Subjects

English

The teaching of literacy permeates all areas of the curriculum. High quality texts are used to enhance and lead cross-curricular learning.

We provide a variety of experiences which meet the needs of the objectives of the National Curriculum for English and develop the children’s confidence and skills in:

speaking and listening
writing for a purpose in a range of styles and to a variety of audiences
reading, for both understanding and enjoyment
spelling, grammar and punctuation to produce clear, well-structured pieces of writing
producing fluent, joined, legible handwriting

English Reading

Reading Discovery workshops are a regular feature in each classroom, promoting quality ‘book talk’ and providing children with the opportunity to respond to their reading. The structured reading programme centres around the Collins Big Cat scheme which supports readers from phonics to fluency. Pupils also access a range of books within a very well stocked library. Children are encouraged to read at home and will have either a guided reading book and/or a school library book to take home to support this aim.

English Phonics

Structured phonics is taught from Reception using a Song of Sounds approach. Pupils use their phonic knowledge to learn to read and write, and they experience a progressive spelling programme as they move through the school. Practical activities embed grammatical understanding and spelling skills in a fun and engaging environment.

Mathematics

Throughout the school, our teaching equips children with mathematical skills which will be of use to them in everyday life. Through guidance from the primary maths curriculum, we aim that all children will:

acquire mental and oral skills in numeracy, through daily practice in a structured maths lesson
learn to select the appropriate materials and mathematical processes for a task
develop the ability to estimate
develop their own approaches to calculating and recording, and communicate their reasoning to others in a variety of ways
build a positive and creative attitude towards mathematics through practical activity, explanation and discussion
strengthen their ability to think clearly and reason logically
show an awareness of maths in the world beyond the classroom
understand and appreciate the relevance of mathematics across all areas of the curriculum
solve a variety of real life and open ended problems.

Children enjoy being challenged to apply their maths skills to reason and solve real life problems.

Our carefully-considered and practical approach to calculation is shared with parents in order to support children’s learning outside of the classroom.

Religious Education & Collective Worship

The staff of All Saints School supports Chichester Diocese in sharing good practice with other schools with regard to the teaching of RE and the effective delivery of collective worship.

We teach RE in an enjoyable and meaningful way, and children are encouraged to respond in a variety of creative ways.

Our strengths in this are reflected in:

the Christian ethos and attitudes encouraged by the school which are guided by core Christian values
our daily acts of collective worship
the teaching of RE in lessons and the creative responses to learning
the celebration of the main Christian festivals
visits made by local clergy
visits to and links with the local churches and community All Saints CE (Aided) Primary School lays the foundations of religious understanding.

In line with the Diocesan guidelines, the school educates pupils in Christianity, promotes tolerance and fosters positive attitudes towards the religious beliefs and practices of others. Judaism is introduced as the second religion of the curriculum at Key Stage 1, while at Key Stage 2 the children explore Judaism and Islam. We seek to guide pupils to understand what lies at the heart of belief, what is common to believers and what is distinctive.

Computing

Children are surrounded by technology from a very early age; our computing curriculum aims to provide children with an understanding of how this technology works and how it can be used safely, responsibly and effectively.

Whilst children are taught discrete computing skills, such as designing and writing programs, information technology is also used widely across the curriculum in order for children to find, exchange and share information, and review, modify and evaluate their work.

We aim to enable all children to use IT with confidence and purpose so that they become digitally literate, equipping them with the skills to utilise technology to fully develop their learning and express their ideas clearly and coherently. In order to support this aim, children are encouraged to think about how, and when, devices including desktop computers, laptops and iPads can be used to support their learning.

Science

Science stimulates and excites pupils’ curiosity about the world around them and satisfies this curiosity with knowledge. The children’s practical experience poses questions that science aims to answer, and the learning is divided into working scientifically, with the three areas of life processes, materials, and physical processes.

Investigations include:

classifying and identifying
fair testing
pattern seeking
exploring
investigating models
making things / developing systems

The children’s previous knowledge is built upon, providing a scientific framework for their understanding of everyday and global issues. Understanding is skills-based and largely developed through investigation.

Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education

We aim to enable each child to grow in a safe and secure environment to be informed to make good choices and therefore become positive, responsible and increasingly independent members of the school community, reflecting our Christian Values to wider communities

Our school programme guides pupils to explore skills organised under 3 core themes:

Health and well-being
Relationships
Living in the wider world

The school operates a team system where pupils belong to a colour team (red, blue, green, or yellow). Pupils are awarded Dove points by staff for making good choices and the points are collected by the team. Dove points are totalled each week and the winning team receives a special reward at the end of term. A ‘top table’ is awarded each Friday to the fruit group who have gained the greatest number of awards in a week during lunchtime. They are also allowed to go first in the lunch queue.

Health also includes Relationships and Sex Education. All staff are involved in planning and delivering the programme, with any issues that arise being handled sensitively, whether in a class, group or individual situation.

Geography

Geography gives children the opportunity to develop an appreciation of the world we live in and a desire to care for it. Geography is taught using an enquiry and skills based approach. Children are provided with opportunities to:

investigate and use the school environment
learn about the features of the local area
contrast Horsham with different localities in the UK and across the world
ask questions and develop understanding of the world around them
learn to read maps and atlases
experience fieldwork studies
develop their understanding of a sustainable environment.

History

History is prominent across the curriculum and taught with a cross-curricular approach. Children are encouraged to become historical detectives and to develop their curiosity of the past. Children are taught how to:

develop knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from a range of historical periods
use correct historical terminology
understand historical chronology, concepts and processes
ask and answer historical questions
evaluate historical evidence and understand why there are different interpretations of the past
think critically and draw their own conclusions from a range of historical evidence
take an active role in their learning based on enquiries, problem-solving and independent activities

History is made meaningful through the children discovering both their own family history and that of their local area. They also enjoy learning about aspects of history through drama, role-play, school visits and visitors. Pupils leave All Saints School with well developed historical knowledge and understanding, and also with an ability to investigate, consider, reflect and review the events of the past.

Music

Music plays an important part in the life of the school. We have a specialist music teacher and pupils enjoy creating and sharing music, and learning about a range of musical styles. Our aim is for all children to:

listen to a variety of music
appreciate music
sing confidently
compose creatively
play percussion instruments
perform before an audience
record their compositions.

We aim to provide opportunities for children to learn a range of musical instruments. The children enjoy singing, and have the opportunity to join a singing group in school. End of year shows combine music, drama and dance, and other opportunities include joining Young Voices singing at the O2 in London.

Design Technology

Design Technology encourages children to consider how things work and how they are constructed. Children have the opportunity to explore materials and design and create products to solve real-life problems. They are taught how to use tools in a safe and effective manner and how to evaluate their product. Design Technology fosters children’s creativity and imagination and develops their problem solving skills.

When using Design Technology skills, the children have the opportunity to work with a range of materials including:

textiles, food, wood, card, clay
recycled and mouldable materials
electrical circuits

Art

Our aim is to inspire and support each child to develop their unique artistic view, allowing them to express their ideas and feelings through art and to develop progressive skills in a range of media.

These include:

pencil
paint
chalks and pastels
collage
sculpture
printing

Pupils explore these skills individually and with others, and are taught to evaluate their work, considering the effects conveyed. They study artwork by artists both past and present in order to understand art’s influence on history and culture and to enrich their own experiences.

Their sketchbooks become a personal record of exploration, design, skills and reflection. We enjoy exciting whole school art events, such as participation in Horsham Children’s Parade, and displays which are shared with parents to celebrate learning. Art is combined with many other subjects for enrichment.

Physical Education

At All Saints we recognise the contribution of PE to the health and well-being of the children. We believe that an innovative, varied PE curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities have a positive influence on the concentration, attitude and academic achievement of all our children.

Through Physical Education, we aim to ensure that all pupils:

Take part in a broad range of physical activities
Are physically active for sustained periods of time
Engage in competitive sports and activities
Lead healthy, active lives

The children take part in a variety of activities including gymnastics, games, dance, athletics and swimming. Through participating in physical activities the children develop skills of planning, performing and evaluating. The children have opportunities to participate as individuals, in groups, and in teams in order to gain a positive regard for sport for leisure and pleasure.

We actively promote sport through providing a range of extra-curricular activities. These include, football, multisports, netball, gymnastics, karate and athletics. Each year attainment in athletics and physical activity is celebrated through Sports Day, and pupils are selected to compete against other local schools.

Spanish

Pupils have weekly, hour-long Spanish lessons from Year 3 to Year 6. They become familiar with the sounds and written form of a new language, and develop basic linguistic skills enabling them to speak with increased confidence in a range of circumstances. This is achieved through creative and engaging lessons using various multimedia. Pupils increase their cultural awareness by learning about different countries and their people. We seek to develop the following skills:

listening and speaking
reading and writing skills
knowledge about how language works
exploring the lives of others in different countries
enthusiasm for learning a language and other cultures.

Forest Schools

Forest School is an exciting educational programme to encourage and inspire children through positive outdoor experiences. Children enjoy the freedom to explore and experience the natural world in all weathers and develop an understanding and care for their environment. There is a dedicated ‘Forest schools’ area beyond our orchard where children learn skills such a fire-lighting and using woodland tools. We also use local woodland to further enhance the experience.

‘I thought Forest School was an amazing opportunity to get used to the outdoors and learn new skills’ reflected a Year 5 pupil. As a result of attending Forest School pupils develop communication, problem solving and team skills, risk management in a safety aware context and improve their self-esteem. ‘I really enjoyed Forest School because it lets you become closer to nature and helps you make new friends,’ said a pupil at the end of their Forest School programme.