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 and Year 3 receive a years’ worth of SoundStart music tuition. 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 5?

During the year you will go on many Learning Journeys with your class. You can find information about some of these below.

Will We Ever Send Another Human to the Moon?

You will learn how to describe the movement of the Earth, and other planets, relative to the sun in the Solar system. We will classify the size, shape and position of the Earth, Sun and Moon. Opportunities for children to complete a fact file on a chosen planet. We will consider how we could create a moon surface and design a moon buggy.

How Could Hitler have Convinced a Nation like Germany to Follow Him?

On this Learning Journey discover how Adolf Hitler came to power and instigated World War 2. You’ll learn what life was like for an evacuee during the war, research who the main leaders were of the Axis and Allies and identifying the countries involved, using a maps. You’ll also have the opportunity to make your very own World War 2 biscuit and a possible school trip to the Imperial War Museum, London.

Could You Be the Next C.S.I. agent?

On this Learning Journey you couldbe the next C.S.I. agent!You’ll learn all about comparing materials, for instance; which materials would be the most effective for making a warm jacket? We’ll consider how to group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties, including their hardness, solubility, transparancy, conductivity (electrical and thermal), and response to magnets. 

Can You Feel the Force?

The Learning Journey starts with an exploration of falling paper cones. You will design and make a variety of parachutes and to carry out fair tests to determine which designs are the most effective. You will learn to identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction, that act between moving surfaces. We will look at some mechanisms, including levers, pulleys and gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect.

How Can We Rediscover the Wonders of Ancient Egypt?

On this Learning Journey rediscover the wonders of ancient Egypt. You’ll have opportunities for research about Egypt and the impact the Ancient Egyptians had on our society; its geographical location using maps and its great history. We will investigate changes in our local area and ask how an archaeologist could help us find out more information on Selsdon and the surrounding areas.You’ll also have the opportunity to design and recreate the wonder of your very own Pyramid.

Why Should the Rainforest be Important to Us All?

Why are Rainforests important? In this exploration you willlocate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on South America and concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics. We will consider why some animals are endangered and have the opportunity to research and paint/draw some of these animals. You will have the chance to create a small rainforest documentary in our Forest School, using knowledge gained from this exciting project.

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 5

• Summarise main points of an argument or discussion within their reading and make up own mind about issue/s.
• Compare between two texts.
• Appreciate that people use bias in persuasive writing.
• Appreciate how two people may have a different view on the same event.
• Draw inferences and justify with evidence from the text.
• Vary voice for direct or indirect speech.
• Recognise clauses within sentences.
• Explain how and why a writer has used clauses to add information to a sentence.
• Use more than one source when carrying out research.
• Create a set of notes to summarise what has been read.

Writing

• Add phrases to make sentences more precise and detailed.
• Use range of sentence openers – judging the impact or effect needed.
• Begin to adapt sentence structure to text type.
• Use pronouns to avoid repetition.
• Indicate degrees of possibility using adverbs (e.g. perhaps, surely) or modal verbs (e.g. might, should, will).
• Use the following to indicate parenthesis:
  • Brackets, dashes, commas
• Use commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity.
• Link clauses in sentences using a range of subordinating and coordinating conjunctions.
• Use verb phrases to create subtle differences (e.g. she began to run).
• Consistently organise into paragraphs.
• Link ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time (e.g. later), place (e.g. nearby) and number (e.g. secondly).

Mathematics

• Count forwards and backward with positive and negative numbers through zero.
• Count forwards/backwards in steps of powers of 10 for any given number up to 1,000,000.
• Compare and order numbers up to 1,000,000.
• Compare and order numbers with 3 decimal places.
• Read Roman numerals to 1,000.
• Identify all multiples and factors, including finding all factor pairs.
• Use known tables to derive other number facts.
• Recall prime numbers up to 19.
• Recognise and use square numbers and cube numbers.
• Recognise place value of any number up to 1,000,000.
• Round any number up to 1,000,000 to the nearest 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 or 100,000.
• Round decimals with 2 decimal places to nearest whole number and 1 decimal place.
• Add and subtract:
  • Numbers with more than 4-digits using formal written method.
• Use rounding to check answers.
• Multiply:4-digits by 1-digit/ 2-digit.Divide:Up to 4-digits by 1-digit
• Multiply & divide:Whole numbers & decimals by 10, 100 and 1,000
• Recognise and use thousandths.
• Recognise mixed numbers and improper fractions and convert from one to another.
• Multiply proper fractions and mixed numbers by whole numbers.
• Identify and write equivalent fractions.

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.