Teaching Early Reading

High quality, daily phonics teaching at Kelvin Grove begins in Reception and continues throughout KS1 using the Letters and Sounds phonics programme, aiming for children to be confident readers by the end of year 2. Phonics teaching is systematic, reinforcing and building on previous learning to secure children’s progress. It is taught discretely and daily at a brisk pace. There are opportunities to reinforce and apply this acquired phonic knowledge across the curriculum. All pupils from Reception to Year 2 take part in guided reading. In guided reading, pupils apply their phonic knowledge alongside developing other essential reading skills: sight vocabulary, reading behaviours, comprehension and fluency.

At Kelvin Grove, we are dedicated to developing and maintaining a positive and enthused reading culture for our pupils. We ensure book corners are well-stocked with relevant, high quality literature from a range of authors. Teachers read stories to pupils every day. 

During reading and English lessons we prioritise planned time for quality discussion of texts, using ‘book talk’ – based on Aidan Chamber’s book Tell Me: Children, Reading and Talk. ‘Book-talk’ focusses on the ability to talk about books, developing the confidence to offer ideas and then reshape them in the light of other contributions. It helps children to trust their own ideas and interpretations, to talk effectively about a book, deepening their understanding, shifting their ideas, thinking together as a group and moving comprehension forwards.

All children from Reception to Year 6 take part in a daily guided reading session.  This is a session of approximately half an hour where children focus on developing their reading skills.  Teachers plan for guided reading based on our reading curriculum document – with a focus on decoding, comprehension, themes, patterns and viewpoints. Each group of pupils read with a teacher at least once a week. During this session, pupils have the opportunity to read independently, developing fluency, intonation and expression. They will take part in a discussion around the text, developing strategies of retrieval, inference and unpicking unfamiliar vocabulary. For the rest of the week pupils work independently on activities planned to develop comprehension skills. Pupils also have time to develop their love of reading in allocated time for reading for pleasure.

Pupils in EYFS and KS1 read book-banded books which allow them to read at a pace suited to their growing phonics knowledge whilst developing their sight vocabulary. Pupils then move onto non banded books as soon as possible in year 3. Across KS2 we endeavour for pupils to read a wide range of texts, including quality novels such as The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, Journey to Jo’berg by Beverly Naidoo and Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman. Books are selected to challenge pupils.

Pupils who read fluently but who find comprehension difficult take part in reciprocal reading groups across the week. Reciprocal reading teaches pupils to be active readers by developing the skills of predicting, clarifying new vocabulary, questioning and summarising. Pupils who are still finding decoding difficult in KS2 receive additional guided/individual reading sessions with a focus on decoding, as well as dedicated phonics teaching.

We hold an annual World Book Week celebration where pupils and teachers all come to school dressed as their favourite book characters. The week also involves workshops, visits from published authors and book fairs. This year Jubilee Books came and set up a bookshop in our hall – pupils enjoyed two days browsing and parents were able to buy after school. The author and story teller Sandra A Agard came to tell stories and lead a poetry workshop with year 2.

Home School Reading

Each week pupils will bring home a reading book that has been chosen for them by their class teacher.  This book is designed to be a slight challenge– this may be in the language the book contains or the theme of the text. Pupils’ books will be changed weekly.  Over the year, pupils should read a range of genres (stories, poetry, non fiction, graphic novels etc).  They will also be able to choose an independent reader from their class library. 

Pupils bring home a home/school reading diary. This enables them to record reading done at home and parents/carers have an opportunity to comment on the reading and enjoyment of the book.

We offer reading workshops for parents in the autumn of every school year. These are an opportunity for parents/carers to find out more about the teaching of reading at Kelvin Grove and how they might support their pupils at home. 

Teaching Writing

English is at the heart of the curriculum and the development of language is crucial for children to become successful learners.

At Kelvin Grove, our aim is for all children to be able to speak clearly, listen with understanding, develop a love of reading and write with confidence.

When planning writing, teachers follow our writing curriculum. Units are planned around quality texts and children’s cross-curricular experiences.  Through these high quality texts, pupils are shown how a writer uses his / her craft for different effects. They are given the opportunity to develop and experiment with grammatical structures to create a particular impact upon their reader and they are guided through creating their own written ‘expert’ pieces – with an intended audience and purpose.  Pupils are given time to talk through their ideas, plan their writing and to take an increasing responsibility for the editing and proof reading of their own work.

At Kelvin Grove, maths is taught using a Teaching for Mastery approach.   Care is taken to plan a sequence of learning that gradually builds fluency, reasoning and problem solving skills. We believe that all children are mathematicians and with time and practice, everyone can reach a good level of confidence.  Children are routinely given opportunities to consolidate their learning, or are provided with level of challenge to deepen it.

In Nursery and Reception, we follow the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.  Time is taken to make maths meaningful and linked to other topics that children are learning.

Fluency

Throughout Key Stage 1, children will spend time learning the key facts to allow them to calculate fluently and flexibly. This starts with learning number combinations to all numbers within 20 before learning strategies to add and subtract.  They also learn how to multiply and divide through increasing their knowledge of times tables.

In Key Stage 2, children see how strategies learned in Key Stage 1 can be furthered through knowledge of place value. They learn flexible, informal strategies as well be becoming proficient using formal methods to add, subtract, multiply and divide. By year 4, children will aim to be confident in using and applying all times table to x 12.

Children will learn how will learn how to apply their knowledge of number to other concepts such as fractions, shape and space, measure and statistics.

Science

At Kelvin Grove, maintaining curiosity is a driving force behind ensuring children develop key skills in Science, including, collecting data, making observations, classifying, asking relevant questions and designing practicals to help answer these lines of enquiry. We believe that developing an accurate scientific vocabulary helps children to explain their observations and insights with clarity and that practical experiences help develop understanding of key concepts. Where possible, Science is linked to other areas of the curriculum and is always made relevant to the wider world. We know that the skills, knowledge and understanding provided through learning Science are key to developing children to become scientifically literate and informed citizens while nurturing their sense of wonder.

Environmental Science

We take environmental science very seriously at Kelvin Grove and understand the importance of working with our local community and immediate environment to enhance the children’s lives. We have taken part in initia- tives such as the London Schools’ Environmental Awards and Lewisham’s Clean and Green Campaign and have been very successful in these, winning a number of prestigious awards.

At Kelvin Grove, we have scientific and environmentally orientated events such as science week, recycling week, growing events and gardening club to support and extend the children’s classroom experiences, and to allow parents and carers to take an active role in their children’s education. We also ensure that events such as health week and design & technology activities are closely linked to what the children have learnt about in their classroom based lessons.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

At Kelvin Grove, we continue to invest substantial time and resources into developing our ICT provision. Although we cannot know what future awaits our children, we can confidently predict that a solid grounding of ICT skills will serve them well.

ICT permeates almost every aspect of the curriculum. Each classroom is equipped with an interactive whiteboard, enabling teachers to design dynamic lessons that involve the whole class. Digital cameras, scanners and MP3 recorders aid the children in recording their work immediately, accurately and in a variety of forms. Classes use our well-equipped ICT suite to explore an exciting and stimulating range of software. Our wireless network and banks of laptops add flexibility that releases ICT from the suite, fully integrating it into school life.

We are now in the process of building a ‘virtual’ Kelvin Grove that will even further increase access to learning. We hope this will strengthen home-school links by providing online learning material, portfolios of children’s work, parent-friendly assessment data, current school information and an array of discussion forums. By providing these tools and information, we aim to open new parent/child and parent/school dialogues. With an ever-expanding range of technologies available both in and outside of school, we feel it is important that we educate our children about the responsibilities and potentially negative aspects associated with some new technologies. Through portals such as internet safety lessons and cyber-bullying workshops, we aim to guide them in how to make informed decisions so that they can enjoy and achieve whilst staying happy, healthy and safe.

History and geography are both taught through enquiry-based learning. In history, pupils develop their skills of historical enquiry, chronological understanding and historical interpretation. Using a range of historical sources, they develop their knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past, and how those changes have affected us. In  geography, pupils develop their location and mapping skills, their understanding of human and physical features and fieldwork.

History and geography learning is driven by depth enquiry questions. For example in history Why Should We Remember? looks at the impact of the World War II on London and the immediate local area. In geography, Why Can’t a Meerkat live in the North Pole? is a study of contrasting localities. These enquiries are built on the basis of genuine, worthwhile historical questions that pupils are ultimately required to answer following several weeks of study.

We use a wealth of local resources to our advantage, including the Horniman museum, the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and the British Transport Museum to name a few.

Our curriculum is new and has been in the design process for a couple of years. We have worked hard to ensure that knowledge is built upon across the school. For example pupils in year 2 look at what London was like at the time of the great fire in 1666. In year 4 pupils consider Would you rather have been a royal, a rebel or a rogue in the 15th Century?” and revisit London at that time. In year 6, pupils study Medicine Across the Ages and as part of this learning journey they consider reasons why the plague was so rife during Stuart England.

Our curriculum is constantly being reviewed and improved.

Physical Education

At Kelvin Grove we believe that physical education has a vital and unique role to play in a child’s development. As part of the PE curriculum, our children experience a wide range of individual, partner and team activities that help to build a positive attitude and help children to understand the role that regular physical activity can play in a balanced lifestyle. The range of physical activi- ties we provide includes: athletics, games, gymnastics and swimming. All activities are designed to be enjoyable, vigorous, purposeful and regular, to give children the maximum benefit. Children go swimming for one term each in year 4, year 5 and year 6. Each term, children at Kelvin grove participate in both indoor and outdoor PE sessions.

Personal, Social Health Education and Citizenship

Our programme of PSHE&C aims to encourage children to behave in ways which will promote good physical and mental health in themselves as individuals and collec- tively within the community. Issues which are addressed include:

• – health and hygiene – the importance of exercise and eating healthily, sun awareness, personal hygiene, personal safety, safety in the home and on the roads, families and ‘stranger danger’;
• – citizenship – behaviour and responsibility within school and the wider community, respect for other people and property, money management, waste, recycling and ‘green’ issues and positive contribu- tions to school life;
• – sex and relationships – similarities and differences, roles and responsibilities within relationships, feelings, the body, growing up and sex education;
• – drug education – using medicines safely, peer pressure, legal and illegal drugs, drugs and alcohol misuse, support systems and agencies and making decisions.

All topics are carefully and sensitively matched to the age and understanding of the pupils and parents are invited to preview some of the resources when appropriate.

Relationships and Sex Education

Relationships and sex education is delivered through different aspects of the curriculum with specific reference to Science and the PSHE and citizenship schemes of work.

Kelvin Grove is committed to working with parents. We understand that the home is normally the best place for educating children about human reproduction as parents are often best placed to answer questions naturally as they arise and when parents prefer this approach the school works in partnership with them. All parents are invited to preview the sex education teaching resources before it is taught in the summer term. Parents with any concerns are always welcome to discuss them with the child’s class teacher or PSHE Co-ordinator.

Below you can view the letters that outline the curriculum overview for each year group:

Art is an integral part of the curriculum at Kelvin Grove, we provide an art and design education that engages, inspires and challenges pupils. Art lessons are always inclusive, and engage children, developing their creativity, self-esteem and confidence. The Art curriculum at Kelvin Grove is continually being reviewed and adapted to ensure art skills and knowledge are being built upon.

As part of our response to the new curriculum, all children in Years 1 – 6 will be using high quality sketchbooks to show their responses and to record the progression of their skills. Pupils are encouraged to experiment with different techniques and to use a range of mediums through directed activities and pupil led enquiry. Sketchbooks are crucial to pupils honing their skills and knowledge, allowing them to build upon their understanding and abilities of drawing and painting, and create pictures in their sketchbooks, that are developed further in class with other mediums.

From the very beginning of school life art is key to pupils learning and understanding of each topic they study. In Reception exploration is the heart of education; whether it is drawing using a variety of tools to create marks, experimenting with colour and learning their names.

Art is interweaved across subject areas through topic based learning. Across Key Stage 1 children begin to develop their observational skills, drawing from life using  charcoal, pastels and paints. Children are exposed to new materials and learn to effectively use collage and mixed media, as well as learning new techniques in weaving and stamp printing. Artist study is an important part of developing understanding and appreciating art, pupils learn about artist such as Andy Warhol, Georges Seurat and Giuseppe Arcimboldo.  

Throughout Key Stage 2 pupils consolidate their understanding of colour, tone and shade through sketchbook work and larger pieces. Topic based learning engages pupils across many key art skills and pupils are taught the fundamentals of using a range of mediums and materials, from sculpting with clay, to weaving and watercolours, lino printing to collage. Children are given the skills to create their own works, choosing both method and medium and begin developing their own artistic styles. Art history is important to our curriculum and pupils are introduced to art throughout the ages, from cave paintings to modern day graffiti art. We look at a diverse range of artists, from Kehinde Wiley, David Hockney, Sara Fanelli and Banksy. Children continue to develop their skill and confidence to compare and comment on different ideas, artists and art techniques and ways of working.

After great success participating in The National Gallery’s Take One Picture project for several years, we have launched our own annual whole school event. In 2019 we wanted to do things a little differently and embarked on a self-directed ‘Take One Artist’ project. Each year group was given a painting by contemporary artist Njideka Akunyili-Crosby to consider and respond to. Children were taught new techniques in painting, print-making and collage and created their own artworks inspired by Crosby’s paintings. In 2020 we will be looking at a new artist which links to our summer focus: sculpture.

At Kelvin Grove we offer a range of extra-curricular opportunities for children to expand and further develop their skills in Art. After school clubs explore both traditional visual arts and expressive arts; Art Attack for Years 2 & 3 learn about a new artist/illustrator every week, looking at different styles of art and exploring a range of different techniques, while Art & Artists for Years 5 & 6 delve deeper into developing drawing skills and learning new techniques in art, such as carving, oil painting and moulding & casting with resin. Club Artisanal combines art, craft and baking with French for Years 1, 2 & 3 and Performing Arts is explored through Friday Musical Theatre, run by professional West End actors, exclusively for Reception and Year 1 children.

Other opportunities for art are taken up through our annual participation in competitions and events. Since 2018 Kelvin Grove has taken part in the Fourth Plinth Schools Award, and we have had winners in the Borough of Lewisham category.
In 2019 the Royal Academy launched their Young Artists Summer Show and we are incredibly proud to have had several of our pupils’ works shortlisted and one exhibited in the online exhibition. We are pleased to say we will once again be participating in these competitions.

At Kelvin Grove, we think it is important that all children should be involved in quality music-making. All classes have a music lesson every two weeks led by our music specialist teacher. There are also weekly singing assemblies for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 where the children enjoy songs ranging from curriculum-related songs, to classic favourites, to modern chart singles.

Every year group performs in a seasonal musical production in the Autumn Term, and Year 6 put on an additional production at the end of the Summer Term as a big musical finale before they leave for secondary school.  In addition to this there are performances put on by our extra-curricular music groups such as choir, African Drumming, Piano Club, SuperSonics and Fife Club, which parents are always warmly invited to.

As part of our Wider Opportunities programme every child in Year 4 learns to play the ukulele; in Year 5 they have whole-class African drumming sessions led by our specialist visiting African Drumming teacher, and in Year 6 they learn the guitar.

From Year 4 onwards children at Kelvin Grove have the opportunity to join our music school ‘SuperSonics’ which operates after school on Thursdays.  Working with visiting tutors these children become proficient in one instrument – either flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, tenor horn, trombone or percussion (depending on availability each term) – throughout Years 4 to 6.  In addition the children have a session of Samba percussion, Music Technology, Rock School and after the first year of tuition also join the school Concert Band. SuperSonics has been running for several years, and many of our students have passed instrumental grade exams and gained entrance to secondary schools that are specialist centres of excellence in music and performing arts.

We also offer extra-curricular piano and fife tuition to children in Years 4, 5 & 6, African Drumming to Years 3, 4, 5 & 6, and have two school choir sessions which run on Friday lunchtimes for children in Years 3-4 and 5-6.  Our school choir takes part in the international Sing Up Day event every Spring, as well as visiting and performing to our community partners throughout the year.

Throughout their first and second year at school your child will have the opportunity to attend a series of regular Forest School sessions delivered by a qualified Forest School Leader.

Forest School is about exploring and experiencing the natural world through practical, hands-on and easily accessible activities.  It makes use of an outdoor learning environment to support and complement the work children do in their normal, indoor classroom. The children go out in all weathers, in all of the seasons. Whilst there, they are encouraged to explore their own interests and ideas in the varying natural environment, thereby stimulating their creative thinking, problem solving and skill development.

Research has shown that forest school is a very effective way for children:

• – to develop self-esteem;
• – to build self-confidence;
• – to form positive relationships with others;
• – to develop a growing awareness of their emotional needs and the needs of others;
• – to learn to co-operate and work with their peers and adults;

At the moment we are able to offer this exciting approach to our children in Year 1 and  Reception, but in time we hope to be able to offer it throughout the school. If you would like to find out more about Forest School and how your child will be involved whilst they are in Reception, then do not hesitate to come and speak to us.

Our Forest School relies heavily on the support we receive from all our parents and carers, but in particular, the quality of the children’s experience is hugely enhanced by the small band of parent volunteers who join us each week. If you can spare an hour or two every other week, and would like to get involved in our Forest School, then we would love to welcome parents and carers of children from any year group. If you would like to learn more about how Forest School contributes to the children’s learning and would like to help make it happen, then please speak to Mr Murray in Orchid Class (YR). We look forward to hearing from you.