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The school follows the new National Curriculum, which staff have used to plan a broad and exciting creative curriculum, following a thematic approach. This allows teachers to cover a range of subjects, such as Geography, History and ICT, to extend the children’s learning. Opportunities are also built in for children to apply their skills in Maths and Literacy within the topics being studied.
In Reception, provision is founded on the Early Years Foundation stage Statutory guidance. It is organised into 7 areas of learning, three prima areas & four specific areas.
- Prime Areas- Communication & Language, Personal Social & Emotional Development, Physical Development.
- Specific Areas- Expressive Arts & Design, Literacy, Understanding the World, Mathematics.
In all subject areas, children are encouraged to develop their independence. To this end, we have a well-stocked library, which is regularly renewed, using Reading Library Services, and an IT Suite, where all children have access to computers on a regular basis. Independence is also gained in Foundation and KS1, where the children are able to learn, both in the classroom and in our outdoor learning area.
History
In History, we aim to inspire children’s curiosity and fascination about Britain’s past and that of the wider world, enabling them to make connections between the past and the present and recognise the impact of past events and the history around us.
History at Inkpen Primary School History Progression of Skills History Subject Overview
Geography
At Inkpen Primary School, we believe that Geography provides a means of exploring, appreciating and understanding the ever changing world in which we live and how it has evolved. It helps to provoke and answer questions about the natural and human world, encouraging children to develop a greater understanding of their world and their place and responsibility within it. We aim to inspire curiosity in children by giving them the key knowledge to be able to discover and build understanding.
Geography at Inkpen Primary School Geography Progression of Skills Geography Subject Overview
Art and Design
Art and Design stimulates imagination and creativity, involving children in a range of visual, tactile and sensory experiences, which enable them to communicate what they see, think and feel and explore the world around them.
We aim to provide children with opportunities that build on their understanding, appreciation and competence in drawing, painting, sculpture, printing, collage and use of textiles. Using and combining a range of materials and media, children develop techniques, experiment with ideas and explore shape, pattern, colour and form.
Art at Inkpen Primary School Art Progression of Skills Art Subject Overview
Design and Technology
Within Design & Technology, we wish for all our children to become designers and thinkers where technology will be a tool they can use and a passion they will have which they carry into the next stage of their education. We aim to inspire our children by providing engaging and practical lessons which encourage creativity and imagination.
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Religious Education (RE).
At Inkpen, we believe that teaching RE and PSHE is important because they help our children to develop values (including British values) and beliefs, and they promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. We aim to foster thoughtful reflections, discussions and reasoned arguments through our teaching of both RE & PSHE so that our children can understand the place of religion & belief in the modern world, whilst learning to respect our common humanity, diversity and differences.
Modern Foreign Languages
At Inkpen, all children from Year 3 up, receive lessons in French from a specialist language teacher.
Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education develops a child’s curiosity and deepens their understanding of the world around them. Language teaching at primary school provides the foundation for learning further languages, equipping children to study and work all over the world.
Physical Education
At Inkpen, our vision is to provide an outstanding place of learning within our school, where every child flourishes; this includes their physical, mental and emotional well-being. We see sport and activity as a crucial part of this to sustain a positive approach to the challenges the children will face as they move through life. We aim to equip them with the knowledge, skills and motivation necessary for a healthy lifestyle and lifelong participation in physical activity and sport. We use the PE and Sports Premium to deliver high quality sport provision through specialist coaches and through our affiliation to the West Berkshire Schools Sports Partnership. We enter competitions in tag rugby, netball, football, cricket, archery & cross-country as well as participating in athletics, swimming, indoor curling and hockey to name but a few of the very wide range of opportunities which our children have access to. Every year, the whole school takes part in Sports Day, with children representing their houses.
To inspire our children, over the past few years, we have also had a number of Paralympic athletes visit the school.
Our after school sports clubs include street dancing, multi-skills, football, netball & rounders. Lunch time sports clubs are run by Years 5&6 for the younger children and are always very popular. Available to all the children at lunch times is the “huff’n’puff” equipment, which is overseen by our lunchtime play leader.
Sports Funding Statement 2018-2019
Sports Funding Plan 2018-2019 Evidencing Impact
Sports Funding Statement 2017 – 2018
Sports Funding Statement 2016 – 2017
Computing
Computing is taught across the school. Where possible it is linked to topic work or learning across the curriculum. Pupils are taught to use IT safely and effectively for a range of purposes, including programming to solve problems, our underlying aim is to ensure Inkpen children are taught to be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology and have the skills and understanding necessary to take an active part in a digital world.
Enrichment activities
Our children also enjoy a range of enrichment activities throughout their time at school. Sometimes these are “one off” events, at other times they can be developed over 2 or even 3 terms.
One off events have included African drumming and dance workshops, French breakfasts, theatre visits and trips to a local pheasant farm.
Forest school
Our Foundation children spend one afternoon a week in the woods, attending Forest School. This is a wonderful opportunity for the children, where they can lead the learning, follow their interests and engage in their own curriculum, while all the time, gaining in self-confidence. There are also plenty of chances for them to take this new learning back into the classroom. There are also plans to extend this to the whole of KS1.
Music and Drama
We have also been lucky enough to have had whole class tuition through the Wider Opportunities in Music scheme, which has, in recent years, provided expert tuition in Brass, Strings, penny whistle and percussion.
The school choir is open to children of all ages and regularly sings at services in St. Michael’s Church, as well as concerts with other schools throughout the year at St. Nicolas’ Church, Newbury and the Anvil in Basingstoke as part of the Berkshire Junior Music Festival. Last year, we even made a trip with the choir to sing at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
School productions are highly valued as they are not only enjoyable, but develop the art of performance, team work, discipline and confidence. We present a Nativity performed by the Infants each Christmas and a Junior production each summer, either through a school-based performance or through our participation in the Confederation of Small Schools, professionally written and directed joint production at the Watermill Theatre
Pottery
The school has its own kiln and art is an integral part of each child’s experience of the school. Our pottery has even been sent to the Queen.
Year 6 Residential Trip
Children in Year 6 are offered the opportunity to take part in a 5 day residential trip. Previous destinations have included Tregoyd in Wales and Beam House in Devon. The past two years we have gone to PGL at Osmington Bay along with us 4 other small Primary schools in the area all go together. This is a chance for children to develop their confidence and independence before heading off for secondary school, in a supportive environment, whilst undertaking adventurous and exciting activities, such as abseiling, climbing, raft building, surfing and zip wire.
“Our learning goes on” – quote from Red Kite class
