Our Curriculum

Establishing high standards of pupil achievement in English is a priority at The Bythams. The National Curriculum provides the main direction for the English provision offered at the school. Within lessons, pupils receive direct teaching of reading, writing, spelling, and speaking and listening. Children learn about a range of different text types, and about the key features of each style of writing. When learning phonics throughout Key Stage 1, pupils use the Read Write Inc Scheme.

The National Curriculum for English ensures that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

Across the school we provide children with a wide range of high quality texts to develop and embed learning in all curriculum areas. Reading good quality fiction to the children is a priority in all year groups.

Writing

Writing is more than the recording of meaningful letters or characters that constitute readable matter. It is the ability to effectively communicate ideas, information and opinions through the printed word, in a wide range of contexts and across all curriculum areas.

The ability to write is fundamental to pupil’s development as independent learners. We believe that writing should be both inspiring yet challenging in enabling our pupils to become motivated and adept writers in any given situation.

We use the National Curriculum age related expectations and objectives to ensure children acquire age related expectations in Writing and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GAPS) by the time they leave Primary education, wherever this potential is possible.

Initially children are taught the skills to communicate their ideas, to make meaningful marks and develop their fine motor skills and control. Children continue to develop skills in their presentation of writing and of their ideas through writing.
Children develop skills in understanding the purpose of the writing, the intended audience, and how this impacts on the nature of the writing content and style. They develop skills in communicating their ideas with increasing awareness of the audience and skills in manipulating the style and content for its impact on the reader - writing for a variety of reasons, in a variety of styles.

Alongside this, skills are taught to assist children in developing style and purpose within their writing, such as spelling, grammar and punctuation, word, sentence and text level structures and literary devices to create an effect (the mechanics of writing).

Maths is a key life skill and we stress the importance of applying mathematical skills and the acquisition of knowledge.  As such, we have adapted our timetable to allow for single year group Maths teaching, to be able to focus solely of the needs of particular children. 

We teach Maths through the government recommended scheme of work called Maths No Problem.  This utilises a Mastery approach to Maths where pupils are taught through whole-class interactive teaching, where the focus is on all pupils working together on the same lesson content at the same time. This ensures that all can master concepts before moving to the next part of the curriculum sequence, allowing no pupil to be left behind.  There is an emphasis on reasoning behind the processes – how answers were obtained, why the method worked, what is the most efficient method.

Within lessons, the children have the use of high quality materials and tasks to support learning and provide access to the mathematics.  These may include textbooks, visual images and concrete resources. 

We support Maths learning with high quality ICT resources.  Homework is set using the Mathletics website, where the tasks reflect the learning inside the classroom.  We also utilise Times Table Rock Stars both within lessons and as homework activities. 

We firmly believe that Maths is not an isolated subject and so encourage as much mathematical learning through other curriculum areas as possible.

The Bythams vision for science

We will provide all children with challenging and engaging ‘hands-on’ opportunities to question and investigate the wonders of the world around us. We will support them to become confident, passionate scientists with inquiring minds.

We want children to:

• understand how and why;
• ask questions that challenge their understanding of the everyday;
• be able to plan their own investigation and challenge their own understanding;
• learn from whole school science opportunities.

During the academic year, children are given opportunities outside the standard curriculum to engage in extra science activities such as British Science Week and Wow days. We are also fortunate to have several STEM Ambassadors from industry who want to deliver lessons in our school, highlighting the different ways STEM subjects can be used in real life.

We believe that art, in all its forms, leads the way to the stimulation of children’s creativity, curiosity, imagination and self-confidence.

We provide our children with the opportunity of experiencing as wide a variety of art forms as is possible and to encourage them to examine attitudes and meaning to them.

Children develop a visual awareness and vocabulary, and an understanding of the elements of colour, texture, line, pattern and shape whilst acquiring artistic skills and techniques.

We believe that the Arts should extend beyond the confines of the National Curriculum and the school places great importance and emphasis on extra-curricular activities and developing links with artists and art providers from the wider community. All children are given equal opportunity to participate in these activities, extending their learning opportunities to include arts from many different cultures.

Children are taught skills in how to use ICT as a tool to support and further their own learning in all curriculum areas. It is used to enhance children’s handling and analysis of data and number in for example mathematics, science and geography, using spreadsheets.

Skills are taught to support children’s development and manipulation of written content across a range of subjects, to design writing for a range of purposes that combines text with images, or manipulation of structures through a word processor or publishing software.

ICT is used to support children’s research and information retrieval from the world wide web and through databases, and used to communicate via email, blogs and instant messaging. It is used to teach skills in controlling devices, giving instructions, to model outcomes and to plan, using control and modelling software. ICT teaches children the skills in how to create their own tools for a purpose through programming simple codes and instructions. Throughout the acquisition of these skills, our Safeguarding Policy ensures children learn how to use ICT in a safe, acceptable and responsible manner.

Children have access to a range of technology, which includes laptops, iPads, Lego We-do, Bee-Bots, green screens, Osmo and Spheros. We incorporate the above skills with exciting technology in a cross-curricular, inspiring and engaging way to help prepare children to access a range of technology.

Our aim in Technology is to equip children with essential practical skills using a variety of materials.

At each stage of a project children are given the opportunity to experience problem solving in 3D. Children are encouraged to consider all aspects of health and safety whilst learning how to use tools specific to a project.

Children develop the practical knowledge to enable designing an end product which is appropriate to its desired end function. Children gain the skills of planning and evaluation.

Pupils investigate a variety of people, places and environments in the United Kingdom and abroad, and start to make links between different places in the world.

They find out how people affect the environment, and how they are affected by it. They carry out geographical enquiry inside and outside the classroom. In doing this, they ask geographical questions and use geographical skills and resources such as maps, atlases, aerial photographs and Computing.

Vision – Every child has the potential to be a knowledgeable historian by achieving together

Why we believe History is important

Studying History provides pupils with a context from which to understand themselves and others: developing an ability to value other cultures and creating a sense of identity and an awareness of their role within the wider community. Within the history curriculum models of good and responsible citizenship are revealed and pupils are also encouraged to learn from the mistakes of others. History inspires curiosity and equips children to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement. We provide a high-quality history education aiming to give a foundation for understanding the world past and present for life long learning.

History Curriculum Statement

Our intent for studying a modern foreign language at The Bythams

It is our intent to provide all of our children with a high-quality education in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL), which develops their love of life long learning about other languages and cultures. The MFL taught at The Bythams is French; however we strive to provide children with opportunities to experience a range of other languages. We aim to provide a high-quality foundation in the language; our intention is to ensure that by the end of our children’s primary education, they have acquired an understanding of both spoken and written French, confidence to speak in French with others and know how important other languages can be in their future.

MFL Curriculum Statement

Our main aim is that our children derive enjoyment and satisfaction from making music. They do this by acquiring the skills to perform and compose, and by listening to and appraising music from a wide range of age, culture and tradition.

Two specialist music teachers come into school weekly to teach children on a range of instruments from guitar and keyboard to saxophone and flute.  School have instruments available to loan out to children.

We also have a school choir that perform at events in the community and wider area.

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks" (John Muir)

What is Forest Schools?

A Forest School is an innovative, practical, educational approach to outdoor learning where children learn about the unique environment around them, how to keep themselves safe, how to use tools and create things. They learn the importance of co-operation and communication in teamwork, of determination and perseverance and using their initiative in problem solving. They learn about boundaries, responsibilities and being independent.

The Forest School philosophy at The Bythams is to “encourage, enrich and inspire children through positive outdoor experiences.” By participating in engaging, motivating and achievable tasks and activities in a woodland environment, each child has the opportunity to develop intrinsic motivation, sound emotional and social skills.

Forest School brings learning to life and life to learning!

How does Forest School work in our school?

As part of our creative curriculum we have exciting opportunities for children to explore learning through the forest school. We have two members of staff that has a Forest School Level 3 qualification. Furthermore, we have sessions run across the school by an external company called Outdoor Adventures. All other staff have completed in-house training and now deliver regular, innovative forest school activities with their classes over the year.

We are able to access the Bythams Spinney for forest school sessions, particularly with older children. On the school grounds, we are lucky enough to have our own private woodland area that we have named “The Mini Spinney” and so we have two woodland areas for Forest School sessions.

Children at the Bythams Primary School are encouraged and given the opportunity to participate to the best of their ability in a wide variety of sports, games and physical activities. It is recognised that children are naturally enthusiastic about movement and we aim to develop this to enable them to become both skilful and creative.

Foundation Stage

In Foundation the children follow the Development Matters and Foundation Stage Profile frameworks when delivering PE. The PE at this stage includes fundamental multi-skills, dance and gymnastics.

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, a programme of games, athletics, dance and gymnastic activities is planned.

Year 1 children focus on fundamental skills such as throwing, catching, running, jumping and hitting in their games and athletics lessons. Their gymnastics and dance lessons develop their fundamental movement and balance skills.

Year 2 follow a similar programme to Year 1 but during the spring and summer terms they start to focus more on transferring their fundamental skills in to specific sports activities including tag rugby, basketball, cricket, tennis and more. This allows for a smooth transition into Key Stage 2.

Key Stage 2

In Key Stage 2, the above programme is extended and arranged with the addition of indoor athletics, outdoor and adventurous activities and a course of swimming for Years 3 - 6. The games unit is split into individual sport covering all the areas of invasion games, net/wall games and striking and fielding games.

Swimming is taught, using a qualified swimming instructor, and covers areas such as water skills, stroke development and enjoyment.

A competitive sports day is organized yearly for both key stages. This is the final competition of the House Championships.

We are very proud of the sporting successes the children have achieved in recent years and in order to maintain this success, we have many after school sports clubs for children to attend. These after school clubs cover all the sports we compete in including tag rugby, basketball, cricket, football, netball and more. As a school we take part in many different sporting competitions and festivals throughout the year allowing many children to experience playing against children from other schools.

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) at The Bythams has a whole school approach based on what is required by the National Curriculum. This approach is alongside the treatment of issues that are deemed relevant to Primary School children, as and when they arise.

We recognise that good sex education is about relationships and, working alongside the curriculum for RE, is conducted in the context of loving, stable and respectful relationships. Major aspects of human reproduction are taught in Year 6, and outside agencies come into school to talk to the children about puberty and its attendant bodily changes. Parents may withdraw children from all or part of the sex education given, except that which is required as part of the Science curriculum.

Many aspects of PSHE are taught through literature chosen for use in the Literacy Hour.

Aspects of citizenship are especially appropriate for Year 6 children.

Peer Mediators are trained, and available, to offer initial support to other children who may have minor problems at playtimes.

RE is part of the curriculum for all registered pupils in the school and, along with other curriculum areas, plays an important role in promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the children and in preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.

Our programme follows the latest Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus and the statutory guidelines of being broadly Christian whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of other principal religions.

Our pupils explore religion in order to achieve an understanding of different faiths and also to help them to develop their own beliefs, values and perceptions and a respect for the rights and beliefs of others.

The children have the opportunity to visit local places of worship as part of their curriculum studies, and also to celebrate some important Christian festivals, e.g. Easter and Christmas.

Visiting speakers, and a local reverend regularly take assemblies in school.

The school is often involved in fundraising activities, to support both local and world-wide charities such as Water Aid.

All children are taught the values of tolerance; respect for all others; personal identity; law and democracy, and their place within today's society. Children are also encouraged to develop their social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding.

These are embedded in all lessons through our creative Cornerstones curriculum. Children are given the opportunity to nurture these values through research, debates and team work. We encourage children to discuss the differences within society and reflect on their own action and consequences.

Assembly time is dedicated to whole school learning based around the British Values and SMSC. We raise awareness of global issues and encourage support of our local community.