Preparatory School Curriculum Guide
EYFS to Year 6
Curriculum Overview
Key Stage 1 - Core class teaching with specialist input At the Pre-Preparatory School, Key Stage 1 begins as the children move into Year 1. Each class is taught by a class teacher who is involved in the planning and delivery of the core and foundation subjects with subject specialist teachers delivering lessons in Music, Spanish, PE, Games and Swimming. The core subjects of Maths and English are distinct subjects and taught separately in the Pre-Preparatory School, but they also often link to specific topics. Our Creative Curriculum topics are linked to History, Geography, Art, Design and Technology, ICT and, where appropriate, Science. Key skills are taught within each topic theme. Children also benefit on a weekly basis from Spanish, Music, Games and PE, Swimming, RE and PSHEE (Personal, Social, Health & Economic Education) and Library time. Key Stage 2 - Years 3 to 6 at the Prep School Our Preparatory School curriculum is strong, clear and progressive, recognising the uniqueness of each child and designed to inspire a love of learning. Our specialist, highly trained teachers use the curriculum framework to excite, challenge and engage, seeking out individual talents. We also recognise that different children learn in different ways and so we use a range of teaching methods to bring out the best in everyone. We have high expectations of our Preparatory School children; we want them to move on to our Senior School at age 11 with a wealth of knowledge, learning skills and qualities to tackle not just the next stage in education, but also life itself. Our broad, balanced and purposeful curriculum encourages: Development of life skills: curiosity, self-motivation, self-respect, discernment, resilience, tolerance and empathy Imagination, design and expression; developing flexible, adaptable and creative individuals Individual thinking skills; fostering confidence, the ability to assimilate, reason and solve problems The curriculum incorporates English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Design Technology, Art, Music, French, Spanish, ICT, Games, PE, RE, Drama and PSHE, with timetabled orchestra lessons for Years 5 and 6. We prepare children for the SAT examinations and scholarship assessments, as well as offering strong learning support and a Gifted and Talented Programme.
At Lincoln Minster School we put our pupils first, seeking to ensure that their talents and abilities are nurtured and encouraged to flourish in an environment of support and appreciation. This approach is demonstrated throughout every age range, with a curriculum designed to build the strong foundations for success in both academic and personal development. Early Years Foundation Stage - The start of your child’s learning journey Learning at Lincoln Minster School is fun, exciting and inviting, with all children learning through playing and by doing. We offer a broad curriculum linked through topics to provide opportunities for the children to extend experiences and further their learning and knowledge. Art, Drama, Music and Sport are key parts of the experience. Above all, in every area we encourage independence, thinking and investigating, enquiring minds, imagination, creativity, self-confidence and communication. We treat every child as an individual and believe that happy children are learning children. We use the Development Matters Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage, but we believe in a flexible approach – especially if that means taking a break to play in the first snow of the year or to admire a rainbow! The four key themes of the EYFS underpin all that we do:
A Unique Child Positive Relationships Enabling Environments Learning and Development
Year 3 Painting and Egyptian art Greek design and architecture Viking art and design Year 4 Watercolours Drawing and shading Repeating Roman patterns Roman clay tile Japanese art Silk painting
Computing is taught both as discreet skills-based lessons and integrated into other curricular areas as necessary. In Years 1 to 3 and Year 6 there is currently one dedicated period per week and in Year 4 and 5, two periods. We aim to ensure that by the end of Year 6, the children have knowledge and skills in as many areas of the subject as they can. They are taught using software that is relevant to life, not only in school, but beyond as well. The subject is constantly evolving and we respond to what the children have access to and the skills they will need.
Key Stage 2
Year 1 Food glorious food Scarecrow pictures, collage, weaving, sunflowers, Kandinsky If you go down to the woods Emily Carr tree paintings, observational drawings A knight in shining armour Paul Klee, castle and sun oil pastels, designing shields Splish! Splash! Splosh! Seascapes, porthole collages, sculptured sea creatures, using junk/found materials Year 2 Early Man Self-portraits, cave art, Stone Age jewellery, Harvest art Toy Story Creating shoe dolls, Christmas calendars & Christmas crafts China Chinese lanterns, fans, calligraphy, Chinese plates or vases Significant People Becoming familiar with the work of different artists & learning their techniques
Key Stage 1
Computing
Year 5 Complex searches Game creation Making digital music Graphical modelling Spreadsheets Animation Year 6 Website design Game creation and debugging Eco research Digital video creation
The Art Department at Lincoln Minster School strives to provide pupils with opportunities to be creative and develop practical skills. Through undertaking projects in a range of mediums, experiences and starting points, it is hoped that pupils will be empowered to take more responsibility of, and be enthused in, their own learning. With the guidance from skilled practitioners, it is hoped that Art will be a source of pleasure for all pupils who will, consequently, become increasingly confident in their own abilities. Art forms a key part of the EYFS experience as pupils engage in creative projects which are often topic related. The curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 is as follows:
Year 5 Single point perspective Silk screen printing Watercolours Digital posters Year 6 William Morris & Victorian art Lino cutting Independent World art study
Art
Year 1 Basic keyboard skills Technology at home, giving instructions Drawing and painting Directions Text and pictures Sorting information Year 2 Basic programming Creating pictures, basic algorithms using programmable toys, Communication and technology Animation, adding text to photographs, basic graphing software Searching and storing information Using and Creating databases
Year 3 Touch typing Combining text and graphics Algorithm and simple LOGO Coding and introduction to Scratch Manipulating sound Creating digital art Year 4 Touch typing and repeating patterns Simple Powerpoint LOGO Scratch coding Newspapers Branching databases
Drama
We believe that the Performing Arts can help individuals to build in confidence and character; from Shakespeare to Nativities, school plays to smaller performance pieces, our pupils are eager to express themselves. We also offer the LAMDA Programme and pupils from as young as Year 1 are regularly entered for examination in Verse and Prose, Acting and Devised Performance. Co-curricular drama clubs are also available from Year 1.
Year 3 Investigating levers Make a shadoof Greek design Making temples Viking art and design Viking longhouses Year 4 Cams and moving animals
Year 5 Developing skills Cutting timber, drilling and putting together an electric circuit for movement Electric Cars Year 6 Acrobats Victorian toys
Year 1 Food glorious food Construct a class scarecrow, make bread and sandwiches, construct a favourite food plate If you go down to the woods Christmas card, sewing on felt A knight in shining armour Design and make a castle Splish! Splash! Splosh! Make a pirate with moving parts Year 2 Early Man Build a shelter, create some stone-age tools Toy Story Research wheels and axles, create toys China Investigate, design and make: Chinese New Year project Significant People Food technology
Design Technology is a subject that transforms; pupils learn about designing solutions to improve people’s lives. They are able to make better decisions and understand more about the impact of products on the world. Pupils enjoy a variety of techniques under a number of topics:
Design & Technology
At Lincoln Minster Preparatory School, we believe that every child should enjoy language and literature in all its forms. English is delivered through a wide range of exciting and interactive activities enabling the children to progress in reading, writing, spelling, punctuation, grammar and handwriting. During English lessons, children’s skills are developed by exploring a wide range of literature. Writing is often linked with texts being read and examples of excellent writing are considered in depth. The children are allowed to develop their creativity through fiction, poetry and drama coupled with the learning of spelling rules and patterns and grammatical correctness.
Year 3 Farming in Lincolnshire / Walk like an Egyptian All about me posters, similes and metaphors, stories with familiar settings, poetry, comprehension, story characters, instructions The Mayans / Saving the Rainforest Calligrams / shape poems, persuasive writing, past and present tenses, expanded sentences, non-fiction, comprehension, story writing How to train a Viking Postcards from York, adventure stories, play scripts, poetry, comprehension Year 4 Magic and mystery of India Stories from other cultures: India - exploring a wide range of Indian myths and discovering the common elements. Poetry: Symbolism Persuasive writing: adverts, estate agent details, letters Playscript: Nativity Dig deep Stories set in imaginary worlds: Harry Potter to explore setting, characters and atmosphere, triggers used to reach imaginary worlds Explanatory texts: non-fiction work Using the text 'Across the Roman Wall' to explore tension, metaphors and speech. The nature of life Non-fiction: recounts, newspapers, Newlands, recounts of Newlands, stories in historical settings Poetry: creating images, exploring form
Children take SATs tests at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. During the year, spelling and reading tests are undertaken and writing is regularly assessed.
English
Year 1 Food glorious food Story in a familiar setting, The Scarecrow's Hat, making scarecrows, instructions and captions, cafe labels, poetry: Sam's Sandwich, instructions: making bread and sandwiches If you go down to the woods Traditional tales, The Jolly Postman, letters of complaint and apology, advertisements for witches and wizards, Cinderella and prince diaries, re-telling stories A knight in shining armour Banquet menu, recipes, riddles, castle adventure, poster advertising jousting, instructions: how to become a knight Splish! Splash! Splosh! Poetry: haiku - Commotion in the Ocean, pirate wanted poster, pirate adventure, sea creature passport, playscript Year 2 Early Man Stone Age non-fiction texts - create fact files and posters. Stone Age fictional texts - creative writing. Instructional texts - How to wash a woolly mammoth. Toy Story Information and explanation texts - Victorian homes and toys. Fictional writing - Plan and write Toy Stories. Winter poetry. China Research. Writing scripts for news reports. Traditional Chinese Tales. Significant People Study the work of significant authors. Compare and contrast texts. Write in the style of a specific author.
Each week at the preparatory school children are engaged in: 8 lessons of English (double and single sessions) A weekly spelling lesson Independent reading and teacher focused guided reading sessions Focused grammar and punctuation sessions Handwriting Speaking and Listening opportunities These cover the range of writing styles and text genres including the full range of narrative texts, poetry and a cross-section of non-fiction genres. Our lessons are highly engaging and designed to foster a love of text that really inspires our learners.
Year 5 An eye on London Significant authors: Dahl, Tolkien Poetry Imagery: exploring characters and settings Classic poetry, The Highwayman, persuasive writing In the extreme Fables: Aesop's Fables, Myths Legends: Robin Hood Performance poetry: Micheal Rosen, Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll Performing and creating further verses of popular verse. Exploring syllables and rhyme scheme, recounts Into the unknown Narrative: Older literature, persuasion, film narrative Dramatic convention Year 6 Eureka! Shakespeare Narrative short stories: investigating genres Discussion: balanced arguments / cohesion Narrative: descriptive character, atmosphere, time shifts We'll meet again Report writing, fiction genres, biography, autobiography Our global village Discussion, journalistic writing, Poetry: form and structure, poetry performance Vive la France! SATs preparation, narrative quests, non-fiction brochure design Transition unit: Father and Daughter
Year 3 History of Lincolnshire, Ancient Egypt, the Mayans, the life of a Viking Year 4 Celts, Romans, Anglo Saxons
Year 3 What's on the menu? Farming in Lincolnshire Egypt The Mayans Saving the world Rainforests How to train a Viking The life of a Viking,Viking settlements, OS maps Year 4 Silk, Saris and Spice Dig deep Terrific transport The nature of life Water world
Geography is taught as part of our creative curriculum approach to teaching and learning. The range of topics covered encompass all aspects of the Geography National Curriculum and is both skills and knowledge based.
Year 5 The Tudors, Mayan civilisation, exploration: from Tudors to modern day Year 6 Crime and punishment, WW2: home front and Battle of Britain, science, innovation and discovery in the Victorian era, the Titanic, class system and equality
In Key Stage 1, Geography and History are often closely linked and are sometimes taught alongside each other. For example, in Year 1 as part of their ‘Splish! Splash! Splosh!’ topic, a coastal study is undertaken with fieldwork experiences on Lincolnshire’s coastline. Victorian seaside holidays are also considered as part of this integrated style of learning.
In Key Stage 2, Geography is taught as a lesson in its own right, however links with other subjects are made when appropriate. Practical, hands-on and interactive lessons are taught ensuring all learners are able to access the experiences available. More able learners are extended and challenged; lessons are carefully tailored to suit the variety of needs and interests that each child brings. Skills such as map reading and atlas work, scale and direction are taught and ICT is integrated into all aspects wherever possible.
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History
Year 1 Food glorious food Farming, where does our food come from? If you go down to the woods Mapping A knight in shining armour Where are castles built? Splish! Splash! Splosh! Oceans, seaside features Year 2 Early Man Stone age homes and settlements Toy Story Victorian homes and settlements China China Significant People Explorers
Geography
Year 1 Farming in the past, changes in living memory, castles: Lincoln and Tattershall, famous pirates: Henry Morgan and Anne Bonny Year 2 Early man, lives of Victorian children, Ancient China, explorers
History is an integral part of our creative curriculum approach to learning. We have recently adapted our topics to embrace the new National Curriculum requirements but we also go above and beyond it. We want our pupils to have as broad a range of not only our country’s history but also that of the wider world. In Key Stage 1, History and Geography provide the framework for a variety of topic based learning. For example, in the Year 2 topic ‘In the Beginning’ the children learn about the Big Bang and Volcanoes but also study Stone Age Man and the evidence for their existence. This includes a visit to Sherwood Pines, putting the knowledge and skills based learning to practise building shelters and foraging. In Key Stage 2, History is taught as an individual lesson but still very much linked to our cross-curricular topics. History takes the lead in Year 4 when the children study the Romans in ‘Dig Deep’. This includes visits to The Collection Museum and a local area walk following the Roman Detective Trail in Lincoln. In Year 5 pupils keep ‘An Eye on London’ learning about the Tudors and Stuarts. Inclusive in this topic is a 4 day residential trip to London including visits to The Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament. Finally in Year 6 the children don their evacuee labels and embrace World War II in our theme of ‘We’ll Meet Again’. In addition children cover a breadth of study from The Egyptians, to Vikings, to Victorians. We want our children to understand the historical facts but also to have the skills needed for research, learning how to read and interpret a variety of sources and to make judgements on the events of the past which will help them to inform their future.
Year 5 An eye on London Go with the flow In the extreme Active planet Where in the World? Year 6 Eureka! Coasts We'll meet again Local study: Lincoln and Lincolnshire Vive La France!
Year 3 (Spanish) Greetings, numbers, classroom language, Arabic lesson, read a story about Ancient Greece, Spanish speaking countries, Easter in other cultures, healthy eating Year 3 (French) Parts of the body, clothing, role play: Le Petit Chaperon rouge, classroom objects
Year 5 (Spanish) Buildings in London, Madrid, time, Tower of London, Hola, Peru, places in town, asking for and giving directions, weather Year 5 (French) Buildings in Paris, the water cycle, Reunion Island Project: French speaking islands around the world, places in town, asking for and giving directions, weather
Year 6 (Spanish) Expressing likes and dislikes, colours and Picasso, opinions, Spanish Civil War, school life, higher numbers, food, personal information, asking and answering questions Year 6 (French) Penfriends' letters, giving opinions and justifications of opinions, French Revolution, cinematic studies of 'Les Choristes', personal information, asking and answering questions
Year 4 (Spanish) Fruits and colours, likes and dislikes, animals and how to make nouns plural, numbers, dates, family, activities and hobbies, homes, habitats, alphabet and phonics Year 4 (French) Pets and colours, days of the week, months and festivals, numbers, important dates in France, family and activities, home
Languages
Pupils start to learn Spanish in Explorers at the age of 4, continuing all the way through Preparatory in readiness for senior schooling. Our philosophy is to provide the children with fun, lively lessons where they can learn in a positive and enthusiastic environment. We strongly believe that if the lessons are fun, the children will learn and make progress. In Pre-Preparatory the emphasis is on speaking, playing games, singing songs and reading short simple stories. From Year 3 onwards in the Preparatory School, children start to learn French. Pupils are given opportunities to listen to authentic native speakers and develop both their conversational and writing skills. In Year 6, pupils enjoy a trip to either France or Spain to put their skills to use.
Year 1 (Spanish) Greetings, numbers up to 20, fruit and food, expressing likes and dislikes, Christmas and Easter celebrations, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, phonics (ca/ce/ci/co/cu and l), seaside Year 2 (Spanish) Locate Spain, numbers 1-30, parts of the body, New Year and Easter Celebrations, Spanish story about China, zoo animals, Mexican toys and rhymes, a Spanish explorer
Mathematics
Year 3 Where in the world 2 and 3 digit numbers: addition, subtraction, times tables and related division, doubling, halving, calendar Time: analogue and digital Fractions, money, measure Inventors Multiples, multiplication, division without remainders, bar charts, pictograms, weight, addition, subtraction, fractions, angles, 2D shape, perimeter, time: nearest minute, analogue and digital , times tables How to train a Viking Times tables, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, perimeter, horizontal, vertical, perpendicular, parallel & diagonal lines, angles and symmetry in 2D shapes, time: 24 hour Year 4 Magic & mystery of India Times tables, 4 rules of number, fractions, 4 digit numbers, time, mm, cm, metres, decimals, weight, bar charts, capacity,rounding Dig deep 3 & 4 digit numbers, 4 rules, fractions, angles, parallel & perpendicular, 2D shapes, line symmetry, decimals, 24 hour time, perimeter It's a wonderful life 5 digit numbers, negative numbers, times tables, area & perimeter, 2D & 3D shapes, factors, scaling, co-ordinates, bar charts, pictograms, line charts, multiplying & dividing
We want all children to have a love of maths and to believe that they can do it at every level. We teach a skill based curriculum which is enhanced by investigations so that the children can use their skills and apply them to real life situations.
Each week the children at the Preparatory school are engaged in: Double and single lessons A targeted focus on times tables to 12 x 12 using Times Tables Rockstars to support this Independent, paired and group activities Weekly arithmetic homework to support learning in the classroom A variety of practical resources to support and extend learning A focus on pictorial, abstract and concrete learning Children cover a variety of topics including and not limited to number, shape and space, measures, statistics and problem solving. Lessons are highly engaging and designed to foster a love of mathematics, we aim to inspire our learnings and want every child to believe that they can do maths.
Year 5 Number Written and mental methods, 7 digit numbers, decimal values, factors, multiples, primes, cube and squares numbers, square roots to the nearest 10, 100, 1000, whole number, tenth and hundredth, multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000, negative numbers, percentages, Roman Numerals Fraction Multiplying, adding and subtracting, comparing, equivalent, simplifying, finding fractions of amounts and quantities, mixed numbers and improper fractions, multiplying fractions by whole numbers Measures 12H and 24H time, using timetables, finding time intervals, converting between smaller and larger units for measures, mass and capacity, angles (acute, obtuse, right and reflex – drawing and measuring to the nearest degree) angles at a point and in a straight line Shape Circles (radius, circumference, measuring and drawing) properties of triangles and regular polygons, regular and irregular shapes, area and perimeter of regular and irregular shapes, finding missing values, co-ordinates in the first and second quadrant, translations and reflections, 3D shapes and their nets Statistics Line graphs – drawing and interpreting Year 6 Number 4 operations, numbers beyond millions, multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 & 1000, rounding, percentages, decimals, estimating, BODMAS, factors, multiples, prime numbers, ratio, Algebra (using simple formulae) Measures Converting between smaller and larger units (g/kg, l/ml etc), 24h time, time intervals, Roman Numerals, area and perimeter (using formulas) area of triangles, volume, compare and classify 2D shapes, find missing angles, translations, reflections Fractions Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, equivalent, simplifying, fractions of amounts Statistics Mean, pie charts, line graphs. problem solving Preparation for SATs
Year 1 Food glorious food Symmetry of autumn leaves, problem solving, Bobby's Beanstalk, lay a little egg for me, If you go down to the woods Direction and position, length and height, problem solving: Help me!, directions fairytales A knight in shining armour Measurement, 3D shapes, problem solving: Beware of the crocodiles, King Lazybones, spooky sequences Splish! Splash! Splosh! Weight, co-ordinates, problem solving: Beebot Pirate Puzzle, Captain Moneybags, Mermaid Molly Year 2 Early Man Number and place value, mental addition and subtraction, problem solving and reasoning: compare numbers using < and >, properties of 2D shape, symmetry Toy Story Number and places value, mental addition & subtraction, problem solving and reasoning, position and direction, measuring length, 2, 5 and 10 x tables China Rounding numbers to the nearest 10, mental addition and subtraction, problem solving and reasoning, properties of 3D shape, tell the time to the nearest 1/4 hour, fractions, multiplication arrays, statistics, pictograms, money Significant People Number and place value: 2 and 3 digit numbers, mental addition & subtraction, money problem solving, multiplication 2, 3, 5 and 10 x tables, statistics: block graphs, measure weight, length & time
Lincoln Minster School has an outstanding reputation for music – not just in the Senior School but right from the start in Pre-Preparatory, where the foundations are enthusiastically laid for a lifelong love of music. All our children have the chance to learn an instrument at school from Year 1 and there are a wide range of co-curricular opportunities on offer.
Year 3 Singing Rehearse and perform in concerts and productions. Rhythm Most lessons begin with rhythm based exercises, exploring a variety of rhythmic styles. Recorders and Tuned Percussion Develop notation skills further and participate in class performance pieces. Appraising To use musical vocabulary to describe music listened to and produced. Year 4 Singing Rehearse and perform in concerts and productions. Rhythm Exercises developed with an exploration of World Wide Rhythms. Keyboard and Tuned Percussion To continue to develop notation skills with the addition of basic keyboard skills and composition. Appraising To use musical vocabulary to describe music listened to and produced.
Year 1 Singing Rehearse and perform in concerts and productions. An exploration of sounds and timbres Through listening to a wide variety of music and embarking on rhythmical exercises playing classroom percussion instruments. Recorders To begin to recognise music notation and learn to play a class recorder piece. Year 2 Singing Rehearse and perform in concerts and productions. Percussion A variety of rhythm based work using tuned and untuned percussion instruments. Recorders Develop notation skills and participate in class performances pieces. Appraising To listen to a wide variety of music and begin to use musical vocabulary to describe music.
Music
Year 5 & Year 6 Participate in a number of musical activities Using the Senior Site music department. These include vocal workshops, different types of percussion workshops and recorder workshops. Rehearse and perform Within Prep Orchestra (if you have music instrumental lessons). In addition to this, Year 5 & 6 pupils have a classroom music lesson each week where they explore different musical genres through listening, appraising, composing and performing.
Key Stage 1 Gymnastics Dance Hockey Netball Ball Skills Football Tennis Striking and Fielding Athletics Basketball Key Stage 2 Gymnastics Dance Basketball Ball Skills Athletics Tennis Hockey Rugby Netball Football Rounders Cricket Volleyball Badminton
Year 5 Properties of Materials, Earth and Space, Forces, Living things and their habitats: life cycles, animals: reproduction Year 6 Circulatory system, circuits, adaptions and classification, light, inventions
Sport
Year 3 Rocks and soils, light and shadow, forces and magnetism, animals and humans: muscles and bones, healthy living Year 4 States of Matter, sound, electricity, animals and humans: digestive system, living things and their habitats
Year 1 Seasonal changes, working like a scientist, failing investigations and changes, light and dark, sound, materials, forces, floating and sinking, plants and animals. Year 2 All living things and their habitat, animals and humans, materials and their uses, plants and growth, movement
Through Years 3 to 6, the children develop the skills they gained in KS1, investigate new scientific areas and work in more depth on previous areas. They will be conducting more detailed experiments and fair tests, working much more independently, using more subject specific vocabulary and writing extended pieces of work.
Through Key Stage 1, the children start to look at the world around them. Through discussions and investigations, they start to build their skills on questioning, using observations to answer questions, performing simple tests, identifying and classifying and gathering various forms of data.
Sport plays a key role in developing life skills. Teamwork, communication, testing ourselves to the limit, maintaining concentration and stamina are all important. It is also essential in keeping young bodies fit and healthy as they grow. The skills developed at an early age can provide each individual with the ability to stay fit and healthy throughout life. We firmly believe that sport is for everyone and aim to ensure that children of all abilities and aptitudes have a positive experience and learn to appreciate the enjoyment and benefits to be gained from physical activity. Pupils begin competing in fixtures from Year 3 onwards and our Preparatory School has enjoyed a consistent record of success in cross-country, netball, hockey and rugby.
Science
Co-curricular Activities
The school believes that religious education should provide a contemporary study of religion, preparing children for later life. The school bears in mind that the British Isles is a multi-cultural nation which has Christianity as the main religion of the indigenous population. As a result, Christianity will receive the appropriate weighting within the religious education curriculum. Due consideration within this framework will be given to other faiths. Respect, tolerance and understanding for the beliefs of others will be promoted as part of our programme.
Key Stage 1 Learning about the place of religion and belief in their local community Recognising diversity and the influence of those religions and worldviews, and exploring questions about the meaning, purpose and value of life Learning about key features of Christianity (Selected from key beliefs, teaching and values behind celebrations and commemorations, patterns of worship, places of worship, and stories). Exploring their significance for Christians Learning about key features of at least one other religion or non religious worldview, Exploring their significance for followers of that religion or worldview Key Stage 2 Learning about the nature of religion and belief Exploring questions about the nature, truth, meaning and value of religion and belief Learning about Christianity Focusing on the way in which beliefs, practices and ways of life link together, recognising diversity of interpretation Learning about at least two other religions and/or worldviews Focusing on the way in which beliefs, practices and ways of life link together, recognising diversity of interpretation
The Learning Support department is a vital part of the Preparatory School. It provides support and assistance to children challenged with learning difficulties or those that require additional guidance outside of the classroom. The department is split over two sites with a Preparatory School SENCO managing and coordinating support for Key Stages 1 and 2 and a specialist EYFS SENCO for Early Years and Reception. The department houses specialist teaching classrooms on both sites and offers 1-2-1 /small group support or use of well researched technology interventions to cater for very specific needs. All department staff work closely with Subject Heads and Form Tutors to support individual needs. The department draws on external specialist support which is delivered in school including speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. Referrals to the department can be made by teachers, parents or by a child. The department will assess and screen individual needs, coordinate an individual education plan, monitor progress and review outcomes each term. Parents are regularly informed of progress by email, telephone, termly reports or face to face meetings.
Curriculum Support
Religious Studies
It's said that 'a busy child is a happy child’ and so, it is our belief that there should be plenty of opportunities for your child to take part in as many activities as possible. Our extra-curricular activities programme provides children with a wealth of opportunities to pursue their interests or try something new. We aim to help children increase their confidence and self-belief, while cultivating new abilities which may develop into lifelong skills and interests and which encourage them to take on new challenges. Clubs and activities will take place mainly after school but there will be some pre-school and lunchtime rehearsals and practices. The majority of clubs are free of charge but some do incur an extra payment.
Pupils receive a phonics resource pack; phase mats in these will show the phonemes that pupils will be taught, as well as ones they have learned previously. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound you can hear within a word, e.g. 'cat' can be split into three phonemes c-a-t. There are 44 phonemes in the English Language . During Phonics lessons the children learn how to recognise all of these, and how to segment words into their phonemes and blend them back together in order to successfully read. Segmenting words into phonemes also helps children to begin to spell words both phonetically and accurately.
PSHEE
Phonics
Library
Our Preparatory School boasts a lively, welcoming and well resourced school library; there is a clear link between the quality of a school's library and the general well-being of the pupils and their literacy levels. The library contents is designed to promote equality, diversity and inclusion amongst the children, creating confident, enthusiastic readers who are engaged in learning. It is an effective shared resource and a space for learning and literacy development within the school.
PSHEE education in our school curriculum is defined as a programme of learning through which children acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. Our PSHEE curriculum encourages our pupils to become healthy, independent and responsible in life and develop the qualities and attributes they need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. We embed our values through our LMS CODE. Due to its cross-curricular nature, PSHEE plays a crucial role within all aspects of school life and is taught across the whole curriculum; it is based on the three core themes: 1. Health and Wellbeing. 2. Relationships. 3. Living in the Wider World British values are actively promoted throughout the school and embedded within the PSHE curriculum to ensure pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are encouraged to respect the fundamental British values of: • Democracy – actively promoted through the School Council • Rule of law – actively promoted through our class rules and the rules within our school community • Individual liberty – actively promoted through rights and responsibilities • Mutual respect – actively promoted through the School’s Aims and LMS CODE • Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs – actively promoted through the RE curriculum, assemblies and cultural events The pupils are actively encouraged to play a positive role in contributing to the life of the school and the wider community through their involvement with the School Council, the Charity Committee and the various roles and responsibilities.
Outdoor Learning
Outdoor Learning is an integral part of our curriculum, not only being incorporated into all areas of learning, but having a dedicated session that focuses on a wide range of important life skills each week. From Nursery to Year 2, our pupils are fully equipped to embrace outdoor activities regardless of the weather. In our designated outdoor learning area, children have the opportunity to practise and utilise forest skills, build dens, weave with natural materials, toast different foods on the fire pit, get creative with the mud kitchen and so much more. Through exploration, taking risks, problem solving, mindfulness, communication, critical thinking and team work, pupils fully immerse themselves in the natural environment. This gives them the opportunity to flourish personally, socially and emotionally, as well as fostering a love of learning that supports academic progress too. We have strong links with the 'Muddy Puddle Teacher' brand, are embracing the '150 hours outside ' initiative and have achieved Platinum Green Tree School Award.
Church Lane, Lincoln LN2 1QR +44 (0)1522 243033 | lincolnminsterschool.co.uk