Our Curriculum

THE CURRICULUM AT WATER LEYS

‘Working together, learning forever.’

Collaboration

Aspiration

Resilience

Enquiry

At Water Leys school we offer all children a rich and varied curriculum journey.  In all year groups, we teach the importance of learning, of knowing more, being able to do more and of remembering more.

ROCKS (Remember Our Curriculum Knowledge and Skills) are the building blocks for our curriculum. They define the key knowledge that has been carefully sequenced throughout all curriculum subjects to ensure all children make progress over time. We believe our Water Leys curriculum ensures that our children develop deeply connected curriculum knowledge that they will need for success, both now and in the future.

Our Water Leys Curriculum

For pupils in Years 1-6, our Curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and it is our ambition that we at least match the ambition set out in the National Curriculum. Where possible, we look to exceed that ambition.

In our Foundation Stage 2, our youngest pupils are taught a curriculum that at least meets and may exceed the ambition of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. In all subject curriculum areas, we have developed strong links with the National curriculum that mean that children in FS2 are well-prepared for the next stage of education (See EYFS Curriculum page.)

At Water Leys we recognise the challenge in ensuring that teachers have the most up-to-date curriculum knowledge and are confident in selecting the most effective teaching methods to ensure that all pupils make progress.  Over the few years we have reviewed our curriculum in every subject. Where we have selected published schemes, they have been carefully chosen and adapted so that they meet the needs of our children and fully support our subject leaders to develop our teachers as curriculum experts. Whilst each and every change we have made has been made with children at the heart, we have also been highly mindful of staff workload.

We believe that we have developed a curriculum that our children deserve and need that is taught by staff who have the confidence to teach it consistently and effectively.

English

At Water Leys our English curriculum includes reading, speaking and listening and writing.

Reading includes developing a love of literature, and the skills of decoding (phonics) and comprehension. From Day 1 in our FS2, our youngest children begin by being taught to read using systematic synthetic phonics. Beyond phonics, books are carefully banded so that children can continue to develop their reading in a structured way. Reading comprehension is taught in additional daily lessons so that children develop their comprehension knowledge.

Children are encouraged to develop their speaking and listening skills throughout the curriculum including English lessons and through drama.

Writing composition including grammar and punctuation is taught through the context of a class book to help enthuse our children. We carefully plan to ensure children are taught how to write for a range of purposes and audiences. Writing genre teaching supports this, although we recognise the importance of flexibility and adaptability in our writing and that many writing genres are hybrid. We use a commercial scheme to develop spelling at Water Leys.

Mathematics

Our Mathematics teaching across the school, including FS2,  is based on the White Rose scheme. We have developed the use of this scheme over the years and supplement it with a number of additional resources including ‘Flashback 4’ and ‘Times Tables Rockstars’.

Science

We use a published scheme in Science for KS1 and KS2. This was carefully chosen as it clearly identifies the essential knowledge and skills our pupils need to acquire throughout their time at Water Leys in an exciting, sequential manner.

Physical Education

We have recently purchased a new PE scheme as the basis for all PE. teaching at Water Leys. The new scheme will help to ensure that the precise knowledge our children need to learn, and our teachers need to teach, will be easily identified. The majority of PE lessons are taught by our Sports Coach, Mr Cumberworth during our teacher’s PPA sessions. In addition, Miss Emma, a professional dance instructor supports and supplements our dance teaching across the school. Pupils in Y5 and Y6 go swimming in the summer term.

History

Our History plans are carefully interlinked with our Geography planning. We developed the history curriculum using a published scheme and like all other subjects, have developed our ROCKS. We have carefully sequenced learning so that pupils are well-supported to ‘know more and remember more.’

Geography

Our Geography plans are carefully interlinked with our History planning. We developed the Geography curriculum using a published scheme and like all other subjects, have developed our ROCKS. We have carefully sequenced learning so that pupils are well-supported to ‘know more and remember more.’

Art and Design

Our Art curriculum is again based on a published scheme and we are currently developing our ROCKS together with a portfolio of art work.

Design and Technology

As with Art, we have been developing the use of a published scheme for Technology so that we can support our teachers to be subject experts in Design and Technology.

Computing

From August 2022 we will be moving from our current Computing scheme to the a new one. When we reviewed our Computing curriculum in the spring term of 2022 we felt that our Computing curriculum needed to be refreshed in order to better meet the needs of our pupils. In selecting our new scheme, a key criteria was that it needed to be one which could be developed alongside local support and expertise. For that reason, we made our final choice and  joined the local computing hub. This will ensure that we grasp the opportunities to develop a real expertise in Computing at Water Leys in 2022/23. E-safety lessons are supplemented using a range of nationally recognised resources. We focus on E-safety in every lesson, but particularly in the week before every half term so that our children are equipped to keep safe in the holidays.

Religious Education

At Water Leys Primary School, we teach RE using the 2021 Leicestershire Locally Agreed Syllabus. Whilst the units of work we have planned have been designed to teach our children a breadth of religions and worldviews, we have provided opportunities to build upon prior learning, leading to a depth of knowledge. We planned our coverage with our local context in mind, ensuring it represents the diversity of our school.

Music

At Water Leys, music is taught using a published scheme. The music curriculum is structured so that each half term there is a different whole school focus.

Modern Foreign Languages (French)

At Water Leys in KS2, we teach the children French. Our curriculum is based on a published scheme that supports teachers to become expert French teachers.

PSHE

Since August 2021, we have been using Jigsaw as our PSHE scheme. We consulted parents about our PSHE policy in the Summer of 2021 and then consulted parents regarding our Relationships and Sex Education curriculum in May 2022.

Further Information

You can find out more about our curriculum at Water Leys by checking on the individual subject's curriculum page, checking your child's class page or by arranging to meet your child's class teacher or the subject leader listed below.

At Water Leys Primary School, all teachers are responsible for providing an inclusive curriculum that is differentiated for those with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND). We have high expectations for all pupils and are committed to ensuring our curriculum complies with the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014. 

Our inclusion statement emphasises the importance of providing an inclusive learning environment for all pupils including those with SEND.

 Subject Leaders at Water Leys: