Subjects

Context

Computing is high profile within the modern world both in terms of our online identity and being a responsible online citizens but who are also aware of the current health impacts of technology and make sensible decisions to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is especially important because the online world is ever changing and the children need to be as aware as possible in order to navigate this ever changing world. It is also important that the children understand that their online and offline worlds are linked and that their identity is a mixture of both worlds. The children being aware will equip them to lead a safe and secure life, which only has positive impacts on their life and job aspects as they are growing up. It is also important that these messages are connected both throughout their home environments and throughout school. We aim to educate the entire school community both through our lessons, website and social media. 

Computing is a vocabulary rich subject within a practical sense – being able to navigate the different areas of the Computing curriculum both in and out of school relies on the children understanding specific Computing vocabulary eg, cut/paste, algorithm, personal information. With technology being the dominate aspect within the modern world – children understanding the vocabulary is essential. 

Computing is a problem solving rich subject – presenting the children with plentiful opportunities throughout Computer Science, organising documents or how technology functions; allowing the children to build these skills. These skills are then transferrable throughout all areas of life and will help shape the children into resilient adults. 

Computing is quickly becoming a leading subject in which future vocations and potential jobs are heavily linked – within the next 20 years jobs relating to Computing will be even greater and in most modern jobs there are some aspects such are typing skills and word processing knowledge that are linked. Providing the children with as many opportunities is our goal within Devonshire Road Primary School.   
 

Purpose and Aims

Children within Devonshire Road come from a range of backgrounds with a range of personalities and experiences, combined with modern technology is essential that the children learn how to navigate and demonstrate a positive online identity. Children will also understand about how their own actions lead to their digital footprint, and how their digital footprint has a reflection on themselves both socially and professionally. It is important to understand how the modern world of technology has developed and how technology affects our lives. Our children need to develop kindness through their online citizenship but also about being kind to themselves and maintaining a positive lifestyle. Children at Devonshire Road are encouraged to be curious through research, designing documents and leaflets and creating their own algorithms. 

Golden Threads

• Digital Citizenship
• Digital Technology
• Digital Literacy
• Computer Science

Overview of Curriculum

Context

At Devonshire Road Primary School, we take pride in being creative. Across all year groups, we help children to develop their skills through various trips and activities. 
In KS1, children visit CommuniTree which allows children to get in amongst nature and teaches how to build dens, climb trees, play in the mud kitchen, make a bow using twigs, and eating in the outdoors. 
During Healthy Living Week, each year group has the opportunity to prepare and make a healthy meal or food item which links to their current learning – helping to instil their understanding of the curriculum they are learning. We also have Fun Food Chef who conducts a healthy eating workshop for children where they are able to learn about certain foods, where and how certain foods are grown, and the journey food takes from how it is prepared to how it looks on the plate. 
In KS2, children experience a Lego Robot workshop where they are able to build a robot using Lego pieces as well as mechanics to allow the robot to move. This not only allows children the opportunity to be creative and design their very own robot, but it helps instil and build upon their understanding and knowledge of mechanical systems and how they are used and developed while encouraging them to critique, evaluate and test their ideas. 
Throughout school, each year group is given a project based homework task which varies from EYFS up to Year 6. The tasks link with the subjects in which they are learning in class and helps to reinstall their learning. 
Furthermore, each of the DT topics throughout each year group is revisited in another year group within school. This ensures that knowledge is continued throughout the year groups and procedural skills are taught which help to instil semantic knowledge. 
In an increasingly technological world, children often expect immediate gratification from their technologies. Children often struggle to understand the mechanics behind how technology works and functions, therefore it is incredibly important to teach this while children are being raised in an ever evolving technological environment. Furthermore, it is important for children to be exposed to glitches in technology in order to help them build upon their problem solving skills and to become independent and make their own decisions. Problem solving skills are an important aspect of design and technology as evaluating and testing products are key to success. 
Unfortunately, not every family is able to provide their children with a plethora of creative design materials in which they can design and make their very own product, or even provide their child with time out to help with their project based homework task – this is why it is important to provide this within school. Not only does this help the children in understanding the process behind how products are designed and created and placed on shelves, but it helps their understanding of possible careers that link to this creative and exciting subject. Furthermore, some children understand design and technology to be a fun subject but they fail to understand how it links with any possible future careers therefore the importance of this subject and the teaching of it in schools helps those children who may feel they are not as academic as others, find their true calling and instil aspirations and hope for their future. 
Finally, in an ever growing technological world, some children spend their time indoors and therefore they are not exposed to the wonderful opportunities the great outdoors has for their learning, problem solving and practical skills. While technology plays an important role in Design and Technology, the great outdoors offers a multitude of opportunities for the children to gain and develop skills. This is precisely why the CommuniTree trip for year 2 is so successful, as it allows children that opportunity to experience using their hands to build dens, and make tools from branches and be exposed to nature.
Here at Devonshire Road Primary School, 39% of the children are EAL. It is because of this why we have a strong focus on vocabulary. Children are given the opportunities to learn the key vocabulary to the area of design and technology they are learning prior to their designing and making. This helps their understanding and broadens their vocabulary all while allowing their knowledge to be built upon throughout school when they revisit the topic.

With Devonshire Road Primary School being a very socially diverse school, some children have not been given the opportunities to experience life outside of this town. Therefore, allowing children to have opportunities to go on trips and design and make their own products for various purposes helps instil confidence, skills and the ability to problem solve. 
Unfortunately, not all our families are financially secure and therefore resources to help aid their children’s learning at home, as well as complete the project based homework task, are very limited. The children need the security of school where they are able to be creative and try and test materials and tools in a safe and encouraging environment.
Bolton is home to many famous inventors –one of which being Samuel Crompton. Crompton watched his father tiredly contribute to the family resources by spinning yarn, and he wanted to make a change. Inspired by the work of James Hargreaves’ spinning jenny, he worked tirelessly over five to six years trying to invent a simpler way of spinning yarn to make muslin. His invention was named the ‘spinning mule’. Furthermore, during the Second World War, aeronautical engineer Beatrice Shilling designed and developed ‘Miss Shilling orifice’ to restrict fuel flow which helped keep aircrafts in the air and able to fight for their country. These innovative and world changing inventions began with only a small idea but concluded to change the way both materials and aircraft engines are made worldwide. By learning about local inventors such as Crompton and Shilling, children can see that they can also make a profound impact on the world too. 

Purpose and Aims

High-quality Design and Technology education helps contribute to creativity, cultural capital, wealth and well-being within society. Being able to work within a team and listen to others’ opinions while evaluating and critiquing ideas and outcomes will help our children in whichever career they wish to embark upon. Design and Technology helps develop problem solving skills and instils the realisation that success is not an immediate outcome. Like Samuel Crompton and Beatrice Shilling, success takes time, patience, and determination - all traits we aim to teach our children here at DRPS.
Transferable skills are a huge importance within all we teach the children and we strive to help them develop both fine and gross motor skills so they are able to achieve a greater sense of focus in all they do.
With DRPS being located within such a culturally diverse community, food is such an important aspect of our Design and Technology curriculum. From developing culinary skills, learning about seasonal change, and the journey food takes from farm to fork, children build up a wealth of knowledge that will help them throughout their lives and can inspire them for a possible career in hospitality or catering. 
Finally, our main priority for our children here at DRPS is for them to develop a wealth of knowledge, skills and a love for learning. The Design and Technology curriculum, of which we leach the children at DRPS, certainly delivers on this aim, while learning about and being proud of our local area and the advances in design and technology we have on our doorstep.

Golden Threads

• Take inspiration from design throughout history
• Master practical skills
• Design, make, evaluate and improve

Overview of Curriculum

Context

Reading teaches children about the world around them - through reading, they learn about people, places and events outside their own experience. Reading improves a child's vocabulary, leads to more highly-developed language skills and improves the child's ability to write well. 
Pupils at Devonshire Road may not have access to a wide variety of texts at home and the nearest library is now in the town centre. Through the English curriculum and individual reading pupils are given ample opportunities to experience a wide variety of texts (including fiction and non-fiction).

35% of pupils are eligible for PPG. ‘A lack of vocabulary is a key component underlying failure for many students, especially those who are economically disadvantaged’ (Block and Mangieri,2006). Therefore, exposure to the wide variety of books will enable pupils to experience rich and varied vocabulary. Pupils are exposed to vocabulary throughout the curriculum as well as being taught vocabulary through explicit vocabulary sessions. Topic vocabulary will be learnt progressively and will support children to access the curriculum. This is particularly important for our EAL children, which is nearly 40% of the children attending Devonshire Road. 

Upon joining Devonshire Road, pupils have a varying degrees of experiences which may mean that some pupils need guidance with handling certain issues and scenarios. Pupils will encounter a variety of characters and real life people through books and will learn how to show empathy and tolerance which supports one of our school values ‘be kind.’
 

Purpose and Aims

At Devonshire Road we aim to encourage independent, self-driven learners who flourish in our world. Learners who pursue their own interests and develop a sense of empowerment through knowledge and understanding to enable them to become the best they can be.

Our English curriculum will be underpinned in its delivery by vocabulary rich contexts and stimulus’ allowing children to effectively question and express themselves articulately and successfully through a range of mediums. Our Oral and written English will develop a deeper understanding of vocabulary, word meaning, expression, idioms and dialect, leading to an insight into the etymology of words, which will enable pupils to explain their understanding of curriculum led learning and beyond.

Devonshire Road will ensure access to a range of appropriate and challenging stimulus in English (texts, drama experiences, visitors, trips) that represent a breadth of life (differing cultures, social statuses, showing diversity, equality). These opportunities will develop respectful and compassionate pupils, who are aware of differing communities, challenges and perceptions cultivating well-informed individuals who are well versed to tackle life. 

We aim to develop early readers through a phonological approach to reading, which will springboard children to achieve future success in reading. Successful attainment of reading will facilitate acquisition of the curriculum texts, vocabulary and understanding of key concepts across all subject areas. Exposure, experience and knowledge of renowned authors of differing genres (including classic texts and Shakespeare) will raise cultural capital and show that people and themselves, can achieve regardless of background.

Golden Threads

• Read words and texts accurately
• Understand a range of vocabulary
• Understand texts in literal and subtle ways
• Enjoyment of reading
• Transcription of writing
• Composition of writing
• Analysis of writing

Overview of Curriculum

Context

Geography relies on historical events which have changed over time intertwined with the natural and social sciences. It requires a literary understanding to help debate current world issues and an expansion of vocabulary from EYFS progressing up to Year 6. Therefore, at our school, vocabulary is a priority to link subjects together. Vocabulary is at the heart of Geography as it underpins the children’s awareness of the diverse environments, places and spaces which surround our children at Devonshire Road. Geography is ever-changing in response to today’s world which consequently changes and adds to the vast terminology we need to know. Terms the children will come across in their geographical journey include: biomes, deforestation, locational, measure and record. Our children need to be confident in explaining such words before applying it to contexts relevant to them. Geography lends itself to a wide range of non-fiction texts which highlight the rich vocabulary. Such terms are introduced through different subjects at Devonshire Road including shared reading and history; constant referral to new vocabulary is critical in children wholly understanding correctly. Due to the varied cultural background of our children (39% being EAL), it is imperative that key concepts are introduced from an early age and revisited consistently until they are embedded so children can apply them across multiple topic areas. 

Areas within Geography rely heavily on mathematical knowledge including measurement, data observation and number correlations. Our children therefore require the methods to participate in areas such as fieldwork and place knowledge and these are at the forefront of our Geography curriculum.

The knowledge delivered to the children at Devonshire Road is not static. The Geography curriculum is dynamic because the world, and our understanding of it is continually evolving and changing. Learning often becomes child-led; our culturally varied children are key to opening geographical enquiries. We want the children at Devonshire Road to have the opportunity to investigate and make enquiries about their local area of Bolton, so that they can develop a sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes the area surrounding them special. In KS1, Geography topics are sequenced so that they begin with places which are familiar to the children in the United Kingdom. They have opportunities to develop their fieldwork and mapping skills of the surrounding area. We recognise the uniqueness of our school community and therefore carefully tailor the Geography curriculum to reflect this. The contrasting non-European studies have been chosen specifically because they are significant to our children and their varied cultural backgrounds. With global news so readily accessed via technology, we also deem it important to consider and study areas which have been referred to. Many children have then already been exposed to such countries, whether it be consciously or sub-consciously. Within this however, we endeavour to address misconceptions caused by such outlets and give children the opportunity to explore geographical regions further.

As the curriculum progresses, the children will have experiences of Geography which expand beyond the classroom and will visit places and areas which they may otherwise not have ever encountered in their everyday life. Active learning opportunities, such as trips, school visitors and local fieldwork enhance and enrich Devonshire Road’s cultural capital which sparks curiosity, excitement and interest. Consequently, it allows the children to develop an awareness of the wider world around them, as well as their position in the community.  Wherever possible, we aim to build on each child’s ‘personal geography’ and continue to develop it through the golden threads; communicate geographically, investigate patterns and places. This begins at home within school – exploring and investigating the natural geography that surrounds them on our doorstep, within the school grounds. Every child here has access to this and so it provides access for all our children to create interest. Outside our gates, we are very lucky within Bolton and our surrounding areas that we have access to rich geography: Queen’s Park, Rivington, River Irwell, Doffcocker Lodge and Formby Beach. We know and understand that some children in our school have only been exposed to parks with swings and play areas and we want to open their eyes to see more out than then what they have experienced before arriving at Devonshire Road. Queen’s Park, for example, is a great local learning point for land use and is an area of vast space that can be utilised for field work such as measurement, tourism data collection and environmental impacts. Similarly, our children’s understanding of the beach may be solely based upon what they have seen on television or in books. We offer the opportunity to bring this to life with our trip to the coast, where some children feel sand and the sea water for the very first time. We watch as the children gain knowledge of physical (and human) features whilst growing in environmental sensitivity and respect for the outdoors. If we cannot show them such landscapes through our enrichment activities, we cannot expect them to make well-informed, responsible decisions in our local area and ultimately our world.

Geography is an amazing subject as it begins with our children’s home communities and expands as they acquire and develop a greater experience of the world around them. It is a consistent, clear link for all our children between home, school and the world beyond. 
 

Purpose and Aims

A high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the surrounding area and the ever-changing world and its people that will be instilled in them for the rest of their lives. We want our children equipped with knowledge and respect about diverse, local and far places, cultures, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. The vocabulary gap will be closed as pupils progress, through new exciting topics which create curiosity and generate debate. This growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge (including key vocabulary), understanding and skills, underpin the experiences we provide and explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time. By the time they will leave Devonshire Road, our children will have had the opportunity to apply their vocabulary and skills in real life contexts contributing to developing raising aspirations for all. Children’s resilience will grow as they learn about the world problems we face today and raise awareness of the upcoming challenges. Putting up to date issues with the world in context, should equip children with the ability to navigate and adapt to current geographical change – a major life skill and one in which we endeavour.

Golden Threads

• Investigate patterns
• Investigate places
• Communicate geographically

Overview of Curriculum

Context

History is a literary-rich subject (both written and visual) in terms of sources. Language is at the heart of both English and History, in addition to debate and verbally explaining your ideas and understanding. In order to interpret and express ourselves and others, children need vocabulary. History is full of vocabulary, such as empire, civilisation, era, chronology, hypothesis, evaluate, etc. and children must understand this fully before being able to work at a deeper level of thinking – this is particularly important for our EAL children, which is nearly 40% of the children attending Devonshire Road.
This is also vital when working with non-fiction texts, of which, there are an abundance of for historical events and significant individuals.  

History deals with lots of numbers (dates, years, chronology, etc.); therefore, children need to be number literate to understand the events that happened and when they happened.

History is a humanitarian subject, and links closely with Geography. Children must understand the world around them, including where events took place. This also relates to how the world has changed over time, in terms of visual elements, human-based elements, and, in relation to physical elements (such as continental drift). A number of our children have not been far away from Bolton, so understanding the wider world is challenging for them when they do not have first-hand experiences, so a close bond between the subjects of Geography and History must be made.

History is an amazing subject to enhance the cultural capital of the children. By providing workshops and opportunities to the children, whole new ways of thinking, analysing and evaluating are opened up to them, and this then opens opportunities for new career paths.

The local area of Bolton is history-rich: Lord Leverhulme, Samuel Crompton, Grade II listed Town Hall, Museums, Bolton Central Library, wool manufacturing, Bolton Grammar School, the 17th Century Civil War, Industrial Revolution, WW2 bombings etc.
 

Purpose and Aims

Children at Devonshire Road come from a range of different backgrounds in an ever-changing, complex society that has been influenced by a range of historical events. However, the place where they will be schooled, Bolton, is steeped in history, both through events and through significant individuals. Historical events have shaped the world to become what it is today, and children should be taught about their local history, the history of Britain, and that of the wider world. Our children need to develop kindness, and by learning about historical events (both positive and negative), children will develop empathy and gain perspective for others and why the world is the way it is. Pupils at Devonshire Road should also be developing their curiosity, and History provides the perfect opportunity to ask perceptive questions based on sources of information, whilst thinking critically about what they are being taught to develop their hypothesising skills. Our History curriculum should help develop the children’s vocabulary and knowledge of the world around them, including changes that have had a significant impact on them and their parents/grandparents in today’s world. Finally, History gives children an opportunity to understand the complexity and diversity of people’s lives, and the relationships between different groups, and allows them to understand their identity and challenges of their time in comparison to the past, and, people who have overcome adversity who are deemed inspirational historical figures. By teaching this through a high-quality, source-based curriculum, we are providing children to make their own choices about how to proceed in the future, and, to be the best they can be. By doing this, we hope that the future generations will learn from mistakes in the past to make the world a better place for everyone.

Golden Threads

• Investigate and interpret the past
• Build an overview of world history
• Understand chronology
• Communicate historically

Overview of Curriculum

Context

Maths is a creative and highly interconnected subject. It is essential to everyday life and is one of the STEM subjects (Maths, Science, Design and Technology & Computing). It is also necessary to be competent in maths to achieve employment in later life but also to balance everyday life e.g. shopping, bills etc. Providing a high quality Maths education at Devonshire Road is essential and will provide our learners with a foundation for understanding the world, to reason and be curious about the subject. 
Within our school community we have approximately 10% of our pupils who are international new arrivals (INAs). Some of these pupils have previously attended a school, but in some cases, particularly for those pupils in KS1, they haven’t had any schooling. In addition almost 40% of our learners have English as an additional language (EAL). Maths is a subject that, although is rich in vocabulary, is taught in most countries and therefore can be accessed more easily than some other subjects. However, we understand as a school that Maths is taught in a variety of ways around the world and that for our pupils in particular vocabulary is still a key driver for our curriculum. 

To make Maths accessible for all pupils within our context, it is vital that Maths is delivered in small steps following the CPA model (concrete, pictorial and abstract). At Devonshire Road we use White Rose Maths as a long term overview and use the small steps guide to plan sequences of lessons. We then use other resources to provide scaffolds in order to help ensure children have a greater chance of success. 

At Devonshire Road, there are certain parts of the Mathematics curriculum that we try to teach more regularly as they are of significance to our learners and their families. One of these areas is money. Some of the pupils at Devonshire Road arrive at school and haven’t had the opportunity to handle or use money and often it carries both negative and positive connotations for our pupils. Other pupils arrive at our school with the experience of handling different currencies and have varied understanding of the value of money, including its worth. As a school, we believe in tailoring our curriculum to meet the needs of our learners and their families ensuring that we provide our children with the life skills to make their own choices.
 

Purpose and Aims

A high-quality Mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, and provides an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics. We want all our learners to have a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. We want all pupils at Devonshire Road to become fluent in Mathematics and be able to use Maths when making choices and decisions. We want them to make progress over time so that they can solve complex problems using their prior knowledge and understanding. Being able to verbalise your ideas and reason is essential and through a quality Maths curriculum, we believe our learners will be able to argue, justify and prove using mathematical vocabulary which will support them throughout their school journey and later life. 

When our pupils leave Devonshire Road, we want them to understand the connections between Maths and be able to make those connections independently. Having a solid understanding of these connections should help them with making choices as a teenager and as an adult. 

Golden Threads

• Know and understand the number systems (including symbolic representations)
• Use and apply calculation processes
• Understand the properties of shapes
• Describe the properties of shape, position, direction and movement
• Use a range of measures
• Use statistics

Overview of Curriculum

An overview of the curriculum for each year group can be found here: https://whiteroseeducation.com/resources?year=year-1-new&subject=maths

Context

Since September 2019, we have followed a new scheme of work called ‘Kapow’. The French lessons were mainly taught in PPA cover, allowing for consistency and ensuring French is taught on a fortnightly basis. This has enabled the MFL lead (who taught the French lessons during PPA) to gain a greater understanding of the progression of the procedural and semantic knowledge throughout KS2. Since January 2021, class teachers now teach French, after having a hand-over meeting with the MFL lead. 

Taking into account the high proportion of EAL children that we have at Devonshire Road, we have introduced the ‘Hello Project’ whereby teachers and pupils say ‘hello’ in a different language each week. This is also incorporated into whole school assemblies and said throughout the school. Throughout the year, all of the languages that are spoken by the pupils at home are celebrated for at least one week. This project allows all pupils to be curious about other countries, inspiring them to ask more questions in which they make links to various countries, or to even compare it with their own country of origin.

Having thought carefully about the general demographic of our school, and the local area of Bolton, there is a lack of French speakers, although many other languages are spoken within our pupils’ homes. Therefore, by the end of the academic year, we aim to have made links with another primary school in France. This link will allow pupils to gain a greater understanding into French life and culture, which will ensure that the pupils have increased cultural capital in preparation for the wider world.

Pupils who do not speak English at home have the added difficulty of needing to understand English first in order to translate into French. This must be extremely difficult and frustrating for the pupils during the lessons, and they would need extra support and scaffolding.  Having said this, as the high proportion of EAL pupils have already started to learn another language at school (English), depending on how French is taught, this may in fact, be advantageous for them. 

In relation to pupils needing scaffolding and support with learning another language, the use of French dictionaries has become increasingly popular from the start of this academic year that we aim to build upon. It is pleasing to see and hear children asking to use them for unfamiliar words and for them to gain in confidence in using them appropriately. With an ever increasing digital generation, the use of ipads is also something that could be incorporated into French lessons to support those children who struggle. All pupils benefit from writing frames and modelled examples and use these in order to write their own sentences confidently.    

It has proved extremely successful with French being taught consistently. However, as French is only taught every fortnight, which allows for one hour lessons instead of half an hour every week, it has been found that pupils struggle to retain the knowledge that was taught in the previous lesson. It could be argued therefore, that pupils need to have some pre-teaching prior to accessing the curriculum in KS2. Suggestions included teaching French to KS1 pupils with basic French including; numbers to 10, colours, general greetings and common phrases and this has proved to be extremely valuable and enjoyable for pupils in KS1. Children in the current Year 3 cohort had this pre-teach during last year’s ‘French Day’, which appears to have given them a foundation of the French language that will allow them to succeed in developing their love of languages throughout KS2. Hopefully with the new curriculum, the golden threads will further allow for greater consolidation.
After the pupil conferencing in the summer term, all of the pupils spoke positively about the games, songs and practical activities that are done in French lessons and spoke enthusiastically about their love for our FRENCH DAY. Most pupils said they struggled with the writing and listening elements of the lesson and some pupils in KS2 said that they felt overwhelmed by the amount of new vocabulary that French Day taught them.  They were able to list many examples of how their teacher supports their learning. Eg: recapping, repetition, correcting mistakes, games, word banks etc and appeared to be gaining in confidence in all areas of the French curriculum, the more frequently French is being taught.

Purpose and Aims

Learning a foreign language provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries. France is a country close to us, and so our curriculum should enthuse children to want to visit and possibly work in France, as they develop their love of French and other languages. 

Our pupils should be able to understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources. These sources include games, videos, songs, non-fiction texts and fictional stories. They need to be able to speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation. The pronunciation of French words is something that our pupils struggle with and is one of the key foci within each lesson.  By the end of KS2, children should be able to write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt and discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in French.

The exciting curriculum will allow pupils to become language detectives that will develop their skills for life, whilst they study the origins of French vocabulary. Vocabulary is extremely important within Devonshire Road and pupils are enjoying learning about the many English words that have derived from the French language.  Developing a love of languages and becoming language detectives will raise our pupils’ aspirations as they may want to visit France or a French speaking country if they feel that are more confident in conversational French. Pupils could also become a translator or work abroad if they can speak another language. Children love learning new knowledge that they can share with their family and friends. It will allow them to be inquisitive as to where language comes from and to learn other languages later in life, increasing their cultural capital. Children that find French difficult will increase their use of dictionaries as they gain in confidence. Pupils will certainly be curious as they wish to learn about more phrases and sentences in French. Most children will hopefully gain the confidence to experiment with the French phrases and will create their own understanding and appreciation for French traditions and cultures, allowing themselves to be the best that they can be. 

Golden Threads

• Read fluently
• Write imaginatively
• Speak and listen confidently
• Understand the culture of France

Overview of Curriculum

Context

We are a musically-focused school: We teach singing in assemblies and through choir, along with Class Assembly performances, our KS1 Nativity and KS2 performances for The Big Winter Sing Off. We teach a range of instruments in school: recorders/ukuleles in Year 4, harmonicas in Years 2/3, African Djembe drums, percussion and peripatetic ukulele to mention a few. The Bolton Music Service also come and deliver performances and assemblies for the whole school. 
Year groups receive WOW experiences e.g. African drumming, body percussion, rapping and beatboxing etc., all contributing to the children’s wealth of knowledge and cultural capital, delivered by a mix of internal and external staff so children have the chance to work alongside a variety of staff and adults. Children across the year groups have the opportunity to play and learn a wide variety of instruments (particularly percussion), acquiring procedural knowledge through practise and application of skills through improvisation, composition and performance. 

Some children have exposure to specific types of world music due to their ethnicity, religion or home culture, but it is important that we open these up to everyone else, and in turn, allow them to experience others. Music is a universal language that provides means for children who don’t speak each other’s languages to connect and communicate. 39% of our children have EAL, so having opportunities to experience music is vital for developing their communication skills and strengthening understanding of vocabulary, which is something we are focusing on developing as a school.

There is a lot going on for Music in the local area, with the Bolton Music Service at the centre of delivering experiences for local schools, organisations and communities. There are several festivals that go on throughout the year in Bolton where a diverse variety of Music is performed for children to experience. One of these is the Bolton Schools’ Music Festival, where local primary and high schools join together to perform mass-choir songs and individual school choir performances. The Bolton Music Service also offers instrumental tuition, providing musical instruments for hire at affordable prices so all families can access extra-curricular music opportunities. 
Many children are only ever exposed to pop music they hear on the radio, on TV, YouTube, adverts etc.
Children are only interested in “popular” music as they haven’t received prior teaching on different genres – children need to be taught a variety of music genres and exposed to all the different historical music periods so they develop an appreciation of different music types and develop a taste for different styles of performances and ensembles (e.g. rock groups, acapella choirs, orchestras etc.)
Children don’t always understand how important music can be for wellbeing. When asked previously about what subjects they thought were important, children agreed that they thought Music was fun, but couldn’t express why it is important. We need to show our children how can it help them cope with stress, find calm and peacefulness at difficult times, motivate them and excite them when they are feeling bored or unhappy etc. 
Music can also be a tool to develop children’s self-confidence – being able to play a tune they love listening to or having the power to write their own lyrics for a song and perform that in front of their peers is a brilliant way to develop their confidence and self-belief. 
After pupil conferencing a handful of children from different year groups, the children’s love for Music and Singing Assemblies was made very clear, along with lots of insight for their own learning and a desire for understanding more about Music. Our children love a range of different music types that they want to learn more about in school, including classical music, 60s, 80s and modern pop, rock and rap. The children identified that they want to learn more about how to play different instruments, how to write music and how to change lyrics into a full melody and song. What is significant about all the children’s responses is that they all felt that Music helps them emotionally – some explained that different music makes them feel happy or excited, whereas others said it helped them calm down, fight anger or relieve stress.
After receiving responses from parents in Year 4, it was clear to see that some confirmed a lot of what the children had asked for. The majority of parents believed that learning Music in school is highly important, and that music is highly beneficial for the children in general. They agree that their children enjoy music, and many suggested fantastic ideas for the children to be learning about in school, including:
•    Learning to play well known tunes and melodies
•    Learning from film soundtracks
•    Islamic music/Nasheed
•    Pop and Bollywood
•    Chart rock and heavy metal
•    Soul music, jazz, contemporary
•    Varied genres across different decades
•    Blue, folk, country, classical
We feel that as a school, it is highly important to expose the children to these varied types of music, helping them develop their understanding and appreciation for different cultures and helping them become well-rounded musicians.
 

Purpose and Aims

Music is a particularly important subject to help children become well-rounded, creative and mentally healthy individuals. Especially considering the high percentages of children in our school who come from very diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures, it is essential that for them to become respectful and well-rounded pupils who appreciate different types of music, different genres and historical periods of music. Music is a universal language that helps children all connect and communicate, eliminating the issues of language barriers. As key skills within music, children should become confident with discussing pulse, pitch and rhythm, which should be the core of each and every lesson from EYFS up to Year 6. When they leave primary school, we want our children to have gained a deep and broad understanding of different music genres, styles and skills that will help them become more creative, increase their curiosity and communication skills, as well as develop their wellbeing. 

Golden Threads

• Perform
• Compose and transcribe
• Listen and describe

Overview of Curriculum

Context

Physical Education is an avenue for children to engage in developmentally appropriate physical activities, designed to improve their fitness, gross motor skills and health. PE plays a major role in contributing to our schools’ statutory responsibilities to provide a curriculum that is broadly based, balanced and meets the needs of all pupils. Children are inspired to succeed and excel in sport and physically demanding activities. They are provided with opportunities to become physically confident, in a way which supports their health and fitness. At Devonshire Road we follow iMoves scheme of work for PE. This scheme of work will ensure that the key areas of Physical Education are covered throughout the primary phase and in preparation for secondary school. 
Our commitment to the development of competition across the school and into the community has been rewarded by obtaining the ‘Silver’ School Games Mark and we currently hold the AfPE quality mark which evidences the strength and quality of Physical Education, school sport and physical activity in our school.

Providing children with sporting opportunities, that they may not otherwise get the opportunity to take part in, is at the forefront of our subject planning. Children have access to an array of opportunities, to enhance their cultural capital and to provide an insight into opportunities outside school and different career paths, such as;
- Every class takes part in annual intra related competitions, such as; Sports Day and Games Day.
- Two year groups take part in swimming lessons.
- One year group has the option to take part in Bikeability.
- Extracurricular clubs are varied and are offered throughout the year. 
- Each year group receives a WOW experience/trip e.g. skiing, trampolining, ice skating, skateboarding, scootering etc. 
- Each child has two opportunities to go on a residential trip to PGL (OAA activities). 
- Each class has two PE leaders with leadership training. 
- A range of children are also selected to compete against other schools in inter-related competitions.
- Charity fundraising incorporates physical activity e.g. Race For Life and Danceathon and participation in the Bolton Marathon Challenge. 
We have strategies in place to combat the government’s recommendation of providing children with at least 30 minutes of ‘moderate to vigorous’ physical activity a day, to reduce child obesity, such as; active break times, PE lessons, extra-curricular clubs, active lessons and the Daily Mile.
Physical Education is the only sure opportunity for lots of our children to access health enhancing physical activities, as many of our children have limited exposure to sport and fitness activities outside of school. 
31% of our children are Pupil Premium and may not have the time, outdoor spaces, opportunities and resources to explore sporting activities and develop curiosity. 
At Devonshire Road, we provide every child with an additional year of swimming lessons (on top of the compulsory swimming instruction already provided), in order improve our pupils’ safety around water. Swimming data in our school is still low, with only around 60% of children achieving the end of KS2 expectation. 
Only a small proportion of our pupils attend sports clubs out of school and not all children have the resources at home, such as a bike to take part in our Bikeability lessons. We aim to close the gap by ensuring pupils have access to spare PE and swimming kit and that inclusive opportunities are provided for the children during and after school. However this is dependent on whether the parents/carers are willing to let the children devote their out of school time on the subject. Some children have other commitments out of school e.g. attending Mosque every night, and are therefore unable to take part in sports clubs and competitions after school. 
Physical Education is a universal language that provides means for children who don’t speak each other’s languages to connect and communicate. 39% of our children have EAL, so having opportunities to experience PE is vital for developing their physical skills and strengthening vocabulary.
 

Purpose and Aims

Children at Devonshire Road come from a range of different backgrounds in an ever-changing, complex society. We aim to ensure that all pupils: develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities; are physically active for sustained periods of time; engage in competitive sports and activities and lead healthy, active lives, no matter what their race, religion, ethnicity, gender, socio-econonic status or physical abilities are. 

Our aims at Devonshire Road:
-    to inspire all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. 
-    to provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness.
-    For pupils to compete in sport and other activities which build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
 

Golden Threads

• Develop practical skills
• Participation in competition
• Learning how to lead a healthy lifestyle

Overview of Curriculum

Context

At Devonshire Road our personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme promotes children's personal, social and economic development, as well as their health and wellbeing. PSHE education plays a major role in contributing to our schools’ statutory responsibilities to provide a curriculum that is broadly based, balanced and meets the needs of all pupils. We follow the Islington Primary Scheme of work for PSHE which will ensure that the key areas of PSHE education are covered throughout the primary phase and in preparation for secondary school. The key areas are defined as:
•    Mental health and emotional wellbeing
•    Keeping safe and managing risk
•    Identity, society and equality 
•    Drug, alcohol and tobacco education 
•    Physical health and wellbeing 
•    Careers, financial capability and economic wellbeing
•    Relationship and health education  
Relationship, Sex and Health Education statutory requirements are covered through our PSHE curriculum.  Our RSE policy outlines which parts of RSE are non-statutory and from which a child can be withdraw by their parent/carer. 

We also develop PSHE and citizenship through activities and whole-school events such as anti-bullying week and online safety day. The school council representatives from each class meet regularly to discuss school matters, each year group visits a place of worship and participates in school trips. We have also developed a successful Peer Mentor scheme which allows selected children from Years 5 and 6 to be trained in dealing with incidents on the playground. We also offer a residential trip to PGL in Years 5 and 6, where there is a particular focus on developing pupils’ self-esteem and giving them opportunities to develop leadership and co-operation skills.  
We encourage the children to take part in a range of practical activities that promote active citizenship, e.g. charity fundraising, the planning of school special events such as an assembly or open day, or involvement in an activity to help other individuals or groups less fortunate than themselves. Our school follows a charity map which plans out the charities we will support throughout a year.  These charities are chosen and voted for by the children and wider school community.  
We organise classes in such a way that pupils are able to participate in discussion to resolve conflicts or behaviour. Children have opportunities to meet and work with members of the community, such as health workers, fire fighters and police, whom we invite into the school to talk about their role in creating a positive and supportive local community. Children take in different roles of responsibility during their school life. Our absence rate is in the lowest 20% of schools with a similar level of deprivation; this shows how parents value their children’s education.
We have also been awarded a Bronze Anti Bullying Quality Mark which recognises the school’s commitment in providing a safe and nurturing place for all children.

Our overall vision for PSHE is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to learn, understand and ask questions which will equip them with skills needed to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way. The knowledge and attributes gained will support their own, and others’ wellbeing and attainment and help young people to become successful and happy adults who make a meaningful contribution to society and help them to ‘Be the best they can be.’

We currently have 24% PPG pupils; IDSR shows that the pupil base is in quintile 4 (more deprived) of all schools in terms of deprivation, therefore we need to build a curriculum that is fit for the challenges children may come across in their lives: substance abuse, safety education; exploitation. 

It is essential to build a PSHE curriculum which builds resilience to some of our children’s difficult life circumstances and equips them to make good life choices in the future. 

We currently have 39% of children who have English as an Additional Language and may not have the vocabulary to articulate feelings or be able to discuss and question.  Therefore we need to build an inclusive curriculum which allows all children to have the opportunity to voice their opinions and raise questions.
 

Purpose and Aims

Children at Devonshire Road come from a range of different backgrounds in an ever-changing, complex society. Our children need to develop kindness, and through the key area in the Islington Scheme ‘Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing’ they will be taught to manage emotions and feelings effectively, be respectful and empathetic to others. They will be taught to develop friendships, understand and develop healthy relationships. Through discussion and sharing of ideas and thoughts children will be taught to be respectful of themselves and others. At Devonshire Road, we are focussing on Mental Wellbeing though dedicated PSHE lessons, and Children’s Mental Health week which will teach children to be kind to themselves and to understand and deal with their feelings and emotions more effectively. Through the learning of ‘Identity, Society and Equality’, children will learn to celebrate the differences between each other and show kindness to each other through respect and tolerance, including being explicitly taught about their rights protected by the Equality Act 2021. Through the teaching of RSE, children will have the knowledge and understanding needed to deal with changes in their body and to make informed and sensible decisions relating to different relationships.

Pupils at Devonshire Road should also be developing their curiosity, and PSHE provides the perfect opportunity to ask questions in a safe environment. Through the agreed ground rules children will have the skills to discuss and question with respect and will feel comfortable to question and share their feelings and opinions. Children will be encouraged to be open minded to different ideas and ways of thinking. PSHE will develop the children’s vocabulary and knowledge of society which will positively impact their life choices and chances in the future.
 

Golden Threads

• Health
• Relationships
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Understand others
• Responsible decision making

Overview of Curriculum

Context

Religious Education fosters mutual understanding between students of differing religious and cultural backgrounds. Pupils are encouraged to develop a reflective approach to life in an atmosphere of openness, exploration and enquiry. Pupils are encouraged to respect the differences and help in the promotion of a harmonious society.

RE at Devonshire Road school considers spiritual and moral issues which are of a wholly or mainly Christian character, whilst also taking into account the teaching, practices and the main religious beliefs of the children attending our school.  Islam, Hinduism and Judaism are studied in accordance with the SACRE guidelines whilst children from families where non-religious worldviews, such as, Humanism and Atheism, are also represented in all of our classrooms (around 50%). Teachers at Devonshire Road school are conscience of the distinct religious position of children whose religion is Jehovah’s Witness and work closely with parents to ensure their views are respected.  RE at Devonshire Road School draws in different traditions, where they fit the theme and question, and are representative of those traditions in the school and local community.

RE at Devonshire Road allows pupils to explore their own response to profound human experiences and universal symbols.  Children are encouraged to respond freely to experiences and questions which have a profound or puzzling quality and to use a range of different forms of expression to convey their responses.

There have always been links between religion and the arts and consequently R.E. fits naturally with subjects such as Art, Music, Physical Education, Drama and Dance.

We follow the Standing Advisory Council on RE. The subject is approached through stories, cross curricular themes, RE topics, festivals and whole school topics, discussion on specific ideas and spontaneous enquiries.  Both parents and pupils fully engage with all whole school celebrations, including nativities, Chinese New Year Celebrations, Christmas, Eid and Diwali parties.  Many parents volunteer to come in as visitors and discuss their experiences.

The school has close links with the Bolton Interfaith council and has a tradition of visiting local mosques, churches and temples.  With some classes undertaking faith trails.
 

Purpose and Aims

Pupils at Devonshire Road have a rich heritage of culture and diversity.  Their journey through school should provide them with the opportunities to develop their spiritual and cultural development to prepare them for life in modern Britain.  The exploration of concepts of religion and beliefs will help pupils to develop their moral understanding and social awareness.  RE at Devonshire Road will support pupils’ personal development and wellbeing giving them the knowledge, skills and understanding to discern and value truth and goodness, strengthening their capacity for making moral judgements and evaluate different commitments to make positive and healthy and kind choices.

They should be able to develop their religious literacy to ensure they can make reasoned and informed choices about religious issues, with reference to the principal religions and world views represented locally and in the United Kingdom.  We think it is important to create greater links between societies of different faiths and cultures in an increasingly globalised world.  The teaching of key vocabulary within RE lessons support pupils engage in a dialogue that allows them to understand different world views.

RE develops a child’s curiosity, allowing them to deal with the most profound questions in human life, questions such as:

• What is the purpose of life?

• How should people treat each other?

• How do we explain and cope with death and suffering?

Our pupils will be able to navigate this through an in-depth look at religions.  Looking at ways of life, rituals, traditions, stories, symbols and beliefs, helping pupils to an understanding appropriate to their age and aptitude.

They should leave us with having had the opportunity to:
•    Make sense of core concepts of religious and non-religious beliefs, understanding what these beliefs mean within their traditions. 
•    Understanding the impact and significance of different religious and non-religious beliefs and being able to appreciate the significance of different ways of life and ways and the various ways people put their beliefs into action in diverse ways, in their everyday lives and in the wider world. 
•    Connecting and challenge ideas studied, allow the ideas studied to challenge their own thinking.  Be able to discern possible connections between the ideas studied and their own understanding of the world, expressing critical responses and personal reflections with increasing clarity.

RE should continually inform pupils’ lives to help pupils become the best they can be.
 

Golden Threads

• Make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs
• Understand the impact and significance of religious and non-religious beliefs
• Make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practices and ideas studied

Overview of Curriculum

Context

A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Science has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity, and all pupils should be taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. Scientific vocabulary will be learnt progressively and will support children to access the curriculum. This is particularly important for our EAL children, which is nearly 40% of the children attending Devonshire Road. Vocabulary will also enable children to access non-fiction texts which children will use when studying the different areas of study. 

Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils should be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They should be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes. Pupils will gain an understanding of how science is applied in real-life contexts that caters to their interests/locality. This will build on both their science and cultural capital and will be enhanced through school trips/visitors. Children will encounter a variety of living things through their study and will learn how to care for them which supports one of our school values ‘Be Kind.’ A good science education will improve their career options helping children be the best that they can be.
 

Purpose and Aims

The programmes of study describe a sequence of knowledge and concepts. While it is important that pupils make progress, it is also vitally important that they develop secure understanding of each key block of knowledge and concepts in order to progress to the next stage. Insecure, superficial understanding will not allow genuine progression: pupils may struggle at key points of transition (such as between primary and secondary school), build up serious misconceptions, and/or have significant difficulties in understanding higher-order content.

Pupils should be able to describe associated processes and key characteristics in common language, but they should also be familiar with, and use, technical terminology accurately and precisely. They should build up an extended specialist vocabulary. They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data. The social and economic implications of science are important but, generally, they are taught most appropriately within the wider school curriculum: teachers will wish to use different contexts to maximise their pupils’ engagement with and motivation to study science.

By teaching our children ‘working scientifically’ skills through different contexts, we are assisting our pupils to ‘enquire’ about science in the wider world around them through units focusing on chemistry, physics and biology. Ultimately, this will ensure that children can ask and answer a range of their own scientific questions through a range of different methods, including: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations); and researching using secondary sources. Children will be able to collect data, analyse the data and finally present their findings in a range of different ways based on their choices to show their understanding.  

 
Because of the importance of developing vocabulary at Devonshire Road, the subject of science reflects the importance of spoken language in pupils’ development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. This will ultimately support them to explain scientific concepts clearly and precisely, which is a key thread throughout all our curriculum. We want our children to be able to make their thought processes clearer (both to themselves and others) and to identify their own mistakes and misconceptions with some guidance through adult-directed conversations.

Golden Threads

• Working scientifically
• Understanding plants
• Understanding animals and humans
• Investigate materials
• Understand the Earth's movement in space
• Understand different forms of energy

Overview of Curriculum