Junior School
curriculum guide
junior
school
The British School of Paris
Junior School Curriculum Guide
Contents Introduction
2
The Early Years Foundation Stage
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Key Stages 1 & 2
English
6
Mathematics
8
Science
10
Art and Design
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Design and Technology
14
French
16
Geography
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History
20
ICT
22
Music
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Physical Education
26
Simplified Topic Maps
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Assessment
31
Homework
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Introduction Dear Parents, This guide is designed to give you an overview of the curriculum that The British School of Paris offers to children between the ages of 3 and 11. Our programmes are based on the National Curriculum of England & Wales and the Early Years Foundation Stage, modified where necessary to allow for our particular position as an international school in France. We hope you find the information contained in this guide interesting and useful. Our aim is to help you understand better the work being performed by your children, which they will undoubtedly come home and discuss. We hope you will see how this work forms part of the much broader programme making up a varied but structured whole-school curriculum.
Our Curriculum The National Curriculum sets out the body of knowledge and range of skills which our children both need and deserve in all subjects. It emphasises the breadth, both across the primary curriculum and within each subject, which provides one of the traditional strengths of British education. In some areas, however, we go well beyond the requirements of the National Curriculum, for example in offering a daily French programme throughout the primary years. In Music and Physical Education, our use of specialist staff means that we are able to offer a programme which exceeds National Curriculum expectations.
At the Foundation Stage, the curriculum is organised into seven ‘Areas of Learning’. For Key Stages 1 and 2, the ‘Core Subjects’ comprise English, Mathematics and Science. Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Art, Design and Technology, Geography, History, French, Music and Physical Education make up the other ‘Foundation Subjects’. French, Music and Physical Education are taught by specialist teachers throughout the school. The other subjects are taught by each child’s class teacher, who also delivers our Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) programme.
In addition, for subjects such as History and Geography, the ‘Anglo-centric’ nature of the National Curriculum does not always prove suitable for our situation. We have made adaptations wherever necessary to produce more meaningful study for our children. In the National Curriculum, the years of compulsory education are divided into five Key Stages. The first three relate to the Junior School:
Stage
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Pupil’s ages Year Group
Early Years Foundation Stage
3-5
Nursery Reception
Key Stage 1
5-7
Years 1 and 2
Key Stage 2
7 - 11
Years 3 to 6 Tudor Day in Year 5
The British School of Paris
Junior School Curriculum Guide
Educational Visits and Trips As a valuable resource to support our programmes of work, we organise an extensive range of educational visits to places around the Paris area. These may entail a half day or a full day out of school, with a few trips occasionally involving a return to school beyond the normal end of the day. For children in Year 6, a residential visit is organized each year. This is a well-established week at an outdoor activity centre in the Ardeche region in the south of France, where children have the opportunity to experience canoeing, climbing, caving and other exciting pursuits.
English as an Additional Language
Year 6 in the Ardeche
An Integrated Approach Although each subject has its own key objectives, teachers will often deliver these in lessons as part of a more thematic and cross-curricular approach. Subjects are combined wherever appropriate to emphasise links and make the work more meaningful for the children. For example, English will often be taught as part of a History lesson, Mathematics in Science or Design and Technology, while a particular topic may often involve both historical and geographical aspects.
All curriculum areas (besides the daily French lesson) are taught in English. It is normally expected that children‘s level of English is high enough to allow them to cope in the classroom. However, we are aware that a significant number of our pupils have English as an additional language, which is children whose primary language of the home is other than English. All of our teachers are aware of the often varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds of many of our children, and adjust their teaching approaches with this in mind, to try to ensure that all children can fully access the work being introduced. In this, teachers are supported by a Head of EAL who provides advice on teaching methods and suitable materials. Where children have little or no English initially, the school will organise additional support, either within the classroom or by withdrawal with small group tuition. Each case is treated individually according to need, and arrangements made after full discussion with the child’s parents.
Contained within this guide are simplified versions of our ‘Topic Maps’, indicating the themes currently covered in each year group and for each subject. This should give you a clearer idea of the topics and associated activities which your child may be working on at any given time. Please note that this topic list is being continuously reviewed and updated: details of the map sometimes change as our curriculum delivery evolves.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
The Early Years Foundation Stage Our aim in the Early Years is to develop confident, happy children who are eager to learn and to share their experiences with others, so laying down a firm base for the years of education to come. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) describes the years of education up to the end of the Reception Year. Staff use the EYFS framework as the basis of their work with our youngest children.
A series of Early Learning Goals set out what most children are expected to achieve by the end of the Reception Year. They are arranged in seven broad Areas of Learning, three ‘prime’ and four ‘specific’:
• Personal, social and emotional development
Learning to be self-confident and increasingly independent (such as being able to dress and undress themselves); showing respect for themselves, for others and for the environment; telling the difference between right and wrong.
• Communication and language
Learning to express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listening needs. Learning to follow instructions. Answering questions ‘how’ and ‘why’ related to experience and in response to stories or events. Learning to listen in a range of situations and responding appropriately with comments, questions or actions.
• Physical development
Learning to move confidently, controlling their body and handling equipment, and in doing so developing their gross and fine motor skills. Developing an awareness of needs in regard to keeping healthy.
• Mathematical development
Developing an understanding of maths through stories, songs, games and imaginative play. Children
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will become increasingly comfortable with numbers, undertaking practical activities involving sorting, measuring, shape and space, while developing ideas such as ‘heavier than’ or ‘bigger’.
• Literacy
Learning to talk confidently and clearly, enjoying stories, songs and poems while appreciating the importance and pleasure of books; hearing and saying sounds, and linking them to the alphabet. Children will develop early reading skills and ascribe meaning to marks using a range of mark making tools.
• Understanding of the world
Exploring and finding out about the world around them, learning to observe and ask questions. Children will investigate the natural world, build with different materials, be introduced to everyday technology and learn what it is used for. They will find out about past events in their lives and their families’ lives, and learn about different cultures.
• Expressive Arts and Design
Exploring colours and shapes, trying out dance, making things in a range of materials, and making and appreciating music. The above busy programme is enriched by the same range of additional lessons as enjoyed by the older years. These include a daily French session, PE lessons and music, all with specialist staff.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Throughout the Foundation Stage, there is an emphasis on personalised learning. Each child is unique and ‘is a competent learner who can be capable, confident and self-assured’ (Practice Guidance for the EYFS). Each child has their own personal learning journeys. It is the aim to provide an environment that allows for their unique learning and development to be achieved. Planning is play- and activity-based, taken from an active awareness of individual children’s interests. ‘Play underpins all development and learning for young children’ and ‘underpins the delivery of all of the EYFS’ (Practice Guidance for the EYFS). Assessment is ongoing and embedded in our planning for the children’s next steps. ‘Topics’ are planned, following continuous observational assessment which informs practitioners where the child is in their learning and where they need to go next, while ensuring balance across the seven areas of learning. We endeavour to use the full range of indoor and outdoor resources to benefit the child’s learning, providing well-planned experiences based on children’s spontaneous play. In particular, teachers use their understanding of their children’s needs to allow flexibility in ‘getting out’ for those children whose learning indoors will be improved by outdoor physical exercise. We see parents as partners in each child’s learning and development. The EYFS Setting has a ‘meet and greet’ policy whereby parents have the opportunity to talk to the class teacher and teaching assistant at the beginning and end of the day. This allows for an enriched understanding of the child and informs learning and development in the classroom.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
English The purpose of our work in English is to develop our children’s ability to communicate confidently and effectively in speech and writing and to listen with understanding. It should enable them to become enthusiastic, responsive and knowledgeable readers.
Our English programme is designed with these overall aims in mind. It takes full account of the requirements of the National Curriculum, while the content of our work and the teaching strategies that we use have been formulated drawing on the best practice introduced by such initiatives as the National Primary Strategies. The National Curriculum divides the range of work covered in English at Key Stages 1 and 2 into the three major areas of:
• Speaking and Listening • Reading • Writing These elements of English are however closely interrelated. For example, it is from their reading, if properly directed, that children develop their awareness of language use, which they will then apply in their own writing. Our teaching methods build upon the vital links between oral and written skills and between writing and reading. Of course, children’s language development is not confined to the work they do in English lessons. We endeavour to make appropriate links between all curriculum subjects: work across the curriculum provides a rich source of experience, language and stimulation to support the development of speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Speaking and Listening All of children’s progress in reading and writing will ultimately be built upon their development of spoken language. The skills of speaking and listening are therefore crucial to success in other areas of language. In the early years, language is largely rooted in personal experience. The classroom experiences we give to children in all subjects are designed to stimulate and challenge them to think and talk about what they have discovered.
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Children’s progress in reading and writing will ultimately be built upon their development of spoken language. The skills of speaking and listening are therefore crucial to success in the other areas of language.
As children progress through the school, so they are encouraged to share ideas, insights and opinions, to explore, develop and explain ideas. At the British School of Paris, teachers will encourage children to express themselves confidently and clearly, and to be attentive, courteous and thoughtful listeners. These skills will, of course, also be consolidated in the home environment.
Reading Children become successful readers by learning to use a range of strategies to gain the meaning of a piece of text. These include phonics, word recognition, grammatical knowledge and knowledge of context. Successful readers use as many of these strategies as possible. For this reason, we use a balanced approach to teaching reading which recognises the importance of all these skills but with particular emphasis on phonics, the sounds made by letters and groups of letters. Our ultimate aim is for children to develop a love of books and a real enjoyment of reading. They have access to a wide variety of published reading schemes, giving the necessary breadth and interest required at each stage of their progress. Children read in guided reading groups in class as well as independently at every stage. They will bring books home to read, both from the reading schemes and from the school library. It should be emphasised that the reading children do at home can be an integral part of the reading programme providing an opportunity for valuable practice and for the enjoyment of sharing this activity with others.
Writing Children will be led to understand the value of writing as a means of remembering, communicating, organising and developing ideas and information, and as a source of enjoyment. Writing develops naturally out of activity and the spoken word: children will have a purpose in writing if they have interesting experiences to relate and are used to articulating these experiences orally.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Children are encouraged to write independently from an early stage. From the outset, children practise correct letter formation, (following a published scheme) and will begin to practise and use a single joined (cursive) script during Year 2. Children are given opportunities to write for a wide range of purposes, both in fiction and non-fiction at Key Stage 2 and as stated previously, much of this can be done through other subjects –history, geography and science for example. A sound grasp of grammar is vital for effective writing. Lessons in language awareness and the practise of grammar rules take place in parallel with the application of their skills in varied writing activities.
Harry Potter’s classmates at World Book Day
A phonic-based spelling programme starts during Year 1 and a range of adapted programmes continue throughout Key Stage 2. Spelling lists are regularly given to children to learn at home. For some children, support in literacy skills will be recommended by the school’s Learning Support Unit. Parents will always be consulted if such support is deemed necessary. Children who are working well above the overall level of their class or group will be given opportunities to add breadth and gain enrichment from their tasks and be encouraged to increase the depth of their learning, extending their output through complexity.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Mathematics Our overall aim is to enable our children to be comfortable in the world of mathematics, with a positive approach to mathematics and its uses. To achieve this, children need a sound understanding of skills and concepts, giving them the ability to tackle problems and manipulate data and equipment confidently and effectively. We wish to emphasise that mathematics can be both enjoyable and useful, and that children should see it as a natural part of their daily life.
Due emphasis is given to the breadth of the mathematics curriculum. Children follow a balanced programme covering the four aspects of the National Curriculum:
• Using and Applying Mathematics • Number • Measurement • Statistics • Algebra (Year 6) • Geometry Teachers have at their disposal a range of published schemes and printed materials, along with up-todate interactive whiteboard and other ICT resources, drawing upon them as necessary to provide the most appropriate support for the work at hand.
Alongside this practical work, a body of number facts are being built up. By the end of Key Stage 1, children should know addition and subtraction facts to 20, and be developing a range of mental methods for finding those that they cannot recall. Mental arithmetic skills are emphasised. Daily oral and mental maths sessions consolidate the learning of number facts and of number operations. Concentration on mental work continues throughout, in parallel with the development of calculating skills on paper. Although our main focus in the early stages is to develop the basic skills and concepts of number which will be essential for later progress, there is also an introduction to a broader range of mathematical work. Children undertake practical work in shape and space, learning the names and properties of common shapes and using appropriate vocabulary to describe position and movement.
In line with the National Curriculum, we emphasise throughout the importance of the effective application of mathematical skills. We encourage our children to use in practical situations the mathematics they are learning. This helps them to see its value and pertinence, while consolidating their conceptual understanding.
They compare and measure the properties of objects, and are introduced to the standard units of length, weight and capacity. They are introduced to the units we use for the passage of time and begin to make estimates using them. Children are encouraged to develop a picture of what happens at different times of the day, and are taught the basics of telling the time with both digital and analogue clocks.
Early Years and Key Stage 1
Children are encouraged to communicate their ideas, talking with peers and adults about the maths they are doing. In parallel with this, they begin setting down mathematics on paper from an early stage. Standard methods of setting out (digits, signs and columns etc.) are introduced progressively. Throughout, the development of the language of mathematics is emphasised. Having the vocabulary necessary to communicate their ideas and their results is essential in developing the conceptual base children need.
In the early stages, children do much work on sorting and matching using sets of objects. They are then introduced to counting, first with numbers to 5, then to 10. Most work involves practical activities as children learn to see numbers as quantities of real things. The number operations (+, -, x, ÷) are introduced
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an understanding of place value, initially of tens and units but later of numbers up to 1000.
in practical situations, again emphasising that the operations that we perform on numbers reflect what happens with real objects. As number and computation concepts are developed, calculating skills are progressively introduced. Number skills are built upon extensive practical work using such visual aids as number lines, gradually developing in Year 2 to
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Key Stage 2 Number work now includes all aspects of arithmetic as well as the consolidation of concepts of number. Children practise and apply the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They learn to use decimals, common fractions andpercentages, and are introduced to negative numbers. They are expected to learn by heart addition and subtraction bonds (e.g. that 7+8=15 and 15-7=8) and multiplication tables to 10x10. Ideally, children should ‘know their tables’ by the end of Year 4, although further consolidation may well be necessary in future years. Besides learning to calculate on paper, there is a continued emphasis on mental mathematics. Daily practice and the teaching of strategies for dealing with mental work allow children’s skills to develop progressively. Calculators are used sometimes, but in moderation. Using a calculator effectively is a skill that must be taught, but in no way replaces traditional arithmetic skills. A sound understanding of number operations is, of course, necessary in order to decide what to
do with the calculator when faced with a numerical problem. In this respect, it can be a valuable tool at times to free the child to concentrate on the process of problem-solving. Our children learn about the properties of twodimensional and three-dimensional shapes. They develop skills in geometry and learn to measure length, area, volume and capacity, weight and angles. Most measuring is in metric units, but imperial equivalents still in common use in certain parts of the world are introduced. Statistics & Handling data has become an important area of mathematics. Work here involves both drawing and interpreting a growing range of charts, tables and graph forms, but also learning how to collect and organise data ready for use. Datafiles created on the computer extend this work further. Co-ordinates are introduced, first using two figures, then four, and provide a link between mapwork (and Geography) and the drawing of line graphs.
Exploring weight
Division with the interactive whiteboard
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Science The Science programme offers opportunities for our children to: • develop their knowledge and understanding of important scientific ideas, processes and skills and relate these to everyday experiences; • learn about ways of thinking and of finding out about and communicating ideas; • explore values and attitudes through science. Science in the National Curriculum is divided into four broad areas for Key Stages 1 and 2:
Scientific Enquiry (Experimental and Investigative Science)
Through Science activities children are given opportunities to use their mathematical skills in real contexts. They investigate a wide range of objects and materials in the natural and made world, looking closely at similarities and differences, patterns and change.
Children are encouraged to develop their knowledge and understanding of important scientific ideas, processes and skills and relate these to everyday experiences.
Plants and animals, including humans Pupils broaden their knowledge of plants and animals with specific reference to themselves as living creatures. They begin to study living things in their natural environment. Study will include evolution and inheritance.
Materials Here children study a variety of materials and define means of classifying them using different simple properties. Study will include a focus on rocks, states of matter and properties of materials.
Physical Processes Topics include the relationship between forces and motion, light and sound sources, the Earth’s place in the Solar System, the seasons and states of matter. Children are also taught about everyday appliances that use electricity, and about simple electrical circuits.
Through Key Stage 1, language development is enhanced by the scientific programme in the early years. During their scientific investigations, children are encouraged to ask questions about why things happen and to explain phenomena in terms of their own ideas, fostering a sense of curiosity about the things they observe. They talk about and share their observations with their peers and increasingly begin to record these findings. 10
A Year 1 Materials display
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
An essential part of the scientific curriculum at Key Stage 1 is the child’s ability to work practically, safely and co-operatively.
At Key Stage 2, we help pupils to acquire and refine the practical skills needed to investigate questions effectively and safely. We encourage the children to work logically and systematically with their experiments. Increasingly, with their investigative work, children develop the skills of predicting, asking questions, making inferences and evaluating. Language development is enhanced through children talking about their work and presenting their own ideas using sustained and systematic writing of different kinds. Children build upon their experiences at Key Stage 1, by using increasingly precise technical
Checking our results
and scientific vocabulary, notation and symbols. Investigative science develops children’s ability to work co-operatively with their peers, listening to others’ opinions and acting upon them appropriately.
Many important values and attitudes are explored through Science. Children develop their ability to: • work with others, listening to their ideas and treating these with respect; • develop respect for evidence and evaluate critically ideas which may or may not fit evidence available; • develop a respect for the environment and living things and for their own health and safety. Investigating electricity…
Science lessons are supported by numerous multimedia resources, including digital microscopes and cameras, sensing devices linked to a computer, experiment-simulating programs for the interactive whiteboard, along with informative multi-media resources, each geared to individual age ranges.
…and Identifying Bones
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Art and Design Our work in Art encompasses art, craft and design. These are approached through a wide range of activities, involving many different media. Art is both a personal and a shared activity. Our children are given opportunities to experience different approaches to art, including working individually, in a group or as a whole class.
At Key Stage 1 particularly, Art does not always appear as a set lesson, but is integrated within the practical work undertaken in other subjects. There are, however, specific skills and concepts to be learnt, involving both practical skills and the development of visual awareness. Children are encouraged to talk about their preferences, likes and dislikes, in responding to their own and to others’ work. The introduction of children to the work of artists and craftsmen from the past and present and from different cultures helps them to
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Colour mixing in Year 1
appreciate the richness of our cultural heritage, while providing stimuli for their own work.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
During Key Stage 2, practical skills and techniques are refined in a variety of media. Art lessons provide ideal opportunities for children to develop their fine motor skills, as they draw or paint in more detail, or manipulate materials and equipment in such activities as sewing or weaving. In parallel with the practical element, children also need to be developing their visual vocabulary, learning how to respond to and evaluate art work, both their own and that made by others. Children are encouraged to reflect on and adapt their work in the light of what they intended. In doing so, they begin to learn and to use the technical terms of art, such as texture, tone and form. While encouraging children to make critical judgements, we endeavour to show that terms such as ‘ugly’ and ‘beautiful’ are often relative and need qualifying. The study and practice of art thus contribute to the development of tolerance and openmindedness.
Children working with the illustrator James Mayhew to produce impressionist-style murals for the school
By the end of Year 2, children will have had experience of a wide range of art activities and media, including the following:
• Drawing – the use of line and tone, using a variety of media (pencil, crayon etc.) • Painting and colour mixing – primaries and secondaries; tints and shades; experimenting with textures (blow painting, splatter effects). • Printing – with fingers, leaves, corks etc., developing pattern and texture.
The work of artists, craftspeople and designers is introduced, developing children’s appreciation of the richness of our diverse cultural heritage.
Key Stage 2 children have experience of the following: • Drawing – both observational and imaginative, using a variety of media (pencil, charcoal, pastel etc.). • Painting – experimenting with different qualities of paint and texture. • Colour mixing - Primaries, secondaries and tertiaries; the colour wheel and complementary colours; tints and shades; tone and mood. • Printing – using a variety of tools and a variety of patterns.
• Collage – using a variety of papers and scrap fabrics.
• Textile crafts – sewing and weaving; designing and creating.
• Sewing and weaving – using different threads and materials.
• Collage – exploring a range of materials and effects.
• Models from assorted scrap material. • Models from clay, plasticine, papier mache, salt dough. • Making simple puppets.
Not all of our children will necessarily develop into accomplished artists. However, all can gain pleasure and satisfaction from artistic activity, from the act of creation and the pride in their finished productions. And all can become ‘visually literate’, appreciating the wealth and beauty of the natural world and of human creativity.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Design and Technology Design and Technology prepares children to participate in tomorrow’s rapidly changing technologies. They learn to think and intervene creatively to improve the quality of life. The subject calls for children to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers, as individuals and as part of a team. They must look for needs, wants and opportunities and respond to them by developing a range of ideas and by making products and systems.
Design and Technology offers opportunities for our children to: • develop their designing and making skills;
The work carried out by our children can be divided into four broad areas:
• develop knowledge and understanding;
• Developing, planning and communicating ideas
• combine their designing and making skills with their knowledge and understanding to create high quality products when faced with problem solving tasks with ‘real` contexts;
• Working with tools, equipment, materials and components to make quality products
• explore values about and attitudes to the made world and how we live and work within it; • recognise that through their ideas they can bring about changes; • develop an understanding of technological processes, products, and their manufacture, and their contribution to society; • engage in design and technology activities which arise from the practical application of studies in other curriculum areas; • make use of ICT applications wherever appropriate as an integral part of their designs and the designing process.
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Technology Work and the Design Process
Our model playground equipment (a Year 1 project)
• Evaluating processes and products • Knowledge and understanding of materials and components
The Design Process There is a basic design process (shown in the diagram) that we follow when approaching a task. As children progress through the school, what they are expected to do at each of these stages becomes more complex. Some activities entail a more limited version of this full process, involving just one or two of the stages as children investigate specific aspects of designing and making.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
INVESTIGATIVE, DISASSEMBLY AND EVALUATIVE ACTIVITIES (IDEAs)
FOCUSED PRACTICAL TASKS (FPTs)
DESIGN AND MAKE ASSIGNMENTS (DMAs)
Design and Technology activities will sometimes take place in the classroom, but there is also a suitably equipped Technology Room where children can use a wide range of equipment in realising their designs. In all practical activities, children are shown how to use tools and materials safely, and how to recognise and control potential hazards to themselves and others. By the end of Key Stage 2, we aim for our children to be able to operate as effective technologists. They should be able to work on their own and as part of a team on a range of designing and making activities. They think about what products are used for and the needs of the people who use them. They plan what has to be done and identify what works well and what could be improved in their own and other people’s designs.
IDEAs These should provide the children with
opportunities to acquire knowledge and understanding about how manufactured products work.
FPTs
These provide opportunities to learn and practise particular skills and knowledge. This is when we can show the children how certain things work or are done; then they can have a go at it to practise their skills before they start to make the final product.
DMAs These provide an opportunity for children
to combine their skills, knowledge and understanding to develop products that meet a real need. They are open-ended activities whereby children can select and apply skills, knowledge and understanding in a creative way. This work should have an outcome which can be tested, evaluated and if appropriate, modified.
Realising our designs
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
French The French course provides an enjoyable study of the French language and life in France.
Our aims are: • to develop the ability to communicate competently and confidently in French; • to give pupils opportunities to use the 4 attainment targets - listening, speaking, reading and writing; • to provide enjoyment and intellectual stimulus; • to encourage positive attitudes towards language learning and to speakers of other languages; • to help pupils adapt to living in France by offering insights into its language, civilisation and culture, and giving them an opportunity to observe and enjoy cultural similarities and differences; • to develop awareness of the nature of language and language learning.
The objectives comprise three clearly progressive core strands of teaching and learning:
• Oracy
• Literacy
• Intercultural understanding
In addition, two cross-cutting strands are included:
• Knowledge about language (KAL)
• Language learning strategies (LLS)
Our language work is topic-based. Topics, chosen with regard to the age, language ability and interests of the group, are chosen from the following areas of experience:
• Everyday activities
• Personal and social life
The French classrooms provide a relaxed, informal and controlled environment where children feel secure and able to participate confidently. All children have a daily French lesson. 16
In each year group, pupils are placed into groups according to their previous experience of French. There is a group of beginners each year and also a group of more fluent French speakers. Movement between groups is on the recommendation of the French teacher and after discussion with the Head of French and the parents. In the Early Years, the teaching of French is delivered through very close links with the class teachers. Planning is done together to ensure that French is an integral part of the daily classroom activities. French teachers follow the EYFS recommendations as well as the teachers’ planning and activities. Teaching is delivered through songs, stories, puppet shows, interactive stories and videos, workshops, cooking and art. French teachers take part in daily life both inside and outside the classroom, communicating at all times in French with the children. At Key Stage 1 our priority is to develop oral communication skills in a way that is relevant to young learners and that will engender enthusiasm and confidence. We concentrate on developing listening and speaking skills. Children are taught how to listen carefully and how to use aural and visual clues to help them understand what they hear. They learn how to respond clearly and coherently, using good pronunciation and intonation. They are taught how to ask questions and reply to them, how to give and follow instructions, how to ask for what they need, how to talk about their everyday life and their special interests. Language is introduced through contexts, using a wide range of resources. New vocabulary and structures are practised extensively to form a basis for clear, accurate communication and spontaneous use of French. Presentation and practice are varied and active. It is very important to maintain a high level of interest and enjoyment and many different kinds of activities are used to encourage participation; they include games, songs, rhymes, role play, puppets, flashcards, real objects, video, stories, interactive whiteboard activities and mime. Formal teaching of reading is not introduced, as children of this age are still in the early stages of acquiring these skills in English. Experience has shown us that a child who has learnt to read successfully in
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
correct writing, applying grammatical rules and using reference material The main courses used, depending on each group’s level of French, are Actif 1 & 2, Ludo et ses amis and Rigolo.. Individual reading skills are practised using Galaxie and A la Carte.
English can transfer these skills with little difficulty to French. In the group of “fluent French-speakers� many children will already be able to read and therefore they should be encouraged to take home library books. The main courses used are Petit Pont, Alex and Zoe (interactive methods), Minou et Trottine which uses the interactive whiteboard, CD-Roms, apps and songs to present language in an imaginative way. At Key Stage 2 the overwhelming reason for learning a language is to communicate, and at this age communication is still principally oral. Consequently, listening and speaking remain our priorities for all pupils. Children are taught how to listen for gist and for specific detail and how to respond correctly, with good intonation and pronunciation. Language is introduced through contexts, using a wide range of resources. New vocabulary and structures are practised extensively to form a basis for clear, accurate communication and spontaneous use of French. Variety is important in order to maintain a high level of interest and participation, and all kinds of activities are used including games, songs, rhymes, role play, puppets, ICT, the interactive whiteboard, video, stories and mime. Reading and writing are introduced progressively as pupils acquire confidence in their use of French; teachers deploy a wide range of activities to encourage independent reading and to develop written language skills. In the group of more fluent French speakers, reading skills are developed so that each child can become a competent, autonomous reader. In each group reading abilities differ widely and individual reading schemes are a valuable resource. Children of this age and ability should also be developing clear,
French is also taught across the curriculum: in Integrated Language Learning, the topics pupils study in class are reinforced in the French lessons. Therefore, pupils study in French the Vikings, Ancient Egypt, the Environment, French Mountains, and Nineteenth Century Child Labour. Throughout, French is the language of the classroom and children are given opportunities to communicate in French with their teacher and with each other, in whole class activities or in pairs or groups. We have a link with a local French school, Ecole Jules Verne de Croissy sur Seine. We exchange letters and videos and the children participate in exchange visits. A wide range of extra curricular activities at lunchtime or after school are offered: French homework club, bilingual clubs, building games in French....
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Geography Studying Geography helps children understand the world around them, as well as giving insight into the ways of life and cultures of people in other places.
Our Geography teaching aims to: • stimulate children’s interest in their surroundings and in the variety of human and physical conditions on the Earth’s surface; • foster children’s sense of wonder at the beauty of the world around them; • help children develop an informed concern about the quality of the environment and learn to care for it as the future of the human habitat.
At Key Stage 1, our children are given opportunities to: • investigate the physical and human features of their surroundings, beginning to look for patterns and processes; • undertake simple studies that focus on geographical questions such as, ‘What/where is it?’, ‘What is it like?’, ‘How did it get like this?’, based on direct experience and practical activity; • develop practical geographical skills (see below);
We are aware that our children are drawn from many different and varied parts of the world, and bring with them a wide variety of experiences and insights. Our geography work should promote an understanding and acceptance of the range of geographical backgrounds of our children, while welcoming and making use of the rich source of geographical knowledge and experience that many of our children can offer.
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Suitably equipped for the water treatment works
• become aware that the world exists beyond their own locality, and that the places they study exist within this broader geographical context; • begin to recognise changes in the environment and how the environment may be improved.
It should be emphasised that early geographical work needs to begin with the children’s personal experiences and their immediate surroundings.
The British School of Paris
Junior School Curriculum Guide
Here they learn to describe and structure what they see and to ask the first geographical questions. Later work on other localities will draw upon these early studies and the concepts and terms developed in them. Clearly, talking with your child about the locality where the family lives or is visiting will also be valuable. Showing an interest in and pointing out the basic features of a place will encourage the child to develop a geographical awareness and a useful vocabulary.
Early geographical skills taught include: • using simple geographical terms in exploring their surroundings; • following directions (using terms like left, right, north, south etc.);
• develop geographical skills through fieldwork and classroom activities; • develop the ability to recognise patterns in what they study; • develop their awareness of how places studied fit into a wider geographical context. Skills taught through these years includes using atlases effectively, using geographical vocabulary appropriately and developing measuring skills (e.g. in weather recording).
The places studied and themes investigated are laid down for each year group, as summarised on the Topic Map. They are drawn from the National Curriculum requirements, but have been adapted to suit our situation here in Paris.
• making their own maps and plans, using pictures and symbols; • using globes, maps and plans, identifying major geographical features; • following a route on a simple map; • using maps of the British Isles and France (locating Paris, England, Scotland etc.); • using pictures, photographs etc. to obtain geographical information.
At Key Stage 2, these skills and themes are built upon and developed further, involving study of a broadening range of contrasting places. Field trips enable localities in France to be studied in more detail.
Studying the Water Cycle using the interactive whiteboard
Throughout this Key Stage, our children are given opportunities to: • investigate places and themes across a widening range of scales; • undertake studies that focus on geographical questions like, ‘What/ where is it?’, ‘What is it like?’ How did it get like this?’, ‘How and why is it changing?’
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Histor y In their History work, our children study the lives of men, women and children in different societies, cultures and countries in the past, investigating similarities with, and differences from, the present. They are led to understand history as a sequence of events, and begin to develop a chronological framework in which to place the events and times they are studying. In addition, they explore some of the ways in which historians find out about the past.
Key Stage 1 In the earlier years, our aim is to give our children opportunities to develop an awareness of the past and of the ways in which it was different from the present. They begin to understand history as a sequence of events and explore some of the ways in which we find out about the past. History work will start with the children’s own history, and that of their immediate family, as the idea of the passage of time and the changes which occur through time are developed. This provides a natural link between home and school and is an ideal opportunity for families to support the work in the classroom. In addition, aspects of the past are introduced through stories from different periods. Children need to picture the past as peopled with real men, women and children, whose lives may have been different to theirs but with whom they can relate. They explore the everyday lives of people in the past, but also find out about significant events and the lives of famous men and women.
The topics covered are summarised in the Topic Map. Especially at Key Stage 1, these are often integrated topics including both historical and geographical aspects. In addition to this main body of work, opportunities are taken in the course of each year to look at historical events, people or artefacts as they crop up, such as those associated with significant dates in the calendar.
Key Stage 2 The teaching of history can be considered to have two aspects: the study and learning of facts and the development of historical skills and understanding. Our curriculum is a balance between the two. Each year group studies a number of topics, usually covering particular periods of history. Within these topics we take opportunities wherever possible to develop particular skills and understanding. The topics we cover, summarised on the Topic Map, are usually based on the ‘Study Units’ of the National
Our objectives in history fall into five main areas. At Key Stage 1, children will work on: Chronology: sequencing events and objects, developing a sense of time passing; using common words and phrases relating to the passage of time, e.g. old, new, before, after. Historical knowledge and understanding: aspects of the past through stories from different periods and cultures, including eyewitness accounts; the reasons why people did things and events happened; differences between ways of life at different times. Interpretations of history: different ways in which the past is represented. Historical enquiry: how we find out about the past; asking and answering questions about the past. Organising and communicating: communicating their knowledge in a variety of ways. 20
At Mont St Michel
The British School of Paris
Junior School Curriculum Guide
Roman Warriors
Curriculum, but has been adapted, allowing us to study periods and events which suit our situation in France. The specific historical skills and understanding developed through the topics covered will build upon those of Key Stage 1. These include: Chronology: placing events and people in a time framework; using dates and vocabulary for different time periods. Historical understanding: the characteristic features of particular periods, including beliefs and attitudes; reasons for historical events; describing changes and links across periods. Interpretations of history: different ways in which the past is represented, in writing, images and other media (e.g. music and songs). Historical enquiry: how we find out about the
Year 6 enjoy Greek Day
past; asking relevant questions and searching for answers; the work of archaeologists. Organising and communicating: selecting and organising information; using dates and historical terms; communicating their knowledge in a variety of ways. We try to find opportunities for our children to experience history directly. Practical activities such as making Anglo Saxon jewellery or enacting a Roman banquet will often be part of a lesson. Visits to historical sites and museums are undertaken whenever possible to give children more insight into the period being studied. Children find history absorbing. They enjoy stories from the past, and many find the very idea of the past exciting. Our children often bring to the lessons experiences from visits they have made with their family or information from books at home. This is an ideal opportunity to consolidate links between activities taking place at home and at school.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
ICT The purpose of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the primary school curriculum is to provide pupils with opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and attitude to enable them to make effective use of ICT and to extend and enhance their learning throughout the curriculum.
The ICT programme offers opportunities for our children to
Exchanging, sharing information and collaboration
• enjoy using ICT and tackle all applications with confidence and a sense of achievement;
At Key Stage 1 this strand is concerned with using similar software to that used for developing ideas and making things happen, but encouraging pupils to take their work a stage further and developing it to present to an audience. For example, presenting the results of an investigation in chart form to the class or making a multimedia talking picture book for another pupil.
• develop practical skills in the use of ICT and the ability to apply these skills to the solving of relevant and worthwhile problems; • understand the capabilities and limitations of ICT and the implications and consequences of its use; • learn how to stay safe online and to use the Internet appropriately; • extend and enhance learning in all subject areas; • select and use ICT appropriate to the task at hand.
Many of the experiences children have with ICT will be as part of their work in the other subjects, and the use of such technology as a daily teaching and learning tool is constantly developing. However, there is a specific programme of ICT skills which are taught across Key Stages 1 and 2. This work is involves four main aspects of learning:
Developing ideas and making things happen At Key Stage 1 this strand is concerned with using spreadsheets to make charts; multimedia software to combine pictures, sounds and words; desk top publishing to combine pictures and text; using floor turtles to give instructions in the right order; using adventure games or simulations to explore different situations. At Key Stage 2 this strand is concerned with using desk top publishing and multimedia software to organise and present information in different forms; using monitoring software to monitor experiments; using modelling software such as Logo or spreadsheets to model situations and answer ‘what if... ?’ questions, computer programming with Scratch, web design and graphic modelling using software such as Serif Design Suite, creating digital movies.
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This work will have relevance and provide knowledge and understanding in English, maths, science and other NC subjects.
At Key Stage 2 this strand is concerned with using e-mail, animation, music software to communicate and exchange information and to present information for different audiences. Both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 will learn about how to share information safely and to use the Internet and social media responsibly.
Finding things out At Key Stage 1 this strand is concerned with using the Internet and our FROG VLE to gather information; collecting information and entering it into preprepared databases in order to answer questions. At Key Stage 2 it is concerned with using a database to help in the collecting, organising, recording, processing, analysing and presenting information; using the Internet and FROG to search for information.
Reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it progresses At Key Stage 1 this strand is concerned with pupils reflecting on, talking about and writing up their work. Pupils could use a word processor to write up their results or digitally record their reflections. At Key Stage 2 this strand is concerned with pupils reflecting on their work, comparing their use of ICT tools with other methods and thinking about how they can develop their work in future. Again word processors can be used to help pupils to write up and present the results of their reflections. This can be done in the form of digital movies, podcasts, digital story books or using a number of desk top publishing tools.
The British School of Paris
Junior School Curriculum Guide
ICT facilities and resources
Computing
The school has a wide range of ICT facilities and equipment to support the teachers and children in their work. This provision is constantly evolving to improve our delivery of the curriculum. Children from Nursery to Year 6 use iPads. These devices offer instant access to a wide range of educational applications and internet resources in order to significantly enhance teaching and learning opportunities.
We aim to ensure all pupils:
Other resources currently include: • A Computer Suite, comprising of 22 networked computers with internet access. • Laptops for all teachers, used in lesson preparation and with the interactive whiteboards. • Interactive whiteboards in all classrooms, used in lessons throughout the curriculum.
• Can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation. • Can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems. • Can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems. • Are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.
• Digital movie camera. • A wide variety of battery-operated items including Talking tins, Easy-speak microphones, recorder pens, talking books and recordable speech bubbles to enable children to record their own voices. • Digital microscopes for use in science investigations; a SMART Visualiser to record and view teaching and learning on the interactive whiteboard • Sensors and datalogging software for use in science experiments. • Controllable vehicles. • A wide range of software specifically designed for primary school use, to support the teaching of the ICT programme, but also for subjects across the curriculum.
A busy session in the ICT Suite
• Subscriptions to a range of websites, which can be accessed at school and at home. • Our Virtual Learning Environment FROG, our safe and secure intranet for pupils and teachers.
Children using iPads in their classroom
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Music The aim of our Music programme in the Junior School is to develop children’s understanding and enjoyment of music, in exposing them to a wide variety of artistic experience. Every class has two music lessons each week, of which one is usually a singing lesson.
Within this framework all children follow a programme based on the fundamental activities of:
• performing • composing • listening and appraising It is at the Foundation Stage that motivation and interest in music is born. At the heart of the music lesson lays the song and a wide repertoire is built up over the year. In addition, children listen to musical stories, learn about composers and add simple percussive accompaniments to their singing. This strong foundation is built upon through Key Stage 1. Year 1 children acquire their practical experience through the use of tuned percussion instruments while at Year 2 they use the recorder. They become aware of pulse and contour of melody and learn to recognise rhythmic patterns and notation. Children are expected
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to be able to both sing and play from memory as well as perform in public. Children are encouraged to recognise obvious features in music and to use simple dynamics. They are given opportunities to experiment with musical sounds imaginatively - the beginnings in fact, of composing. By the end of Key Stage 1, all of our children will have had some experience of acting and dancing on stage in a musical production. Many will have started to learn an orchestral instrument. All should have a firm grounding in the basics of music, along with an enthusiasm for the subject, upon which they can build in later years. During Key Stage 2 activities undertaken include singing in canon and singing in two parts, maintaining their own part with awareness of other performers; playing and singing with accuracy of pitch, pulse and dynamics; reading musical symbols and using musical vocabulary; and sight reading (instrumental).
The British School of Paris
Junior School Curriculum Guide
Children are exposed to musical styles ranging through classical, jazz, modern, rock, African, Asian and American as well as developing knowledge of the instruments of the orchestra. As their listening skills become more developed and more catholic, they are led to become more conscious of musical concepts such as timbre.
By the time our children leave the Junior School, it would be fair to say that in most cases they will have gone well beyond the expectations set out in Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum.
By the time our children reach Years 3 and 4, many have taken up an orchestral instrument and some even two. Children regularly reach the standards of Grades 1 to 5 of the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music examinations. Examination sessions are twice a year, in December and May. Apart from the deep satisfaction of making progress on an instrument and ultimately being part of the orchestra, or indeed the choir, children’s ability to concentrate improves as do their social skills when playing or singing with others. Success in music increases the likelihood of success in other subjects. During Key Stage 2, all children take part in one of our major musical productions. Many of them perform in the choir, and in one of the two orchestras. In Year 5 and 6, selected members of the choir and orchestra have the opportunity to attend the Schools’ Promenade Concert at the Royal Albert Hall and a Musical in the West End of London. 25
Junior School Curriculum Guide
Physical Education The aim of our Physical Education programme is to give children a balanced and enjoyable range of activities to promote and improve their physical skills, personal health and fitness.
P.E. follows the Programmes of Study of the English National Curriculum and is taught throughout by specialist teachers. Each class will normally have two hours of P.E. per week. Full use is made of the range of facilities available, including a multipurpose sports hall with a sprung floor, a synthetic Astroturf pitch and an all-weather netball and basketball area. Our children use two swimming pools in Croissy to provide more opportunities for their swimming development.
Gymnastics and Dance One of each class’s weekly lessons will usually be in the hall, developing gymnastics and dance skills. In gymnastics at Key Stage 1, emphasis is placed on the development of movement patterns inherent in the different aspects of the P.E. programme.
The aim is to develop body awareness and increasing control through the activities of travelling, turning, rolling, jumping and balancing. Using floor work and apparatus, children learn to make simple sequences and to link actions. By Key Stage 2 children are learning to create and perform fluent sequences on the floor and using apparatus. Increasingly they will include variations in level, speed and direction in their sequences.
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In dance, emphasis is placed upon awareness of body parts, rhythm, fast and slow movement and stillness. Aesthetic responses are sought, but children also
learn set steps, dances and gestures. By Key Stage 2, children will be learning to create and perform dances using a range of movement patterns, often from a variety of places and cultures. They will be encouraged to respond to a range of stimuli and accompaniments.
Games Initially, the focus is on the individual learner: tasks set match the individual, each child achieving at their own level. Our maxim is, ‘Success breeds success.’ In games, basic skills are learnt using a large variety of apparatus. Correct manipulative skills are taught, including travelling (dribbling), receiving and sending. Awareness of space, dodging and marking is also developed. As they progress through Years 1 and 2, children begin to play simple competitive games, learning to follow rules and to work co-operatively, first in pairs, then in small groups. In athletics, children
are introduced to running, jumping and throwing. At Key Stage 2, children are progressively introduced to a range of specific sports, their rules and associated skills and tactics. Most team sports are initially modified and played with small sides to encourage participation and accessibility to all. Teamwork is emphasised, as children work together to organise and keep games going. Social skills are constantly reinforced: how to include and encourage others, how to be a good winner and a good loser.
The British School of Paris
Junior School Curriculum Guide
It should be pointed out that we welcome the involvement of our children in local sports clubs, which offers additional opportunities to develop sporting skills as well as being an ideal way to integrate with the local community and practise French language skills.
Swimming
In addition to its role in developing physical skills and fitness, the P.E. programme is an important vehicle to promote the development of social skills, the understanding and following of codes of conduct, and the attributes of confidence, ingenuity and independence. At our school it is seen as a central part of the primary curriculum.
In Key Stage 2, children develop water confidence and the basic skills of propulsion, floating and submerging. In addition, there is work from the beginning on accurate stroke development and the ability to swim increasingly longer distances. As they progress, children will be taught to use a range of recognised strokes and personal survival skills.
Outdoor and Adventure Activities At Key Stage 2, children begin to take part in outdoor activity challenges, developing a range of range of orienteering and problem-solving skills in activities around the school grounds and beyond, work together to meet the challenges set. Children in Years 5 and 6 are able to participate in a range of outdoor education activities (from hiking to canoeing and climbing) during residential and day visits organised for the Summer Term. Currently Year 6 spend a week in the Ardeche in the south of France, and Year 5 visit an activity centre on a 3-day trip.
Extra-curricular activities There is a programme of extra-curricular activities which complements and extends the teaching in lessons. Children may also be selected to play in school teams for such sports as football, rugby, hockey and even cross-country running. Matches are played against local schools and clubs, and also against schools abroad, involving weekend visits.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
The British School of Paris Topic Map 2012-2013 Subject
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Science
Ourselves Five Senses
Light and Dark (Space) Wind and Water (Forces)
Minibeasts Growing Plants
History
My Own Time Line My Family Tree
Toys Old and New Magic Grandad Grandparents
Old Games
Geography
Where in the World is Barnaby Bear?
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Our Local Area: The River
Design and Technology
Puppets (Sewing)
Moving Pictures
Playgrounds
ICT
Labelling and Classifying
Beebot Create a Story
Word and picture banks Word processing
Art
Self Portraits Puppets
Painting – Colour Mixing African Prints Junk Modelling
Observational drawing Environmental Art
Subject
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Year 1
Year 2 Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Science
Properties of Materials Changing Materials
Electricity Plants – Conditions of Growth
Animal Groups Habitats
History
Seaside Holidays in the Past Guy Fawkes
Children’s lives in Victorian Times
Famous people
Geography
Going to the Seaside
Maps and Plans
An Island Home
Design and Technology
-
Picture Frames
Mouse Houses
ICT
Creating Pictures
Routes – Controlling a Floor Turtle
Writing Stories
Art
Self Portraits
Portraits – Other Artists Observational Drawing
Nature in Art (Morris, Rousseau)
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Subject
Year 3 Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Science
Testing and using Materials Magnets and Springs
Teeth and a Healthy Diet Rocks and Soil
Plants Light and Shadows
History
Egyptians
Romans
Local History – Croissy and the Impressionists
Geography
Map Skills
Weather Around the World
Local Area?
Design and Technology
Pneumatic Monsters
A Healthy Sandwich
Packaging
ICT
Text and Graphics Podcasting
Presentations Simulations
Databases E-mail
Art
Can We Change Places? Egyptian Art 2D Patterns
Take a Seat Mosaics Patterns
Impressionists
Subject
Year 4 Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Science
Habitats The Human Body -Moving and Growing
Keeping Warm – insulating Friction
Electricity – Circuits, conductors and insulators
History
Anglo-Saxons Vikings
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Normans
Geography
Village Settlers
Recycling Rainforests
Paris
Design and Technology
Shelters Animals and human to include ‘Shelter Day’
Pop-up Books/ Cards
Moving vehicles – electricity powered
ICT
Repeated Patterns and Photography
Collecting and Representing Information. Writing for different audiences
Branching Databases Movie-making
Art
Portraits – Portraying Relationships
Patterns - camouflage
History of Artists in the 18th to 20th Century Georges Seurat
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Subject
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Science
Gases Dissolving Changing States
Earth, Sun and Moon Keeping Healthy
Sound
History
Henry VIII
Tudor Times – Rich and Poor
Tudor World Exploration
Geography
Water
Mountain Environment
World Maps and Mapping
Design Technology
Bread-making
Tudor Houses
Musical Instruments
ICT
Spreadsheets Surveys
Control (Scratch I)
Graphic Modelling (Serif Web)
Art
Textiles and Embroidery
Objects of Meaning – Still Lifes
Portraits
Subject
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Year 5
Year 6 Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Science
Forces Electricity
Microbiology Reversible and Irreversible Changes
Interdependence and Adaptation
History
Ancient Greeks Changes in 19th Century Life
Changes in 19th Century Life
-
Geography
-
-
Rivers
Design Technology
Moving Toys
Moving Toys
Bridges
ICT
Multimedia Presentations Webpage Design (Serif Web)
Advanced Control (Scratch II)
Making Movies
Art
People in Action
Impressionists
Impressionists
The British School of Paris
Junior School Curriculum Guide
Assessment Assessment is the process which evaluates each pupil’s achievement, identifying what they know, understand and can do. Teachers use assessment as an integral part of the educational process, providing feedback to ensure continuity and progression in children’s learning.
It is important to realise that assessment takes many forms and does not just entail ‘giving children a test’. Most assessment which goes on in the Junior School is what is called formative assessment (or ‘assessment for learning’). This is the ongoing process whereby teachers make judgements of children’s progress and achievement at appropriate times during the ordinary course of teaching. Such assessments may involve observation, marking of written work, oral or written testing (e.g. weekly spelling tests). The results are used by the teacher to evaluate the appropriateness of the work or teaching approach for the class or the individual, and thereby to inform future planning. They are also fed back to the child in appropriate ways, to recognise achievement and to set targets for improvement, thus involving each child actively in their own learning and progress. As part of this process, children are often invited to assess and record aspects of their own progress and understanding (as for example with the ‘traffic lights’ system). It is from these ongoing assessments, built up over a period, that teachers produce bi-yearly written reports for parents summarising each child’s strengths, attainment level and areas for improvement which have been identified. In addition to the above, the school undertakes a certain amount of formal testing, using professionallyproduced testing materials in widespread use in the UK. Our children in Years 3 to 6 are given tests for Reading and Mathematics during the Autumn Term. From September 2010, these will comprise the computerised InCAS assessments, produced
by Durham University. These tests are especially useful since they have a diagnostic element. That is, they enable the teacher to identify strengths and weaknesses, so that if necessary appropriate and specific teaching strategies can be implemented. Towards the end of each year, our children in Years 1 to 6 are given a range of formalised tests in English and Mathematics. These tests result in a standardised score, enabling an idea to be obtained of the current attainment of each child relative to a wider norm. It is however important to emphasise that any test results are seen as only a part of our overall assessment of how a child is doing. Test scores complement the broader base of teacher assessments to enable us to build up an accurate picture of each child’s attainment and progress. The Foundation Stage has its own assessment procedures. Upon arrival in the Reception year, we carry out a ‘baseline assessment’ with each child in order to identify their current level of development. At the end of the Reception Year, teachers complete the ‘Foundation Stage Profile’, summarising each child’s development and attainment in the six areas of learning. These assessments are made on the basis of the teachers’ accumulating observations and knowledge of a child’s progress throughout the Foundation Stage years. Above all, assessment should be seen as a positive rather than a threatening activity. The aim of assessment is to help our children: to recognise and celebrate their achievements, and to enable us better to support them in their future development.
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Junior School Curriculum Guide
Homework Work set for pupils to do at home can have value at several levels. Additional time spent at home on work being covered in class allows reinforcement of skills through further practice.
Time-consuming, but mundane, tasks done at home can free valuable lesson time for more suitable teacher-led activities. Perhaps most importantly, giving work to be done at home provides a vital link in children’s minds between the activities performed at school and the rest of their life at home and beyond. A corollary to this is the perceived involvement of parents in their children’s education through the support they give to the doing of homework and the importance they attach to it. The teacher’s aim on each occasion is to set a task that the child is able to perform successfully and more or less independently. There may be times, however, when tasks require more definite home support (such as research tasks or being heard read): this will be indicated clearly by the teacher. Daily homework tasks are written down by the child in a homework book to ensure that what is required is clearly understood. This book also allows parents to communicate if necessary with the teacher concerning the homework and its carrying out. Right through the school, reading tasks will often be given to be carried out at home. The reading record system is designed to assist effective two-way communication between home and school.
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Homework Time Our children have an intensive school day (made longer for those travelling to and from school by bus). It is in the course of the school day, with wellplanned professional instruction, that most worthwhile academic learning will occur. However, we wish our children to develop good working practices and self-discipline, which they will need for success in their future educational life and beyond. A clear and regular homework regime can play an important part in this development. At Key Stage 2, homework time should be about 20 minutes each night in Year 3, rising to 40-45 minutes by Year 6. Teachers will occasionally give longer tasks set over a number of nights, which require children to begin to plan and organise effectively their own working time. Children should also expect to read beyond the times set above – this will be the main homework activity for children in Key Stage 1. Our aim is to make reading a pleasurable activity, which children look forward to doing ‘in their spare time’. Parental support in encouraging children to give over some time each day to reading is vital in children’s continued development of reading skills.
The British School of Paris
The British School of Paris Junior School
The British School of Paris Junior School 2 rue Hans List 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine France Tel: +33 (0)1 30 15 88 30 Fax: +33 (0)1 73 79 15 71 Website: www.britishschool.fr Email: junior@britishschool.fr
May 2015