Subjects

On this page you can learn all about the subjects that make up the curriculum here at Tenacres.

English

We love to read!

Reading and writing are the backbone of learning, giving children the ability to access a whole world of knowledge. All children at Tenacres are encouraged to develop and apply their literacy skills across the curriculum, with carefully chosen texts being at the heart of topics.

Oracy skills are a key element of our curriculum as we nurture our children to become effective and confident communicators in their learning journey.

English Intent, Implementation and Impact

Reading

Children follow a progressive reading system throughout the school, with books that closely match their phonics knowledge in the early years, later progressing to language rich texts that support and extend children’s skills. In addition to individual reading, we also use guided reading to develop comprehension and inference skills within a group or whole class work.

Our Tenacres library is at the heart of our school both in its physical position but also our ethos . Children visit on a weekly basis to choose a book to share at home and encourage reading for pleasure.

Each child is given a Tenacres Home School Diary which includes pages for reading records. In here, parents, pupils and teachers can comment on a child’s particular efforts and achievements within the books and texts they are reading. The overall progress of children is carefully monitored by their teacher.

Also see: Phonics Progression for Reading Bands

Phonics

In Reception and Year 1, all our children receive daily phonics sessions to build the essential skills for reading and writing.

Key skills include:

Letter sound recognition
Blending sounds to read
Segmenting words to spell
Recognition of key words

This is achieved through our Tenacres Phonics programme which enlists a multi-sensory approach.

We also have phonics programs in place to support children beyond Year 1 who will benefit from them.

Following on from phonics, No-Nonsense Spelling is taught through Years 2-4, continuing to embed spelling rules.

Also see: Phonics Programme

Writing

Through the carefully chosen texts used as reading stimulus in English lessons, our children are exposed to high-quality technical writing and a rich array of language which feeds into their own writing.

Text structure, grammar, punctuation, spelling and handwriting are taught throughout the school in both designated English lessons and cross-curricular contexts.

Opportunities for writing are prolific, encompassing a vast array of both fiction and non-fiction genres.

Library

Our Tenacres library is well stocked with a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Children visit on a weekly basis to choose books to take home. The library is also used to support teaching of text types in English lessons.

Maths

Maths problem solving in Reception.

At Tenacres, in Maths we aim to sustain and develop in all children:

Confidence, understanding and enjoyment in mathematics;
An awareness of relationship and pattern, and how these can bring about a clearer understanding of a situation;
The ability to work systematically where the task requires a careful accurate approach, as well as the ability to show imagination, initiative and flexibility when appropriate;
Independence of thought and action as well as the ability to co-operate within a group;
Problem solving skills and strategies;
Master key skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Maths Intent, Implementation and Impact

Implementation

The approach to the teaching of Mathematics within school is based on:

At least four Maths lessons a week in Years 2 to 4 (Year 1 after Autumn).
Throughout the week lessons follow the structure depicted above.
We use a range of different manipulatives e.g. Numicon, Diennes, Cuisenaire to help children develop a solid understanding of number.
All children are supported to achieve in the lesson - through the use of adult supported, scaffolded learning and adaptive teaching.
All children are challenged according to their attainment in each lesson.
Maths lessons start with a Terrific in Ten session where children practice their Mental Maths skills and develop recall and efficiency. (see Mental Maths Progression document).
Teachers follow our Calculation Policy (see document) to ensure we are teaching in a consistent and progressive way.
Years 2 to 4 take parts in times table sessions regularly throughout the week, including accessing Times Table Rockstars weekly on the iPads.
Any children who are falling behind are supported with same day interventions, pre-teaching or over- teaching. They may also have extra interventions (such as Number Sense) to develop their basic Maths skills.

Science

Group scientific experiments.

During Science teaching, our aim is to foster a child’s curiosity, interest and independent investigation skills.

At our school, we teach cross-curricular Science as much as possible so that children are able to link their topic and learning to real experiences with real-life applications. All lessons are planned with curriculum objectives in mind but will be adapted to apply to the children’s needs and interests.

At Tenacres we are lucky to have a vast array of resources to help the children learn about Science in a fun and interactive way. We believe Science has to be hands on, enjoyable and purposeful. We also make great use of our school grounds in order to study plants and animals in their natural habitat and the local environment.

As the children progress through the school, they begin to record their work in many ways, including graphs, diagrams, photographs and written investigations with predications. Despite this increase in written methods of recording, our children enjoy Science in a practical and purposeful way.

Art and Design

Experimenting with colour and exploring tints.

At Tenacres, we aim to create opportunities for children to explore their creativity and imagination in engaging and inspiring lessons. To create meaningful learning opportunities, we embed Art and Design within our topics.

As a school, we aim to provide children with a chance to develop a wide range of skills such as sketching, painting and printing before creating an end piece. The progression of skills should be clear within the children’s sketch books and the skills should be evident in the finished product. We strive for each child to have opportunity to deepen their skills by allowing enough time to learn a skill before applying it. As the children move through school they begin to build up a range of skills and techniques that they are familiar with and able to use.

Children have many opportunities to explore a range of media and develop control of a variety of tools and techniques. We also introduce our children to the work of artists, craft makers and designers from a variety of cultures both past and present.

We encourage our children to evaluate and reflect both with their own work and the work of others. We believe that as well as helping them to appreciate the development of art, it will also encourage children to show respect for the work of others.

Above all, Art and Design at Tenacres provides an opportunity for our children to express themselves through their creations. Both the children and adults are proud of the work produced and the art work seen around school is a true reflection of the progression of skills taught beforehand.

Computing

Creating stories using the green screen.

At Tenacres we are driven to deliver an education that develops life-long learning and provides our children with the knowledge and skills they will need for life after school. Computing plays an essential part in this.

Our Computing Curriculum is taught to secure and deepen a range of computing skills. These skills are built upon year on year, where children will emerge accomplished in many aspects of computing. Our curriculum consists of key strands to ensure it is broad and balanced:

We also use technology to enrich the learning experience. This could be through fully immersive experiences; by actively involving learners in lessons using interactive whiteboards which are situated in every classroom; by encouraging pupils to apply skills they learnt as part of computing units of work in other areas of the curriculum (creating a videos, songs); or using our cameras, programmable toys and iPads to support learning (using the Green Screen etc).

Design Technology (DT)

Creating and testing catapults.

Through the teaching of DT we aim to stimulate the children’s creativity and provide them with opportunities to explore a range of ideas, tools and media. As a school, DT is embedded within our curriculum to ensure the children learn within meaningful and relevant contexts.

At Tenacres, we provide children with time to design their product, allowing them time to draw on existing knowledge and we also encourage children to take risks. Learners draw on past experiences with either the media or the end product which influences their designs.

When creating a product we encourage children to be adventurous and we also insist that our children are resilient when things don’t go to plan. As learners progress they evaluate and are able to make changes to designs to resolve any problems.

We ensure that our children think realistically about their end goal and we encourage children to evaluate finished products and think of ways to improve them.

At all stages we encourage children to think carefully about their work and make the children aware of any health and safety issues they may face.

As a school we strive to help our children develop a deeper understanding and awareness as they move through school and it is evident that previous projects influence and inspire the way they create their next.

Our children develop a range of practical skills through using a range of materials and equipment including sheet materials, moulding materials, fabrics, construction kits, tools and a kitchen environment. The activities that we plan encourage children to draw upon skills from maths, computing, art and science.

Geography

Learning about maps.

At Tenacres we teach Geography through a cross curricular approach, to fully immerse children in their topic and inspire curiosity of the world.

Geography lessons allow children to use a range of skills such as reading a map (both local and world), locating places around the world, studying human and physical features, recognising and using compass points and studying the local area. As the children move through school they will develop a deeper understanding as geographical language becomes embedded, they learn to appreciate diversity, accept a responsibility to care for the Earth and they continue to work on and improve key skills.

Each year group at Tenacres covers a broad range of geographical skills through a variety of topics. Geography is taught in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through the ‘Understanding the world' area of learning. This means that pupils will learn through exploring the world around them, as well as learning about people in the world. Year 1 compare hot and cold countries examining the weather in those places around the world incorporating a comparative study of Africa and Redditch. Year 2 study the continents and oceans and focus on comparing Antarctica and the UK. Year 3 use OS maps to investigate the local area by examining the human and physical features found nearby. Finally, Year 4 explore the world’s physical geography such as; climates, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and the water cycle.

We aim to install a love of learning in Geography and for pupils to develop their skills, not just through classroom learning but also with the use of fieldwork and geographical investigations in order to help them understand how it is relevant in their everyday lives.

History

At Tenacres we foster enthusiasm, curiosity and enquiry about the history of our local area, of Britain and of the wider world. We recognise that the skills our children develop in History lessons are important skills they will need for life; we are preparing children for living and working in the contemporary world and the world of the future

We aim to:

Provide an engaging history curriculum which is broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated.
Develop a sense of time by placing events, people and changes within a chronological framework.
Develop the skills of enquiry and evaluation.
Develop a knowledge of the characteristics of people living in particular periods, including attitudes and beliefs and their social, cultural, religious and ethnic diversity.
Identify different ways in which the past is represented and make thoughtful use of a variety of sources.
Develop the ability to describe and analyse reasons and results of events, situations and changes studied.
Make links between different periods studied.
Encourage children to interpret, explain and ask historical questions e.g. Why did this happen? How do we know this is true?
Enrich the lives of our children through history focused trips, visitors and themed weeks.

Our pupils gain a progressively deeper understanding and competency of historical skills as they move through the school and the curriculum. Homework is used as an opportunity for further research and challenge.

Here at Tenacres, you will see children role playing as Egyptian Pharaohs and dancing like Romans in the playground. This love of history is the result of a rich and engaging curriculum that is informed by the National Curriculum and led by our children’s needs and interests.

"I believe that the more you know about the past, the better you are prepared for the future." - Theodore Roosevelt

History Progression of Knowledge and Skills

Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) - French

Learning French words.

At Tenacres our main aim is to provide enjoyment when learning a new language. It is an area of the curriculum where children are able to use different skills to achieve success. Children learn in a variety of ways and learning a language ticks many of these boxes!

French is taught in Years 3 and 4 (LKS2) at Tenacres with a cross curricular approach (see curriculum intent for further details of topic coverage). As far as possible concepts taught in French link with the children’s half termly topic as it allows them to apply their own understanding to the language e.g. weather and natural disasters are taught when Year 4 learn about earthquakes and volcanos in their ‘Movers and Shakers’ topic.

Children enjoy a range of fun and interactive learning styles including, singing, playing games, role play, practicing conversations orally, matching up activities and group work. The curriculum is broken down into 5 main areas of language learning- speaking, listening, writing, reading and grammar. In Year 3, children begin their language learning journey, which eases them in with finding out about the culture of French people and gives them basic vocabulary in a range of topics. In Year 4, children develop their language learning skills further, consolidate their existing knowledge and apply it to new concepts.

Children at Tenacres speak positively of learning a language and look forward to having weekly lessons.

Music

Children playing various instruments.

Music is an integral part of children’s learning at Tenacres.

Each class has use of a fully equipped music room, with a selection of percussion, wind, string and keyboard instruments. Reception children also have their own instrument tables within the classroom environment. Mrs Longfils (music specialist) teaches and guides teaching of music across the school.

Within lessons, every child develops their musical skills through performance, composition and aural appreciation of music. The whole school join together for regular singing practice.

In Years 2, 3 and 4 opportunities are given for children to learn to play a musical instrument including guitar, drums and keyboard. Children in these year groups can also join the school choir.

Children are given opportunities to perform in a variety of settings: in the community, at local theatres, in-school assemblies, musical plays and concerts. Each year, all children hear at least one in person performance whether that be in school or at a concert venue such as Symphony Hall.

By the time children leave Tenacres, they have been exposed to a wide repertoire of live and recorded music, ranging from traditional to the present day.

Physical Education (PE)

Using some of the apparatus in our School Hall.

The school enjoys the use of a good-sized sports hall, three playgrounds (two marked with teaching grids), a playing field and a wide range of apparatus and equipment for indoor and outdoor use.

We encourage all children to be active and aim to develop confidence and physical skills as the children grow stronger.

All children have two hours of PE timetabled per week and are taught skills fundamental for Dance; Games; Gymnastics and Athletics. Then in KS2 children are given the opportunity to take part in Outdoor and Adventurous activities and Swimming. They also take part in a range of tournaments and sports festivals both within school and with other schools throughout the year.

Children who succeed in out-of-school activities are encouraged to show their sporting trophies/awards and to display their sporting talents in our weekly Achievement Assemblies.

PSHE and Citizenship

Some of our PSHE work..

The values and ethos of the school will not only be made explicit in PSHE, they will at times be shaped by what happens in PSHE.

Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) and Citizenship helps children to become confident, independent, healthy and responsible members of society. At Tenacres we encourage our pupils to take part in a wide range of activities, events and experiences that contribute to the life of the school and the wider community.

They experience the process of democracy through ‘TAPS’ Council (Tenacres Problem Solving Council). We teach them about rights and responsibilities. They learn to appreciate what it means to be a positive member of a diverse multi-cultural society.

We aim to equip our children with the knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to:

make informed choices and decisions
develop good relationships
have respect for others and their opinions
become positive and active members of a democratic society
to develop a growth mindset and face challenges positively, developing resilience, confidence and self-esteem
be independent and responsible members of the school community.

Foundation stage:

PSED (Physical, Social Emotional Development) is one of the prime areas of learning and is central to teaching and learning across the Early Years curriculum. PD (Physical Development) is another prime area of learning and includes Health and Self Care.

The three Early Learning Goals for PSED are:

Self-regulation
Managing self
Building relationships

In Key Stage 1 and 2 we build on these experiences. All classes have a weekly PSHE/ Citizenship lesson. We follow Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE. See below for an overview of the themes taught each half term. “Jigsaw is a unique, spiral, progressive and effective scheme of work, aiming to prepare children/young people for life, helping them really know and value who they are and understand how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world.” (Jigsaw website)

Fostering British Values is an integral part of our school ethos. Please see British Values listed under the ‘curriculum’ section.

Religious Education (RE)

We follow the Worcestershire Agreed syllabus for Religious Education 2020-25.

Principal Aim: The principal aim of religious education is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living. (Worcestershire Agreed syllabus 2020-2025)

The threefold aim of RE elaborates the principal aim. The curriculum for RE aims to ensure that all pupils:

1. Make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:

identify, describe, explain and analyse beliefs and concepts in the context of living religions, using appropriate vocabulary
explain how and why these beliefs are understood in different ways, by individuals and within communities
recognise how and why sources of authority (e.g. texts, teachings, traditions, leaders) are used, expressed and interpreted in different ways, developing skills of interpretation.

2. Understand the impact and significance of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:

examine and explain how and why people express their beliefs in diverse ways
recognise and account for ways in which people put their beliefs into action in diverse ways, in their everyday lives, within their communities and in the wider world
appreciate and appraise the significance of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.

3. Make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practices and ideas studied, so that they can:

evaluate, reflect on and enquire into key concepts and questions studied, responding thoughtfully and creatively, giving good reasons for their responses
challenge the ideas studied, and allow the ideas studied to challenge their own thinking, articulating beliefs, values and commitments clearly in response
discern possible connections between the ideas studied and their own ways of understanding the world, expressing their critical responses and personal reflections with increasing clarity and understanding

(Worcestershire Agreed Syllabus, 2020-2025)