, skipping, maneuvering and
steering etc. They will also develop body co-ordination
and spatial awareness. The fine motor skills necessary for
controlling tools and manipulating objects are developed
through construction toys, cutting, threading, sewing,
woodwork and cookery experiences as well as through
tactile materials like dough and clay. Communication,
Language and Literacy Development
Communication, Language and Literacy:
We want our children to become healthy, independent, reflective and responsible members of society, who will make a positive contribution in the wider world. Our fully planned and resourced 'Let's Talk' program develops the children's knowledge and skills which they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. The children have the opportunity to learn how to stay safe and healthy, build successful relationships and develop the attributes they need to prepare them for life and work in modern Britain.
The specific areas include essential skills and knowledge for children to participate successfully in society. They grow out of the prime areas, and provide important contexts for learning.
The specific areas are:
The children's days are filled with ample, quality learning opportunities at St Michael's. Therefore, when children go home, we would like them to be active and have time to play in the garden/park, participate in sport and socialise with friends (... and preferably not via a video game!). However, it is also important that children develop skills in using their time wisely and extend their learning beyond the school gate. Home learning improves children’s thinking, memory and study skills which will serve them well in secondary school and throughout their life.
In addition to daily reading and termly projects, here are the weekly home learning expectations that we have at St Michael’s: