Curriculum Subjects
Our curriculum ensures all children are supported to be the best they can be; it is accessible to all. It is broad, rich and ambitious, so our children are knowledgeable, skilful and respectful members of our community and wider society; ready for the next stage in their learning journey.
Smitham staff have worked hard to design a bespoke curriculum that will deepen children's knowledge and help them develop an enthusiasm to find out more. Most subjects are now taught in blocks across one or two weeks and we feel this gives children a more focused and immersive learning experience, one which enables their knowledge to become more deeply embedded.
Children with a Special Educational Need access a curriculum designed to meet their needs, having been assessed using our bespoke ‘Step Up’ assessments.
Please see our Year Group Curriculum page to find Knowledge Organisers for Y1 - Y6 in Geography, History, RE and Science as well as topic maps for the Early Years.
The National Curriculum outlines the statutory objectives for the knowledge, skills and understanding that we teach at Smitham.
Art & Design
What our staff say about Art: Children explore a variety of techniques and artworks. They develop passion and appreciation for art.
What our pupils say: I can explore and evaluate artistic techniques in a range of art forms.
Computing
What our staff say about Computing: Through Computing children are taught the principles of information and computation; how systems work and how to apply this when programming. Children have a clear understanding of responsible internet use.
What our pupils say: I can design and program; I know how to be responsible when using the internet.
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Design and Technology (DT)
What our staff say about Design and Technology: Through creative and practical activities, children explore designing and making.
What our pupils say: I am learning new skills and techniques to bring my ideas to life.
French
What our staff say about French: The teaching of French develops across the juniors and gives children the opportunities to understand, speak and write in French and experience the French culture.
What our pupils say: I have the skills and confidence to communicate in French.
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Forest School
What our staff say about Forest School: Children develop independence, build their self-esteem, engage in collaborative play and discover a love for the natural world we live in.
What our pupils say: I have respect for nature; I enjoy challenging myself and solving problems.
Geography
What our staff say about Geography: Through our Geography curriculum, children develop a curiosity about their world and its people; understanding the impact of the interactions between physical and human processes.
What our pupils say: We learn about the world and its people and the impact of our interactions.
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History
What our staff say about History: Children gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world, including its chronology.
What our pupils say: We search out reliable sources of information to investigate the impact the past has had on Britain and other places around the world.
Music
What our staff say about Music: We engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and to hone their talent as musicians; developing their critical engagement with music.
What our pupils say: As musicians we explore, create and perform music; appreciate and critique that of others.
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)
What our staff say about Well-being: Children develop their social and emotional skills, knowledge and behaviours in order to manage their own mental health and well-being.
What our pupils say: I understand my emotions and behaviours and know how to look after myself.
At Smitham we teach the Relationships and sex education (RSE) expectations from Year 1 to Year 6, through our weekly PSHE sessions. We use schemes of work from the PSHE Association. Our medium term plans were shared during a consultation with parents, in the Summer term of 2020. The PSHE Policy can be found in our Policies section.
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Physical Education (P.E.)
What our staff say about P.E.: Our PE curriculum ensures children become confident and successful participants in competitive sport and physically demanding activities, thus supporting their health and fitness.
What our pupils say: I enjoy participating in challenging activities and I am aware of how these support my health and fitness.
Religious Education (R.E.)
What our staff say about R.E.: The RE curriculum enables pupils to understand, explore and respect the religious beliefs of the school and the wider community.
What our pupils say: I learn about different beliefs and respect these.
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Science
What our staff say about Science: Children develop scientific knowledge and understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science and how they can be investigated by ‘working scientifically’.
What our pupils say: We develop our scientific knowledge and understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science by ‘working scientifically’.