At Hartford Junior School (HJS) we have a bold and engaging curriculum that develops the following core skills:
Curiosity (question, observe, enquire, understand)
Confidence (resilient, independent, reflective, self-motivated, problem solver, resourceful, self-regulate)
Communication (read, write, represent, reason, speak, listen, present, collaborate)
Lower Key Stage 2 (LKS2)
We teach English, maths, reading and phonics/spelling skills as discrete, individual subjects, in addition to RE, PE, PSHE and French. Our lower Key Stage 2 curriculum encompasses Science and the following foundation subjects: art and design, design technology (DT), geography, history, computing, music.
Lower Key Stage Two is made up of two classes of Year 3 and two classes of Year 4.
The children are aged 7-9.
The Year 3 classes are called Beech and Chestnut and the Year 4 classes are Willow and Holly.
A team of Teaching Assistants work in Lower Key Stage Two [LKS2] supporting the children with their learning.
Year 3 is accessed in a morning via their classroom doors where the staff are on the door to greet them at 8.40am. These are situated on the main playground close to the Infant School building. The children also leave from these doors at 3.15pm.
Year 4 is accessed from the doors leading onto the field and then proceed to the stairs to their classrooms on the first floor. Staff are on hand to greet them at the door and on the stair well. The children also leave by the same doors.
Upper Key Stage 2 (UKS2)
We teach all subjects (English, maths, reading and phonics/spelling, science, PE, PSHE, French, art and design, design technology (DT), geography, history, computing, music) as discreet individual subjects. We teach RE in line with LKS2 each half term over a period of 2 days.
We are developing our curriculum to be in line with the enquiry approach in the neighbouring Hartford Infant and Preschool, to ensure a seamless approach to the children’s learning.
Upper Key Stage Two is made up of two classes of Year 5 and two classes of Year 6.
The children are aged 9-11.
The Year 5 Classes are called Oak and Ash and the Year 6 classes are called Holly and Willow.
A team of Teaching Assistants work in Upper Key Stage two supporting the children with their learning.
Year 6 is accessed in a morning via their classroom doors overlooking the main playground close to the school field.
Year 5 is accessed from the main doors leading into school from the front playground near the Infant School reception.
Both doors are open from 8.40am where staff are there to meet and greet them, and they also exit from the same doors at 3.15pm.
Our curriculum enables children to study six artists in depth, who have been carefully chosen to suit the age of our children, the community in which we live and the skills we wish to teach. Each artist’s work is used as an inspiration for the children to recreate their own piece of art.
Children will engage with the key elements, painting, drawing or sculpture with a range of materials, and we will always begin each unit with an observational drawing session in sketchbooks. The children will create a poster inspired by the artist they are studying and use their art sketch books to mimic the artists techniques. We use the Rob Howard Art File to support our progression of skills and techniques across the school.
Our children will develop a wide knowledge of artists and artistic skills, which they will be encouraged to practise and refine. They will have opportunities to critique their work and those of their peers after every unit and will often display their work in an exhibition for others across the community to appraise.
Our curriculum prepares our children for modern life and supports them to become digitally literate and resilient users of technology.
Children will engage in solving problems logically whilst understanding the responsible use of technology using the Teach Computing Scheme of Work. Every child has access to their own iPad to support their classroom learning. Children use Seesaw, which is a digital learning tool that supports, engages and enhances learning experiences.
Our children will be able to make creative and safe choices when using digital computing equipment.
Our curriculum focuses on practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industrial practices. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses, and its impacts.
Children will engage with the following five key areas: design, make, evaluate, technical knowledge, cooking and nutrition using the Kapow Scheme of Work.
Our children will be better prepared to engage with the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. Being creative thinkers encourages children to make positive changes to their quality of life, enabling them to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team.
In English we will provide for the language development of pupils and will extend and build upon their ability to use language to think, explore, recognise and communicate their ideas.
We will teach children specific oracy, reading and writing skills which are then embedded across the curriculum throughout the day.
Our children will be literate so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others effectively.
We will inspire our children to have a passion for reading. Our children will encounter a variety of rich texts which are thought provoking and engaging.
We have chosen texts which:
- Enable pupils to encounter characters, situations and viewpoints that mirror their own.
- Share circumstances and settings with pupils where social, cultural backgrounds and values differ from their own.
Our children will benefit from regular practice of reading skills including explicit teaching of developing reading fluency. We will explore different ways of engaging with texts and respond to them in different ways.
If required, we will continue to have discrete 20-30 minute phonic sessions using the HIS synthetic systematic phonics programme to maintain consistency between the Infant and Junior schools.
We use Accelerated Reader to help us keep a track of our progress, choose suitable books relevant to our age/ability and develop reading for pleasure.
We use the Library and Book Club sessions to help us find engaging reading material including recommendations from other teachers and pupils.
In Writing, our children learn about different writing styles. We read model texts of a particular genre and identify the key features. We follow the writing process by planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing our work.
The teaching of writing is ‘broken down’ to accelerate and support progress using the ‘I DO, WE DO, YOU DO’ approach.
We practise our basic ‘transcription’ skills during English fluency sessions to help our writing become more automatic and cohesive. English fluency sessions are made up of spelling and handwriting practice.
In spelling, we study the etymology (where words came from) and morphology (the internal structure of words). We break down our spelling words into syllables and where appropriate phonemes to help us learn how to spell them.
Our Handwriting scheme is called ‘Letter Join. We use “Letter-join’s” online handwriting resource and lesson planner as the basis of our handwriting, as it covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum. Although we use the fonts described below when explicitly teaching handwriting, we recognise that children are exposed to a variety of fonts when reading text. Therefore, around Hartford Junior School there will be different fonts used on displays etc.
In KS2 we use the font Letter-join No-lead. This is a joined font, without lead in lines.
We believe that every child should leave primary school with excellent English skills and continually assess pupils’ progress to determine how to ‘Bring Out the Best in Everyone’.
We celebrate our pupils’ writing during our half termly VIP Writing Assembly.
Our foreign languages curriculum is relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious and we hope to inspire and excite our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. All pupils will be expected to achieve their full potential by encouraging high standards in foreign language learning – the aim being that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond Key Stage 2.
Our curriculum is continuously updated and reviewed, creating a dynamic programme of study that meets the needs of all pupils This ensures that the foreign language knowledge of our pupils progresses within each academic year and is extended year upon year throughout the primary phase and, in so doing, will always be relevant and in line with meeting or exceeding national DfE requirements.
Children will engage with the four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing, and all vocabulary, phonics and grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across the primary phase. This enables pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning and also helping the children improve overall attainment in other subject areas.
Our children will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages, finding them enjoyable and stimulating. Learning a second language will also offer pupils the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity, develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them with a better awareness of self, others and cultural differences. The intention is that they will be working towards becoming life-long language learners.
Our curriculum will inspire our children with a curiosity and fascination about the world and people within it. We will promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
Children will engage with a curriculum that has been designed to incorporate local geographical features as well as learning about the wider world and our place within it. The curriculum will develop an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. We strive to make our learning as practical and purposeful as possible, including walks, trips and other enriching learning experiences.
Our children will be able to make connections and build upon the knowledge and skills taught whilst becoming curious about world they live in.
Our curriculum will provide our children with an in depth and coherent knowledge of Britain’s past and that of the wider world, allowing them to understand the chronology of historical time periods and how this has impacted Britain in the present day. We will aim to develop engaged, motivated and curious learners that can reflect on the past and make meaningful links.
Children will evaluate a range of primary and secondary sources. They will also be able to explain clearly how these sources give us an insight about how people around the world used to live and how these interpretations may differ. The History units taught have been developed to help children appreciate their own identity within their local environment, and the challenges in their time.
Our children will be able to understand the process of change over time and significant developments around the world.
Our curriculum will develop our children’s fluency in in the fundamentals of mathematics through a teaching for mastery approach. It will develop their ability to reason mathematically and solve problems, applying their learning in a range of contexts within the aspects of number, measurement, geometry and statistics. Central to our curriculum ethos is the belief that all children can learn and enjoy maths have the potential to attain high standards in their maths learning.
Children will engage in daily maths lessons involving a range of activities which will support them to develop deep conceptual understanding of mathematics. We plan using the National Curriculum for Mathematics and the latest DfE guidance, alongside materials from the NCETM. Children are guided through their learning in a series of small, coherent steps which build on previous learning with appropriate scaffolds and challenges to support differing needs. Opportunities are also given for regular, purposeful practice and retrieval of prior learning. Oracy plays a key role in developing children’s understanding and they will be taught precise mathematical vocabulary to support their ability to communicate their reasoning.
Examples, representations and models are carefully selected to expose the underlying structures of mathematical concepts and emphasise connections, enabling pupils to develop a deep knowledge of maths. Children have access to a range of physical resources, and we use the CPA approach (concrete, pictorial, abstract) to support the development of their understanding.
In addition to our main maths lessons, children also engage in a daily fluency session to develop their knowledge and recall of key number facts and their arithmetical proficiency. Through regular practice, we aim for children to develop automaticity in the recall of facts, alongside conceptual, structural understanding, avoiding cognitive overload in working memory and enabling them to focus on new learning.
Our children will become confident, curious, resilient and able mathematicians, who think deeply and demonstrate a positive, can-do attitude towards maths. They will develop deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of mathematical concepts and will be able to talk confidently about their reasoning and understanding using precise mathematical vocabulary. They will be able to solve a range of problems through fluency with numbers and mathematical reasoning and will develop vital skills which will enable to succeed in later life.
Multiplication Tables Check [MTC] Year 4 children
Each year, children in Year 4 must take the DfE Statutory Multiplication Tables Check in June. Please see our supporting documents to help you at home to prepare your children. Look out for future workshops to help you understand the requirements better.
Our curriculum provides children opportunities to create, perform appraise and enjoy listening to music, whilst learning disciplined skills, musical notation and how to compose music through a programme that develops an awareness of musical traditions from a variety of cultures.
Children will engage with an inclusive and engaging curriculum using the Kapow Music Scheme. We believe that singing lies at the heart of good music teaching with opportunities to sing in weekly assemblies, perform in choirs and to a range of audiences.
Our children will be inspired to develop a life-long love of music, which increases their self-confidence, creativity and imagination, and provides opportunities for self-expression and a sense of personal achievement.
Our curriculum will prepare and support pupils to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle, supporting their mental and physical well-being. We will build the skills of self-confidence and perseverance, and pupils will experience a real sense of achievement that this provides.
Children will engage with a broad range of sporting skills using the Get Set 4 PE Scheme of Work. These skills are incorporated into competitive games, dance and gymnastic performances using movement patterns and evaluations of their own and others’ work. Through communication and collaboration with each other, they develop an understanding of how to improve their response to physical activities and action this. There are opportunities throughout the year for pupils to participate in festivals and a wide range of sporting events.
Our children will be in the best position possible to swim with confidence and enthusiastically engage in a variety of physical activities and sporting opportunities as their educational and life journey continues beyond Hartford Junior School.
Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE)
Our curriculum will teach the children to have respect for themselves and others within our communities (local, national and global).
We aim to develop key character skills to enable the children to stay healthy, safe and prepared for life and work. Helping them to make informed decisions, communicate effectively and self-regulation strategies.
Our children will be the best version of themselves and have a positive role in the school and wider community.
Our curriculum ensures our children explore Christian, Islamic and Hindu stories and other principal religions in local, national and global contexts, through balanced and well-informed lessons that are taught as part of our theme days each half term.
Children will engage with challenging questions about religious life, different festivals, places of worship, sacred writing, knowledge and belief, meaning and purpose. They will learn to listen to, challenge and respect the ideas of their peers and others using the Cambridgeshire RE Agreed Syllabus.
Our children will develop their sense of identity and belonging, which will enable them to flourish individually within their communities and as respectful citizens in a diverse world.
The right to withdraw from RE
In England, parents and carers have the right to withdraw their children from RE. We would hope that you would contact us, head@hartfordjuniorschool.org in the first instance so that we can discuss concerns and together put alternative arrangements in place to support your child(ren).
You will find more information on the right to withdraw and how to handle an application at https://www.natre.org.uk/
Our curriculum fosters a healthy curiosity about our world including light, sound, rock and soils, forces and magnets, electricity and materials and promotes respect for living things: plants, animals and humans.
Children will engage with the skills of Working Scientifically and will acquire and develop key knowledge using a big question to focus their enquiry. Our scheme of work has been developed to enable the children to apply their knowledge of science when using equipment, conducting experiments, building arguments, and explaining concepts confidently, continuing to ask questions about their surroundings.
Our children will have a positive attitude towards science and be able to explain concepts explored confidently. They will be ready for Key Stage 3 through specialised support from St Peters Secondary School in UKS2.