English is a core subject and the acquisition of literacy skills is essential to accessing the whole curriculum. There are three main areas within the English Curriculum.

Reading

Reading is an important skill for life and we aim to produce children who are confident readers and who enjoy reading. At SJB we aim to achieve this by:

• having a warm, positive pupil/teacher relationship, encouraging discussion with the teacher/other adults/each other wherever possible
• experiencing pleasure in handling and looking at books and other printed materials
• encouraging children to take home books for pleasure and to share this pleasure with their parents
• promoting the enjoyment of books by teachers reading to the children
• providing a wide variety of books to choose from – within the class library, the school library, the school bookshop and County Library
• promoting paired reading with parents at home and within the school to which parents are invited to help as paired readers
• encouraging and assisting children to express their ideas to share on tape, film and print

At Foundation Stage we will encourage and support children in the development of pre-reading skills as part of the process of becoming fluent readers.

At Key Stage 1 each child will be part of a group of similar ability for reading. Teachers will hear each child read as part of a group in the guided reading session and children will take books home regularly for parents to share and support their reading development.

Stories and poetry are read to children at all stages within the school to stimulate their reading for pleasure. The school has a well stocked library with a wide range of books from which children can regularly choose. The home/school reading books are banded and children are matched to books which are interesting and suitable for their reading ability.

Higher order reading and referencing skills are also taught so that children become independent in their ability to support their topic work.

See the dedicated reading page by clicking here

Speaking and Listening

The development of speaking and listening skills are an important part in developing children’s overall literacy skills. The ability to articulate information, ideas and opinions is an important life skill. In addition, we believe that if you can’t say it you will not be able to write it. Therefore at SJB children are given plenty of opportunities to talk and listen in a number of different contexts including:

• exploring, developing and explaining ideas
• planning, predicting and investigating
• sharing ideas, insights and opinions
• reading aloud, telling and enacting stories and poems
• reporting and describing events and observations
• presenting to audiences, live or on tape

Writing

Children are encouraged to see themselves as writers from the moment they enter school in Reception. They are encouraged to communicate through writing in play situations and then, as they become confident and develop their letter/sound association knowledge, to use writing in a more structured way. Opportunities are given for the children to produce writing which has been directed by the teacher as well as independently.

In Key Stage 1, the teaching of spelling and handwriting is combined with phonics (sounds). Knowledge of letter sounds helps children to spell correctly and to tackle unknown words when reading. A specific programme based on ‘Progression in Phonics’ is used.

In Key Stage 1 children are taught correct letter formation and the simple rudiments of grammar, for example, capital letters, full stops, exclamation marks, question marks etc. In Years 1 and 2 children are taught how to develop vocabulary skills in the whole class situation and in small groups. They are also encouraged to write independently to communicate their thoughts in all areas of the curriculum.

Raising standards in writing continues to be a priority for the school. The school uses Ros Wilson’s ‘Big Writing’ strategies to encourage children to enjoy writing and to improve their writing skills especially in their use of grammar and punctuation. The scheme also helps children and teachers to identify individual targets for improvement.

By the time children leave SJB they will have been taught the following:

• how to develop ideas, opinions and emotions to give greater maturity and wider content to their writing
  awareness of the needs of various audiences
• variety in writing styles
• rules of grammar and vocabulary
• how to revise and redraft independently
• increased neatness, fluency, speed and accuracy in writing
• a combination of spelling programmes that build knowledge and awareness of the rules of spelling though a sensory focus

Drama

Drama contributes to language and literacy and to the general education of children because:

• Drama is a form of communication
• Drama is a means of self-expression
• Drama helps develop the imagination
• It helps to promote growth in the ability to use language
• It helps to develop sensitivity
• It reinforces concentration and listening skills and allows children to enjoy participating in a group activity
• Drama is fun to do. It fosters a sense of self-achievement without having to use a pencil and paper.

For all of these reasons we encourage Drama work at SJB.

Our Vision –

• To ensure that all children become numerate then fully rounded mathematicians.
• To teach our children the basic skills in order to use basic skills.
• To enable our pupils to confidently reason about their mathematics.
• To prepare them for the wide variety of problem-solving opportunities that they will encounter in their lives.
• To develop a ‘can do’ attitude in our children, especially when problem solving and reasoning.

To be confident and successful Mathematicians children need to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, reason mathematically and solve mathematical problems. To support this at SJB we follow a Do It, Twist It and Solve It model.

Can you do it?

‘Do It’ focuses on the ‘What it is?’ where children complete standard examples to practice fluency.

Are you secure? Twist It

‘Twist It’ focuses on non-standard examples to challenge procedural fluency. It also focuses on the ‘What it is not?’ where children complete active argument tasks (e.g. True/False, Do you agree?) to focus on misconceptions and mistakes to challenge conceptual understanding.

Can you apply it to deepen your understanding? ‘Solve It’

‘Solve It’ focuses on solving familiar and unfamiliar problems to challenge mathematical thinking.

What is Big Maths Beat That?
Every week the children complete the Big Maths Beat That Challenges. Big Maths Beat That! Challenges consist of the CLIC Challenges, Learn Its Challenges and SAFE Challenges which collectively provide a set of comprehensive questions that assess a child’s ability in primary maths. Big Maths Beat That! has been specifically designed as the assessment element of Big Maths and allows teachers to measure the progress of each child on a weekly basis.

There are three parts to Big Maths Beat That:

• The CLIC Challenge: Covers all the basic skills that a child needs to be properly numerate.
• The Learn Its Challenge: Covers all the addition and multiplication facts needed.
• The SAFE Challenge: Covers the wider maths curriculum.

RE Curriculum Overview 

RE Subject Overview

RE Long Term Plan

To fulfil the aims of the Cumbria RE syllabus and in so doing:

• Recognise there are questions of life that are difficult to answer
• Know and understand different beliefs and world views
• Be willing to ask questions and respect different viewpoints and answers
• Learn to express their own ideas and beliefs and learn from the beliefs and ideas of others
• Recognise, value and experience the rich diversity of beliefs and cultures across Britain and the world
• Respect and value all human life whatever similarities or differences in belief

• To deliver the National Curriculum in the spirit it was written including:
• Children leaving SJB as outward-looking, global citizens.
• Use of cross curricular links to embed subject knowledge.
• Speaking and vocabulary is a key part of the Geography Curriculum.
• Effective use of technology to inspire and make learning memorable.

Art Curriculum Overview

Art Subject Overview

Art Long Term Plan

Our Vision – 

• To deliver the national curriculum in the spirit it was written, including for all children to:
• Explore, experience and be inspired by a wide range of artists and artistic platforms on a local, national and global level.
• Have opportunities to broaden and develop their own creativity and learn crucial skills to build artistic expertise.   
• Be outward-looking to find inspiration in different creative and cultural ways.
• Be confident to experiment, evaluate and improve to meet their artistic potential.

The Arts are of vital importance at SJB and we are proud to have been accredited the Arts Mark Award.  The children enjoy a rich range of art experiences including art museum visits and opportunities to see and work with a range of artists in school across the different art forms.

Art display at SJB also plays an important role by providing an inter-active, educational and stimulating environment in our classrooms, corridors, hall and library.

• Music making and compositional activities that give a rich variety of musical sounds and help children develop skills and competence in music.
• Listening and appreciating different types of music, where children are encouraged to recognise the main musical elements of pitch, rhythm, pace, timbre, texture, dynamics and structure.
• Performing to an audience; this could be a friend, a group or class of children, in an assembly or to parents.

DT Curriculum Overview

DT Subject Overview

DT Long Term Plan

Our Vision – 

• developing design skills and creative techniques to design and build a product fit for a purpose
• developing children’s confidence, self esteem, sense of curiosity and personal satisfaction through design and make activities
• ensuring that every child has access to an effective, challenging and progressive design and technology curriculum that is compatible with age and ability
• encouraging active involvement, interest and enthusiasm for the subject
• developing appreciation of quality, sense of fine design craft and technological application

Design Technology requires the children to use their knowledge and understanding to design and make products. To achieve this, the children are taught to combine a range of skills distinctive to designing and making, with skills from other subject areas. As the children acquire experience and develop confidence, they will be engaged in activities that become more complex and require greater skills and depth of knowledge for success.

PSHE Curriculum Overview

PSHE Subject Overview

PSHE Long Term Plan

PSHE Curriculum Overview –

Our PSHE and SRE policy aims to ensure that children are able to gain knowledge, understanding and skills in order to successfully manage their lives and thrive with confidence as an individual, family members and as members of society.

Through the teaching of 3 core themes: Health and wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the wider world we anticipate that the children will develop  a good  grasp of tolerance, safety, fairness and feelings. Aspects of these themes may link with other curriculum subjects such as science.

Such teaching is modelled and thus reinforced daily at school in line with our school ethos and assemblies as well as through direct teaching. Some lessons are taught by specialists such as our School Nurse for aspects of the SRE curriculum (with parental consent.) and NSPCC staff for personal safety.

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship provides children with the ‘tools’ to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. The school actively encourages its pupils to play a positive role in contributing to the life of the school and the wider community. In so doing we aim to help develop their sense of self worth.

We also teach how society is organised and governed thus demonstrating the process of democracy in school through the election and work of a school council. We teach the children about rights and responsibilities and we aim for them to learn to appreciate what it means to be a positive member of a diverse multicultural society.

Click here to view our PSHE Policy.

Sex & Relationships Education (SRE)

During Years 5 and 6 the children are introduced to the subject of Sex Education with specific objectives in mind. These objectives are that the children will:

• understand the changes that are taking place in their bodies
• understand how babies are created

See the dedicated British Values page by clicking here