Curriculum

Curriculum Principles

At Holy Trinity, we believe that our curriculum should be meaningful, stimulating and be focused on expanding the knowledge, experience and understanding of our pupils. Based on our deep understanding of our pupils needs our curriculum will contain a range of first hand experiences and trips and will be language rich. Through clear planning and teaching we will cater for a wide range of learning styles and abilities. Wherever possible we will make strong links between subjects and give children the opportunity to apply key skills from other areas.

Please see the Primary National Curriculum for more information on the statutory curriculum we follow.

English

We will provide a high quality education in English which will teach pupils to read, speak and write fluently.

Well developed reading, writing, speaking and listening skills will allow pupils to confidently communicate their ideas and allow others to communicate with them. Through this subject, and reading in particular, pupils will have the chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.

In line with our principles, teachers will design and develop their own innovative and creative lessons that both engage and meet the needs of our pupils. The National Curriculum Framework is the basis for planning our English curriculum. Whilst we do not follow any schemes directly, we use a variety of resources to supplement and enhance children's learning experiences.

More details can be found in the English and Literacy Policy, Phonics Policy and on the Children's English page.

Maths

At Holy Trinity, we believe that the study of mathematics should be rich and stimulating, engaging and fascinating learners of all ages, interests and abilities. Mathematics should be ‘real’ and meaningful; provoking questioning, reasoning and enabling children to develop problem solving skills.

We believe that that children’s mathematical skills and understanding are best developed when they engage in practical experiences involving the use of equipment and visual aids, such as number lines and fraction walls.

There is great emphasis placed on children understanding the mathematics they are working on; not simply trying to remember rules and formulas. We believe that a good knowledge of addition and subtraction facts, times tables and value of numbers is vital in order to engage in the more complex maths that follows.

Children of all ages and abilities are provided with opportunities to explore and investigate mathematical problems. They are encouraged to work with each other to devise their own methods of solving problems and taught that ‘struggling’ is a positive state; it is when the deepest thinking and learning occur.

RE

Religious Education is a core subject at Holy Trinity. Our aim is not only to offer pupils a firm grounding in the teachings, principles and practices of Christianity, but also in the major world faiths that are represented in Britain today. Through reflection on their own beliefs and values in the light of their learning, pupils will gain a greater insight into the world in which they are growing up. Teaching guides children in learning how people's lives are affected by faith and spiritual experience. Through our teaching, we aim to foster harmonious relationships within and between communities; promoting social inclusion and combating prejudice.

Science

At Holy Trinity, we want to develop in pupils: curiosity, enjoyment, skills and a growing understanding of science knowledge through an approach in which pupils raise questions and investigate the world in which they live.

Our Aims:

1. To deliver the Science Programmes of Study of the 2014 National Curriculum.
2. To promote learning through a wide variety of teaching and learning styles.
3. To develop ‘Working Scientifically’ skills through relevant practical tasks.
4. To promote positive attitudes to the learning of science.

Computing

The Holy Trinity, computing curriculum aims to provide children with the skills needed for the computer-focused world we now live in. They will have access to a range of the latest equipment, such as I Pads, green screen and cameras. We aim to make our computing lessons as interactive and cross-curricular as possible so children can see how diverse technology can be.

Although technology is moving forward, we feel it is vital that we still arm our children with the basic, fundamental skills needed in school and the wider world. We ensure they have regular word-processing lessons, especially earlier on in their school life, as this in an area less likely to be accessed outside of the classroom.

At Holy Trinity, the safety and wellbeing of our children is our greatest priority; this is just as important when online. We strive to teach our children how to stay safe in the interactive world and what to do if they see something they find strange or suspicious. E –Safety is an area we give great priority to; including looking for ways to support our parents.

The Arts

Through the teaching and learning of Art, Design and Technology, we hope to engage and inspire our children and give them chance to develop their creativity and express themselves in different ways.  Across the school, we aim to provide opportunities for the children to experience a variety of art forms and media whilst building on their existing knowledge and skills.  As part of their learning, the children are introduced to a range of people working in the world of art, design & craft and therefore appreciate it to be a valid profession that they can aspire to – increasing their awareness of the world around them and how artists and designers contribute to it.

Music

At Holy Trinity, we make music an enjoyable learning experience. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build up the confidence of all children. Singing lies at the heart of good music teaching. Our teaching focuses on developing the children's ability to sing in tune and with other people. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music. We teach them to listen to and appreciate different forms of music. As children get older, we expect them to maintain their concentration for longer, and to listen to more extended pieces of music. Children develop descriptive skills in music lessons when learning about how music can represent feelings and emotions. We teach them the disciplined skills of recognising pulse and pitch. We often teach these together. There are opportunities for children in KS1 and KS2 to learn a musical instrument. In KS1 children will learn to play the penny whistle and the keyboard in KS2.  

History and Geography

At Holy Trinity, the history and geography curriculum is designed to provide our children with an interest in the world around them.  From nursery to year 6, the humanities curriculum is deeply rooted in first hand experiences.  We believe that the children benefit greatly from a cross curricular approach so we make links with other subjects, including I.C.T. and literacy, at every possible opportunity.

Our geography curriculum aims to widen the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of places in a local, regional, national and global context whilst developing their competence in geographical skills. 

Our history curriculum aims to bring history into the classroom by using artefacts, photographs and I.C.T., to provide hands-on investigations and engaging lessons.  We believe an approach like this ignites a passion for the subject and also creates memorable experiences for the children. 

PE

We believe that Physical education and sport have a vital role to play in the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of children. Physical education and sport are important in giving children the knowledge, understanding and the tools to make informed choices about healthy living and have a positive impact on their own health and well-being. The physical education curriculum at Holy Trinity Primary School, aims to provide for pupils’ increasing self- confidence through an ability to manage themselves successfully in a variety of situations. Children will have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of sports and physical activities, carried out in a safe and supportive environment, where effort and hard-work, as well as success, is celebrated and enjoyment and working together is promoted.