Curriculum Overview – September 2021

Our curriculum ensures learning is effective, exciting and above all, relevant to the needs of our children.

All pupils will secure firm foundations in English Mathematics and PSHE and this underpins a growing excellence in other subjects. Our pupil centred and knowledge-based curriculum offers a broad range of subjects in a topic lead approach from Early Years through to Key Stage 2 (KS2). We believe in making learning meaningful, memorable and enjoyable, with an emphasis on engaging and purposeful learning.

Great Kingshill CE Combined School aims to provide a curriculum that is engaging, balanced and relevant. While emphasis is placed on children learning core skills of English and Maths, we place great value on developing the ‘whole child’ and provide an engaging programme of study in all curriculum areas.

Our high expectation of children begins in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Children can begin GKCS in Preschool or Reception and are regularly assessed throughout the year using Development Matters, with the aim of meeting the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception year. These assessments are used to identify key subject areas to inform planning and focus children who need to be targeted for specific activities. Pupils begin phonics lessons in Preschool and Reception, and these continue through into Key Stage 1 (KS1) and sometimes KS2. There is a focus on exploratory play in Reception based around topics and core texts, which children access both on a morning and an afternoon. In the morning all pupils take part in structured teacher led activities and a Phonic lesson. All areas of the EYFS curriculum are readily available to pupils and Maths and Early English are explicitly taught in short small group sessions.  

In KS1, children continue their learning journey, taking part in Phonics; maths, reading and writing lessons every morning. In Year 1, children continue to have daily phonics lessons whilst in Year 2, children access daily Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPAG) lessons, which are linked to their learning in writing, to allow them to apply and deepen their basic skills. Music, PHSE and Compass for Life lessons are also taught once a week during the morning sessions.  In the afternoon, children access the wider curriculum through carefully planned topics: Science, History, Geography, Art and Design Technology. Subject including PE, Computing and RE are taught discretely ensuring they follow the schools agreed syllabus.

In KS2, children pupils begin their day with either Music, MFL, PHSE or Compass for Life which provides them with an inspiring or creative start to the day.   English, Maths and Guided Reading continue to be taught in the morning sessions.  Carefully sequenced spelling, punctuation and grammar teaching is also integrated carefully into the KS2 curriculum.