Curriculum
Our curriculum
At Marnel Infant School we are committed to delivering a curriculum that is both broad and balanced, which excites and engages pupils in their learning. Our curriculum is designed to equip pupils with the skills they need to be lifelong learners rather than simply imparting ‘facts’.
The curriculum is enhanced by a number of enrichment weeks including Arts Week, Book Week, Science and Outdoor Learning Week and Sports Week where pupils are bought together to celebrate their learning, meet authors and illustrators, musicians and actors as well as explore their environment in new and exciting ways. Parents are also invited in throughout the year to share in the children’s learning journey. Details of these events can be found on our dates for the diary or curriculum newsletters.
English - Phonics, Reading and Writing
Phonics and Reading
“Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible.”
Barrack Obama
At Marnel Infant School we are passionate about reading.
We know that whatever careers our children choose, they will always need to read. We can teach the skills of reading, but what we are passionate about is creating a love of reading; for our children to read for pleasure, to read widely and become readers for life.
Early reading skills are taught through our chosen SSP (Systematic Synthetic Phonics) Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. The program delivers a fun and child centred approach to phonics and reading through visual images and mnemonics. Alongside this, children are taught 7 reading strategies that support independence in decoding, inferring meaning and reading with fluency.
Writing
“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.”
Beatrix Potter
At Marnel Infant School our children are immersed in a text rich writing curriculum. It is our intent that, from ‘hook’ to composition, they are taught to identify the features of the genre, evaluate the original text, plan and compose their own writing as well as reflect upon and evaluate their finished product and that of their peers. Texts are chosen carefully to deepen the children’s understanding of the wider curriculum whilst ensuring they are immersed in a rich selection of text types and authors. Each year the whole school celebrates World Book Day with a week of activities link to a common theme. During this enrichment week, Literacy planning for the whole school is centred around the themes or characters of the chosen text celebrating our rich and varied literary history.
Maths
At Marnel Infant School, we believe that Maths can teach us how to make sense of the world around us by developing our ability to calculate, reason and solve problems.
At the beginning of each academic year, we prioritise the teaching of number to ensure the children have a solid foundation for building their mathematical understanding throughout their learning journey.
To help children with their learning and understanding we use practical equipment in our day-to-day teaching allowing children to explore and find different ways to solve problems within a real-life context.
Science
“The important thing is to never stop questioning”
Albert Einstein
When learning in Science our intent for pupils is for them to be curious, ask questions and observe the world around them. The Science curriculum at Marnel Infant School encourages children to be hands on in their learning; to learn through practical exploration of the concepts plants, animals and materials.
Through different lines of enquiry, the children will be better able to answer their own questions and further enhance their ability to understand scientific ideas. Planning builds on the children’s prior knowledge to extend their language and understanding. Many of these ideas are further explored through our Science and Outdoor Learning Week in the Summer Term.
Religious Education (R.E.)
“Differences were meant not to divide but to enrich.”
J. H. Oldham
At Marnel Infant School we teach R.E. through the Hampshire agreed syllabus Living Difference IV. It builds on the approach to religious education, enriched by philosophical and theological enquiry, as well as current research, which has been in use in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton since 2004.
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The intent of the R.E. curriculum at Marnel Infant School is to promote respect and open-mindedness towards religious and non-religious beliefs to prepare the children for the diverse world in which we live.
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During our R.E. lessons, we ensure children know they are freely able to express their views and show respect to people who have a different view than theirs.
Computer Science
“We need technology in every classroom and in every student and teacher's hand, because it is the pen and paper of our time.”
David Warlick
At Marnel Infant school we are passionate about delivering a computing curriculum that teaches our children the skills to enable them to become confident, competent ICT users.
We understand that the technology they use today will be obsolete by the time they enter the world of work.
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E-safety also plays an important part in the teaching of computing at our school, ensuring children can enjoy using technology safely. This is also applied more broadly to our wider school community, educating parents and carers so we can work collaboratively to ensure that their children access the world of technology safely.
E-safety is paramount to the children’s understanding of how to use devices safely, make informed decisions about what they access and how to seek help and advice when they are unsure.
Geography
“The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents.”
Barrack Obama
At Marnel Infant School our Geography units are planned to be delivered at specific points in the academic year to enable all our pupils to become fully immersed within the topic and deepen their knowledge and geographical understanding. For example, our Coasts Topic is taught in the Summer Term to take advantage of the good weather which allows the children to make links to their real-life experiences. The unit includes an educational trip to Lee-on-Solent and a seaside day here in Basingstoke where their learning is bought to life at their very own beach! A significant number of our children have never visited the coast before making the impact on their learning all the more special.
History
“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
Theodore Roosevelt
In History, it is our intent to inspire pupils’ curiosity to find out more about the past. When teaching History, we encourage children to ask questions, think critically, develop a perspective and begin to understand historical concepts such as cause and consequence.
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We ensure pupils are exposed to a rich and varied History curriculum including The Great Fire of London, Titanic, Castles and World War II.
Art, Design and Technology
“Every child is an artist”
Pablo Picasso
At Marnel Infant School, it is our intent that we teach Art, Design and Technology not only through formal lessons but through incidental learning opportunities throughout the year. The combination of taught skills and time to be freely creative during child led discovery time means that pupils are always in an environment where creativity is celebrated and nurtured. Alongside these everyday opportunities we offer children off site trips to bring their learning to life and to allow the children to experience a new environment. These experiences include a trip to Lee-on-the-Solent, the Living Rainforest and Windsor Castle.
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During the trips children are encouraged to partake in creative activities, such as making collages on the beach with natural materials, life drawing and stone rubbing. This helps the children to see art is everywhere and not limited to the classroom. It also enables children to feel confident and empowered to experiment with different materials, styles and patterns in new environments
Music
“Music can change the world.”
Ludwig Van Beethoven
In Music, it is our intent for pupils to develop an appreciation for the arts.
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We ensure that all lessons, planned through our recursive curriculum, allow the children to be exposed to and explore musical terminology, musical styles and popular culture in a range of historical periods. We also ensure that the children understand what it means to be a musician, with music lessons involving exposure to musical vocabulary and a focus on teaching musical skills.
We endeavour to create engaging and captivating musical experiences by inviting visitors to the school to perform or hold workshops for all the children to participate in. For example, we invite a steel drummer into school to work with the children during our St. Lucia Day.
Physical Education (P.E.)
“Don’t look for excuses and hundreds of reasons to quit, instead try and find thousands of reasons to never give up.”
Roger Federer
In P.E. it is our intent to ensure that all children have the solid foundations and knowledge of how to lead a healthy lifestyle, encompassing not only exercise, but the understanding of how to eat a healthy diet and recognise the importance of sleep and personal hygiene.
The recursive nature of the curriculum enables children to revisit skills and deepen their understanding of team games such as Boccia, rounders and hockey as well as independent skills in gymnastics, dance and athletics.
Children are also encouraged to access the outdoor gym and Golden Mile daily. Both have been funded by the Governments Sports Funding scheme which supports schools in educating children for a healthier future!
Forest School
"Life is an ongoing process of choosing between safety (out of fear and need for defence) and risk (for the sake of progress and growth). Make the growth choice a dozen times a day."
Abraham Maslow (1908 -1970)
We believe that young children thrive when learning in the outdoors. Through our Forest School curriculum, children are encouraged to evaluate and take risks, problem solve and build resilience whilst using all the wonderful natural resources around them. They begin to connect with the environment and develop a strong understanding of the world around them. This inevitably will underpin all future learning, in our aim to develop independent life-long learners. They learn boundaries of behaviour, grow in emotional resilience, confidence, self-esteem and motivation.
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Setting children achievable tasks in the outdoors and offering appropriate support, provides the foundation for future development.
Personal Development Learning
Personal Development Learning at Marnel Infant School is a combination of R.S.E (Relationship and Sex Education), P.S.H.E (Personal, Social and Health Education) and S.M.S.C (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development) learning for all pupils.
The curriculum teaches children to feel at ease with themselves and to be at ease around others as they grow and develop. Children are also supported to develop socially and emotionally through our THRIVE planning.
Class and individual profiles are created to enable the children to develop the necessary strategies to build their self-awareness, self-esteem and self-confidence. There is also a focus on building a sense of community within their class, year group, the school as a whole and due of this their wider community. The intent is to encourage pupils to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, understand how they can positively contribute to the lives of those around them and show appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures.
