At Poringland, learning is characterised by ambitious objectives, challenging personal targets and rigorous assessment.  Timely interventions support those pupils who are slower to make progress, so that they can keep up with the pace of learning and fulfil their true potential.  We nurture children to be independent, resilient and actively involved in asking and answer questions about the world in which they live. 

Reading is at the very heart of our curriculum. We have invested in Reading over the last few years to ensure that it drives and inspires our children forwards with their learning. We have a new, modernised library and we have invested in replacing non-fiction and fiction books so that they are fresh and exciting to our children. We have purchased Phonic Reading books specific to the ‘Success For All’ program we now use, and these books are specific to the sounds each child is learning to master. We use the Oxford Reading Scheme for our younger readers, and we use Accelerated Reader for our free readers to make sure there are new goals and targets to strive for in Key Stage 2. We celebrate our readers every week in assembly and in our newsletters too. 

Children at Poringland Primary School and Nursery learn through different themes. The ‘Themes’ are exciting and open to allow all of the subjects to find their place within them. This way we keep the themes we enjoy but we celebrate the uniqueness of every wonderful subject that we learn at school. In EYFS, the curriculum is child-led; linked with the Seasons and to festivals celebrated around the world. In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 there are three themes: Working as Historians; Working as Geographers and Working as Scientists. Children leave the Early Years ready for the next challenge in their school life and likewise the same happens when children move from Key Stage 1 into Key Stage 2. Our curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepares all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life. We use PATHS throughout our school to teach children about their feelings and emotions and alongside the teaching of RSE children become kind, respectful, caring young people who understand their own feelings and emotions along with those around them. 

Quality teaching 

• Clear learning objectives and outcomes; 
• Links to prior and future learning; 
• Learning is made relevant to our context and teaching styles are tailored to the needs of the class; 
• Promoting a culture where all children engage with learning; 
• Opportunities to interact with others and to collaborate in learning; 
• Appropriate use of teacher questioning, modelling and explanation; 
• An expectation that children will develop resilience and accept responsibility for their own learning, working independently; 
• An expectation that children will make progress within each lesson; 

• Celebration of good work. 

Effective Learning 

We acknowledge that people learn in different ways including: 

• Investigation and problem solving; 
• Open ended tasks; 
• Reasoning; 
• Research and independent access to resources; 
• Group work, paired work and independent work; 
• Effective questioning; 
• Drama and presentation; 
• Computing; 
• Visitors and educational visits; 
• Creative activities, designing and making; 
• Use of multimedia, including visual and aural stimuli; 
• Physical activity; 
• Homework; 
• Extra-curricular clubs and activities. 

Target Setting 

• Individual children’s progress is tracked; 
• Data is collected on a regular basis; 

• Strengths and weakness support planning and intervention; 
• Teaching and interventions are adjusted according to the progress that the children are making; 
• Parents/carers are updated regularly on their child’s progress; 

Assessment 

• Rigorous assessment informs classroom practice and supports pupils to close attainment gaps; 
• Formative assessment is used effectively; 
• Timely use of Assessment for Learning AfL, which is appropriate to the age and experience of the children (e.g. learning objectives and outcomes, success criteria and self and peer evaluations) 
• Subject Leaders track progress in Reading, Writing, Maths and Science, and are informed about how our pupils perform compared to national expectations. 

Intervention 

• Identification of individuals and groups who are making less progress than expected; 
• Interventions are mapped according to need; they are regularly evaluated and adjusted; 
• SLT review the impact of interventions, potential barriers and future actions needed.  

Learning Environment 

• Pupils are taught to respect their environment and about their responsibilities as members of the school and wider communities; 
• Learning environments are adapted according to the children’s learning needs; 
• Use of learning resources and ICT is developed to promote independence; 
• Effective use of other spaces, e.g. break out spaces, hall, outdoor areas, outdoor classroom; 
• Displays are used to celebrate children’s work, as learning walls, as well as to provide supportive resources and information. 

Curriculum organisation 

• We have evolved our Curriculum now to a one year program of learning rather than the previous 2 year rolling cycle. This makes it very clear what children are learning in each year group and why. 

• The curriculum is designed to cater for the needs of all learners including pupils with SEND, EAL, Looked After Children, boys and girls. 

Extended curriculum 

• A full range of extra-curricular clubs and activities which enhance and extend the curriculum (including School Breakfast Club); 
• The wider community (sports coaches, etc.) are involved in extended provision. 

Children’s wider needs 

• Close communication with parents/carers; 
• Developing and maintaining multi-agency links to support vulnerable pupils; 
• Designated non-contact time for SENDCO and Mental Health Champion. 

At Poringland, we have one Nursery classroom, with 2 sessions per day.  Nursery staff work closely with the Reception team in EYFS to make sure that learning is relevant, active and fun. There are 2 Reception classes, each with around 30 children in them. Teachers in EYFS ensure children develop across all 17 areas of the EYFS curriculum and that the learning in centred around the seasons and the various festivals that are celebrated worldwide throughout the year. Staff also look for opportunities to adapt the teaching to moments and experiences that children may share on any given day. 

Key Stage 1 teachers have created new themes and the learning in every subject is carefully planned and thought out so that it is well taught each day at school. In the autumn term the themes are Historical, in spring Geographical, and in the summer Scientific. This links to the themes in Key Stage 2 so that we are all ‘Working as Historians’ in the Autumn term for example. 

Every subject has a well thought out sequential approach to the skills that will be developed and the knowledge that will be built on as children develop their learning in every subject at our school. Everything we teach has a place and purpose for our children.

Our Key Stage Two children are taught in single-age classes, with classes up to 32 pupils in each class. As above, the Themes are Historical, Geographical and Scientific in each term so that we can link up learning across the school and use assemblies and Special Days to link to one area of the curriculum. 

Every subject has a well thought out sequential approach to the skills that will be developed and the knowledge that will be built on as children develop their learning in every subject at our school. Everything we teach has a place and purpose for our children.

Our English lessons develop pupils’ spoken language, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary.  Wherever possible, English is taught in a cross-curricular way, linking up to the current topics and other areas of the curriculum.  We teach our pupils to speak clearly, to convey their ideas fluently and confidently and to ask questions.  

We aim for every child to develop a love of reading and it is an expectation that all children will read at home daily. Children will continue to read from a variety of genres, individually, in guided groups and as a whole class.  

In Reception and Key Stage One, the children are issued with colour banded reading books to take home to share with their parents/carers.  These are changed regularly, with home and school working together to support the children in their learning by sharing constructive comments. 

The teaching of Phonics is delivered in every infant class, following the Succes For All scheme that we started in September 2022. Along with a new scheme we invested in new books to work alongside every sound the children learn as they move through the Phonics phases of the scheme. 

Children in Reception take home lists of decodable words to practise their blending skills, as well as non-decodable ‘tricky’ words to learn by heart.  Children in Key Stage 1 also take home spellings to practise tricky words and common spelling patterns.  They are also issued with homework activities to consolidate their learning in Phonics. 

Key Stage Two children have access to a wide variety of texts, both within the classrooms and within the School Library, as well as a wide range of online texts through MyOn. 

At the beginning of Key Stage Two, children will take a Star Reading test, through the Accelerated Reader program. This initial reading assessment assigns a ‘reading range’ to each child. The fiction and non-fiction books, found in the library and classrooms, fall within this range and allow children to make appropriate book choices independently.  This also allows teachers to carefully monitor and manage independent reading practice, setting personalised goals for each child, tracking vocabulary growth and the development of other key literacy skills. 

All classes in Key Stage Two engage in shared reading throughout the week. This is a practice that gives all children access to a challenging text and enables them to be involved in the process of ‘reading for pleasure’ rather than focusing on decoding tricky words. The role of the teacher is to demonstrate ‘what good readers do’ and encourage and facilitate the process of summary and inference. 

Class reader books link to the terms themes; these will be selected during the medium term planning phase at the beginning of each term. 

English lessons cover a wide range of genres and children learn a range of skills from writing formal, factual texts to writing creative, imaginative stories. Children read and learn about classic stories and develop their skills of expression through poetry and music. At Poringland, the subjects we write about are exciting and motivating, which results in writing that is vibrant and inspirational. Children learn to enjoy writing, just as great authors and poets have done in the past. 

Underpinning the enjoyment of reading and writing comes the technical understanding of being a good writer. Our children are developing a strong understanding of how grammar and punctuation contributes to sentence structure. 

A range of extra activities are used to promote English within the school, including World Book Day. 

At Poringland Primary School, we use FFT Success for All Phonics. This is a complete systematic synthetic phonics programme that has been validated by the Department for Education. It is based on the Letters and Sounds progression and provides a clear structure of learning for the children in EYFS and Key Stage One. We also use their intervention programme, FFT Tutoring with the Lightning Squad to provide further support to those children who need additional phonics help in Key Stage Two.

This approach means that children at Poringland Primary School make excellent progress in phonics which supports them in becoming strong readers and writers.

Poringland Primary and Nursery is very proud of its attainment and progress in this area of the curriculum. This success comes through effective teaching, with children learning basic skills and having opportunities to apply them to problem solving and practical tasks. It is essential that children see the purpose of Maths in the world around them.  

We use White Rose Maths – a whole class mastery approach – as the basis of our weekly lesson planning. Children are taught skills and apply them to solve problems and challenges. Applying Maths to the ‘real’ world is a key aspect to success. 

From Year 2, all children have access to Times Table Rockstars, and the children are encouraged to take part in regular multiplication practice. 

Practice makes perfect when trying to master anything! Within our children, we foster a determination and resilience to raise questions and to persevere with tricky concepts. 

Where appropriate, Science teaching is linked to the theme that the children are studying. In the Summer Term our Pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 learn as Scientists. This promotes Science even more in that term with activities and experiences organised such as experts coming into school or school visits. 

Pupils are encouraged to be curious about natural phenomena and to be excited by understanding about the world around them.  Key scientific terminology will be introduced and built upon as children move through the school.  Pupils will be encouraged to work scientifically and to carry out experiments using equipment to gather and record data.  Whilst at Poringland Primary School, pupils learn about plants, animals including humans, materials, seasonal changes, habitats, rocks, light, forces, states of matter, sound, electricity, Earth and space, and evolution and inheritance. 

Teachers use the ASE Planning matrices to support their medium term planning and assessment of pupil progress. 

Art is a vehicle for creativity and individual expression.  It also provides opportunities for collaborative work.  It is an important form of cultural expression and , therefore, has significance and meaning for all children.  Our teaching provides an understanding of diverse art forms so that children can experience: drawing, painting, collage, textiles, printmaking, sculpture, digital media and 3d designs.  

Pupils also learn about the life, artistic techniques and legacies of significant artists from across the world, and from different historical periods.  They are encouraged to comment constructively about their own artwork, and that of others. 

Our Design Technology lessons encourage the designing and making if products to solve real life and relevant problems.  Pupils learn to select and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients (for food technology), according to their characteristics.  Pupils are also taught to select and use a range of tools safely and with precision. 

Pupils are encouraged to critically evaluate the products they have created and compare these to their original design brief and plan. 

The school is well-resources for Computing with two lap top trolleys and a chrome book trolley.  Every classroom is equipped with a number of i-Pads and a visualiser. 

We use the Purple Mash scheme of work to deliver our Computing curriculum.  This embeds basic keyboard skills, as well as the ability to independently save and print work.  Building on prior learning, our children become skilled at communicating their ideas by word processing and using presentations.  They learn to create artwork and animations, and to develop more complex skills such as data analysis and coding. 

Children learn to make use of technology safely and are taught about how to access support when they have concerns. Parents/carers are informed about issues relating to online safety arise and further information and support is provided as required. 

Prior to lockdown, Key Stage Two pupils could apply to become Digital Leaders within the school.  A MASH Computing Club was in operation. 

At Poringland, we have designed a Music curriculum using the Model Music Curriculum, with strands of Musicianship, Singing,  Active Listening, Performing and Creating & Composing. Our action plan is based on the National Plan for Music, where we consider how we improve our provision for curriculum and peripatetic music, and whole school events and opportunities.

Most year groups use Sing Up to support our music teaching. This is an online music scheme with lots of interactive resources and high quality music to support our children’s musical learning. In addition Charanga, topics of work based on BBC Ten pieces resources are used. The children enjoy using the class sets of glockenspiels and Boomwhackers, percussion instruments, ukuleles, body percussion and on-line apps to take part practically in music lessons.

Pupils use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and using chants and rhymes.  We encourage pupils to listen to and appraise a wide range of music, understanding that music can be linked to mood and atmosphere. Singing links intrinsically with our Vision - it makes us happier, we can be active and it can inspire us.

Our music curriculum is supplemented by a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities, some organised by ourselves and some organised by the Norfolk Music Hub.

Poringland Primary take part in the Young Voices concerts, held at the O2 arena in London biannually. These are fantastic opportunities to sing in a sold-out arena with other schools and professional performers such as drummer Nandi Bushell and Tony Hadley.

Year 6 children, or Junior Choir, regularly participate in the annual CASMA concerts. These provide an opportunity to sing with other schools. We have also taken part in Infant CASMA with Year 2.

Juniors can join Junior Choir, which regularly leads whole-school assemblies and takes part in activities within the community, for example: singing at Christmas at Stoke Holy Cross Dementia Group and at the EACH community carol service.

We regularly participate in Sing Up Day and Norfolk Music Hub’s Virtual Big Sings.

Since 2019 Year 4 children have had the opportunity to learn the ukulele with the Norfolk Music Service. Since 2020-21 school have funded this tuition to last a year: currently we split this so that Y3s and Y4s learn for alternate half terms.

We offer piano, keyboard, flute, clarinet, saxophone, recorder, guitar, voice and ukulele lessons with Norfolk Music Service and peripatetic tutors. There are reductions in fees available for LAC and those receiving FSMs.

Instrumentalists and choir perform together for parents at our annual Summer Concert, held at Framingham Earl High School.

Children in Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 take part in performances at Christmas that interweave songs with the spoken word. At the end of the Summer Term, our Year 6 leavers take part in a musical production to mark their transition to High School.

Our Physical Education is delivered by class teachers or teaching assistants with NPECTS qualification.  Lessons focus on mastering basic movements including running, jumping, throwing, catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination.  Pupils are encouraged to participate in team games and to develop simple tactics to become an effective team member. 

The National Curriculum requirements for Swimming are delivered to our Year 5 pupils at Riverside Leisure Centre. 

We are part of the South Norfolk School Sports Partnership, and we regularly enter teams of children to compete in festivals and tournaments with children from other schools, both within the cluster and the partnership.  Prior to lockdown, the school provided a range of extra-curricular opportunities, including clubs for gymnastics, tennis and multi-skills.  Bikeability and Cycling Proficiency Training is offered in Years 4 and 5. 

We deliver our PSHE curriculum through the PATHS programme. We have PATHS lessons twice a week during which we will cover many topics including friendship, feelings, thinking skills and problem solving. In PATHS, we also learn about giving compliments to other people and to ourselves.  Every day, we will have a ‘PATHS Pupil of the Day’. This child, chosen at random, is a special helper in PATHS time and helps with other jobs throughout the day. Being PATHS Pupil of the Day is an important job and all children will have a turn in the coming weeks.  At the end of each day, children and adults will give compliments to the PATHS Pupil of the Day. 

For Religious Education, we use Discovery RE, which supports the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus for RE.  Our teaching promotes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils.  Using an enquiry approach, each term, our learning in RE takes place through the investigation of a key question for enquiry.  Our teaching reflects the fact that the religious traditions in Britain are, in the main, Christian whilst taking account if the teaching and practices of other principal religions represented in Britain.  

History and Geography are taught throughout the year but we have an extra focus on History as you will see in the Autumn Term when we learn as Historians. We have an extra focus on Geography in the Spring term when we learn as Geographers. We have developed our own scheme of learning based around the National Curriculum. We have sequenced the learning so that it is well thought out and builds upon knowledge gained through each year at school. We use the Summer Term each year to consolodate the learning and ensure that the children have gained the knowledge from the year they are in before they move on to new theme. 

Through History, pupils learn about significant historical events, people and places, at a local, national and world level.  

History is ‘brought to life’ through an investigative approach, involving children’s active participation in enquiry, use of artefacts, visitors to school as well as visits to museums and other places of historical interest. Children are given opportunities to learn about the past from a range of primary and secondary historical sources, including materials which are accessible through the use of technology.   

In Geography, we teach location and place knowledge as well as weather and climate skills. In addition, our pupils learn about how the world works, and how to make a difference and become positive contributors to it.  

At Poringland Primary School and Nursery, we believe that relationships and sex education (RSE) enables our children to become healthy, safe, independent and responsible members of society. RSE aims to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially, and tackles many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.  

RSE is taught as both explicit lessons, using the Educator Solutions RSE scheme of work, and is also embedded in other areas of the curriculum. 

At Poringland Primary School, we believe that the learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience. Pupils develop communication and literacy skills and extend their knowledge of how language works. Learning another language raises awareness of the multi-lingual and multi-cultural world and introduces an international dimension to pupils’ learning, giving them an insight into their own culture and those of others. Our Modern Foreign Languages Teaching lays the foundation for future learning in French, Spanish and German.

We recognise the importance of outdoor learning in realising our school vision: Happy, Active, Healthy, Inspired Learners. Teachers take every opportunity to make use of the different habitats offered by the school grounds, including the pond area, wildlife garden, woodland walk and sensory garden. 

Our Nursery and Reception Classrooms all have access to areas for outdoor learning, and these are in use come rain, wind or shine! We also have a purpose build outdoor classroom which is available for the use of other year groups. 

We seek to enhance the children’s learning experiences through educational visits and by engaging experts in the field.  

We also extend children’s learning outside the school context.  Here are some examples of the amazing experiences we organise for our children. 

• Harry Potter Warner Studios 
• Amazona Zoo 
• Africa Alive 
• Norwich Castle Museum 
• The Sealife Centre 
• The Dinosaur Park 
• Great Yarmouth beach 
• The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts 
• The Playhouse Theatre 
• The Elizabethan House Museum 
• Time and Tide Museum 
• The Royal Albert Hall 
• The London History Museum 

We also organise annual residential visits for our older pupils.  In 2023, our Year 5 children took part in a 2-night residential trip to How Hill, and in 2024, our Year 6 children will spend 2 nights at Kingswood.

From Autumn 2018, all classes from Reception to Year 6 will be beginning a new curriculum called the PATHS programme. We will have PATHS lessons twice a week during which we will cover many topics including friendship, feelings, thinking skills and problem solving.

In PATHS, we will also be learning about giving compliments to other people and to ourselves.  Every day, we will have a ‘PATHS Pupil of the Day’. This child, chosen at random, is a special helper in PATHS time and helps with other jobs throughout the day. Being PATHS Pupil of the Day is an important job and all children will have a turn in the coming weeks.  At the end of each day, children and adults will give compliments to the PATHS Pupil of the Day. These will be written on a special certificate to take home for the child to share with their families.

Click on the following link to download an information leaflet for parents/carers:

PATHS Leaflet for parents/carers

PATHS feelings cards for Parents/Carers

PATHS Curriculum – Information for Parents/Carers

Fiction to support PATHS March 2017

Please click on the link below to see how the skills and knowledge are built on in PSHE year on year at our school:

Exploration

Children use drama as a means to explore and develop the characters that they create and read about. They play games that develop their vocabulary and articulation.

So that....

Children can engage with characters, texts and new language in a practical way, which may then enhance their written work.

Rehearsal

Children can improvise characters and devise their own performances, presentations and readings, as well as rehearse a scripted show.

So that..

Children have the chance to take ownership of their learning and develop their collaborative skills.

Performance

Children are given the opportunities to perform through class assemblies, Christmas performances, the talent show, the year six production and in lessons.

So that...

All children are able and encouraged to participate in a performance in a way that’s suited to their needs and confidence levels.

Evaluation

Children identify positive things about their own performances and the performances of others. They make suggestions for improvements.

So that...

Children can explain what they did well and consider their areas of development as they progress in their learning in drama.