"Reading is fundamental to education.  Proficiency in reading, writing and spoken language is vital for pupils' success" (DfE Reading Framework) 

Following evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation, phonics is considered to be one of the most secure and best evidenced areas of pedagogy and is the most effective approach for teaching pupils to decode and learn to read.  Our reading curriculum (including phonics) is based on developing language comprehension and decoding (word reading). 

We teach phonics using the Bug Club programme to teach phonics.  This teaches children to read through: 
- word reading (decoding) 
- spelling (encoding) 

Our phonics programme helps children to understand explicitly the correspondence between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes).  Children learn how to: 
- blend individual sounds together to read 
and  
- segment words into individual sounds for spelling 

Daily phonics sessions begin as soon as children start Reception Class at Tatsfield Primary School.  High quality class or group sessions are taught every day and smaller group or 1:1 sessions are provided for pupils who need extra support to keep up with the phonics programme. Daily phonics sessions continue to be taught in Year 1

In Year 2, phonics is taught in the Autumn term.  These sessions lead into  our CUSP spelling programme.

Where children need additional support in phonics in Year 2 and Key Stage 2, interventions are put in place to support these pupils. 

In Reception, Year 1 and some of Year 2, Children take Bug Club decodable phonics books home each week.  These home reading books are linked to the sounds children are learning in class.  It is important that children practise their reading with decodable books or texts by re-reading them a number of times.  This helps to build children's fluency in their reading. 

Children's progress in phonics is assessed on a day to day basis through the daily phonics lessons.  Children's phonics assessment is also tracked formally on a termly basis.  In Year 1, all children are assessed in the statutory Phonics Screen Check. 
 
In Early Years and Key Stage 1, children use stories and rhymes to develop vocabulary and language.  These are repeated throughout the day, week, term so that children have multiple exposures to the vocabulary and language of stories. 

As children come to the end of the phonics programme in Year 2, and in Key Stage 2, they move onto “Book Banded” reading books. These are high-quality texts which are levelled in line with PM Benchmarking colour bands.  Children are also encouraged to develop wider reading skills and read for enjoyment and pleasure.   

Bug Club Phonics Progression Chart

Bug Club Phonics - Early Years

Bug Club Phonics - Key Stage 1

At Tatsfield Primary School, we strongly promote a love of books and reading.  We provide a literature-rich curriculum, giving all children the opportunities to strive to reach their full potential as readers.  We are determined that all children can learn to read, regardless of their background, needs or abilities.   The more we read, the more ideas and skills we develop for writing.  Children who read daily are arming themselves with knowledge, understanding, skills and creativity across the curriculum and constantly building on these as they develop into confident, fluent and expressive readers. 

Reading at Home 
When reading with your child at home, choose a quiet time to read when they are not too tired. Ten to fifteen minutes each day is usually enough for a younger child.  Some children may enjoy reading independently for a longer period of time. Be positive - praise the children for self-correcting or having a go and try to encourage your child to read with expression.  Talk about the book - all talk is useful.  Children expand their language and vocabulary through reading and talking about the books they have read. 

At Tatsfield Primary School, we aim to develop children’s writing using a variety of strategies including emergent writing, shared writing, guided writing, independent writing and opportunities for extended writing. The school follows the Talk4Writing approach, providing a cohesive whole-school approach across year groups, and creating integrated English lessons where Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, Comprehension, and writing skills are taught through the study of model texts.  

We use the CUSP Spelling Programme which follows an evidence-based method of teaching children spelling concepts from Year 1 upwards. 

The children are also taught and expected to follow the school’s handwriting program to develop a fluent, cursive style by the end of Year 6.

Mathematics skills are vital for the life opportunities of our children. Our aim at Tatsfield is to teach and nurture all children to think mathematically, enabling them to reason and problem solve in a range of contexts. We want children to develop a rich mathematic vocabulary and number fluency that will best prepare them for maths in the real world.  

We follow the White Rose Maths curriculum and enhance this with a range of resources to enrich children's opportunities.  Online platforms (Mathseeds in EY and KS1 and Mathletics in KS2) allow children to practise taught topics and consolidate learning. We believe that all children can achieve excellence in mathematics and are constantly pushing to achieve this. 

Maths Curriculum Overview EY to Year 6

Addition and Subtraction Calculation Policy

Multiplication and Division Calculation Policy

The teaching of science at Tatsfield Primary School aims to develop the children’s understanding of natural phenomena including their understanding of the world and themselves. It aims to stimulate the children’s curiosity in discovering why things happen in the way they do. It teaches methods of enquiry and investigation to stimulate creative thought. Children learn to ask scientific questions and begin to appreciate the way in which science will affect the future on a personal, national and global level.  

Our school curriculum covers all the skills and knowledge set out in the National Curriculum. We are consistent with the recommendations made by Ofsted in their national Research Review Of Science (April 2021) and the DfE’s recommendations for Covid Recovery (July 2021). 

We use a variety of teaching and learning styles in science lessons. Our principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, enquiry skills and understanding.  Sometimes we do this through whole-class teaching but wherever possible we engage the children in an enquiry-based activity where they carry out a practical investigation and analyse their results. We encourage the children to ask, as well as answer, scientific questions. They have the opportunity to use a variety of data, such as statistics, graphs, pictures and photographs and they use computing in science lessons where this serves to enhance their learning. They take part in role-play and discussions and they present reports to the rest of the class. They engage in a wide variety of problem-solving activities. Throughout the school the local environment is used to develop learning, including the school grounds and the pond. 

Children also develop an understanding of the roles played by scientists in different roles including, but not limited to, doctors, engineers and astronomers throughout history. Inclusive representation of these key scientific figures is vitally important and we ensure scientists represent a diverse range of races, genders and nationalities.  

We develop children’s Cultural Capital opportunities through visits and trips. In Year 6 for example, we utilise the local area to enhance learning about evolution and inheritance by visiting Down House, the home of Charles Darwin. 

Children are interested in the world around them, and in the past. The study of history makes a valuable contribution to their understanding of life, helping to give them a sense of identity and heritage.

At Tatsfield Primary School, the children’s historical learning begins with the familiar: their own homes and homes from the past. Pre-history in the study of dinosaurs and stand-alone units such as The Great Fire of London are also covered within Key Stage One. Once pupils reach Key Stage Two, progress is largely chronological, with the story of Britain being interwoven with studies of ancient civilizations such as the Greeks, the Egyptians and the Maya.

Children are able to explore the concepts of migration, empire and civilization; gaining valuable insights into continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance.

Enrichment, in the form of theatre exchange and school visits, forms an integral part of children’s historical learning at TPS. And, alongside learning key facts and concepts, skills such as chronological understanding and the analysis and evaluation of historical evidence, are also taught.

Through history, our pupils are able to develop empathy with people from different eras and learn how to compare and contrast life during different periods of human existence.

At Tatsfield Primary School we believe that Geography should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. We aim to equip children with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deeper understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes and the formation and use of landscapes and environments.  

All children will: 

• Develop a contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes  

• Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time 

• Be competent in the geographical skills including:  

• collecting, analysing and communicating with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork  

• interpret a range of sources of geographical information (including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs) 

• communicate geographical information in a variety of ways 

At Tatsfield Primary School, we aim to create rounded individuals, capable of dealing with life in the 21st century.  Our school values mirror this aspect of the curriculum.  

We utilise the Coram Life SCARF scheme of work from EYFS to Year 6.  It is a spiral curriculum and reflects the statutory Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education.  

Topics for all year groups are grouped into 6 core themes:

• Me and my relationships
• Valuing difference
• Keeping safe
• Rights and respect
• Being my best
• Growing and changing

PSHE lessons help children grow and develop as individuals and as members of families and communities.  It helps prepare pupils with knowledge, understanding and practical skills, appropriate to their age, ability and maturity, in order to live healthy, safe, fulfilled and responsible lives.  We enable pupils to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes, and explore the complex and sometimes conflicting range of values and attitudes they encounter now and in the future.

PSHE makes a significant contribution to children and young people’s personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

We aim to develop students in this way through all aspects of school life; curriculum, extra-curricular activities, the pastoral system, assemblies, as well as themed events.

In addition to PSHE lessons, we utilise the MindUp programme to build greater emotional literacy and improve children's resilience to face challenges with optimism, strength, and compassion.  The MindUp themes are woven into subjects through a cross-curricular approach and built into assemblies.

PSHE Skills Progression

Alongside the National Curriculum aims for Physical Education (PE), we believe that PE at Tatsfield Primary School should provide opportunities for pupils to be healthy, creative, competitive, challenged and adventurous. We encourage all our children to be active, in addition to their timetabled 2 hours of PE and to apply the skills learnt in their PE lessons to their learning in the classroom.  

In our fantastic outdoor space, pupils at Tatsfield are taught a variety of sporting skills using both traditional sports (for example hockey, netball etc) and some new alternative sports (ultimate frisbee, pop lacrosse etc). Our permanent orienteering course gets used within our Outdoor Adventurous Activity (OAA) lessons. Forest School is also on our curriculum for all year groups and pupils can continue to develop their skills in this exciting environment with a specialist teacher.  

All primary schools must provide swimming and water safety lessons in either Key Stage 1 or 2. At Tatsfield, we choose to teach the children in our local public pool to learn to swim in Year 4.  

Children have the opportunity to compete in a very wide range of sports both within our own school, and against other schools in our area. Our children are often commended for their sportsmanship at tournaments.  

• Skills Progression in Athletics
• Skills Progression in Dance
• Skills Progression in Games
• Skills Progression in Gym
• Skills Progression in Outdoor Adventurous Activities 

At Key Stage 2, Modern Foreign Languages are taught to develop key linguistic skills. Our curriculum also supports children’s social development as they learn about other countries, cultures and traditions.  At Tatsfield, pupils in KS2 learn French.  

Pupils are taught how to:

• Listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
• Explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• Engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, express opinions and respond to those of others, and seek clarification and help
• Speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary and basic language/grammar structures
• Develop accurate pronunciation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words
• Present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
• Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
• Appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the chosen language
• Broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words, including through use of a dictionary
• Write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences.
• Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing
• Understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including feminine and masculine forms

French Curriculum Overview

Our art curriculum focusses on developing pupils’ creativity, imagination, and skills through a range of artistic experiences. Key strands include learning to use a variety of materials and techniques, developing drawing, painting, and sculpture skills, understanding colour, pattern, texture and space and evaluating and analysing creative works.

Pupils also learn about significant artists and how art reflects history and culture.

Our curriculum encourages self-expression and builds confidence through experimentation and reflection. 

Art & Design Curriculum Overview

Our DT curriculum aims to develop pupils’ creativity and practical skills through designing, making, and evaluating products.

Children learn about understanding and applying knowledge of materials, structures, mechanisms, textiles, and food, as well as using research to inform ideas. They  generate, develop, and communicate their ideas through sketches and models and are taught to work safely with tools and equipment. 

Evaluation of their own and others work forms an important part of the learning process. 

Design Technology Curriculum Overview

At Tatsfield Primary School, we view computing and technology as an integral part to teaching and learning. We recognise that children are constantly confronted with new technology and aim to ensure that children have a positive experience of ICT and the internet, appreciate its relevance in our society and that they see it as an essential tool for learning, communication, finding information and for controlling and understanding their environment.

Being digitally literate enables students to engage positively within the modern and future workplace, while computer science enables students to take an active part in the design, development and creation of new technologies to be used in the world in which they live.

The curriculum is sequenced to show progression throughout the year, with each year group building on knowledge and understanding to achieve the four aims in the National Curriculum:

• understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
• analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
• evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
• be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology

Within our curriculum, we teach pupils how to stay safe, how to protect themselves from harm and how to take responsibility for their own and others’ safety, in an age-appropriate way.  The safe use of social media and the internet will also be covered in other subjects where relevant.  We participate in Safer Internet Day annually, following the national theme.

At Tatsfield, Religious Education is part of a broad and balanced curriculum. All pupils receive RE in accordance with the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in Surrey Schools. View the RE syllabus here.

The main aims of the Agreed Syllabus are to enable pupils to:

• demonstrate an appreciation of the nature of religion and belief and the important contribution of religious and spiritual insights and values to the individual’s search for meaning in life, whilst acknowledging that this may also come from a non-religious perspective
• develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity, and of the other principal religions and beliefs represented in Great Britain, both through their history and their contemporary diverse expressions
• develop interest in and enthusiasm for the study of religion and beliefs and enhance their own spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
• develop the ability to make reasoned, informed and creative responses to religious and moral issues
• recognise the influence of beliefs, values and traditions on the individual, on culture and on communities throughout the world.

Religious Education contributes dynamically to pupils’ education by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs (religious and non-religious), issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. In RE they learn about and from worldviews, including Christianity and other principal religions and beliefs (including non-religious perspectives such as Humanism) in local, national and global contexts, to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions.

RE Curriculum Overview

Statement on RE and Collective Worship

Through our music curriculum, children develop listening skills, appraisal skills composition skills, performance skills and an understanding of different genres and music through history.  Children develop self-confidence, learn to express themselves creatively and develop an understanding of the interrelated dimensions of music through the curriculum progression. 

We use the Charanga scheme of music to support music teaching within the classrooms and children also have the opportunity to learn to play instruments individually through peripatetic instrumental lessons.

Music Curriculum Overview