Curriculum Overview

Curriculum Statement

Excite. Delight. Achieve.

This is what everyone at Ealdham Primary School strives to do for our children every day and it lies at the heart our curriculum.

We believe that our broad and balanced curriculum encourages our children to become lifelong learners who continue to develop self-awareness along with an increasing knowledge of the wider world.  Learning takes place both inside and outside of the classroom. Our curriculum celebrates the fact that our children are growing up in the historic Royal Borough of Greenwich and we find every opportunity we can to move learning out of the classroom and visit key locations in and around the Royal Borough.    

At Ealdham we want our children to feel valued and secure and know what is expected of them.  Through our curriculum they will encounter a range of experiences that will give them the opportunity to explore and reflect through wide ranging topics and activities.  Most importantly they will learn to celebrate their uniqueness and individuality and how they can contribute to the life of the school and beyond.

Key Principles

Our curriculum is underpinned by the high expectations we have of all our children. 

It reflects the diversity of our school community in terms of cultural background, range of languages, religion and ethnicity.  We strive to ensure consistency and rigour in the teaching of basic skills within a creative approach to learning and teaching.

We strive to develop fluent and confident readers, writers and mathematicians who have a curiosity about the world around them.  We also value the arts and sports and want our children to develop skills that will stay with them beyond their time at Ealdham and give them confidence and self-esteem.

Reading and Writing at Ealdham

Children are immersed in real books from Nursery onwards. 

Each classroom has a book corner which is attractive and inviting and children are given time each week to read independently, in groups or with an adult.  All classes have story time as often as possible to inspire and instil a love of reading in our children.  These books are often linked to the topic the children are studying. 

The school uses a wide range of ‘real books’ and reading schemes to support learning. These books are levelled using book bands.  Each child is given a book and a reading diary to support reading at home.  This good practice starts in Nursery.

• English is taught through the reading of a quality book or a topic.  We have worked closely with the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CPLE) and often use the Core Book List to select texts
• Grammar and Punctuation is taught either as ‘stand-alone’ lessons or through analysing texts and learning and practising skills.  These are then applied within sustained writing
• Children are given as many different opportunities as possible to write across the curriculum
• We teach handwriting through encouraging correct letter formation and then in KS2 we move towards a cursive script (all letters starting from the line and joined up)

Mathematics

At Ealdham we want all our children to be confident mathematicians who can grasp key skills and use them across different aspects of maths and in real life contexts.  We want our children to have the opportunity to investigate and explore different aspects of maths and use the skills they have learned to solve problems.

We want the children at Ealdham to:

Develop confidence and understanding

Develop their mental skills and quick recall

Develop accuracy

Use their knowledge of mathematics and mathematical vocabulary to communicate meaning and justify their solutions

Sports and the Arts

All children are taught Physical Education (PE) Music and Art through our curriculum

At Ealdham, we are proud to nurture a love of sport and the arts across the school. By the end of Year 6, all children will have had the opportunity to learn to swim and to take part in our annual school journey, helping to build confidence, teamwork and resilience. Through a range of local and borough-wide partnerships, our pupils also enjoy participating in competitive sporting events throughout the year.

Research has proven that music involvement (especially in the first 3 years of life) has lifelong benefits. Additionally, self-expression is one of the best gifts we can give to our children. Having the ability and the forum to express their feelings allows children to communicate in another language- one that is often easier than words. At Ealdham, we follow the Charanga music scheme to provide a progressive music curriculum from Early Years to Year 6. The curriculum is carefully sequenced so that children develop their musical knowledge and skills step by step, including listening, singing, playing instruments, improvising, composing and performing. Lessons are inclusive and engaging, enabling every child to take part in and enjoy making music. Children experience a wide variety of musical styles and traditions and have regular opportunities to perform and share their learning with others. Our curriculum ensures that pupils build musical skills progressively. Each year deepens children’s understanding of beat, rhythm, pitch, notation, composition and performance.

Charanga - Model Music Curriculum Scheme Guide

The arts are celebrated widely at Ealdham. Our school choir performs at St John's Church in Eltham each Christmas and every summer the whole school, from Nursery to Year 6, takes part in our vibrant Ealdham Carnival - a joyful event where we share music, dance and creativity with families and the wider community.

Curriculum Organisation

All children in KS1 and KS2 take part in:

• A daily English lesson which includes the teaching of reading, writing, spelling punctuation and grammar
• A daily maths lesson which includes mental maths work
• A daily reading lesson
• Regular spelling work (daily phonics teaching in Reception and KS1)
• Lessons in Science, PSHE, RE, Art, Design and Technology, Computer Programming, Music, Humanities (History and Geography)
• Two P.E. lessons a week (including swimming for Years 4, 5 and 6)
• Weekly singing assembly
• Computing with additional ICT woven through the curriculum
• Spanish is taught from KS2, however in KS1 children are introduced to the language through songs, stories and games

Extra-curricular activities are on offer for all ages (Please see our clubs information)

If you would like to find out more about our curriculum, please contact your child's class teacher or phase leader and they would be happy to give you further details. However, if you do not have a child currently at Ealdham, please contact our curriculum lead Mr William Reilly at sao.ealdham.greenwich.sch.uk