The Curriculum
At Clavering Primary School we redesigned our curriculum in order to bring a skill and knowledge based approach to the teaching and learning. We teach some of the subjects together with intra-curricular links under a theme or topic and we teach some independently depending on the content that is being delivered.
Across the Key Stages we have a broad and balanced curriculum, and children have access to all of these subjects,which are taught in ways appropriate to pupils’ ages and abilities. The well differentiated quality first teaching allows all children to succeed across the whole curriculum and become engaged, active and lifelong learners.
Curriculum Intent – what our curriculum is trying to achieve:
- For every child to develop a love of learning and to be inspired to achieve their full potential
- To ensure our children experience a wide breadth of study and by the end of each key stage have developed a long term memory of an ambitious body of skills and knowledge. We believe these are interdependent in assimilating learning
- To develop children’s knowledge, understanding and skills sequentially through a progressive curriculum model. This will enable them to learn to apply their understanding and learning to new situations and develop their initiative and resourcefulness
- To reflect our local context broadening our children’s experience and understanding
- To provide opportunities for our children to develop a wide knowledge and awareness of the wider community and the diverse world in which we live
- To encourage children to seek opportunities and experiences, to aspire to succeed in learning, thus preparing them for their next stage of education and their adult lives.
Curriculum Implementation – what we do in order to deliver our intent:
We focus the curriculum on excellence and enjoyment at the same time as fulfilling the government National Curriculum requirements. Our curriculum is delivered using a variety of approaches and resources depending on the nature of the subject being taught and the needs of the children. We believe that learning is achieved not in a lesson but over time and to that end we deliver a progression model curriculum with opportunities for spaced repetition building on prior learning. We enable children to make contextual links and achieve a greater depth of understanding.
We aim to make learning creative, fun, challenging and purposeful with realistic and meaningful contexts for the children, through the use of art and drama, school trips and through our cross curricular teaching. Pupils will sometimes work individually, as part of a group or within a whole class setting, depending upon the nature of the activity and the particular learning outcomes the teacher intends.
The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum includes:
Prime areas:
- Communication and Language
- Physical development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Specific areas of learning:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts, designing and making
The Key Stage One (5 – 7 years) and Key Stage Two (7 – 11 years) Curriculums include:
The core subjects are –
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
The foundation subjects are –
- Computing
- Design and Technology (D&T)
- History
- Geography
- Art
- Music
- Physical Education (PE)
- Religious Education (RE)
- Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
In addition to the subjects above, at Clavering we teach a Modern Foreign Language (MFL) – French – in KS2.
Phonics
In Foundation and Key stage 1, phonics is taught in groups on a daily basis using the Letters and Sounds guidance. Each phonics session follows a pattern of Revisit/Review, Teach, Practice, Apply and includes elements of reading and writing.
In Reception, children are given ‘Sound books’ to take home and share with their parents and to use to practice segmenting and blending. New sounds are added to the books as they are introduced in class.
Phonic progress is tracked by the class teacher and monitored by the English Co-ordinator. In Year 1 and 2, children who do not make expected progress receive additional small group intervention support.
Phonic schemes: Unlocking Letters and Sounds, Phonics Play and Mr Thorne.
Reading
The school believes that children become successful readers by learning to use a range of strategies to access the meaning of a text and that these strategies can be taught at three different levels; word, sentence and text. We also acknowledge the need for a wide range of books and so provide a variety of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. We use Big Books, Guided Group Reading texts and Individual Readers. We have a core reading scheme that children follow once they are ready for reading. A range of books from other schemes to provide variety and breadth supplements this. Children take home their reading book everyday and parents are encouraged to read with them, to hear them read and to record that they have done so in a reading record book. In Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 children read with the class teacher or classroom assistant on a regular basis. In Key Stage 2 children continue to be monitored regularly. Priority of individual reading time is given to children with special needs. All classes have a selection of library books for the children to borrow. Paired reading sessions are organised by class teachers so that younger children have a reading buddy from KS2. Teachers allocate appropriate books for each child and they receive feedback on the progress the children make with the comprehension activities linked to each book.
Please also follow the link below to a useful website designed to help parents support their children in reading and maths: www.oxfordowl.co.uk/
Main reading schemes: Rigby Star, Collins Big Cat, Floppy Phonics and Project X.
Sport
At Clavering School we provide regular opportunities for children to develop their games skills. As they progress through the school they are encouraged to practice these skills in team games. These take place during lessons as well as in a range of extra-curricular activities. There are a wide variety of clubs and we also have a visiting specialist coach on a weekly basis.
The school is a member of the Schools Sport Partnership in Uttlesford and regularly participates in sporting tournaments and competitions.
To see some of the sporting events that take place in the Uttlesford Sport Partnership, click on this link: USSP
The school offers 6 weeks of swimming lessons to children in Years 1 to 6 throughout the academic year.
The House System provides the children with the opportunities to take part in sporting activities and to represent their house. These events enable the children to work in teams; this encourages them to provide mutual support and emphasises the importance of each individual member’s contribution to the success of the team.
Wider Opportunities – Music
Each week a music specialist provides extra music tuition for the classes in Key Stage Two. The children are taught elements of music through the playing of brass, woodwind and percussion instruments in a class, ’band’. Year 3 also learn to play the descant recorder together.
Should parents wish to take the opportunity for their child, individual instrumental lessons are available at a reasonable cost, taught by peripatetic music teachers. At present, lessons on piano, keyboard, woodwind, drums and guitar are offered.
Forest Schools
This highly successful venture into outdoor learning has grown from the regular visits at Pelham Environmental Centre, for the reception class, to the point where other classes can take advantage of a beautiful wooded site, known as Snail Wood, nearer the school. With several members of staff now trained to guide the expeditions and with continued help from parents, all year groups will benefit from the practical study of natural history, development of observational and social skills and of course having fun in the open air.
Mindfulness – PawsB
We have introduced Mindfulness to the children at school following the Pawsb approach. 
PawsB is a programme designed for children to help them develop an understanding of how their brains and minds work, and to equip them with simple exercises in Mindfulness to improve focus and clarity of thought. There is an emphasis on curiosity and kindness, giving the children greater control of their own minds and helping them to build their self esteem and decision making abilities.
Curriculum Impact – how we ensure that children are learning effectively:
We use a balance of formative and summative assessment to review progress and attainment for all our pupils.
Assessment for Learning
At Clavering Primary School we believe that effective assessment as part of the day to day teaching and learning, with high levels of pupil involvement, is the most effective way to raise standards and improve learning. This kind of effective assessment is in the form of:
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- sharing the learning objective and the formation of the success criteria with the children
- oral and written feedback linked to the learning objective and success criteria giving each pupil next step advice in their learning
- use of questioning throughout the learning process to challenge thinking and develop understanding
- self and peer assessment where pupils work with peers to discuss their work next to the success criteria developing their independence and understanding.
Clavering Super heroes!
During friendship week each house group worked together to create a super hero character to represent a valued learning behaviour. We now have 5 superheroes modelling learning behaviours which the children at Clavering all aspire to.
Each half term we focus on a different learning behaviour. The children’s efforts and achievements are recognised in each class with cards awarded by their teachers and two children from each class are nominated as best representing the learning behaviour for that half term. They celebrate with a hot chocolate afternoon with Miss Allsop.
Co-octopus (co-operation) Resileroo (resilience)
Engagemonk (engagement) Cre-elephant (creativity)
Curipaws (curiosity) Indi Panda (independence)
Reception-Topic-plan-overview-2024 2025
KS1 Long Term Map Curriculum 2024-25
LKS2 Long Term Map Curriculum 2024-25
UKS2 Long Term Map Curriculum 2024-25
Music Development Plan Summary 2024
Please see our class newsletters which are written each term and give more information on the topics being studied.
Remote Learning Policy
Clavering Remote Education Policy
Catch Up Premium Plan
Clavering-Primary-School-Catch-upupdatedJuly
We are proud to announce the launch ‘Friday Focus’. An insight into our learning…
The fortnightly Friday Focus will be a chance for every class at Clavering to share their
learning with the Clavering School community. This is a great opportunity to find out what
each year group has been up to and engage in conversations around learning.
End of academic year 2022 – 2023 edition
16-12-22 Friday Focus Reception
16-12-22 Friday Focus Class 2 part 1
16-12-22 Friday Focus Class 2 part 2
Special Summer Term Edition –
Special Spring Term Edition –
Art Week –
Book Week –
General Learning –
Safer Internet Day –
General Learning –
28-01-22 Friday FocusV2 (1) (1)
Special Autumn Term Edition: (4 links below)
