The Courtwood Curriculum

We provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which is enhanced with the option to participate in many extra-curricular clubs and activities. Maths and Literacy are taught every day for at least an hour and links made to applying knowledge in real-life contexts. Foundation subjects such as science, history and art are taught via Learning Journeys which immerse the children in a topic.

Literacy

We teach literacy using a scheme of work called The Power of Reading. Reading and writing skills are embedded and taught by studying a whole text from beginning to end, lasting anything between a week and six weeks. As well as reading and writing there are opportunities for speaking and listening, drama, art and music.

Numeracy

Numeracy is taught using a scheme of work called Abacus. All areas of maths are covered within this scheme including calculation, data handling, shape and space, geometry, measurement and mental maths. Children are regularly taught problem-solving skills and given the opportunities to apply these to a real-life context.

Learning Journeys

Learning Journeys bring together many of the remaining school subjects such as art and geography. Class trips are often organised to enhance a topic and support the learning taking place at school. Junior children receive French lessons for a term.Some subjects such as RE, PE, PSHCE, Music and French are taught discretely, whilst others such as history, geography, DT and art are usually taught through Learning Journey’s in a cross curricular way. Please see the Curriculum map in this booklet for a wider overview.

Homework

Homework is set half-termly and matches the class Learning Journey for the half term. There are non-negotiable tasks that must be completed weekly such as spellings and times-tables practise. In addition there are a further nine tasks (either literacy, numeracy or topic based) that the children can choose to complete (a minimum of three must be completed.)

Extra-Curricular

We provide a wide-range of extra-curricular clubs and activities throughout the year at Courtwood. Clubs include: Multi-Sports, Gymnastics, Cheerleading, Street Dance, Ball Skills, Craft, Gardening, Cookery, German, Science, Computing and Lego. Years 5 and 6 may have the opportunity to represent the school in teams such as Netball and Football.

What Will You Be Learning About in Year 1?

During the year you will go on many Learning Journeys with your class. You can find 

information about some of these below.

Why are Humans not Tigers?

This topic is exploring the features of animals and humans. We will be discovering what humans have in common with animals, as well as sorting different types of animals. During this topic we will be investigating whether the tallest person in the class is the oldest and whether the tallest person can throw the furthest. We will also have the chance to explore our 5 senses and discover what happens if we lose one of them. Can you smell just as well if you cannot see what you’re eating?

Why can’t Meercats live in the North Pole?

This question will be focusing on locating different countries around the world using maps and globes. We will be comparing hot and cold countries, thinking about what clothes we would need to pack if we were going on holiday to one of these climates. Following on from our previous learning journey we will be finding out why particular animals can or cannot survive in certain climates. The children will have the opportunity to design and make their own habitat shoe box for an animal of their choice.

What do Aliens think of Life on Planet Earth?

Aliens are funny creatures and we will discovering what they think of our planet. We will be finding out about different types of materials and their uses. Get ready to learn lots of new vocabulary to describe materials and sorting them according to their properties. Ever wondered how glass is made? We will be researching where materials come from and how they get changed and produced. At the end of the topic the children will also have the chance to design and make a vegetable soup for Beegu the alien. 

Is the Wii more fun than Grandad’s toys?

This learning journey will be taking you back in time, finding out about toys from Granny or Grandad’s past. We will be comparing their toys to those we play with today, discussing how they have changed through the years. There might even be a chance to have a playdate with Granny or Grandad, sharing some of your modern toys with them. During the topic we will be showing off our sewing skills by designing and making our own hand puppets.

What Birds and Plants will Little Red Riding Hood find around the School?

This learning journey will get us out and about in the sunshine (hopefully!) discovering the flowers and plants that grow in our school grounds. We will become experts at naming different plants and labelling the parts of a flower. We will explore the Wise Owl Woods, finding hidden treasures among the trees. The children will get to explore which animals live in our school grounds.

Wise Owl Woods (WOW)

The woods were gifted to the school in 2013 and officially ‘opened’ by the Deputy Mayor of Croydon in September 2013. They are a superb resource and we use them as often as possible, to enhance learning across the curriculum. Trained teachers and Teaching Assistants lead Forest School sessions and Year 5 and Year 1 children attend scheduled Forest School sessions on Friday afternoons during the course of the school year. Class teachers will use the woods at any other time to support outdoor learning. 

The Tree House Enhanced Learning Provision

The Tree House is a purpose built SEN unit for children on the Autistic Spectrum, built and opened in 2014. The Tree House can cater for up to 14 children, two per class from Reception to Year 6. There is an infant classroom (Holly class), a junior classroom (Chestnut class), a therapy room, sensory room, meeting room and toilets. There is also an outdoor area. Where appropriate, children from the Tree House will join their mainstream classes for lessons.

Reading – Year 1

• Identify which words appear again and again.
• Recognise and join in with predictable phrases.
• Relate reading to own experiences.
• Re-read if reading does not make sense.
• Re-tell with considerable accuracy.
• Discuss significance of title and events.
• Make predictions on basis of what has been read.
• Make inferences on basis of what is being said and done.
• Read aloud with pace and expression, i.e. pause at full stop; raise voice for question.
• Recognise:
  • capital letters
  • full stops
  • question marks
  • exclamation marks
  • ellipsis
• Know why the writer has used the above punctuation in a text.

Know difference between fiction and non-fiction.

Writing

• Write clearly demarcated sentences.
• Use ‘and’ to join ideas.
• Use conjunctions to join sentences (e.g. so, but).
• Use standard forms of verbs, e.g. go/went.
• Introduce use of:capital letters: full stops; question marks; exclamation marks.
• Use capital letters for names and personal pronoun ‘I’.
• Write a sequence of sentences to form a short narrative [as introduction to paragraphs].
• Use correct formation of lower case – finishing in right place.
• Use correct formation of capital letters.
• Use correct formation of digits.

Mathematics

• Count to and across 100, forwards & backwards from any number.
•  Read and write numbers to 20 in numerals & words.
•  Read and write numbers to 100 in numerals.
•  Say 1 more/1 less to 100.
•  Count in multiples of 2, 5 & 10.
•  Use bonds and subtraction facts to 20.
•  Add & subtract:
  •    1 digit & 2 digit numbers to 20, including zero.
•  Solve one-step multiplication and division using objects, pictorial representation and arrays.
•  Recognise half and quarter of object, shape or quantity.
•  Sequence events in chronological order.
•  Use language of day, week, month and year.
•  Tell time to hour & half past.

Rights and Responsibilities

We use our Courtwood Rights and Responsibilities as a way for all the children in the school to understand the school rules. The principle is that children understand that they have a right to certain things, but with that right comes a responsibility to behave in certain ways. We have a right to: 

RIPPLE

The RIPPLE effect is a set of six learning behaviours that we believe will enable the children to do the best they can in their learning, whilst at Courtwood. These were developed in partnership with our children, governors and staff. They are: 

Our children understand the language of learning and are able to articulate how these skills are used in their daily lives at Courtwood. Achievement is celebrated weekly. 

PSHE Curriculum

At Courtwood, we see PSHE as central to everything we do.  We teach PSHE as a discreet subject at least once a week, but it is also integrated in all aspects of daily school life. We place great importance on helping children to learn the knowledge, understanding and skills required to live healthy, safe, responsible and rewarding lives. We recognise that in order for children to achieve their full academic potential they must also develop socially, emotionally and morally.