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Learning

Curriculum

Curriculum Design

 Our curriculum is designed to develop children’s character, intellect and curiosity. We have high aspirations for our children and aim to offer them a broad, challenging and engaging curriculum.

By the time children leave our school they will:

  • Be kind, confident, well-mannered, thoughtful members of society who embody our Christian values.
  • Speak confidently and in Standard English, with a broad range of vocabulary, in formal situations, for example children should be able to argue a point and greet a visitor .
  • Have knowledge of a core set of books and poetry that they can make links to and draw upon.
  • Have a broad general knowledge and understanding of the world for example of historical facts, geographical sense of place and religions.
  • Understand the cultural and historical influences that have shaped this area of London.
  • Be ambitious for their futures, expecting that he or she can follow career paths that take them onto higher education such as university or an apprenticeship.
  • Enjoy and appreciate the arts and be able to participate in performances, for example music, poetry, dance and drama.
  • Understand their body, how to keep it healthy and enjoy participating in sporting activities.
  • Have healthy relationships with an age-appropriate understanding of sex education.
  • Be able to keep themselves safe (both online and on the streets) and know how to avoid confrontation and resolve disputes peacefully through restorative approaches.
  • Have a love of learning and self-efficacy around studying.
  • Be passionate about looking after our world and take active responsibility for making a difference in our world.
  • Understand and value the concepts of Global Human Values and contribute positively to our community.
  • Respect each other regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, culture, gender, disability and wealth.
  • Be courageous advocates for the causes they believe in.
  • Be anti-racist and call out injustice.

What we know about how children learn

  • Learning is defined as a change in long term memory.
  • Our working memory is limited so it can become easily overloaded with too much new information.
  • The more that is secured in our long-term memory the more we are able to think, because we free short-term working memory.
  • Repetition is key to ensuring learning is not forgotten – we must be able to recall information the next week, month, term and year.
  • Children need to achieve success but some level of difficulty, which forces children to think, helps with embedding information and knowledge in our memory. (Our brain rewards us with dopamine when we successfully meet a challenge.)
  • People love stories, problem solving and making links.
  • It is no good learning a series of facts out of context. We must combine facts to create knowledge and in turn apply this to create deep learning.
  • Cultural capital is important to prepare children for future success.

The implications for planning our curriculum

  • Our curriculum will be underpinned by our key drivers which are:
    • Our Christian values
    • The arts
    • Caring for the environment
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • We will plan a very broad curriculum which continually revisits key concepts.
  • We will ensure there is representation of the nine protected characteristics; diversity of voice and narratives from many perspectives; opportunities to interrupt inequalities. We will be mindful that what we choose to teach confers or denies power.
  • The more knowledge of the world children have, the more likely they are to have the procedural and semantic understanding they need.
  • Cultural capital gives our students the vital background knowledge they need to be thoughtful members of our community who understand and believe in our school values and Global Human Values. As a result we will:
    • plan to teach new tier 2 and 3 words each year – these will be planned in consultation with subject leaders.
    • ensure there is a set of texts which are carefully selected (for their vocabulary, range of subjects, enrichment) which all children will have an entitlement to during their time at school.
    • regularly review our curriculum to ensure that it is reflective of the communities we teach and includes a diversity of knowledge.
    • continue to “diversify” the curriculum as we develop our own knowledge and pedagogy.
    • ensure our history curriculum tells the histories of stories of a diverse range of people and cultures.
  • Tying our curriculum together are the concepts which are the key ideas in each subject area eg in history the concepts include chronology and sources of evidence.
  • Within the concepts there will be progression models with milestones along the way (milestone 1 is KS1, milestone 2 is LKS2, milestone 3 is UKS2). Within each key stage there will be learning at a basic, advancing and deep level. The goal being to reach a deep understanding by the end of the milestone (over a two year period, in the first year the teaching is likely to be more basic).
  • We won’t rush through the curriculum. We will secure the basic learning and go over this in a variety of ways (through variation as we do in mathematics).
  • Knowledge organisers will enhance learning in some subjects (geography, history, science). They are are informed by the National Curriculum programmes of study and help link each topic and threshold concept to previously studied topics. In addition, knowledge organisers often include key vocabulary, significant people and events. Alongside these organisers we’ll plan a series of knowledge lessons.
  • In order to aid learning and ensure there is a change to long term memory, our curriculum is subject specific and planned so there are frequent opportunities to revisit key curricular goals in a variety of ways.
  • We will link subject work to studies of the local area, such as Holland Park, Meanwhile Gardens, Queens Park or Kensal Cemetery. Topic links will only be made between subjects where they are relevant and not contrived.
  • Opportunities to recall knowledge will be aided through frequent low-stakes quizzes such as 10 daily questions, question quadrants and quick fire questions (the 3 Qs).
  • Because it’s impossible to assess children’s learning in the short term we look at how well children are learning over time. We will use POL (proof of learning) tasks to check learning over time.
  • We acknowledge that ‘Wow’ moments are memorable but do not in themselves lead to understanding of concepts. However they are useful in hooking in children’s enthusiasm for learning.
  • Trips and visitors are important and must have educational relevance and enable children to gain cultural capital. We will make use of the rich educational resources in London e.g. The Natural History Museum, V&A, Tate, Hyde Park and local community resources.
  • We know that working towards meaningful outcomes gives a context that creates opportunities for deep learning.
  • We acknowledge that creating our curriculum will always be a work in progress and it will need regular review and updates as new research is published and our knowledge develops.

Enacting the curriculum

How is our curriculum organised and what will children experience?

  • Our curriculum is broad and balanced. Importance is placed on all subjects and time is allocated for each subject on a weekly basis (we do not “block” subjects with the exception of Design Technology).
  • Our curriculum is diverse and provides opportunities for children to learn about different times, places, people and cultures each year.
  • Our curriculum is driven by our values and mission statements.
  • Effective teaching of speaking and listening underpins everything we do and is embedded across all subjects.

To find out more about our curriculum please click on the subject links below.

English

Reading

The overview below outlines the school’s approach to reading including its over-arching aims, how it implements strategies to move towards those aims and and what that will look like in children.

Reading Overview

Reading is an important part of daily life at our school and children are encouraged to read from a young age. Children begin to develop a love of books from entry into Nursery; this is also where we begin our delivery of phonics and children start to be introduced to Monster Phonics: the scheme the school uses to teach systematic synthetic phonics (along with learning phonics through environmental sounds). When children move into Reception, daily synthetic phonics teaching becomes part of the delivered curriculum and Monster Phonics is used on a daily basis. Children take books home that are aligned to the sounds they have learnt at school. This is also linked to the school reading programme which follows children until they reach free reader status. After a phonics input, children are given the opportunity to apply their learning. In Year 2, the transition is made to whole class texts in guided reading. Children are also encouraged to always have a second book they are reading for pleasure, a book they select from the school library or one that a teacher has recommended for them.

Book Banding

All children will move through the banded books scheme we employ at the school. This incorporates Monster Phonics followed by books that are banded into colours. Teachers will assess when children are ready to move to a new coloured book band. The document outlines the expectations of children’s reading ability and comprehension when they are reading within a certain band and makes it clear what needs to be seen before a child is moved onto the next stage. Once completed, children will become free readers although teachers will still monitor reading habits including genre choices and content.

Book Bands
Recommended Reading List 

The recommended reading list gives ideas on the kinds of books children may enjoy reading and are pitched at their age group. All books on the list are well known to Princess Frederica and are recommended as suitable for the age-groups outlined on the attached documents. ​

Nursery Reading List Reception Reading List Year 1 Reading List Year 2 Reading List Year 3 Reading List Year 4 Reading List Year 5 Reading List Year 6 Reading List

Writing

Writing is taught at Princess Frederica with an emphasis on the use of quality texts to inspire writing of the highest quality. ​You will find more information on how the school teaches writing by clicking on the writing outline document below.

Writing Overview
Writing Grid

The document below gives an overview of what key texts are used and when they are used in each year group. It also links the key text to the genre.

Writing curriculum map

Spellings

The document below is a parent workshop on how we teach spelling at Princess Frederica

Spellings

Phonics at Princess Frederica

Phonics is a way of teaching children how to read and write. It helps children hear, identify and use different sounds that distinguish one word from another in the English language. Written language can be compared to a code, so knowing the sounds of individual letters and how those letters sound when they’re combined will help children decode words as they read. Understanding phonics will also help children know which letters to use when they are writing words.

Phonics involves matching the sounds of spoken English with individual letters or groups of letters. For example, the sound k can be spelled as c, k, ck or ch. Teaching children to blend the sounds of letters together helps them decode unfamiliar or unknown words by sounding them out. For example, when a child is taught the sounds for the letters t, p, a and s, they can start to build up the words: “tap”, “taps”, “pat”, “pats” and “sat”.

Princess Frederica uses Monster Phonics to support the teaching of phonics. Children start phonics sessions in Nursery learning environmental sounds but only start using the Monster Phonics programme in Reception and through Year 1 and Year 2. Children are assessed in Year 1 on their phonics ability in June in the Phonics Screen. The progress of all children in phonics is monitored on a half-termly basis. Teachers continue to make references to phonics throughout all years including Year 6 as well as targeted support for children where it is needed.

Monster Phonics is a fun way to teach Systematic Synthetic Phonics. Its advanced multi sensory approach uses 10 Monster characters to create interest and engagement for children. Studies show a 38% increase in spelling accuracy in 5 weeks and a 23-month improvement in reading age over a 5-month period.

Monster Phonics and Reading

Please take some time to read the document below. It outlines how the teaching of phonics using Monster Phonics aligns with the reading book that your child takes home every week. It also describes the different reading stages in the different year groups.

Monster Phonics Reading Books

Understanding Monster Phonics

The following presentations are relevant about Monster Phonics. Please feel free to look at them to give you more information on the programme.

Parents Workshop 22nd October 2024

Phonics Overview at Princess Frederica

Please click on the link below for an outline on what is taught in each half-term at Princess Frederica in phonics. It details what a child is expected to have learnt at the end of each half-term. Where a child has not acquired the outlined learning, additional phonics lessons may take place to support accelerate their learning. This might be individual sessions or group sessions. You are also encouraged to support your child with their phonics by reading with them every evening and practising sounds that appear in the books they are reading.

Phonics Overview

Monster Phonics

Monster Phonics is a scheme we here at Princess Frederica to support with the teaching of Phonics. Further information can be found on the Monster Phonics website. Please click below to visit their site. We also advise parents and carers to read both the attached letters below which gives key information on Monster Phonics and how your child’s phonics journey can be supported at home.

Monster Phonics Website

Monster Phonics Characters

The Phonics Screen in Year 1

Children are assessed in Year 1 on their phonics ability in June in the Phonics Screen. This is carried out on a one to one basis with a class teacher in Year 1. A child will either pass or not pass this assessment. Any children who do not pass the assessment when they are in Year 1 will be assessed again at the end of Year 2. Please see the document below for further information about the process and answers to some commonly asked questions.

Phonics Screening Check

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

 

Information for parents and carers with a child starting in nursery and reception in September 2024

EYFS parent Welcome booklet 2024-25 All About Freds- Written by parents for parents

Further information to come to parents and carers with a child starting in nursery and reception in September 2024

  • Information on the class your child will be joining in September.
  • The date and time for when your child’s class teacher will come and visit you and your child in their home in September.
  • The date when your child will start school in September. Please note this will not be before Monday 16th September 2024
    Any issues or questions, please contact admin@princessfrederica.com

Foundation Stage

Schools and early years providers follow a structure of learning, development and care for children from birth to five years old. This is called the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and it enables your child to learn through a range of activities.

In our Foundation Stage we have a Nursery with places for 30 children and 2 Reception classes. In the stage we ensure:

  • children learn through play
  • providers work closely with parents
  • you are kept up to date on your child’s progress
  • the welfare, learning and all-round development of children with different backgrounds and levels of ability, including those with special educational needs.

Starting school is a very big step for your child and for you. The way your child settles into school is very important and we do our best to help each child come to school happily and enjoy learning here. We think it is important to establish a partnership with our parents/carers so that together we can help each child settle in and do his/her best.

Overview of the EYFS

Click on the link below to see what different areas children cover in the EYFS (Nursery and Reception) over the academic year. You can also see more in-depth information about what the children are learning by looking at the knowledge organisers for the half-term.

Overview of the EYFS – Content Overview of the EYFS – Our Approach

Adult Support in the Foundation Stage

In Nursery, there are three members of full-time staff. These are made up from a class teacher and two learning support assistants.In Reception, there are five members of full-time staff. These are made up from two class teachers (responsible for their own classes) and three learning support assistants. Each class has one dedicated learning support assistant and one who works across both classes, usually on outside provision.

Phonics

Princess Frederica uses Monster Phonics to support the teaching of phonics. Children start phonics sessions in Nursery (environmental sounds) and carry on through Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Children are assessed in Year 1 on their phonics ability in June in the Phonics Screen. For further information on phonics, please click on the link below.

Phonics

 

Reporting at the End of Reception

Each child receives a Foundation Stage Profile. This profile provides a summary of what your child has achieved at the end of their Reception year in school. In Reception, children are graded in the different of the areas of learning. Where a child is working at the expected level this means that they have achieved the standard set out in an Early Learning Goal. In some areas children’s skills may be emergent as a child may still be working towards an Early Learning Goal. Some children will have exceeded the standard expected at the end of the Foundation Stage in some areas. Exceeding a goal indicates that their achievement is well above average. This information will be indicated in your child’s end of year report. There will also be updates during meetings with teachers.
​
Reception Baseline Assessment

This is an assessment that is carried out by the child’s class teacher within 6 weeks of the child starting Reception. The school and parents/carers do not find out the results of the assessment but is used to determine the progress a child makes when they complete their Year 6 SATs assessments.

Early Learning Goals

At the end of Reception, children are assessed against a set of Early Learning Goals to see if they are developing in line with age related expectations. This assessment is an informal process. The outcome of the assessment will be shared with parents and used by your child’s Year 1 teacher to tailor learning to your child’s strengths and areas for development.

ABC Fund

Our voluntary aided status means that we pay a contribution to the London Diocesan Board for Schools as they are responsible for the maintenance of the school. We ask parents/carers for a contribution to the fund each year to improve the school. It also helps to fund extra-curricular opportunities for the children that would be possible through the school budget. The set amount for 2019-20 is £20 per child per month. ​

Admission to Princess Frederica

If you would like to find out more about applying for a place for your child at Princess Frederica then please follow the link below that will take you to our admissions page.

Admissions

SEND

Special Needs at Princess Frederica

 

At Princess Frederica we aim to create a positive learning environment, within a Christian ethos, where all children’s needs and views are valued and no child is disadvantaged by race, class, gender or disability. We aim to raise achievement, share high expectations of ourselves and our pupils and involve parents in their children’s education. We aim to support all staff in carrying out their roles effectively.

 

Definition of Special Educational Needs (SEN)

 

Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Children have a learning difficulty if they

 

  • Have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her
  • Have a significantly greater difficulty with learning than the majority of others of the same age or,
  • Have a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in a mainstream school

 

Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught. Pupils with Special Educational Needs may have needs and requirements which may fall into at least one of the four following areas:

 

  • communication and interaction.
  • cognition and learning.
  • social, emotional and mental health.
  • sensory and/or physical needs.

 

When the class teacher or the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) identifies a child with SEN, the class teacher will provide interventions that are additional to, or different from, those provided as part of the school’s usual differentiated curriculum. School will inform and work with parents to improve outcomes for the child.

 

Working with parents

 

Each term, copies of Learning Support Plans (LSPs) for children with EHC plans are shared with parents and they are invited to meet class teachers, and if appropriate the SENCO, to discuss targets. Parents are also informed when their children receive additional learning support.

 

School offer – SEN Information Report

SEND Information Report 2024- 25.docx (1)

Local Offer

 The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Local Offer provides information about services that children, young people and their families can expect from a range of local agencies. Every local authority has a duty to publish information about the local provision available across education, health and social care. This provides a valuable resource to families, helping them make informed decisions about the services available to them. Please click on this link to find out more:

Local offer

Interventions

 

The SENCo and the child’s class teacher will decide on the action needed to help a child to progress. This may include:

  • different learning materials or special equipment
  • some group or individual support
  • access to Local Authority (LA) support services for one-off or occasional advice on strategies or equipment

 

At Princess Frederica we run many different interventions

 

  • Speech and language support
  • Support to manage emotions and behavioural difficulties
  • Reading interventions
  • Spelling interventions
  • Fine motor skills interventions
  • Maths interventions
  • Emotional literacy support 

Please refer to the school’s SEND policy for further details

If you have any concerns or would like to discuss your child’s additional needs further please don’t hesitate to speak to their class teacher or SENCO

Religious Education

Religion and beliefs inform our values and are reflected in what we say and how we behave. RE is an important subject in itself, developing an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society. Religious education provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to be human. (Department for Children, Schools and Families)

 At Princess Frederica, Religious Education is a core subject viewed through the lens of theology, sociology and  philosophy which promotes:

  1. A knowledge of Christianity; its stories, traditions, festivals, worship and teachings
  2. An awareness of life’s spiritual dimension
  3. A sense of Christian morality; explored through our Christian values
  4. A knowledge and understanding  of and respect for multiple faiths and belief systems.

 

Through the above, we aim to help children to:

  •  develop an awareness of spiritual and moral issues in their own and other’s life experiences.
  • develop knowledge, understanding and respect for the range of religions and cultural differences found locally, nationally and internationally.
  • develop an understanding of what it means to be committed to a religious tradition.
  • develop investigative processes and research skills to enable them to make reasoned judgements about religious issues.
RE Overview

Supporting your child at home

A number of parents/carers have asked school staff about the best way they can support their children’s learning at home. This page is intended to give some guidance on how you can do just that. It is intended as a support for our whole school community and will be added to and amended as guidance on best practice changes.

Handwriting

Research on handwriting Parent presentation on handwriting Motor skills activities Handwriting summary flyer

Knowledge Organisers

What is a knowledge organiser and what is their purpose?
Knowledge organisers form a key part of the learning process within a unit of work in a selection of different subjects. They identify the key areas that children will be learning about, include key vocabulary and state the assessment question that all children will be working towards answering at the end of the unit. It is a resource that will be stuck into all books at the start of the unit being studied and will be there to support children with their learning throughout the unit.

What is a Pre-teaching tool? 
Knowledge organisers are a pre-teaching tool aimed at teaching children concepts or skills prior to a lesson on the subject. It gives them a much improved chance of accessing lesson content in the depth other children are accessing it in. They are an important tool to support SEND children.

What is the role of parents and carers with knowledge organisers? 
All subject organisers in selected subjects will be available on the school website at least 1 week before the unit of work is due to start at school. This is so that parents and carers can talk through subject organisers with their children before the start of work. Children will be more aware of what key vocabulary means as well as other key areas that are necessary to understand to excel in the unit of work.

A guide to using the Knowledge Organisers
Autumn Term 2 – Knowledge Organisers

 

Nursery
Nursery knowledge organiser
Reception
Reception Knowledge Organiser Autumn 2
Year 1
Biology knowledge organiser DT Knowledge organiser RE knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser History knowledge organiser
Year 2
Science knowledge organiser Geography knowledge organiser Biology knowledge organiser History knowledge organiser DT Knowledge organiser
Year 3
History knowledge organiser RE knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser Geography knowledge organiser
Year 4
History knowledge organiser Geography knowledge organiser RE knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser DT Knowledge organiser
Year 5
DT Knowledge organiser History knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser RE knowledge organiser Geography knowledge organiser
Year 6
History knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser RE knowledge organiser DT Knowledge organiser Geography knowledge organiser

Autumn Term 1 – Knowledge Organisers

Nursery

Nursery knowledge organiser

Reception

Reception knowledge organiser

Year 1

RE knowledge organiser Art Knowledge organiser Geography knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser History knowledge organiser

Year 2

geography knowledge organiser RE knowledge organiser History knowledge organiser Art knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser

Year 3

RE knowledge organiser History knowledge organiser Art knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser Geography knowledge organiser

Year 4

History knowledge organiser Art knowledge organiser RE knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser Geography knowledge organiser

Year 5

History knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser RE knowledge organiser Geography knowledge organiser Art knowledge organiser

Year 6

RE knowledge organiser Science knowledge organiser History knowledge organiser Art knowledge organiser Geography knowledge organiser

Spring Term Knowledge Organisers

Nursery

Nursery

Reception

Reception

Year 1

Year 1

Year 2

Year 2

Year 3

Year 3

Year 4

Year 4

Year 5

Year 5

Year 6

Year 6

Summer Term Knowledge Organisers

Nursery

Nursery

Reception

Reception

Year 1

Year 1

Year 2

Year 2

Year 3

Year 3

Year 4

Year 4

Year 5

Year 5

Year 6

Year 6

Reading

One of the best ways to support your child with their learning is to read with them on a daily basis. Here are some tips on doing this effectively:

  • Try and get into a routine where it is something your child knows is something that happens on a daily basis.
  • Make it a positive and enjoyable experience. Something your child looks forward to. Maybe reading time is associated with having a biscuit or snuggling up somewhere cosy.
  • Where possible, share the experience with your child. It is important your child is reading their book out loud, especially when your child is younger (although you are never too old to read a book to somebody else!).
  • There might also be times where you read to your child and they follow or they read silently. It is fine to use different models. Some children read to their younger siblings or even to a pet.
  • Create a reading culture in your home. if you are asking your child to read while others are watching television or playing computer games, your child’s ability to engage in reading diminishes.
  • Ask your child questions about what they are reading. This supports your child’s understanding of texts they are reading and ensures their fluency in reading is matched by their understanding.
  • Talk about vocabulary encountered in what your child is reading. Discussing their understanding of new words helps them to develop their own vocabulary and builds confidence in all areas of their learning.
  • Make sure that your child’s reading record is being updated on a daily basis. Parents/carers are encouraged to write in these but when old enough, children can manage these themselves. The important thing is that your child is reading as often as possible.

Reading is the gateway to your child successfully accessing the whole school curriculum

Please click on the link below for further information on reading including a guide on the school’s approach to reading and a recommended reading list. There is also a link for a guide on different types of questions you might ask your child while reading with them. We hope you find this useful.

Reading at Princess Frederica Guidance on questions parents/carers should ask while they listen to their child read

Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRFS)

What is a KIRF and what is their purpose?
KIRFS are a way of helping your child to learn by heart, key facts and information which they need to have instant recall of.

KIRFS are designed to support the development of mental maths skills that underpin much of the maths work at our school. They are particularly useful when calculating, adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing. The KIRFS contain facts such as number bonds and times tables that need constant practice and rehearsal, so children can recall them quickly and accurately.

The KIRFS include key vocabulary and examples of the key skills as well as practical ideas (top tips) to assist your child in grasping the key facts

 

Kirfs 2024-25 Years 1-6

Year Groups

On these year group pages you will find: class timetables, termly overviews and the start of year Meet the Teacher presentation.

Nursery Reception Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6