Our Curriculum

At Cranford, we deliver a broad and deep curriculum that is designed to engage our pupils.  We look to make links in learning between subjects, whilst upholding our Christian values and curriculum intent.  You can read our Curriculum Statement available below and this tells you about our vision and what is fundamental to our approach to teaching our children.

We teach the National Curriculum in Years 1-6 and the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum for Year R. You can find more details on specific subject areas below. Information about the current topic being studied in each class can be found on the individual class pages (accessed via the drop down menu). If you require any further information about our curriculum, please contact us.

On the document below you can find out what we're learning about during this academic year.

English

English is a core subject of the National Curriculum .   The acquisition of core language skills in reading, writing and speaking & listening is  fundamental for educational and social progress and developing cultural capital. 

English - Reading

A weekly reading rotation is set up in each class so that all pupils get the opportunity to experience a guided reading session with their Class Teacher.  In these sessions, pupils are taught reading skills using the 'VIPERS' program (which sees them focusing on Vocabulary, Inference skills, Prediction skills, Explanation skills, Retrieval of information and Sequence of information). 

English - Phonics

We use the Read, Write, Inc. phonics and early reading and writing program in Cranford C E Primary School.

The program teaches children to read accurately and fluently with good comprehension.  Children learn the English alphabetic code: first they learn one way to read the 40+ sounds and blend these sounds into words, then learn to read the same sounds with alternative graphemes.  Lively phonic books are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and ‘tricky’ words and, as children re-read the stories, their fluency increases. Children are helped to read with a storyteller’s voice.

Pupils write every day, rehearsing out loud what they want to say, before spelling the words using the graphemes and ‘tricky’ words they know.  They practise handwriting every day: sitting at a table comfortably, they learn correct letter formation and how to join letters speedily and legibly.

English - Writing

Much of the writing that we teach is driven by either a key text we are looking at as a class or by topics that we are delivering in our wider curriculum. Most of our English units are based around 3-week modules.  In the first week, we focus on 'Reading as a Reader': enjoying books and looking at published examples of genres.  This is usually followed by a week of 'Reading as a Writer': here we look at the technical features of a text and its syntax.  The third week allows us to then focus on our own work - 'Writing'.  Children will now be able to produce their own texts, having studied exemplar material and learnt about appropriate  grammar, vocabulary and style for the genre being covered. Our shared learning areas reflect the books that have been studied by classes and as you move around the school you will see the work we have produced.

Maths

As a school, we believe that Maths is best taught when concepts are broken down in to small, manageable steps and we believe that this is how our children learn best.  We teach using a method that first uses concrete resources to demonstrate a concept, followed by pictorial representations and finally in a more abstract way.  The school use the White Rose Maths Scheme of Work in order to achieve this. 

To develop your child’s fluency and mental maths skills, we are introducing KIRFs throughout school. KIRFS are a way of helping your child to learn by heart, key facts and information of which they need to have instant recall. KIRFs are designed to support the development of mental maths skills that underpin much of the maths work in our school. They are particularly useful when calculating, adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing. They contain number facts such as number bonds and times tables that need constant practise and rehearsal, so children can recall them quickly and accurately. Instant recall of facts helps enormously with mental agility in maths lessons. When children move onto written calculations, knowing these key facts is very beneficial. For your child to become more efficient in recalling them easily, they need to be practised frequently and for short periods.  Each terms KIRFs can be found on the class pages.

PSHE 

PSHE education helps pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. From making responsible decisions about alcohol to succeeding in their first job, PSHE education helps pupils to manage many of the most critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face growing up.  (PSHE Association).

We understand the importance of teaching our pupils effective PSHE skills and to facilitate this we follow the Jigsaw scheme of work.  We follow the published curriculum map, which you can find below which ensures our children benefit from the full coverage of all of the important content.

During the academic year 2020/21, all primary schools will be required to deliver ‘relationships education’. The government have also committed to statutory health education, meaning the majority of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education will be compulsory from 2020.  As a Church school, we base our PSHE curriculum around the materials published by 'Jigsaw'.  In November 2019, the Church of England published Principles and a Charter entitled “Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Heath Education (RSHE) in Church of England Schools”. The document set out several key principles and provides a Charter which schools can use. Above, the Church of England Principles & Charter for RSHE document sets out how both the ethos and teaching content of Jigsaw support us  in delivering RSHE in light of the above.

If you would like to read more about what is covered in RSE, please view the Jigsaw RSE Guide for Parents & Carers and Jigsaw RSE Content by Year Group document above.

The Jigsaw scheme also embeds positive British values across the school; please see the British Values in Jigsaw document for more information.

To find out more about Jigsaw from a parent or carer's perspective, you can read a comprehensive guide titled Jigsaw Programme Information for Parents & Carers found above.

Science

Science filters into every aspect of daily life. We teach Science to our pupils to increase their knowledge and understanding of our world, and to develop their skills associated with Science as a process of enquiry. It helps develop their natural curiosity, whilst encouraging them to respect living things and the physical environment in which they live.   

History

We want our pupils to be interested in the world and why things are the way they are.  By teaching our pupils a rich history curriculum and the successes and failures of the past, we helps them better understand the present and begin to build a better future. It also gives them an insight into the history of Britain as well as cultures with which they might be less familiar, thereby increasing cross-cultural awareness and understanding. 

Geography

We teach Geography to help our pupils better understand the world, its environments and different places, both near and far.  We teach the children to describe and explain features, such as lakes and towns, are locate where they are.   We also help them understand how these features came to be as they are and what continues to influence their development.   Through our Geography curriculum, we also teach our children about the different cultures and people around the world, what makes them similar and different and also why people choose to live where they do. 

Music

Music is taught weekly by class teachers or support staff from Year 1 to Year 6.  Each class has a one-hour lesson per week with children working as a whole class or in small groups.   In Reception music is taught through opportunities in continuous provision.  Instruments (tuned and untuned) are available to explore. Charanga is used to access whole class games and rhymes.