Curriculum Overview – Maths, English, Science

Curriculum Overview – Foundation Subjects

Curriculum Overview – PE

Knowledge underpins skills. At TDMS, the Key Stage 2 curriculum promotes the development of knowledge first, so that students are able to call upon the most valued and valuable knowledge in each subject area when required to apply them to broader problems. Subjects have identified core content and knowledge that students are expected to learn throughout the year.

In order for students to be able to access the curriculum in its entirety they need to be able to read to at least their chronological age. Development of the reading of more challenging texts is a priority for Year 6 and there are regular opportunities for students to read and respond to a variety of texts. New vocabulary is explicitly taught
and students are expected to learn this vocabulary routinely. The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping students with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all students:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate

Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which students need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. The programmes of study are, by necessity, organised into apparently distinct domains, but students should make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects.

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that students develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and nonroutine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

The expectation is that the majority of our students will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress will always be based on the security of students’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Students who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged through our mastery curriculum to develop greater depth; which offer rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material are supported through small group interventions through PIXL therapy sessions to help consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice and scaffolding learning within our classrooms, before moving on.

We want our students to have the skills, knowledge and values to get ahead in education and life more generally. We believe we have a duty to fill gaps in students’ cultural capital if they are to access the curriculum in its entirety. Cultural capital is crucial to students’ development, not just in terms of academic success but also in their ability to contribute to the wider community and for their quality of life. Our curriculum will, therefore, explicitly teach this additional shared and valued knowledge, through lessons, the Personal Development curriculum, Tutor Time activities and extra-curricular opportunities.

All students follow courses in Personal Development and Relationship and Sex Education. The curriculum covers topics such as heathy relationships, anti-bullying, mindfulness and mental wellbeing, drugs education and citizenship. In addition, subjects have identified opportunities to develop spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) awareness within their units of learning. One such example might be teaching students to keep safe online in ICT lessons. The Ethics curriculum follows the new Relationships, Sex and Health (RSHE) statutory curriculum and we have ensured a strengthened focus on an age-appropriate coverage of respectful relationships, sexual violence and peer-on-peer abuse.

The timetable for Key Stage 2 is based on a two-week cycle and comprises a 25 period week with 4 periods per day (2 x 1.5 hour lessons in the morning and 2 x 1 hour lessons in the afternoon). The number of lessons allocated to each subject in Year 6 is shown in the table below.