Curriculum

We understand that your child starting school for the first time is a very important step which, even in normal circumstances can be daunting. Therefore, if you require any support or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us using the following email address: office@mossvalleyacademy.uk

We look forward to hopefully welcoming you and your child to the Moss Valley family at the beginning of a very exciting part of their learning journey.

In art and design our children explore paint, collage, sculpture, drawing, print, textiles, and digital media. For each of these we have end of milestone expectations.

By the time our Artists leave us in year 6 we want them to:

• Have developed and imaginatively extended ideas from starting points throughout the curriculum.
• Have collected information, sketches and resources and present ideas imaginatively in a sketchbook.
• Have used the qualities of materials to enhance ideas.
• To be able to spot the potential in unexpected results as work progresses.
• To be able to comment on artworks with a fluent grasp of visual language.
• Give details (including own sketches) about the style of some notable artists, artisans and designers.
• Show how the work of those studied was influential in both society and to other artists.
• Create original pieces that show a range of influences and styles.

Computing opens the gateway into the modern, digital world. It allows children to develop their computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. The computing curriculum at Moss Valley has a heavy emphasis upon computer science. Pupils learn the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and programming. We live in an age of computing, to become successful learners and citizens children need to be able to access and interact effectively with the digital world.

At Moss Valley Primary Academy we follow the Teach Computing curriculum which has been devised by experts from the National Centre for Computing Education in conjunction with the DfE. 

Using creativity and imagination, pupils at Moss Valley design and make products that solve real and relevant problems, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.

They draw on knowledge such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. 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.

There are three areas of focus for children each year and these are:

• Textiles - Autumn Term
• Food - Spring Term
• Construction - Summer Term

Design and Technology is explored through the following threshold concepts:

• Making – planning practical skills and techniques
• Evaluating - own ideas and existing products
• Technical Knowledge

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.

We also want pupils to develop geographical skills:

• collecting and analysing data;
• using maps,
• globes,
• aerial photographs and
• digital mapping;
• to name and identify countries,
• continents and oceans;
• and communicating information in a variety of ways.

We have three threshold Concepts in Geography:

1. Investigate places – to understand the geographical location of places and their human and physical features
2. Investigate patterns – to understand the relationship between the physical features of places and the human activity within them, and the appreciation
   of how the world’s natural resources are used and transported
3. Communicate geographically – geographical representations, vocabulary and techniques

We want pupils to enjoy and love learning about geography by gaining this knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits. 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. We want our pupils to gain confidence and practical experiences of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Each year group studies three Geography themes a year. This has been rigorously planned so that pupils revisit and build on knowledge and skills across their time here at Moss Valley. We focus on the three threshold concepts of investigating place, investigating patterns and communicating geographically.

History helps pupils to understand how events from the past shape our lives today and our future, providing pupils with a sound knowledge of the history of Britain and beyond. Our lessons help pupils to build an understanding of the complexity of people’s lives, how and why change occurs, the diversity of societies across the globe and the challenges of our time.

By the time our Historians leave us in year 6 we want them to have:

• An excellent knowledge and understanding of people, events, and contexts from a range of historical periods and of historical concepts and processes.
• The ability to think critically about history and communicate ideas very confidently in styles appropriate to a range of audiences.
• The ability to consistently support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using detailed, appropriate and accurate historical evidence derived from a range of sources.
• The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past, formulating and refining questions and lines of enquiry.
• A passion for history and an enthusiastic engagement in learning, which develops their sense of curiosity about the past and their understanding of how and why people interpret the past in different ways.
• A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make robust and critical use of it to support their explanations and judgments.
• A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics.

We have four threshold Concepts in History:

• Investigate and interpret the past – evidence tells us about the past
• Build an overview of world history – life is different for different sections of society
• Understand chronology – charting the passing of time and understanding some aspects of history were happening at similar times in different places
• Communicate historically – use historical vocabulary and techniques to convey information about the past

At Moss Valley the modern foreign language we learn is French. Learning another language present opportunities for reinforcement of knowledge, skills and understanding developed in other curriculum areas. It also opens our minds to different people and cultures.

Mathematics underpins our daily lives and is becoming even more important in an increasingly technological world.

The approach to the teaching mathematics develops pupils' mathematical ability and confidence, making mathematics more engaging and interesting.

Music is the art of sound, it can lift our hearts and allow children to explore and express their creativity.

At Moss Valley Primary Academy we follow the scheme 'Charanga'. We follow a two year cycle (A & B). The Long Term Plan sets out the overview of songs each cycle and the musical learning focus for phase.  

Our music curriculum for nursery is adaptive to the needs of the cohort and is planned accordingly but in line with the progression from Reception to Year 6. For music in nursery please see the seperate document.

At Moss Valley we tailor our provision of sports, games and outdoor activities to ensure that our children leave us in Year 6 with functional skills to aid them in their high school life and beyond.

We place a large focus on the importance of fitness and a healthy lifestyle which we hope will stay with our children for the rest of their lives. We make use of coaches from elite local sports organisations, as well as our own sports coordinator, to teach PE to all our classes.

Swimming

As part of our Key Stage 2 PE curriculum, KS2 go to Irlam Leisure Centre for a term and a half to learn how to swim. The aim for our children is to be safe, competent and confident swimmers by the time they leave the school, this means they will be able to swim 25m confidently, know how to to keep safe in the water and be able to perform a competent self-rescue. We are currently working to address the challenge of every child being able to meet the minimum national curriculum requirements. As our local area has a high number of canals and other bodies of water, as a school we are very passionate about meeting these targets.

The systematic teaching of phonics is taught at our school through a program called Read Write Inc (RWI).

What is phonics?

Read Write Inc. Phonics teaches children to read accurately and fluently with good comprehension. They learn to form each letter, spell correctly, and compose their ideas step-by-step.

Phonics is a way of teaching children to read quickly and skilfully.  They are taught how to:
recognise the sounds that each individual letter makes; identify the sounds that different combinations of letters make such as ‘sh’ or ‘oo’ and blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word. This is the first important step in learning to read.

How do we teach reading?

All of our children take home a reading book that is linked to their phonetic understanding. We expect that children read at home a minimum of three times a week. In KS2 all children have the opportunity to take home a ‘choose’ book as well as one that is given to them by their teacher. The children take these books from either the class reading corner or from one of the school’s reading huts.

Reading is the classroom is taught through our ‘Big Read’ lessons. Big Reading is an exciting, fun way to develop a love of reading, our knowledge of significant authors and also develop our analytical skills, through the use of exciting characters who we call our Big Reading Friends. It is a reading ‘journey’ for each child, from their very first ‘pre-reading’ steps to their complex and intricate understanding of texts at greater depth. Through the Big Reading Lessons we effectively ‘teach’ reading in order for the children to ‘learn’ and rapidly ‘progress’ in their reading. These lessons happen daily from years 1 to 6.

Science is the study of the universe and everything in it! Every aspect of life is touched by science, from our relationship with the living world to the origins of life and the universe itself. Scientists are inquisitive, they develop theories then test these in the real world through experimentation.

Our pupils follow this scientific process at Moss Valley making real discoveries for themselves as they progress through school, investigating the world around them from our nursery onwards. During science our pupils will plan to collect data, observe the world around them, analyse their findings and evaluate their experiments. Throughout our science provision we commit that 'Every child will have the opportunity to participate in the scientific process by discovering something directly from observation and using this (and other data) to make an analysis of a scientific phenomenon.'

At Moss Valley our Talk Project gives our pupils opportunities to develop vocabulary, listening and reasoning skills, as well as the confidence to speak loudly and clearly, and respectfully challenge their peers.

We have made talk a key priority. We believe that communication is essential for learning, and the foundation of positive relationships. Ultimately good communication gives children better life chances.

Talk Promises

Our Talk Promises help to develop effective pupil talk within the classroom. The Talk Promises were developed by staff.

They are:

• We show we are listening by looking at the speaker.
• We join in because all ideas lead to learning.
• We speak in full sentences in a clear voice that can be heard by everyone.
• We give each other time to think.
• We build on, or challenge with respect, each other’s ideas.
• We ask questions if we don’t understand or would like to learn more.

All our children from Nursery to Year 6 use our Talk Promises.

Question of the Day

Every morning, on their way into Nursery and Reception, children answer a question like 'Would you rather have dinner in a hot air balloon or a castle?' and say their reasons.

This gets our youngest children using full sentences rather than waiting to be asked Why? Everyone looks forward to discussing the Daily Question including parents, brothers and sisters!

Philosophy for Children

We use Philosophy for Children (P4C) across the school. P4C gives children an opportunity to discuss big ideas in a safe and structured way.

Here are some questions our pupils came up with in philosophy sessions:

• “What would the world be like if there were no colours?” (Year 4)
• “Should we ever pretend to be someone else online?” (Year 3)
• “Should everyone help?” (Year 1)

We have developed our Talk Project and P4C with local trainer Topsy Page.

SMSC stands for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. All schools in England must show how well their pupils develop in SMSC.

Spiritual (Religious Education)

Explore beliefs and experience; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect.

Moral

Recognise right and wrong; respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views.

Social (PSHE - Personal, Social, Health, Economic)

Use a range of social skills; participate in the local community; appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict; engage with the 'British values' of democracy, the rule of law, liberty, respect and tolerance.

Cultural

Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain's parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

English has a prominent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them.

As stated in the National Curriculum 2014; the writing process, which the children will be taught is;

• plan
• draft
• evaluate/ edit
• proof-read
• present

We follow the Ready, Steady, Write curriculum. Ready Steady Write is comprehensive and evidence-based. It provides a sequenced, ambitious curriculum, that places quality literature at its core. Our units have been carefully mapped out to match the entire statutory curriculum for writing.

We aim to develop children’s ability to produce well-structured, detailed writing in which the meaning is made. To engross children in the writing process, children are given opportunities to write for a range of purposes; they are encouraged to think about and engage the intended reader.  Particular attention is paid throughout the school to the formal structures of English; grammatical detail, punctuation and spelling.