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
Teaching of phonics begins in the Nursery and continues throughout Reception and into Years 1 and 2 using the FFT Success programme. This teaches the letters in a specific sequence and in growing complexity, with words taught alongside the sounds. Children may progress quickly through each phase or may need extra support as they move through each of the phases.
Reading
Reading at St James the Great is taught in two ways – individually and in Guided Reading sessions. Our reading scheme includes the Oxford Reading Tree series and children will take home a book appropriate to their reading level. It is expected that parents will read with their child every day.
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.