Overview

The Harlow Green Community Primary School Curriculum

The school community worked together towards ensuring that our curriculum offer supports children to develop the appropriate skills, knowledge and understanding required to be successful in today’s world.  Please take five minutes to watch the video below which shares the journey taken to reach an agreed vision of the drivers which will shape our curriculum so that it supports children to be successful now and in the future.

The school follows the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 and 2 but rather than teaching subjects in isolation, we make connections between them to form topics. Each term, the year groups explore a new topic which will be used to link subjects, knowledge and content together in order to make the learning more relevant for children but to develop schemas of cultural capital within the subject and across themes. The curriculum aims to develop the knowledge across subjects but also the attributes necessary to be confident and successful learners whilst enjoying the love of investigation and exploration.

Learning Outside the Classroom

Although the classroom is a great place to learn, it is not always the most appropriate or effective venue. To support the development of children’s experiences, as well as to provide new and different contexts in which to learn, visits are organised in all year groups. There are simple visits (local walks, swimming pools, secondary school) through to the more developed excursion (museums, outdoor pursuits, theatres, sporting arenas) all of which are used to ignite children’s fascination and provide experiences that would not be as effective in any other way.

Forest Schools

Within our school environment, we also implement outdoor learning based upon the Forest School approach.  This Scandinavian-styled provision supports children to learn within natural surroundings and to develop their knowledge of the environment as well as a range of practical skills.  Within specified sessions, pupils are scheduled to work within our developed grounds and take part in activities such as den-building, cooking on outdoor fires/ovens, planting and raising hens.

Visitors

Children love to learn from different and interesting people and so we ensure that there are opportunities for visitors to come to the school and work with children for various reasons. Experts in a range of fields will work with groups and classes of children to support lessons and take assemblies so that children understand that there are many people from whom they can learn. These ‘experts’ may be connected with particular agencies or groups but also could be local people from our own community.

Computing

The world of technology is moving rapidly and it is now a regular and essential aspect of children’s lives. Children are introduced to technology throughout the school with an essential focus ultimately upon the use of computers and devices such as tablets. Children use computers in a variety of contexts to support learning and this may happen in small groups in literacy or numeracy within their classroom or in whole class situations within the dedicated Computer Suite. The focus of the curriculum is now on computer science and becoming digitally literate; this will involve computer-programming as well as using IT applications effectively.

Extra-Curricular Clubs

To support children to participate in activities beyond the curriculum, a range of clubs are on offer throughout the year. Most of these clubs are led by members of staff but some are ran by external companies. The clubs available will change regularly and will be offered to different age ranges.

We do have a particular focus on sports clubs with the intention that children will understand the need to have balance in their lives and to be physically healthy as well as academically able.  Our vision is that all children will develop an interest in at least one particular sports related activity and leave our school either being part of or wanting to be part of a sport/club, as they move into secondary school.