Curriculum

At Bolton-on-Swale St Mary’s CE Primary School, we have created a curriculum which is ambitious, well sequenced, broad and balanced for all our learners. It is driven by our vision and values.

Our SIAMS Inspection November 2023 states: ‘The curriculum inspires and motivates pupils and ignites their love of learning.’

Our Vision

Our curriculum is underpinned by our theologically rooted Christian vision: ‘To love, live and learn together’.

Our Values

Our curriculum is rooted in our Christian values of:

Love, Creation, Forgiveness, Friendship, Hope, Respect, Justice, Peace, Service, Thankfulness, Trust, Community

Through careful, progressive planning we aim to cultivate a high quality learning environment embedded in a curriculum where all children can flourish. Our curriculum is highly inclusive and values the contribution brought by each child as a unique individual.

Our curriculum has been developed to deliver the National Curriculum 2014 and the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. It is complimented by a range of rich experiences which take into account the local context, and our pupil’s cultural capital needs. It is our ambition that through learning today, our children are equipped for life tomorrow.

This page is currently being updated.

Curriculum Intent:

We want our pupils:

‘To Love’:  to love and care about themselves and others; in their school, the community and the wider world and to be equipped to make valuable life-long contributions to these. Our children have opportunities to work collaboratively and to take on leadership roles. Our Year 6 children are ‘buddies’ to our Reception children. We take action through our Eco and Charity work to care for our environment and the needs of others. We enjoy a curriculum which enables us to ‘love to learn’.

‘To Live’: to live life in all its fullness. Our curriculum is enriched by a breadth of rich experiences which include visits to museums; learning in the outdoors; playing musical instruments; performing on stage; representing our school in sporting competitions; exploring the life and culture of those who lived in the past and today; being creative and scientific.

‘To Learn’: to grow in knowledge, wisdom and understanding. We intend our children to become lifelong readers; to be happy and healthy; to be inquisitive; to have a thirst for knowledge. Alongside our core curriculum drivers which infiltrate all subject areas, each subject has its own intent which combines the National Curriculum and the needs of our children. These statements are available on the school website and in paper form.

Curriculum Implementation:

Our curriculum has been designed to have the National Curriculum and EYFS Curriculum at its core. Our subject leaders have used the National Curriculum to create a plan which is exciting, strategic and progressive – this is implemented as a series of rich learning experiences within school where our children are encouraged to ‘know more and remember more’. The curriculum is coherently sequenced with knowledge building up over time. It is progressive and ensures that every child is given the appropriate opportunities to learn the necessary skills and knowledge in every subject. Children’s learning is enriched through experiences, visitors, visits and other curriculum enhancements.

The teaching of reading, writing and basic mathematics underpins all aspects of the curriculum in all stages at our school. Equally, an emphasis is placed on all curriculum areas and through sequenced and structured planning, children experience depth of learning in all they do.

To further support the formal curriculum, we provide a range of extra-curricular activities: artistic, creative, environmental and sporting which children are actively encouraged to lead and participate in. These are supported both by school staff and external providers. The children, staff and parents are very proud of our school’s sporting achievements, high quality musical and drama performances and environmental work. Our curriculum planning in each subject enables us to interweave knowledge of our local area, gaps in pupil’s cultural capital and a raising of global awareness.  This is combined with those things our pupils are passionate about, such as the environment, performance in music and drama and high quality learning in sport.

Further information on the implementation within each subject area, is available in the curriculum area of the school website and in paper form.

Long Term Planning Themes Year A (2024/25) Year B (2023/24)

Based on a 2 year cycle. Refer to separate progression grids and subject planning with additional cross curricular links)

Year A 2024/25

Reception/Y1/Y2

Y3/4

Y5/6

Autumn Term

All About Me

Changes in Britain from Stone Age to Iron Age

The Second World War

 

 

 

 

Spring Term

Toys

Kenya

India

The Mayan Civilisation

 

 

 

 

Summer Term

The Seaside

Whitby

Whitby and Explorers

Year B 2023/24

Reception/Y1/Y2

Y3/4

Y5/6

Autumn Term

Our World

Invaders and Settlers

A Local Study of Richmond

 

 

 

 

Spring Term

People who help us

The Great Fire of London

North America

The Victorians

 

 

 

Summer Term

Transport

Ancient Egyptians

Ancient and Modern Greece

Impact:

Everyone at Bolton-on-Swale St Mary’s CE Primary School is ambitious for every one of our pupil’s as individuals ensuring that our vision: ‘To love, love and learn’ is lived out in the lives of each child.

It is our mission for children to leave our school having the qualities of our Christian values as part of their values for the next stage of their education and for life in the future.

In all subjects of the curriculum our children demonstrate that they ‘know more and remember more’.

Our pupils become lifelong readers; are be happy and healthy; are inquisitive; and have a thirst for knowledge.

Our Curriculum

please expand the topics below for more information

Design and Technology

English

Computing

Maths

Implementation and Impact

Maths Intent.Implementation, Impact

How we teach Maths

How we teach Maths

Curriculum Overview

Curriculum Overview Reception

Curriculum Overview Y1 to Y6

Progression Maps

Progression Map EYFS to Reception

Progression Map Year 1 to Year 6

Calculation Policy

Addition and Subtraction Calculation Policy

Key representations used in EYFS

Multiplication and Division Calculation Policy

The Counting Principles EYFS

Maths in school

 

Modern Foreign Languages

Intent, Implementation, Impact

French Intent, Implementation, Impact

Long term plan

Scheme of Learning

Music

Phonics

At Bolton-on-Swale St Mary’s we believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. We teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. We start teaching phonics in Reception and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school.

We are always grateful for support from our parents and carers in encouraging our children with their learning. If you would like to learn more about how you can help your child with phonics, the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds parents page is here. 

Home reading

We are passionate about ensuring all our pupils are given plenty of opportunity to read for pleasure and develop a lifelong love of reading. It is for this reason that all our early readers will bring home a ‘Reading for Pleasure’ book. This is a text chosen by the child for sharing, enjoyment, engagement and togetherness. In order to promote a love of literature and embed a rich literary base within school, we have carefully curated our ‘Reading for Pleasure’ books. Pupils are free to change these books as many times as they want.

The decodable reading practice book from the reading sessions in school is taken home each Friday and returned to school on Monday to ensure success is shared with the family.

Regular Communication

Your child’s class teacher will communicate with you on a weekly basis through your child’s reading diary. Please sign this each time you have shared a book with your child and comment positively.

If you have any questions at any time please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s class teacher.

Physical Education

Intent, Implementation and Impact

How we teach PE

Curriculum

Curriculum Map EYFS to Y6

Progression Maps

PE Skill Progression EYFS to Y6

Science

Social, Moral, Spiritual, Cultural and British Values

Social, Moral, Spiritual, Cultural and British Values Statement

Rishi Sunak visits our school

Rishi sees young entrepreneurs in action at school fair

Rishi praised the enterprise of young business apprentices at a village primary school’s summer fair. 

The MP called in to the fair held at Bolton-on-Swale St Mary’s Church of England Primary School to meet pupils, staff and parents at the annual event. 

He was taken round the fair by headteacher Nicola Dobson and Year 6 pupils Sophie Sweete and William Borthwick. 

Among the many stalls run by the Friends of the School, parents and children were those run by the school’s budding entrepreneurs. 

Rishi spent time talking to the Year 5/6 Young Apprentices. 

Each team had its own stall, worked to a budget, carried out market research and sourced their merchandise or services to sell. 

One team, called Rocket Retail, designed logos and posters. They even produced their own marketing video which they screened for Rishi. 

The winning team, making the most profit, was The Five Dealers. 

Rishi said: “This was a great school event despite the less than summery weather. 

“There was a great range of stalls and I was particularly impressed by the young apprentices who had some excellent ideas and showed impressive enterprise in making them work.” 

Mrs Dobson said: “We were delighted to be able to welcome Rishi once again to our school and this time to our Summer Fair. 

“The children really appreciated the interest he showed in their ‘Young Apprentice Stalls’. These stalls represent an important piece of work linked to business, budget, profit and marketing. They were really pleased Rishi took time to watch one of their marketing videos..” 

Rishi also visited the Eco Teams stall and bought one of their recycled Eco bricks made of shredded paper. 

He also spoke to two children from Ukraine who attend the school through the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.