Junior School Curriculum Guide by The British School of Paris

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Junior School Curriculum Guide

Contents Introduction 2 The Early Years Foundation Stage 4 Key Stages 1 & 2 English

Mathematics

Science

Computing

Art and Design

Design and Technology

French

Geography

History

Music

Physical Education

Personal, Health, Social and Economic Education (PSHE)

Simplified Topic Maps 30 Assessment 33 Homework 35 1

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Introduction Dear Parents, This guide is designed to give you an overview of the curriculum that The British School of Paris offers to children between the ages of 3 and 11. Our programmes are based on the National Curriculum of England and the Early Years Foundation Stage, modified where necessary to allow for our particular position as an international school in France. We hope you find the information contained in this guide interesting and useful. Our aim is to help you to better understand the learning being undertaken by your children, which they will undoubtedly come home and discuss. We hope you will see how this learning forms part of the much broader programme making up a varied whole-school curriculum with considerable breadth and depth. Our Curriculum The National Curriculum sets out the body of knowledge and range of skills which our children both need and deserve in all subjects. It emphasises the breadth, both across the primary curriculum and within each subject, which provides one of the traditional strengths of a British education. In some areas, however, we go well beyond the requirements of the National Curriculum, for example in offering a daily French programme throughout the primary years. In Music and Physical Education, our use of specialist staff means that we can offer a programme which exceeds National Curriculum expectations. In addition, for subjects such as History and Geography, the ‘Anglo-centric’ nature of the National Curriculum does not always prove suitable for our situation. We have made adaptations wherever necessary to produce more meaningful learning opportunities for our children. In the National Curriculum, the years of compulsory education are divided into five Key Stages. The first three relate to the Junior School:

Stage

Pupil’s ages Year Group

Early Years Foundation Stage

3-5

Nursery Reception

Key Stage 1

5-7

Years 1 and 2

Key Stage 2

7 - 11

Years 3 to 6

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the curriculum is organised into seven ‘Areas of Learning’.

For Key Stages 1 and 2, the ‘Core Subjects’ comprise English, Mathematics and Science. Computing, Art,

Design and Technology, Geography, History, French, Music and Physical Education make up the other ‘Foundation Subjects’. French, Music and Physical Education are taught by specialist teachers throughout the school. The other subjects are taught by each child’s class teacher, who also delivers the children’s Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) programme.

e-Learning and Internet Safety Digital technology is embedded throughout our curriculum with the use of iPads and interactive whiteboards for teaching and learning. Our Internet Safety programme spans the full age range between Nursery and Year 6 and is linked to the school’s PSHE curriculum and taught through regular discussions and age appropriate or whole school assemblies. We currently teach to six themes, which cover trending issues, and we adapt the programmes of study to meet the needs of our children. The current themes are: • Privacy and security • Communication and relationships

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Children in Year 5 experience a residential visit to Auvergne to complement their geographical learning. Year 6 undertake a residential visit at an outdoor activity centre in the Ardèche region in the south of France. The children have the opportunity to experience canoeing, climbing, caving and other exciting outdoor pursuits.

English as an Additional Language

Year 6 in the Ardeche

• Safer Internet Day theme- Together for a better Internet • Managing online information • Health and welling • Digital identity and footprint.

An Integrated Approach Although each subject has its own key objectives, teachers will often deliver these in lessons as part of a more thematic and cross-curricular approach. Subjects are combined wherever appropriate to emphasise links and make the learning more meaningful for the children. For example, English will often be taught as part of a History lesson, Mathematical skills may be introduced in a Science or Design and Technology lesson, while a particular topic may often involve both historical and geographical aspects. Contained within this guide are simplified versions of our ‘Topic Maps’, indicating the themes currently covered in each year group and for each subject.

All curriculum areas (besides the daily French lesson) are taught in English. It is normally expected that children’s level of English is high enough to allow them to cope in the classroom. However, we are aware that a significant number of our children have English as an additional language, which is children whose primary language of the home is not English. It is important to note that we encourage our children to maintain and develop their mother tongue and recognise the rich contribution their culture and language bring to our school environment. Our teachers are aware of the often varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds of many of our children and adjust their teaching approaches accordingly. They provide a supportive environment so that all children can fully access the learning being introduced and they encourage every child to achieve to the best of their abilities. In this, teachers are supported by our Head of EAL who provides advice on teaching methods and suitable materials. The British School of Paris expects all our children to succeed. For this to happen, where children have little or no English initially, the school will organise additional support, either within the classroom or by withdrawal with small group tuition. Each case is treated individually according to need, and arrangements for support are made after full discussion with the child’s parents. There is a supplementary charge for EAL support.

This should give you a clearer idea of the topics and associated activities which your child may be working on at any given time. Please note that this topic list is being continuously reviewed and updated: details of the map sometimes change as our curriculum delivery evolves.

Educational Visits and Residential Visits As a valuable resource to support our programmes of study, we organise an extensive range of educational visits to places around the Paris area. These may entail a half day or a full day away from school, with a few visits occasionally involving a return to school beyond the usual end of the school day. 3

Junior School Curriculum Guide

The Early Years Foundation Stage Our aim in the Early Years is to develop confident, happy children who are eager to learn and who can share their experiences with others so that they may lay a firm foundation for the years of learning to come. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) describes the years of education up to the end of the Reception Year. Staff use the EYFS framework as the basis of our youngest children’s learning and personal development. A series of Early Learning Goals set out what most children are expected to achieve by the end of the Reception Year. They are arranged in seven broad Areas of Learning, three ‘prime’ and four ‘specific’:

• Personal, social and emotional development Learning to be self-confident and increasingly independent (such as being able to dress and undress themselves); showing respect for themselves, for others and for the environment; telling the difference between right and wrong.

• Communication and language Learning to express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listening needs. Learning to follow instructions. Answering questions ‘how’ and ‘why’ related to experience and in response to stories or events. Learning to listen in a range of situations and responding appropriately with comments, questions or actions.

• Physical development Learning to move confidently, controlling their body and handling equipment, and in doing so, developing their gross and fine motor skills. Developing an awareness of needs in regard to keeping healthy.

• Mathematical development Developing an understanding of maths through

stories, songs, games and imaginative play. Children will become increasingly comfortable with numbers, undertaking practical activities involving sorting, measuring, shape and space, whilst developing ideas such as ‘heavier than’ or ‘bigger’.

• Literacy Learning to talk confidently and clearly, enjoying stories, songs and poems whilst appreciating the importance and pleasure of books, hearing and saying sounds, and linking them to the alphabet. Children will develop early reading skills and ascribe meaning to marks using a range of mark making tools.

• Understanding of the world Exploring and finding out about the world around them, learning to observe and ask questions. Children will investigate the natural world, build with different materials, be introduced to everyday technology and learn what it is used for. They will find out about past events in their lives and their families’ lives and learn about different cultures.

• Expressive Arts and Design Exploring colours and shapes, trying out dance, making things in a range of materials, and making and appreciating music.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Enrichment The above busy programme of learning is enriched by the same range of additional lessons as enjoyed by the older years. These include a daily French session, PE lessons and Music, all with specialist staff. Throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage, there is an emphasis on personalised learning. Each child is unique and ‘is a competent learner who can be capable, confident and self-assured’ (Practice Guidance for the EYFS). Each child has their own personal learning journeys. It is the aim to provide an environment that allows for their unique learning and development to be achieved. Planning is play, and activity, based, taken from an active awareness of individual children’s interests. ‘Play underpins all development and learning for young children’ and ‘underpins the delivery of all of the EYFS’ (Practice Guidance for the EYFS). Assessment is ongoing and embedded in our planning for the children’s next steps. ‘Topics’ are planned, following continuous observational assessment which informs the EYFS team where the child is in their learning and where they need to go next, while ensuring balance across the seven areas of learning. We endeavour to use the full range of indoor and outdoor resources to benefit the child’s learning, providing well-planned experiences based on children’s spontaneous play. In particular, teachers use their understanding of their children’s needs to allow flexibility in ‘getting out’ for those whose learning indoors will be improved by outdoor physical exercise. We see parents as partners in each child’s learning and development. The EYFS Setting has a ‘meet and greet’ policy whereby parents have the opportunity to talk to the class teacher and early years educator at the beginning and end of the day. This allows for an enriched understanding of the child and informs learning and development in the classroom.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

English The purpose of our teaching and learning in English is to develop our children’s ability to communicate confidently and effectively in speech and writing and to listen with understanding. We aim to enable them to become enthusiastic, responsive and knowledgeable users of the English language.

Our English programme of study is designed with these overall aims in mind. It takes full account of the requirements of the National Curriculum of England, while the content of our work and the teaching strategies that we use have been formulated drawing on the best practice from both the UK and across the world. The National Curriculum divides the range of learning covered in English at Key Stages 1 and 2 into the four main areas of: • Spoken Language • Reading • Writing • Spelling, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and glossary These elements of English are closely interrelated. For example, it is from their reading, if properly directed, that children develop their awareness of language use, which they will then apply in their own writing. Our teaching methods build upon the vital links between oral and written skills and between writing and reading. Of course, children’s language development is not confined to the learning they undertake in English lessons. We endeavour to make appropriate links between all curriculum subjects and their learning across the curriculum provides a rich source of experience, language and stimulation to support the development of spoken language, reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and glossary.

Spoken Language Our children’s progress in reading and writing will ultimately be built upon their development of their spoken language. The skills of speaking and listening are therefore crucial to success in other areas of language. The classroom experiences we give to children in all subject areas are designed to stimulate and challenge them to think and talk about what they have learned and discovered.

As children progress through the school, they are encouraged to share insights and opinions, and to explore, develop and explain ideas.

At the British School of Paris Junior School, teachers will encourage children to express themselves confidently and clearly, and to be attentive, courteous and thoughtful listeners. These skills will, of course, also be consolidated in each child’s home environment.

Reading Children become successful readers by learning to use a range of strategies to gain the meaning of a piece of text. These strategies include phonological awareness, word recognition, grammatical knowledge and knowledge of context. Successful readers use as many of these strategies as possible. For this reason, we use a balanced approach to teaching reading which recognises the importance of all these skills but with particular emphasis on phonics, the sounds made by letters and groups of letters. Our ultimate aim is for children to develop a love of books and a real enjoyment of reading. They have access to a wide variety of published reading schemes, giving the necessary breadth and interest required at each stage of their progress and a very well stocked school library. Children read in guided reading groups in class as well as independently at every stage. They will bring books home to read, both from the reading schemes and from the school library. It should be emphasised that the reading children do at home is also an integral part of a child’s reading programme, providing an opportunity for valuable practice and for the enjoyment of sharing such a wonderful activity with others.

Writing Children will be led to understand the value of writing as a means of remembering, communicating, organising and developing ideas and information, and as a source of enjoyment. Writing develops naturally out of activity and the spoken word; children will have a purpose in writing if they have interesting experiences to relate and are used to articulating these experiences orally. Children are encouraged to write independently from an early stage. From the outset, children practise correct letter formation and will begin to practise and use a single joined (cursive) script.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Children are given opportunities to write for a wide range of purposes, both in fiction and non-fiction and, as stated previously, much of this learning can be organised through other subjects â&#x20AC;&#x201C;history, geography and science for example.

in language awareness and the practice of grammar rules take place in parallel with the application of each childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s literacy skills in a variety of activities.

Spelling, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and glossary

For some children, support in literacy skills will be recommended by the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Learning Support Department. Parents will always be consulted if such support is deemed necessary.

A phonic-based spelling programme starts during Year 1 and a range of adapted programmes continue throughout Key Stage 2. Spelling lists are regularly given to children to learn at home. A sound grasp of grammar is vital for the effective use and understanding of the English language. Lessons

Keen readers at World Book Day

Learning Support

Children who are working well above the overall level of their class or group will be given opportunities to add breadth and gain enrichment from their learning and be encouraged to increase the depth of their learning, extending their output through complexity.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Mathematics Our overall aim is to enable our children to be comfortable in the world of mathematics with a positive approach to mathematics and its uses. To achieve this, children need a sound understanding of skills and concepts, giving them the ability to tackle problems and manipulate data and equipment confidently and effectively. We wish to emphasise that mathematics can be both enjoyable and useful and that children should see it as a natural part of their daily life.

Due emphasis is given to the breadth of the mathematics curriculum. Children follow an in-depth programme of study covering the following strands of the National Curriculum for England between Year 1 and Year 6:

skills are progressively introduced. Number skills are built upon extensive practical work using visual aids such as number lines, gradually developing into an understanding of place value, initially of tens and units but later of numbers up to 1000.

• Algebra

Alongside this practical work, a body of number facts are being built up. By the end of Key Stage 1, children should know addition and subtraction facts to 20, and be developing a range of mental methods for finding those that they cannot recall. Mental arithmetic skills are emphasised. Daily oral and mental maths sessions consolidate the learning of number facts and of number operations. Concentration on mental work continues throughout, in parallel with the development of calculating skills on paper.

• Geometry - position and direction • Geometry - properties of shapes • Measurement • Number - addition, subtraction, multiplication and division • Number - fractions (including decimals and percentages) • Number - number and place value • Ratio and proportion • Statistics Teachers have at their disposal a range of published schemes and printed materials, along with up-to-date interactive whiteboard and other e-learning resources, drawing upon them as necessary, to provide the most appropriate support for the learning at hand. In line with the National Curriculum, we emphasise throughout the importance of the effective application of mathematical skills. We encourage our children to use the mathematics they are learning in practical situations as this enables them to understand the value and pertinence of mathematics in real life whilst also consolidating their conceptual understanding.

Early Years and Key Stage 1 In the early stages, children do much work on sorting and matching using sets of objects. They are then introduced to counting, first with numbers to 5, then to 10.

Most work involves practical activities as children learn to see numbers as quantities of real things. The number operations (+, -, x, ÷) are introduced in practical situations, again emphasising that the operations that we perform on numbers reflect what happens with real objects. As number and computation concepts are developed, calculating

Although our main focus in the early stages is to develop the basic skills and concepts of number which will be essential for later progress, there is also an introduction to a broader range of mathematical understanding. Children undertake practical work in shape and space, learning the names and properties of common shapes and using appropriate vocabulary to describe position and movement. They compare and measure the properties of objects, and are introduced to the standard units of length, weight and capacity. They are introduced to the units we use for the passage of time and begin to make estimates using them. Children are encouraged to develop a picture of what happens at different times of the day and are taught the basics of telling the time with both digital and analogue clocks. Children are encouraged to communicate their ideas, talking with peers and adults about the mathematical skills and knowledge they are acquiring. In parallel, they begin setting down mathematics on paper from an early stage. Standard methods of setting out (digits, signs and columns etc.) are introduced progressively with the development of the language of mathematics emphasised at all stages of learning. Having the vocabulary necessary to communicate their mathematical ideas and findings is essential in developing the conceptual base children require.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Key Stage 2 Number work now includes all aspects of arithmetic as well as the consolidation of concepts of number. Children practise and apply the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They learn to use decimals, common fractions and percentages, and are introduced to negative numbers. The children are expected to learn by heart the addition and subtraction bonds (e.g. that 7+8=15 and 15-7=8) and multiplication tables to 12x12. Ideally, children should â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;know their tablesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by the end of Year 4, although further consolidation may well be necessary in future years. Besides learning to calculate on paper, there is a continued emphasis on mental mathematics. Daily practice and the teaching of strategies for dealing with mental work allow childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skills to develop progressively. Calculators are used in moderation at Key Stage 2. Using a calculator effectively is a skill that must be taught but is a skill that in no way replaces traditional arithmetic skills. A sound understanding of number operations is, of course, necessary in order to decide

what to do with the calculator when faced with a numerical problem. In this respect, it can be a valuable tool at times to free the child to concentrate on the process of problem-solving. Our children learn about the properties of twodimensional and three-dimensional shapes. They develop skills in geometry and learn to measure length, area, volume and capacity, weight and angles. Most measuring is in metric units, but imperial equivalents still in common use in certain parts of the world are introduced. Statistics has become an important area of mathematics. Work here involves both drawing and interpreting a growing range of charts, tables and graph forms, but also includes learning how to collect and organise data ready for use. Datafiles created on the computer extend this work further. Co-ordinates are introduced, first using two figures, then four, and provide a link between mapwork (and Geography) and the drawing of line graphs. The children are also introduced to algebra towards the end of Key Stage 2.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Science Our aims in teaching science are to: • Encourage the development of positive attitudes to science. • Help our children develop a growing understanding of the world through scientific knowledge, ideas and concepts. • Develop the skills of investigation – including observing, measuring, predicting, hypothesising, experimenting, interpreting and evaluating. • Encourage an open-minded, enquiring attitude in approaching scientific issues and investigations. • Develop the appropriate use of scientific language, recording and practical techniques. • Enable our children to become effective communicators of scientific ideas, facts and data. • Foster a concern about, and active care for, our environment. • Prepare our children for life in an increasingly scientific and technological world.

Curriculum outline The Early Years Foundation Stage Children will explore science through making predictions, using their senses and investigating materials and their properties. Science is taught through the strand of ‘Understanding the World’. Science teaching is also linked to other strands of the EYFS framework for learning. Children are encouraged to be creative and inquisitive as they participate in activities. They are encouraged to use their natural inquisitiveness, whilst taking part in exploratory play in specific scientific areas as well as areas which link across the EYFS framework. The practical experiences in EYFS lay the foundations for future learning in science.

Key Stage One (Years 1 and 2) During Key Stage one, pupils observe, explore and ask questions about living things, materials and the world around them. They begin to work together to collect evidence to help them answer questions, find patterns, classify and group objects, research using a variety of sources and become familiar with the concept of a fair test. Children will use reference material to find out about scientific ideas. They will share their ideas and communicate them using scientific language, drawings, charts, and tables. Key areas of science to be covered include: Everyday Materials, Plants, Animals, including humans, Seasonal Change and Living Things in Their Habitats.

Lower Key Stage Two (Years 3 and 4) Children are encouraged to extend the scientific questions which they ask and answer about the world around them. They will explore everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things and 10

familiar environments and begin to develop their ideas about functions, relationships and interactions. Children will make some decisions about which types of enquiry will be the best way of answering questions including observing changes over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying, carrying out simple comparative and fair tests, finding things out using secondary sources. They will make systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, take accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including new equipment including thermometers and data loggers. Children will begin to look for naturally occurring patterns

Junior School Curriculum Guide

and relationships and decide what data to collect to identify them and help to make decisions about what observations to make, how long to make them for and the type of simple equipment that might be used. Key areas of Science to be covered include: Plants, Animals, including humans, Living Things in Their Habitat, Rocks, Light, Forces and Magnets, Electricity and States of Matter.

Upper Key Stage Two (Years 5 and 6) The principal focus of Science teaching in Upper Key Stage 2 is to enable children to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They should do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. In Upper Key Stage 2, children should encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these

ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates. They should also begin to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time. Children will take measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings where appropriate, choosing the most appropriate equipment and explaining how to use it accurately. They will identify patterns that might be found in the natural environment. They will make their own decisions about what observations to make, what measurements to use and how long to make them for and whether to repeat them. Key areas of Science to be covered include: Plants, Living Things in Their Habitat, Animals, including humans, Earth and Space, Light, Forces, Electricity, Properties and Changes of Materials and Evolution and Inheritance.

Working Scientifically Working scientifically is a key skill integral to Primary Science and is embedded and developed throughout the whole of Primary Science at The British School of Paris Junior School. â&#x20AC;&#x192;

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Computing The purpose of computing in the primary school curriculum is to provide children with opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and attitude to enable them to make effective use of IT and to extend and enhance their learning throughout the curriculum. Our curriculum equips children to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which children are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programing. Building on this knowledge and understanding, children are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that children become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world. We aim to ensure that all children: • can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation. • can analyse problems in computational terms and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems. • can evaluate and apply information technology (IT), including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems. • are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information technology. Many of the experiences children have with IT will be as part of their learning in the other subjects, and the use of such technology as a daily teaching and learning tool is constantly developing. In saying this, however, there is a specific programme of skills which are taught across Key Stages 1 and 2. Our Computing programme of study involves the following eight main areas of learning: • Programing and Control • Using Technology • Using the Internet • Communicating and Collaborating online • Creating and Publishing • Digital Media • Using Data • Modelling and Simulations 12

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Computing facilities and resources The school has a wide range of computing facilities and equipment to support the teachers and children in their teaching and learning. This provision is constantly evolving in order to enhance our delivery of the curriculum. Children from Nursery to Year 6 use iPads. These devices offer instant access to a wide range of educational applications and internet resources.

• Digital microscopes for use in science investigations; SMART Visualisers to record and view teaching and learning on the interactive whiteboard

Other resources currently include:

• A wide range of software specifically designed for primary school use, to support the teaching of the computer science programme, but also for subjects across the curriculum.

• A Computer Suite, comprising of 22 networked computers with internet access. • Laptops for all teachers, used in lesson preparation and with the interactive whiteboards. • Interactive whiteboards in all classrooms, used in lessons throughout the curriculum.

• Sensors and datalogging software for use in science experiments. • Controllable vehicles.

• Subscriptions to a range of websites, which can be accessed at school and at home. • Our Virtual Learning Environment, FROG, which is our safe and secure intranet for pupils and teachers.

• A wide variety of battery-operated items including Talking tins, Easy-speak microphones, recorder pens, talking books and recordable speech bubbles to enable children to record their own voices.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Art and Design Our work in Art encompasses art, craft and design. These are approached through a wide range of activities, involving many different media. Art is both a personal and a shared activity. Our children are given opportunities to experience different approaches to art, including working individually, in a group or as a whole class.

At Key Stage 1 particularly, Art does not always appear as a set lesson, but is integrated within the practical work undertaken in other subjects. There are, however, specific skills and concepts to be learnt, involving both practical skills and the development of visual awareness. Children are encouraged to talk about their preferences, likes and dislikes, in responding to their own and to others’ work. The introduction of children to the work of artists and craftsmen from the past and present and from different cultures helps them to appreciate the richness of our cultural heritage, while providing stimuli for their own work.

These are taught to the children through a wide range of art activities and media, including the following: • Drawing – the use of line and tone, using a variety of media (pencil, crayon etc.) • Painting and colour mixing – primaries and secondaries; tints and shades; experimenting with textures (blow painting, splatter effects).

Key Stage 1

• Printing – with fingers, leaves, corks etc., developing pattern and texture.

In Key Stage 1, children are taught:

• Collage – using a variety of papers and scrap fabrics.

• to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products. • to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination. • to develop a wide range of art and design techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space.

• about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

they intended. In doing so, they begin to learn and to use the technical terms of art, such as texture, tone and form. Children learn to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design. In Key Stage 2, children are taught: • to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas • to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials (for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay) • about great artists, architects and designers in history • Sewing and weaving – using different threads and materials. • Models from assorted scrap material. • Models from clay, plasticine, papier-mâché, salt dough. • Making simple puppets. In Key Stage 1, the work of artists, craftspeople and designers is introduced, developing children’s appreciation of the richness of our diverse cultural heritage.

Key Stage 2 During Key Stage 2, practical skills and techniques are refined in a variety of media. Art lessons provide ideal opportunities for children to develop their fine motor skills, as they draw or paint in more detail, or manipulate materials and equipment in activities such as sewing or weaving. In parallel with the practical element, children also need to be developing their visual vocabulary, learning how to respond to and evaluate artwork, both their own and that made by others. While encouraging children to make critical judgements, we endeavour to help them develop tolerance, open mindedness and an understanding that likes and dislikes are both relative and important. Children are encouraged to reflect on and adapt their work in the light of what

Through: • Drawing – both observational and imaginative, using a variety of media (pencil, charcoal, pastel etc.). • Painting – experimenting with different qualities of paint and texture. • Colour mixing - Primaries, secondaries and tertiaries; the colour wheel and complementary colours; tints and shades; tone and mood. • Printing – using a variety of tools and a variety of patterns. • Textile crafts – sewing and weaving; designing and creating. • Collage – exploring a range of materials and effects. Not all children will necessarily develop into accomplished artists. However, all can gain pleasure and satisfaction from artistic activity, from the act of creation and the pride in their finished productions. And all can become ‘visually literate’, appreciating the wealth and beauty of the natural world and of human creativity.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Design and Technology Design and Technology prepares children to participate in tomorrow’s rapidly changing technologies. They learn to think and intervene creatively to improve the quality of life. The subject calls for children to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers, as individuals and as part of a team. They must look for needs, wants and opportunities and respond to them by developing a range of ideas and by making products and systems.

Design and Technology offers opportunities for our children to: • develop their designing and making skills; • develop knowledge and understanding; • combine their designing and making skills with their knowledge and understanding to create high quality products when faced with problem solving tasks with ‘real` contexts; • explore values about and attitudes to the made world and how we live and work within it; • recognise that through their ideas they can bring about changes; • develop an understanding of technological processes, products, and their manufacture, and their contribution to society; • engage in design and technology activities which arise from the practical application of studies in other curriculum areas; • make use of IT applications wherever appropriate as an integral part of their designs and the designing process.

The learning carried out by our children in their design and technology lessons can be divided into four broad areas: • Design • Make • Evaluate • Technical Knowledge

Key Stages 1 and 2 Through a variety of creative and practical activities children across both Key Stages are taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making in a range of relevant contexts.

Design There is a basic design process (shown in the diagram) that we follow when approaching a task. As children progress through the school, what they are expected to do at each of these stages becomes more complex. Some activities entail a more limited version of this full process, involving just one or two of the stages as children investigate specific aspects of designing and making.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

INVESTIGATIVE, DISASSEMBLY AND EVALUATIVE ACTIVITIES (IDEAs)

FOCUSED PRACTICAL TASKS (FPTs)

DESIGN AND MAKE ASSIGNMENTS (DMAs)

IDEAs

These should provide the children with opportunities to acquire knowledge and understanding about how manufactured products work.

FPTs

These provide opportunities to learn and practise particular skills and knowledge. This is when we can show the children how certain things work or are done; then they can have a go at it to practise their skills before they start to make the final product.

DMAs

These provide an opportunity for children to combine their skills, knowledge and understanding to develop products that meet a real need. They are open-ended activities whereby children can select and apply skills, knowledge and understanding in a creative way. This work should have an outcome which can be tested, evaluated and if appropriate, modified.

In all practical activities, children are shown how to use tools and materials safely, and how to recognise and control potential hazards to themselves and others. Children will also develop their understanding of using electrical systems in their products (for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors) and will be apply to apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their finished products. By the end of Key Stage 2, we aim for all of our children to be able to operate as effective technologists. They should be able to work on their own and as part of a team on a range of designing and making activities. They will be able to think about what products are used for and the needs of the people who use them. They will plan what must be done and identify what works well and what could be improved in their own and other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designs.

Design and Technology activities will sometimes take place in the classroom, but there is also a suitably equipped Technology Room where children can use a wide range of equipment in realising their designs. 17

Junior School Curriculum Guide

French The French curriculum provides an enjoyable study of the French language and life in France.

Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education fosters children’s curiosity and deepens their understanding of the world. We aim for children to be able to express their ideas and thoughts in French and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. We also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes and learn new ways of thinking. We aim for our French language teaching to, hopefully, provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping our children with the skills and knowledge required to study and work in other countries. Our aims are: • to develop the ability to communicate competently and confidently in French; • to give pupils opportunities to use the 4 attainment targets - listening, speaking, reading and writing; • to provide enjoyment and intellectual stimulus; • to encourage positive attitudes towards language learning and to speakers of other languages; • to help children adapt to living in France by offering insights into its language, civilisation and culture, and giving them an opportunity to observe and enjoy cultural similarities and differences; • to develop awareness of the nature of language and language learning. The objectives comprise three clearly progressive core strands of teaching and learning: • Oracy • Literacy • Intercultural understanding In addition, two cross-cutting strands are included: • Knowledge about language (KAL) • Language learning strategies (LLS) Our language work is topic-based. Topics, chosen with regard to the age, language ability and interests of the group, are chosen from the following areas of experience: • Everyday activities 18

• Personal and social life

The French classrooms provide a relaxed, informal and controlled environment where children feel secure and able to participate confidently. All children have a daily French lesson of 30 minutes. In each year group, children are placed into groups according to their previous experience of French. There is a group of beginners each year and a group of more fluent French speakers. Movement between groups is on the recommendation of the French teacher and after discussion with the Head of French and the parents.

The Early Years Foundation Stage In the Early Years, the teaching of French is delivered through very close links with the class teachers. Planning is done together to ensure that French is an integral part of the daily classroom activities. French teachers follow the EYFS recommendations as well as the teachers’ planning and activities. Teaching is delivered through songs, stories, puppet shows, interactive stories and videos, workshops, cooking and art. French teachers take part in daily life both inside and outside the classroom, communicating at all times in French with the children.

Key Stage 1 At Key Stage 1 our priority is to develop oral communication skills in a way that is relevant to young learners and that will engender enthusiasm and confidence. We concentrate on developing listening and speaking skills. Children are taught how to listen carefully and how to use aural and visual clues to help them understand what they hear. They learn how to respond clearly and coherently, using good pronunciation and intonation. They are taught how to ask questions and reply to them, how to give and follow instructions, how to ask for what they need, how to talk about their everyday life and their special interests. Language is introduced through contexts, using a wide range of resources. New vocabulary and structures are practised extensively to form a basis for clear, accurate communication and spontaneous use of French. Presentation and practice are varied and active. It is very important to maintain a high level of interest and enjoyment and many different kinds of activities are used to encourage participation; they

Junior School Curriculum Guide

include games, songs, rhymes, role play, puppets, flashcards, real objects, video, stories, interactive whiteboard activities and mime. Formal teaching of reading is not yet introduced, as children of this age are still in the early stages of acquiring these skills in English. Experience has shown us that a child who has learnt to read successfully in English can transfer these skills with little difficulty to French. In the group of “fluent French-speakers” many children will already be able to read and therefore they should be encouraged to take home library books. We use resources such as Rigolo and Linguascope, the interactive whiteboard; e-learning activities and songs, all of which present language learning in an imaginative way.

Key Stage 2 At Key Stage 2 the overwhelming reason for learning a language is to communicate, and at this age communication is still principally oral. Consequently, listening and speaking remain our priorities for all children. Children are taught how to listen for general and specific detail and how to respond correctly with good intonation and pronunciation. Language is introduced in context, using a wide range of resources. New vocabulary and structures are practised extensively to form a basis for clear, accurate communication and spontaneous use of French. Variety is important in order to maintain a high level of interest and participation, and all kinds of activities are used including games, songs, rhymes, role play,

puppets, IT, the interactive whiteboard, video, stories and mime. Reading and writing are introduced progressively as children acquire confidence in their use of French and teachers deploy a wide range of activities to encourage independent reading and to develop written language skills. In the group of more fluent French speakers, reading skills are developed so that each child can become a competent, autonomous reader. In each group reading abilities differ widely and individual reading schemes are a valuable resource. Children of this age and ability should also be developing clear, correct written work, applying grammatical rules and using reference material. The main courses used, depending on each group’s level of French, are Actif 1 & 2 and Rigolo. Individual reading skills are practised using Galaxie and A la Carte. French is also taught across the curriculum: in Integrated Language Learning, the topics children study in class are reinforced in the French lessons. Therefore, children’s learning of such units of work as the Vikings, Ancient Egypt, the Environment and French Mountains are also supported with French vocabulary and further learning opportunities. Throughout, French is the language of the classroom and children are given opportunities to communicate in French with their teacher and with each other, in whole class activities or in pairs or groups. We have a link with a local French school, Ecole Jules Verne de Croissy sur Seine where we exchange letters and videos and the children participate in exchange visits.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Geography We aim to inspire in our children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Our teaching equips children with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Studying Geography helps children understand the world around them, as well as giving insight into the ways of life and cultures of people in other places.

Our Geography teaching aims to ensure that all of our children: • develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes • understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time • are competent in the geographical skills needed to: o collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes o interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

Suitably equipped for the water treatment works

o communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length We are aware that our children are drawn from many different and varied parts of the world and bring with them a wide variety of experiences and insights. Our geography work promotes an understanding and acceptance of the range of geographical backgrounds of our children, while welcoming and making use of the rich source of geographical knowledge and experience that many of our children can offer. Across Key Stage 1 and 2 there are four main areas of focus for our children’s learning in Geography: • Locational Knowledge • Place Knowledge • Human and physical geography • Geographical skills and fieldwork

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Studying the Water Cycle using the interactive whiteboard

Key Stage 1

Key Stage 2

Key Stage 1 children will begin to develop their knowledge about the world, France and their locality. They will understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

In Key Stage 2, children will should extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include France and Europe and areas of the other continents of our world. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

It should be emphasised that early geographical work needs to begin with the children’s personal experiences and their immediate surroundings. Here they learn to describe and structure what they see and to ask the first geographical questions. Further learning on other localities will draw upon these early studies and the concepts and terms developed in them. Clearly, talking with your child about the locality where the family lives or is visiting will also be valuable. Showing an interest in and pointing out the basic features of a place will encourage the child to develop a geographical awareness and a useful vocabulary.

At Key Stage 2, these skills and themes are built upon and developed further, involving study of a broadening range of contrasting places. Field trips enable localities in France to be studied in more detail. Throughout this Key Stage, our children are given opportunities to: • investigate places and themes across a widening range of scales;

Early geographical skills taught include:

• undertake studies that focus on geographical questions like, ‘What/ where is it?’, ‘What is it like?’ How did it get like this?’, ‘How and why is it changing?’

• using simple geographical terms in exploring their surroundings;

• develop geographical skills through fieldwork and classroom activities;

• following directions (using terms like left, right, north, south etc.);

• develop the ability to recognise patterns in what they study;

• making their own maps and plans, using pictures and symbols;

• develop their awareness of how places studied fit into a wider geographical context (such as climate zones).

• using globes, maps and plans, identifying major geographical features; • following a route on a simple map; • using maps of France and the British Isles (locating Paris, England, Scotland, Wales etc.); • using pictures, photographs etc. to obtain geographical information

• develop an awareness of the need to care for environments and for sustainability. Skills taught through these years includes using atlases effectively, using geographical vocabulary appropriately and developing measuring skills (e.g. in weather recording). The places studied and themes investigated are laid down for each year group, as summarised on the Topic Map. They are drawn from the National Curriculum requirements but have been adapted to suit our situation here in Paris so that we may make our children’s learning more meaningful. 21

Junior School Curriculum Guide

History In their History learning, our children study the lives of men, women and children in different societies, cultures and countries in the past, investigating similarities with, and differences from, the present. They are led to understand history as a sequence of events and begin to develop a chronological framework in which to place the events and times they are studying. In addition, they explore some of the ways in which historians find out about the past.

Key Stage 1 Children in Key Stage 1 develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They will know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. They learn to use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms and will ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events. They develop their understanding of some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented. In planning to ensure the progression described above through teaching about the people, events and changes outlined below, teachers are often introducing children to historical periods that they will study more fully at Key Stage 2. History work will start with the children’s own history, and that of their immediate family, as the idea of the passage of time and the changes which occur through time are developed. This provides a natural link between home and school and is an ideal opportunity for families to support the work in the classroom.

Especially at Key Stage 1, these are often integrated topics including both historical and geographical aspects. In addition to their main units of study, opportunities are taken during the course of each year to look at historical events, people or artefacts as they crop up, such as those associated with significant dates in the calendar.

Key Stage 2 Children in Key Stage 2 continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They should note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

In Key Stage 1, children will be taught about: • changes within living memory – where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life. • events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally (for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries). • the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements, some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods (for example, Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, Mary Seacole or Florence Nightingale, Samuel Pepys, Louis Braille and Claude Monet) • significant historical events, people and places in France. 22

The topics covered are summarised in the Topic Map. Tudor Day in Year 5

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Year 4 Vikings

Egyptian Day in Year 3

The teaching of history can be considered to have two aspects: the study and learning of facts and the development of historical skills and understanding. Our curriculum is a balance between the two.

• Historical enquiry: how we find out about the past; asking relevant questions and searching for answers; the work of archaeologists.

The topics we cover, summarised on the Topic Map, are usually based on the ‘Study Units’ of the National Curriculum, but have been adapted, allowing us to study periods and events which suit our situation in France. The specific historical skills and understanding developed through the topics covered will build upon those of Key Stage 1. These include: • Chronology: placing events and people in a time framework; using dates and vocabulary for different time periods. • Historical understanding: the characteristic features of particular periods, including beliefs and attitudes; reasons for historical events; describing changes and links across periods. • Interpretations of history: different ways in which the past is represented, in writing, images and other media (e.g. music and songs).

Year 6 step back to Victorian times

• Organising and communicating: selecting and organising information; using dates and historical terms; communicating their knowledge in a variety of ways. We provide opportunities for our children to experience history directly. Practical activities such as making Anglo Saxon jewellery or enacting a Roman banquet will often be part of a lesson. Educational visits to historical sites and museums are undertaken whenever possible to give children more insight into the period being studied. Children find history absorbing. They enjoy stories from the past, and many find the very idea of the past exciting. Our children often bring to the lessons experiences from visits they have made with their family or information from books at home. This is an ideal opportunity to further consolidate links between activities taking place at home and at school.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Music Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. Music at The British School of Paris Junior School engages and inspires our children to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increases their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. The aim of our Music programme in the Junior School is to develop children’s understanding and enjoyment of music, in exposing them to a wide variety of artistic experience from a very young age. Every class has two music lessons each week, one of which is usually a singing lesson. Within this framework all children follow a programme based on the fundamental activities of:

• performing • composing • listening and appraising • movement The Early Years Foundation Stage It is in the Early Years Foundation Stage that motivation and interest in music is born. At the heart of the music lesson lays the song and a wide repertoire is built up over the year. In addition, children listen to musical stories, learn about composers and add simple percussive accompaniments to their singing. Children in the EYFS discover music through movement and song and the use of untuned percussion instruments.

Key Stage 1 This strong foundation is built upon through Key Stage1. Year 1 children acquire their practical experience through the use of tuned percussion instruments while in Year 2 they use the recorder. They become aware of pulse and contour of melody and learn to recognise rhythmic patterns and notation. Children are expected to be able to both sing and play from memory as well as perform in public. Children are encouraged to recognise obvious features in music and to use simple dynamics. They are given opportunities to experiment with musical sounds imaginatively - the beginnings in fact, of composing. By the end of Key Stage 1, all of our children will have had some experience of acting and dancing on stage in a musical production. Some may also have started to learn an orchestral instrument. All should have a firm grounding in the basics of music, along with an enthusiasm for the subject, upon which they can build in later years.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Key Stage 2 During Key Stage 2 activities undertaken include singing in canon and singing in two parts, maintaining their own part with awareness of other performers; playing and singing with accuracy of pitch, pulse and dynamics, reading musical symbols and using musical vocabulary, sight reading (instrumental) and iPad applications such as Garage Band. Children are exposed to a variety of musical genres including classical, jazz, modern, rock and global music as well as developing knowledge of the instruments of the orchestra. As their listening skills become more developed, they are led to become more conscious of musical concepts such as timbre. In Years 3 and 4, many children will have taken up an orchestral instrument and, for some, perhaps even two. Children regularly reach the standards of Grades 1 to 5 of the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music and Rock School examinations during their time at the Junior School.

Apart from the deep satisfaction of making progress on an instrument and ultimately being part of the orchestra, or indeed the choir, learning an instrument is proven to support the development of childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to concentrate as well as impacting positively on their personal and interpersonal. Success in music does increase the likelihood of success in other subjects too. During Key Stage 2, all children take part in one of our major musical productions. Many of them perform in the choir and in one of our two school orchestras and Jazz Band. By the time our children leave the Junior School, it would be fair to say that in most cases they will have gone well beyond the expectations of a Year 6 child as set out in the National Curriculum. â&#x20AC;&#x192; 25

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Physical Education We aim for all of our children to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities by providing opportunities for children to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. We believe that opportunities to compete in sport and other activities, not only offer enjoyment to all, but also build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.

PE follows the Programmes of Study of the English National Curriculum and is taught by specialist teachers with full use made of the range of facilities available; a multipurpose sports hall with a sprung floor, a synthetic Astroturf pitch and an all-weather netball and basketball area. Through our PE programme of study, we aim for our children to: • develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities • be physically active for sustained periods of time • engage in competitive sports and activities • lead healthy, active lives

Key Stage 1 Key Stage 1 children will develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and have opportunities to participate in a broad range of activities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.

Key Stage 1 children are taught to: • master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities • participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending • perform dances using simple movement patterns

Key Stage 2 In Key Stage 2, children continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They will learn to effectively communicate, collaborate and compete and will develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports, learning how to evaluate and recognise their own success.

Children in Key Stage 2 are taught to: • use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination. • play competitive games, modified where appropriate and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending. • develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance. • perform dances using a range of movement patterns • take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team

• compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Outdoor and Adventure Activities Key Stage 2 children begin to take part in outdoor activity challenges, developing a range of orienteering and problem-solving skills in activities around the school grounds and beyond. The children work together to meet the challenges set. Children in Year 6 participate in a range of outdoor education activities (from hiking to canoeing and climbing) during a residential visit to the ArdĂ¨che region in the south of France.

PE Our gymnastics programme places emphasis on the development of movement patterns inherent in the different aspects of the PE programme. The aim is to develop body awareness and increasing control through the activities of travelling, turning, rolling, jumping and balancing. Using floor work and apparatus, children learn to make simple sequences and to link actions. As they move through the school, children learn to create and perform fluent sequences on the floor and using apparatus. Increasingly, they will include variations in level, speed and direction in their sequences. In dance we ensure that the children develop an awareness of body parts, rhythm, fast and slow movement and stillness. Aesthetic responses are sought, but children also learn set steps, dances and gestures. Children will learn to create and perform dances using a range of movement patterns, often from a variety of places and cultures. They will be encouraged to respond to a range of stimuli and accompaniments.

Extra-curricular activities There is a programme of extra-curricular activities which complements and extends the teaching in PE and Games lessons. Children may be selected to play in school teams for sports where matches are played against local schools and clubs and sometimes against schools abroad where the fixture will involve an overnight stay. We welcome the involvement of our children in local sports clubs as this offers them additional opportunities to develop their sporting skills as well as being an ideal way to integrate with the local community and for them to practise their French language skills. In addition to its role in developing physical skills and fitness, the PE programme is an important vehicle to promote the development of social skills, the understanding and following of codes of conduct, and the attributes of confidence, ingenuity and independence. At our school it is seen as a central part of the primary curriculum.

Games Initially, the focus is on the individual learner: tasks set match the individual, each child achieving at their own level. Our maxim is, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Success breeds success.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Basic skills are learnt using a large variety of apparatus. Correct manipulative skills are taught, including travelling (dribbling), receiving and sending. Awareness of space, dodging and marking is also developed. Children will initially begin to play simple competitive games, learning to follow rules and to work co-operatively, first in pairs, then in small groups. In athletics, children are introduced to running, jumping and throwing. Our children are then progressively introduced to a range of specific sports, their rules and associated skills and tactics. Most team sports are initially modified and played with small sides to encourage participation and accessibility to all. Teamwork is emphasised, as children work together to organise and keep games going. Social skills are constantly reinforced: how to include and encourage others, how to win with dignity and how to lose with good grace.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an important and necessary part of all children’s education. We teach PSHE as part of our curriculum, using the Cambridgeshire Primary Personal Development Programme as a framework for teaching and learning across the school. We also incorporate aspects of this area of learning and personal development into class time, Key Stage assemblies, whole school assemblies and all other curriculum areas at the school. There are three main areas of our PSHE programme of study: • Health and Wellbeing • Relationships • Living in the Wider World

The units of study that our children will undertake to cover these areas of learning during their time at The British School of Paris Junior School include, Myself and My Relationships, Healthy and Safer Lifestyles, Citizenship and Economic Wellbeing to name a few. We also undertake enrichment units on topics such as Body Image, Relationships Education, Drug Education, Anti-bullying and Healthy Eating. Our E-safety scheme of work is embedded throughout the Junior School curriculum.

The Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1: Example Long Term Plan

Autumn 1

EYFS

Year 1

Year 2

e-safety

Autumn 2

Beginning and Belonging

My Body and Growing Up

Beginning and Belonging

Healthy Lifestyles

Education

Rights, Rules and Responsibilities

Family and Friends

iPad Rules

Relationships

Online Communication

Spring 1 Family and Friends (incl. antibullying) Working Together

Personal Safety Digital Citizens Safer Internet Day

Spring 2 Keeping Safe (incl. Drug Education)

Summer 1

Summer 2

Identity & Diversity

My Emotions

Me and My World

Healthy Lifestyles

Setting Goals Diversity and Communities

Managing Risk My Emotions

Relationships Anti-bullying

Drug Education

Managing Online Information

Health, Wellbeing and Lifestyles

Safety Contexts Financial Capability Managing Change My Digital Work Saving my work

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Key Stage 2: Example Long Term Plan

Autumn 1

Autumn 2

Year 3

Beginning and Belonging

Year 4

Rights, Rules and Responsibilities

Drug Education

Year 5

Beginning and Belonging

Working Together

Year 6

Rights, Rules and Responsibilities

e-safety

Privacy and Security

Anti-bullying

Safety Contexts

Spring 1 Personal safety

Working Together

Spring 2 Relationships Managing Risk Relationships Financial Capability

Relationships

Summer 1 Diversity and Communities

Family and Friends

Anti-bullying

Financial Capability

My Emotions

Drug Education

Personal safety

Family and Friends

Diversity and Communities

Healthy Lifestyles

Online Relationships, Communication and Cyber bullying

Responsible Digital Citizens

Managing Online Information Reliability (Y3/4) Fake News (Y5/6)

Summer 2 Healthy Lifestyles Managing Change My Emotions Managing Risk Safety Contexts Relationships Managing Change

Online Health, Reputation Wellbeing and Copyright and Lifestyles Ownership (Y6)

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Examples of Topic Overviews

Subject

Year 1 Term 2

Term 3

Science

Ourselves Five Senses Farm Animals

Light and Dark (Space) Materials

Minibeasts Growing Plants Wind and Water (Forces)

History

My Own Time Line My Family Tree

Toys Old and New Magic Grandad Grandparents

Old Games

Geography

Where in the World is Barnaby Bear?

Our Local Area: The River

Design and Technology

Puppets (Sewing)

Moving Pictures

Playgrounds

Computing

Labelling and Classifying

Beebot Create a Story

Word and Picture Banks Word Processing

Art

Self Portraits Puppets

Painting – Colour Mixing African Prints Junk Modelling

Observational drawing Environmental Art

Subject

Term 1

Year 2 Term 1

Term 2

Term 3

Science

Changing Materials Electricity

Healthy Eating Plants – Conditions of Growth

Life Cycles Habitats Animal Variations

History

Seaside Holidays in the Past Guy Fawkes Children in Victorian Times

Famous People The Great Fire of London

Geography

Going to the Seaside

Maps and Plans An Island Home

Design and Technology

Making a Christmas Tree Decoration

Growing Plants for Food

Mouse Houses

Computing

Creating Pictures

Routes – Floor Turtle Scratch Junior

Presenting and Word Processing

Art

Self Portraits Texture, Colour and Pattern

Portraits – Other Artists Observational Drawing

Nature in Art Sculpture

These topics are periodically reviewed and updated – the grids above give an illustration only. 30

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Subject

Year 3 Term 1

Term 2

Term 3

Science

Light and Shadow Rocks and Fossils

Forces and Magnets Animals (Including Humans) Nutrition and Digestion/ Teeth

Plants

History

Egyptians

Romans and Celts

Local History â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Croissy and the Impressionists

Geography

Continents and Climates

Map Skills

The Local Area

Design and Technology

Pop-Up Cards

A Healthy Sandwich

Packaging

Computing

Text, Graphics and Internet Safety Simulations

Algorithms Progaming and Control

Databases E-mail

Art

Drawing Skills

Weaving and Mosaics

Impressionists

Subject

Year 4 Term 1

Term 2

Term 3

Science

Electricity States of Matter

Living Things and Habitats Food Chains Skeletons

Sound

History

Anglo-Saxons Vikings

Paris

Geography

Rainforests

Paris

Design and Technology

Shelters

Biscuits

Biscuit Cutters

Computing

Repeated Patterns and Photography

Collecting and Representing Information. Writing for Different Audiences

Branching Databases Moviemaking

Art

Portraits

Patterns - Rainforests

Paris

These topics are periodically reviewed and updated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the grids above give an illustration only. 31

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Examples of Topic Overviews

Subject

Year 5 Term 2

Term 3

Science

Animals (Including Humans) Circulatory System Diet, Exercise and Drugs Nutrients and Water Transportation

Light Earth, Sun and Moon

Living Things and their Habitats Life cycles Reproduction in Plants and Animals Classification of Living Things

History

Tudor Times â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rich and Poor

Tudor World Exploration

Geography

Water

Mountain Environment

Water

Design Technology

Bread-making

Tudor Houses

Money Containers

Computing

Word Processing Skills Graphic Modelling

Scratch Controller

Computer Networks

Art

Portraits Pattern

Subject

Term 1

Objects of Meaning

Portraits

Still Life

Year 6 Term 1

Term 2

Term 3

Science

Forces Electricity

Reversible and Irreversible Changes

Evolution

History

Changes in 19th Century Life

Legacy of Ancient Greece

Geography

Climate Change

Rivers

Design Technology

Moving Toys

Computing

Multimedia Presentations Webpage Design (Serif Web)

Touch Typing Spreadsheets

Making Movies

Art

People in Action

Impressionists

These topics are periodically reviewed and updated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the grids above give an illustration only. 32

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Assessment Assessment is an integral part of the learning process, providing feedback to ensure continuity and progression in children’s learning. Assessment is a daily part of the life of our school. Assessment, marking and feedback is used by teachers to inform their teaching and ensure that children know the next stages of their learning and what they may need to focus on to improve. Formal methods of assessment provide feedback on progress and ensure a rigorous approach to curriculum delivery.

Assessment practices are key in establishing an environment where our children know what is expected of them and how they may achieve their goals.

Assessment enables teachers to:

Assessment enables the school to: • Monitor (for individuals, cohorts and at the whole school level) children’s outcomes and benchmark against national and international standards;

• Consider how far learning objectives have been met;

• Make informed judgements relating to the way the curriculum is planned and resourced.

• Ensure positive outcomes for children;

Principles

• Plan for continuity and progression for individual children;

Our assessment practice is based on the following principles. It:

• Diagnose strengths and weaknesses;

• Is part of effective planning of teaching and learning,

• Adjust their teaching approaches and planning accordingly;

• Focuses on how students learn,

• Evaluate teaching strategies and plans;

• Is recognised as central to classroom practice,

• Inform interested parties of children’s achievements.

• Is regarded as a key professional skill for teachers,

Assessment enables children to:

• Is sensitive and constructive,

• Recognise and celebrate a wide range of achievements;

• Encourages learner motivation,

• Identify their strengths and determine targets for improvement and development; • Take responsibility for, and make informed judgements about, their future learning.

• Promotes a pupil’s commitment to learning goals and an understanding of assessment criteria, • Gives the student clear and constructive guidance about how to improve, • Develops a child’s capacity for self-assessment, • Recognises the full range of a pupil’s achievements.

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Assessment Formative Assessment

Summative Assessment

This is the ongoing process whereby teachers make judgements of children’s progress and achievement at appropriate times during the course of their teaching. Results of this assessment are used by the teacher to evaluate the appropriateness of the work or teaching approach for the class or the individual, and thereby to inform future planning. They are also fed back to the child in appropriate ways, to recognise achievement and to set targets for improvement.

Summative assessment includes both in-school assessments to evaluate how much each child has learned at the end of a teaching unit or topic, and more formal standardised assessments using tests provided by external bodies. The latter enable us to track our children’s progress against national and international standards, and for benchmarking and monitoring of progress, both at an individual and a school level.

Such assessments may involve observation, marking of written work, oral or written testing (e.g. weekly spelling tests). Not all such assessments will be recorded, but written judgements and comments will need to be made at times, and/or oral feedback provided, to ensure that effective use is made of the process and its results.

In-house assessments are used as appropriate and outcomes recorded by teachers. These assessments also include externally produced resources such as the half-termly tests provided by our core mathematics scheme. In the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, assessment tasks are given to benchmark and monitor attainment and ensure positive outcomes for children.

As part of the ongoing assessment process, the children are encouraged to evaluate their own progress and understanding in ways appropriate for their age and the nature of the objectives set.

ASSESSMENT

A range of formal testing, using a published series of tests, is used to provide useful diagnostic and summative data in the core subjects. At present, the formal testing arrangements are as follows:

CHILDREN INVOLVED

FORMAT

New children (Y2 – Y6)

Computer (paper for Y2)

All children (Rec – Y6)

Computer (paper for Rec and Y1)

New children (Y2 – Y6)

Computer (paper for Y2)

All children (Rec – Y6)

Computer (paper for Rec and Y1)

CAT4 (Verbal, non-verbal and quantitative reasoning)

New Children (Y3 – Y6)

Computer / iPad

Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning

Paper

New Group Reading Test (NGRT)

All Children (Y2 – Y6)

iPad (Computer)

New Group Spelling Test (NGST)

All Children (Y2 – Y6)

iPad (Computer)

Progress Test in English

Progress Test in Maths

Formal testing arrangements

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Homework Homework not only reinforces classroom learning but it also helps children and young people to develop the skills and attitudes they need for successful lifelong learning. It supports the development of independent learning skills including the habits of enquiry and investigation.

Teachers carefully consider the types of task set for homework. It is important that all children for whom the homework is set can perform it successfully and independently. As a general rule, all homework will be carried out best when tasks are fully understood, and clear expectations have been set.

Amount of Homework In the EYFS children are asked to read aloud to an adult each evening. The children will also undertake phonics activities each week and be given decodable and tricky words to learn.

In Year 6 children are encouraged to read aloud to an adult each evening. They will receive a spelling list to learn and will also be asked to learn and practise their times tables. Year 6 children will have one French homework per week and four additional tasks per week; these should be completed in approximately 40 minutes each. In Key Stage Two, children may also be set an extended task to complete and this could be a piece of homework, or a specific project, that will have a longer deadline for completion such as a week or a half-term, for example.

In Years 1 and 2 children are asked to read aloud to an adult each evening, they may also be given sets of decodable and sight words to learn to read. In Year 1 children will have weekly spellings to learn after the October half-term, in Year 2 they will have weekly spellings to learn from September. Both year groups will have one maths or topic task each week. This should not take any longer than 10-15 minutes to complete.

The iPad and Homework

In Year 3 children are encouraged to read aloud to an adult each evening. They will receive a weekly spelling list and will also be asked to learn and practise number bonds and times tables. Some Year 3 children will have occasional French homework. All children will have one class task per week; both should be completed in approximately 20 minutes.

Active Learn Practise Games: These maths games may be set by the teacher each week as extension activities; children are then encouraged to complete them.

In Year 4 children are encouraged to read aloud to an adult each evening. They will receive a weekly spelling list and will also be asked to learn and practise their times tables. Year 4 children will have one French homework per week and two additional tasks per week; both should be completed in approximately 25 minutes. In Year 5 children are encouraged to read aloud to an adult each evening. They will receive a fortnightly spelling list and will also be asked to learn and practise their times tables. Year 5 children will have one French homework per week and two additional tasks per week; these should be completed in approximately 30 minutes each.

If children in Key Stage 2 receive iPad homework it will be indicated in their homework diary. Children maybe expected to use the following iPad resources for homework: Active Learn: Active Learn is a digital learning space used by teachers to set children work.

Bug Club: Bug Club books are digital reading books, which can be allocated to the children to read. If children need to read a Bug Club book for homework, this will be indicated in their homework diary. Showbie: A distribution and marking app. If children must complete a task on Showbie it will be noted in their homework diary. Tasks will be called ‘Homework’ and marked with the date the task was set. In French, homework tasks will be called ‘Challenge’ and also show the date the task was set.

The Home-School Partnership Parents and carers have a vital role to play in their child’s education and homework is an important part of this process. We ask parents and carers to encourage their child to complete the homework tasks that are set and to ensure that they are provided with the sort of environment that allows them to try to do their best. 35

Junior School Curriculum Guide

Homework It may be necessary for parents and carers to offer encouragement to complete homework tasks but we recommend that questions are not answered for a child or a level of help provided which exceeds their own input. Homework will never be set to be completed for the following day and nor will it be set for completion over a weekend, i.e. set on a Friday to be completed for Monday, or a holiday period. In saying this, however, we always encourage children to read regularly and practise number bonds and multiplication tables during school holidays and parents could, of course, encourage their child to keep a holiday journal. At The British School of Paris Junior School we believe that it is very important for our children to have time to rest and time to play too.

The British School of Paris Junior School 2 rue Hans List 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine France Tel: +33 (0)1 30 15 88 30 Fax: +33 (0)1 73 79 15 71 Website: www.britishschool.fr Email: junior@britishschool.fr

March 2020