At Somerdale Educate Together, we believe that children who have curiosity and think creatively and independently are more likely to be prepared for the next stages of their learning.
Our Curriculum Intent is to inspire and teach our children through our core binding principles that by learning together we learn to live together.
Through an enquiry approach, our curriculum is responsive. We nurture, develop and build on children’s interests and passions; make links to their local environment so that learning is relevant, lifelong and builds the broad skills and knowledge for the world ahead.
With an ethical focus in which children learn about rights, through rights and for rights, our children have the confidence to question the world around them, allowing them to be active participants to shape their community. Our children are stewards of the environment, developing strong core moral values which celebrates openness, diversity, and equity.
The documents linked below give the content of our school curriculum in each academic year for every subject. Due to the nature of our Learn Together curriculum running alongside and throughout the National Curriculum, subjects may be introduced in a number of ways.
You can find further information on the EYFS Foundation Stage Framework here and information on the National Curriculum here.
EYFS curriculum Overview (pre-school and Reception Class)
< less
Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity.
A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
Aims
Click here for our full Art & Design Curriculum.
< less
Computing in Educate Together is a subject that not only stands alone but is woven and an integral part of all learning.
Computing, in general, is a significant part of everyone’s daily life and children should be at the forefront of new technology, with a thirst for learning what is out there.
Computing within Educate Together provides a wealth of learning opportunities and transferrable skills explicitly within the Computing lesson and across other curriculum subjects.
Through the study of Computing, children will be able to develop a wide range of fundamental skills, knowledge and understanding that will equip them for the rest of their life.
Computers and technology are such a part of everyday life that our children need to be exposed to a thorough and robust Computing curriculum which allows them to develop problem solving, creativity and critical thinking, to be active and safe participants in the digital world.
Aims
The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:
Click here to see our full Computing Curriculum.
< lessOur English curriculum at Somerdale Educate Together Primary School is the ‘treasure-house of wonder and joy for curious young minds’ teaching through enquiry.
Our curriculum for English aims to:
Writing
Teachers will provide opportunities for children to build on knowledge and skills through a learning pathway which is linked to the focus texts and the children’s enquiry question.
The teaching of writing will be enriching, purposeful and creative with a focus on both the National Curriculum Objectives and individual or group writing needs within the classroom.
The approach moves from dependence towards independence with the teacher using shared and guided teaching to develop the ability in children to write creatively and powerfully.
Teachers will devise sequenced teaching of literature which follows the writing genre pathway (writing to inform, writing to entertain, writing to persuade, writing to discuss). Learning is sustained so children are able to transfer what they have learnt from each different genre of writing.
Teachers use a creative, sequential approach to the teaching of writing which enables children to read and write independently for a variety of audiences and purposes across the curriculum.
A key feature is that children internalise the language structures needed to write through ‘immersion in the text’, rich and varied complementary texts, learning based upon both curriculum objectives but writing need of children.
A whole school approach to the teaching of cursive handwriting will be embedded to ensure high standards of presentation and fluency in writing.
A whole school approach to phonics will be implemented as a foundation to secure strong writing skills.
Phonics for spelling
Spelling will be taught to provide children with a wide range of spelling strategies to enable them to be confident, competent and independent spellers. At Somerdale we follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds programme.
Pre-School: Phase 1
Reception: Phase 2-Phase 4
Year One: Phase 4-Phase 5
Year Two: Phase 5 reconsolidation-Phase 6 through regular teaching of No-Nonsense Spelling
Year Three: Phase 5 and Phase 6 reconsolidation through regular teaching of No-Nonsense Spelling
Year Four: Regular teaching of No Nonsense Spelling
Year Five: Regular teaching of No Nonsense Spelling
Year Six: Regular teaching of No Nonsense Spelling
Reading
Teachers will provide opportunities for children to build on knowledge and skills through a learning pathway which links Guided Reading to the focus texts and the children’s enquiry question.
Small group Guided Reading is regular and purposeful with planned adult led sessions with opportunities for comprehension (VIPERS Year Two onwards).
All teachers use a thematic approach to raise the profile of reading for pleasure and enjoyment; books based on children’s interests and passions but also situated in their lived lives
Children have ownership of building their classroom bookshelves which are linked to their enquiry question. Children have opportunities to browse a ‘Class Canon of Literature,’ and they use books with excitement and are often found reading in their spare time. All teachers will establish a daily shared story time with a class book displayed.
All parents will be confident and actively engaged in supporting the school’s model and culture of reading. Home reading is a priority with children swapping books regularly. A home school reading diary is used for parents to communicate with teachers. Teachers in EYFS and Y1 run a parent phonics workshop. Busy Things home access is updated to include taught sounds.
Teachers plan regular school library sessions in school to explore different genres of books. Priority reading groups read to Reading Project Volunteers and Volunteer readers on a regular basis to support progress. Teachers have established links with the local library in Keynsham.
Phonics for reading
Daily Phonics is taught through the Little Wandle programme from Reception to Year One. From Year Two onwards No-Nonsense Spelling is also used through a reading lens to recap Phase 5/6 sounds.
In EYFS daily Phonics is linked to EYFS provision. Additionally, word boxes are designed for children to practise blending (linked to grapheme progression) where reconsolidation is needed. During Phase 2, alongside pink book bands for children who are blending, captions linked to the current taught sounds are also sent home.
Coloured book banded books are selected, following the banded system which links to Phonics pathways. Somerdale uses a range of different Phonics books schemes to spark the interest and diversify content. Home Reading books are chosen based on the Phonological knowledge progress but chosen by the children.
Resources for parents
Grapheme formation and phoneme support video.
Little Wandle Resources for Parents
Busy Things – Our school subscription to this online resource includes home access. Here you will find lots of activities in the English section from Pre-School all the way to the end of Key Stage Two. There are resources to help you pronounce the sounds too.
Please speak to your class teacher if you need reminding of the Home Access log-in details.
BBC Bitesize English- Key Stage One: guides and fun activities for children in Year One and Two.
BBC Bitesize English-Key Stage Two: guides and fun activities for children in Year Three, Four, Five and Six.
BBC Teach-Key Stage One
Use this website to access free information, games and live lessons for Year One and Year Two.
BBC Teach-Key Stage Two
Use this website to access free information, games and live lessons for Year Three, Year Four, Year Five and Year Six.
Phonics Play : This website has lots of useful Phonics games
< less
A high-quality geography education will inspire a curiosity and fascination of the world for the citizens of the future.
It should inspire and equip pupils with a knowledge and understanding of the diverse places, people and environments of their world.
Geography helps pupils to understand the interaction of Earth’s key physical and human processes and how these features are interconnected and change over time.
Our curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:
Click here to read the full Geography Curriculum.
< less
A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.
It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past.
Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.
History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
Our curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:
Click here for the full SET History.
< lessIn an Educate Together school, a daily period of time is set aside for the ethical education curriculum, which is delivered in addition to the National Curriculum. This program is called the “Learn Together” curriculum and is published by Educate Together. It defines the core values of all teaching and learning in the school. It is subject to continuous review and development.
The programme is divided into four strands: Moral and Spiritual Development, Justice and Equality, Ethics and the Environment and Belief Systems. The curriculum specifically addresses the Educate Together ethos and it is here that the values that the school seeks to model in its ‘characteristic spirit’ are articulated and explained in greater depth.
The aim is to help children develop a critical knowledge, understanding and awareness of right and wrong. Teachers aim to develop a strong awareness of social, ethical and moral standards through reflecting on the meaning and purpose of life. The strand should encourage and develop the individual on their journey to inner discovery and empower the child to make informed moral choices.
The general aim of the strand is to develop in children a critical knowledge, understanding and awareness of issues relating to human rights, equality, culture and diversity, social justice and social inclusiveness and to empower them to make a difference.
This strand explains and explores the major belief systems and life stances in the world in an educational manner, teaching children about these faiths and beliefs without endorsing any particular one as religious truth. This strand of the curriculum is usually very important to ensure that children of all backgrounds feel fully part of the school.
Particular care is taken to represent non-theistic, humanist, atheist and personal life stances as equally valid as traditional religions.
During the year, an Educate Together school may mark – in an age appropriate way – festivals such as Chinese New Year, Easter, Hindu festival of lights (Diwali), Harvest Festivals, Samhain (Halloween), Darwin Day, Ramadan and Eid, Hanukkah and Christmas.
The school develops in children a knowledge, appreciation and respect for their environment to empower them to take an active role in its stewardship. The environment is defined to include concepts of social, economic, political and environmental sustainability.
Children are expected to participate in the study of environment and social issues in their own community and take appropriate action. This may involve setting up an eco-school committee, visiting the elderly, surveying waste, traffic or water use in the area, setting up mini social enterprises and making representations to the local council or political representatives.
The program allows the school to explore the similarities and differences with the older celebrations that underlie many of these festivals. Examples would be how Celtic festivals and practices underpin the way that Easter is celebrated in Britain or the solstice-based festivals that occur in many religions around the end of the year.
< lessAt Somerdale Educate Together our approach to teaching Mathematics fosters and promotes our ethos and beliefs that all children can achieve and succeed.
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework and the National Curriculum, using the White Rose Maths scheme to form the basis of our planning. Pre-School provision uses a play-based mastery approach using adult-led investigation time alongside opportunities to explore, develop and consolidate mathematical learning throughout the day where adults in provision will provide support and scaffolding where contextually appropriate.
What is White Rose Maths?
The White Rose Maths ‘schemes of learning’ are hugely popular with schools in the UK and in many other countries, too. They also produce many other resources to help increase both fun and success in maths. Rooted in globally respected research, the resources are written by experienced, practising teachers and are available for pupils from nursery and primary years and through secondary school to GCSE.
For each year group, the scheme of learning comprises of individual blocks of learning about a particular topic with lots of time spent on building strong number skills. These important core skills lay a solid foundations for more complicated learning later on.
Each block of knowledge is divided into a series of small learning steps. Together, these small steps cover all the curriculum content that your child needs to know.
Brain science tells us that by learning maths in small, related chunks, your child will remember more. White Rose uses the best available research to map out the crucial learning steps that will help your child to understand clearly what they are learning.
You can find out more about our approach to Maths by viewing our Maths policy below.
Article 28- Every child has the right to an education.
The Curriculum Overview
You can view the broad curriculum overview for Y1 – Y6 here.
For Reception, please click here.
Click here for our Maths Policy which also contains our approach in Pre-School.
This shows you what each class plans to cover across the year.
Our teachers adapt the scheme dependent on the need of the class, so for the latest information, check your class Google drive folder for the termly overviews which will advise you of the planned learning for each week.
Calculation Strategies
The helpful documents below show you how we teach different skills across the year groups.
Number Sense
In Year One and Year Two, children have a 15-minute number sense session four times a week alongside regular maths sessions. Number Sense is also used as an intervention for children in Key Stage Two who need extra support to recall their number facts.
Number sense is a number Facts fluency programme which teaches a core set of number facts and the calculation strategies that are used to solve them. Modelled on the phonics programmes used in early reading, the programme groups the grid facts and teaches them systematically alongside the calculation strategies that can be used to solve them. All facts are taught comprehensively on the path to fluency. To see the number facts taught, and for more information on the different strategies used, click on the links below.
Subtraction Facts Grid
Description of Calculation Strategies
Times Tables
We know that children who can recall facts enjoy and are able to secure the maths curriculum easier than the children who can’t recall these facts. We also know from research that depth is much more important than speed.
At Somerdale we teach times table fluency separately from application of these facts in Lower Key Stage Two. We use a variety of activities which develop reasoning to secure number facts whilst almost always teaching other linked aspects of the curriculum at the same time. We have a systematic, whole class approach to teaching the times tables and it is taught little and often, for a few minutes a couple of times each day.
We follow these key principles when teaching times tables in Key Stage Two:
-We learn each number sentence as a memorised phrase by repeating the sound pattern out loud.
We learn each fact one way round only.
4 x 6 = becomes six fours are twenty four.
We always state the larger number first. The children very quickly become attuned to this and it helps in the learning process.
We learn one new fact at a time. We will look at 6 x 6 = 36 one day. Then 7 x 6 = the following day.
We don’t think about the answers – we want them to become known facts so we leave the answers on the board.
You can see an overview of the building block facts that make up times tables and where they are taught by viewing the summary below.
Times Table Summary
Resources to support at home:
This year we are developing maths booklets for parents full of ideas on how you can help your child with their maths skills at home, and to explain the different models we use to teach maths in school.
We also hope to bring you some parent workshops, specific to each year group.
White Rose Maths provides parent booklets you may find useful for home: https://whiterosemaths.com/for-parents/parent-workbooks/
White Rose Maths also provide short videos which can be used during remote learning: https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/
A parent guide to multiplication
Pre-School Maths Parent Guide (See Pre-School Google Drive)
Reception Maths Parent Guide (See Reception Google Drive)
Year One Maths Parent Guide (Coming soon!)
Year Two Maths Parent Guide (Coming soon!)
Year Three Maths Parent Guide (Coming soon!)
Year Four Maths Parent Guide (Coming soon!)
Year Five Maths Parent Guide (Coming soon!)
Year Six Maths Parent Guide (Coming soon!)
< lessWhat is our vision for Music at Somerdale ET?
Children will leave school with a solid understanding of basic musical theory.
This will include:
How will our children learn Music?
Click here to see the Music Curriculum.
< less
Our school Mental Health lead is Chris Thomas-Unsworth.
Somerdale Educate Together Primary Academy is committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of every child. We believe that the school can help pupils build resilience and improve their mental health.
Our Learn Together curriculum, in particular, our Moral and Spiritual strand focuses on supporting children both physically and emotionally to promote positive mental health and we provide a range of opportunities for children to actively support this.
As a school, we actively encourage the children to express and talk about their feelings including how we can look after our bodies both physically and mentally. The children have opportunities to talk with adults who they are comfortable with, in a safe, nurturing environment.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING: INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND CARERS OF PRIMARY AGED CHILDREN
We all have ups and downs in life but in childhood it can be particularly hard to cope with sad feelings and worries that arise when things are hard or scary. There may be times when your child is unhappy or struggling emotionally. You may notice that they seem low or worried or that their behaviour changes. We may notice that they seem withdrawn or upset at school.
If you are worried about your child’s mental health then you are not alone. Many parents and carers have similar worries and stresses. There is good support available from local and national organisations. The sooner you seek help the better for your child and you.
The leaflet: Mental health problems in children and young people: guidance for parents and carers provides some useful tips for helping your child plus links to local and national services.
The School – Please talk to us about your concerns, so that we can work together to help your child feel better. In the first instance please speak to your child’s class teacher by arranging a convenient time to meet them. They will then liaise with Joanna, our Mental Health Lead for further advise and support.
Your GP – A GP can check any physical symptoms linked to your child’s health and talk with you about their emotional well-being making a referral to a specialist service if necessary.
The School Nurse – Parents/carers can contact the Bath and North East Somerset School Nurse Service for advice and support on a range of health issues.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) – A free NHS service that assesses and treats 0-18-year olds with emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties.
Off the Record – Counselling service for young people
The following organisations provide reliable information and advice to help parent/carers to support their child when experiencing emotional difficulties:-
Young Minds: – Help for Parents – Information about all aspects of child mental health, including a Parent Helpline 0800 802 5544
You’re Never too Young to Talk Mental Health – leaflet for parent/carers of primary aged children
Childline – Lots of information and tips for children of all ages about feelings and difficult situations
Minded for Families – Free learning resource about mental health for parents and carers
Happy Maps – Lots of information about health topics including mental health, organised under different age groups including pre-school and primary age
Every Mind Matters – NHS endorsed tips and advice to help children and young people and equip parents with knowledge to support them
Your own mental health and wellbeing is critical to your ability to support your child/children. Being a parent or carer can be difficult, especially if you are facing personal or financial challenges. It can help to talk to someone, such as a friend, family member or your GP, if you feel comfortable doing this. The following organisations can also offer information and advice to help:
The Wellbeing College – Directory and database of groups, activities and courses in the community that can support adult wellbeing.
Talking Therapies – Accessed through G.P or self-referral.
MyScript- Social prescribing service – Available to anyone registered with a GP in B&NES. This service provides support in finding specialist services and community groups to help individuals experiencing mental health and wellbeing issues to take control of their situation.
Bath Mind – Tel: 01225 316199 https://www.bathmind.org.uk/
Samaritans – Tel: free 116 123
NHS Choices: moodzone – Helps manage stress, anxiety, depression. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/improve-mental-wellbeing
CALM Campaign against living miserably
B&NES Directory of services: Wellbeing Options – Links to a range of services supporting physical, social and emotional needs across the area.
1 Big Database – links to a wide range of useful information for families including Ofsted registered childcare, parenting support, groups, clubs and events.
Rainbow Resource – Signposts to organisations, services, support, activities and groups for children and young people aged 0-25 with additional needs.
Citizens Advice B&NES – Independent charity that provides free, impartial advice and information on a range of issues including housing, employment and debt.
The information on this page has been provided by B&NES Council Public Health Team
< less
A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities.
It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
The national curriculum for physical education aims to ensure that all pupils:
Click here for our full Physical Development Curriculum.
< lessArticle 2: All children have rights, no matter who they are, where they live, what their parents do, what language they speak, what their religion is, whether they are a boy or girl, what their culture is, whether they have a disability, whether they are rich or poor. No child should be treated unfairly on any basis.
Article 42: You have the right to know your rights! Adults should know about these rights and help you learn about them, too.
At Somerdale Educate Together we have a commitment to our ethos and encourage our children to have an understanding of their rights.
We are very pleased to have recently been awarded the highest award from Unicef UK’s Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA), Gold: Rights Respecting.
We are always striving to create the best possible learning environment for our children and this achievement shows that we are committed to promoting and realising children’s rights and encouraging adults, children and young people to respect the rights of others in school.
We have set up a pupil-led steering group and have an action plan to ensure that:
You have the right to education which develops your personality, respect for other’s rights and the environment.
Article 29 of the UNCRC says that a child or young person’s education should help their mind, body and talents be the best they can. It should also build their respect for other people and the world around them. In particular, they should learn to respect:
Education should prepare children and young people for a responsible life in a free society. It should teach them how to live in an understanding and tolerant way that is non-violent and that respects the environment.
< less
We all have values by which we and our families try to live our lives by. These can include values such as honesty, trust, respect, kindness, perseverance, justice and so on.
At Educate Together we have our 4 core principles and the objectives in the Learn Together curriculum. We use values to teach about this.
Each month we look in depth at one and bring it into all we do. This way the children begin to think for themselves what they, their families, the school and their friends think is important. We find that discussing values helps children to realise that whilst we may all have different beliefs and different cultures or ways of life we actually share much in what we believe in.
By referring back to the values children can begin to think about how to behave and respond to the situations they come across in life. They are helped to understand what is important to their own family and to others. This way they will grow up able to understand and find the shared values with all people they come across.
Are there any faiths or cultures that do not value honesty, respect, friendship or kindness? By sharing and discussing these we realise that we have far more in common with each other than what separates us.
Month Value
September – Responsibility
October- Respect
November- Friendship
December- Peace
January- Perseverance
February- Kindness
March- Honesty
April- Justice
May- Empathy
June- Courage
July- Thankfulness
< less
Developing a growth mindset is a crucial skill, and as a Rights Respecting School and through our founding principles of being equality-based and child-centred, we have developed an approach to help every child to see themselves as successful, confident individuals and to remove any barriers that impede on learning and the holistic development of children. We have created a parent guide which explains the images, language and techniques used to develop a growth mindset at school, and it also provides advice to parents on how you can encourage a growth mindset at home.
Click here to view or download the guide from our Google Drive.
< less
