Curriculum Vision
To develop in children an excitement and curiosity about the world around them and a love of learning.
At St. James the Great we aim to stimulate children’s curiosity and challenge them to explore learning in depth, as encouraged by the National Curriculum. We recognise that children need to learn skills, in order to equip them with the learning tools essential for life-long learning. Therefore planning focuses on skills to enable children to become Historians, Artists, Musicians etc.
We value Learning Outside the Classroom as a key part of this; we endeavour to ensure the pupils learn from real and practical learning experiences. In addition to this we recognise the need to offer pupils these essential wider life experiences and therefore seek to make the most of the opportunities presented by living in London. As a Green Flag School we recognise the importance of environmental awareness being part of the curriculum.
Phonics
Phonics begins in Nursery with an emphasis on developing children’s phonological awareness through songs, rhymes and listening games and continues into Reception to Year 2 using the systematic synthetics phonics programme of FFT Success for All Phonics. This teaches the letters in a specific sequence and in growing complexity, with words taught alongside the phonemes (letter sounds). Children may progress quickly through each phase or may need extra support as they move through each of the phases and catch up phonics groups continue as appropriate in Key Stage 2 according to need and ability.
Reading
Early reading
The FFT Success for All phonics programme is complemented by shared and further readers which align with the phonics level of the child so that they are reading books that enable them to practice their phonic knowledge and skills appropriately.
Children take home books appropriate to their reading and phonics level. It is expected that parents will read with their child every day and record this in the home/school reading diary.
Reading
Reading is taught and modelled in class lessons, whole class reading sessions and in comprehension lessons. Promotion and practice at the higher order reading skills are targets in shared and guided reading sessions and in comprehension activities. Teachers also use the STAR materials, provided by Southwark, in planning to ensure the higher expectations for the New Curriculum are met. The teaching of phonics is delivered daily in EYFS and KS1 with specific interventions at KS2. There is a focus on the using and applying of phonics within the teaching of reading and writing.
There is a focus on ‘reading for pleasure’ and on ‘reading for purpose and intent across the curriculum.’ We aim to establish each child as a lifetime reader. We believe that this is based on developing a love of reading and, for the child, an understanding that reading is a tool for learning.
More information
For further detail on the Curriculum, please see the Curriculum Newsletters. If you have any queries about the curriculum please contact the School Office via the Contact us Page, in the first instance.