Our Curriculum
At Horton Grange Primary School, we believe that learning should be fun and we try to ensure that each day brings new and exciting experiences for all our children. This is reflected in the learning opportunities that are provided within our curriculum.
We provide a broad and balanced curriculum that motivates and challenges all children, whilst equipping them with the skills and knowledge to succeed in an ever- changing world. The Horton Grange curriculum has a strong focus on the development of key skills and incorporates a range of different learning styles to suit the needs of all learners. English and Maths are taught as discrete subjects as well as being an integral part of our creative curriculum. We deliver the National Curriculum in creative and innovative ways that are relevant to our children. PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education) runs throughout our creative curriculum and is also taught as a discrete lesson.
An extensive range of enrichment activities is made available to our children throughout their learning journey at Horton Grange Primary School. These include; educational visits; visitors into school; workshops, residential visits and extra-curricular activities. These enrichment activities are at the heart of learning at Horton Grange Primary School, as we believe that experiential learning is crucial to children’s cognitive and personal development. We use a wide range of modern technologies to ensure our children are skilled in the digital media that will be the tools of the future. We help them develop as independent learners, effective team workers and resourceful thinkers so that they will be able embrace the opportunities and changes the future will bring. Underpinning all of these drivers is Social, Emotional, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Development (SMSC) through which we further develop our pupils’ understanding and celebration of diversity. This leads to racial tolerance, harmony, understanding and a strong sense of community.
Early Years
In the Early Years we follow the EY curriculum, encouraging all children to be active learners. Children are encouraged through play and exploration to develop the skills that form a strong foundation for their future learning. This is supported with the provision of a range of real life experiences through educational visits and visitors in school. Focused activities, along with carefully planned and resourced continuous provision, provide our youngest children with a range of experiences.
Click here for further details on how to support your child with Maths & English.
Phonics
At Horton Grange Primary School the teaching of Phonics is an integral part of our curriculum. We believe it is the foundation for early reading and writing. The teaching of Phonics starts in 2s Can and is continued throughout school. We use the Bug Club Phonics scheme.
In Early Years and Year 1 children take part in a daily Phonics lesson and are also given opportunities to further their learning in continuous provision. In Year 2 all children also take part in a daily Phonics lesson.
In Key Stage 2 children who are still working within Phase 6 and below take part in planned bespoke Phonics learning sessions.
Children’s progress in Phonics is carefully monitored. In Year 1, children take part in the Phonics Screening Check. Those children who do not meet the required standard in Year 1 are provided with bespoke learning opportunities in Year 2 and are re-entered for the screening at the end of Year 2. The children who do not meet the required standard in either Year 1 or Year 2 are carefully tracked as they move through Key Stage 2.
Handwriting
We teach a cursive script from Early Years, using the Debbie Hepplewhite font. Handwriting is taught as a discrete lesson. Children are expected to use this script consistently across all subjects with a view to developing their own individual, cursive handwriting style.
Below is the cursive letter formation we teach children from Early Years.
English
The teaching of reading is supported by a number of resources in school which, along with our well stocked library, provide a huge range of reading materials for our children to experience. Reading is taught throughout school as a discrete subject as well as being embedded within all other curriculum areas. Children are encouraged to read a range of challenging texts and develop a love of reading. Reading sessions provide the opportunity for the class teacher to further develop children’s independent reading skills.
Writing skills are taught discretely including grammar, punctuation and spelling and are then embedded across the wider school curriculum.
Maths
The teaching of Maths is based on the National Curriculum and is supported by our mental maths and calculation guidelines. We provide children with the ability to reason in a logical way and to apply mathematics through problem solving in order to deepen their understanding.
Foundation Subjects
All other curriculum subjects are taught through cross-curricular themes, wherever possible, covering the National Curriculum programs of study. Our religious education curriculum is taught following the Bradford agreed syllabus.
Please see the link below for an overview of the curriculum for each year group. If you would like any further information about the curriculum for your child’s year group, please contact their class teacher, who will be happy to discuss it with you.
Horton Grange Essential Objectives
Long Term Plans 2023-2024
