Curriculum by Subject
At School
During Key Stage 2, the children will experience working with a variety of media including: mark-making using a range of pencils, charcoal, pastels, chalk and a variety of paints 3D work including clay, papier-mâché and other forms of model making.
The children will be introduced to a wide range of artists and to their techniques which may include: Monet, Seurat, Mondrian, Dali, Picasso, Goldsworthy and Hepworth to name but a few!
Art is delivered through the termly phase project learning which is driven by confidence, initiative and diversity. A creative arts based project will be studied each year and is centred on a key enquiry question which is explored in different contexts and developing different skills towards a final creative outcome. This enquiry is underpinned by the consideration of concepts which are applied to the different contexts and examples of creative arts explored.
At Home
Why not start a sketchbook? You could start small…. maybe by sketching small objects. Remember to look very closely and draw what you actually see (shape, patterns, line etc), not what you expect to see. Sketch everyday objects and views of the changing seasons through your window. You could also include water colour paintings if you have one of those small tins of block paints. You will be amazed how your artwork improves just by looking closely.
At School
ICT or 'Computing' has rapidly become one of the most important subjects that children learn about in schools; skills include communication in the 21st century and how information can be found, assessed and presented using a range of tools. Children are also taught to understanding of how technology works, and engage in tasks that allow them to program and control. Often some of the best learning in ICT is invisible - the children apply skills and tackle new problems independently in a way that enhances their learning in other parts of the curriculum.
At Sun Hill Junior School, the children are taught to use the Internet responsibly, how to present and organise information using word processing programs, art programs, presentation programs, databases and spreadsheets. They engage in creative tasks such as writing, art, creating animations, music and digital photography. They learn about the impact that technology has on our society and about how to gather information through sensors, control systems and program them. They also learn about how the internet works, what networks are and some basic coding. In this way the new computing curriculum has increasingly strong links with maths and science.
E-Safety forms a central part of our computing curriculum, overlapping with PSHE, and is taught throughout the school year. More information on keeping safe online can be found from our Cyber Ambassadors here:
How you can help at home
Encourage safe and challenging projects. Follow the e-safety advice to keep children safe when they are on any electronic devices which connect to the internet.
Scratch Junior Suitable for KS1 and Year 3 in particular, this is a block based introduction to coding.
Scratch Your only limits are your imagination with this incredibly versatile block based coding platform - well worth creating a free account and joining the online community support.
Construct 2 Not free, but this is an industry standard powerful HTML5 game creator designed specifically for 2D games. It allows anyone to build games — no coding required.
Code.org Learn to make your own game, app or computer drawing and much, much more using a variety of coding languages. Suitable for all ages and abilities.
At School
The children will be encouraged to solve problems in a practical way with imaginative and creative thinking.
Practical competence grows from knowledge of how things work. This is partly learned from explanation, but very much learned from actually doing, by experimenting and investigating, and by rebuilding and improving.
The children will experience a variety of projects including using different materials and tools to construct and also producing food technology outcomes. Always the emphasis is on ‘What makes it a good design… how could we make it better?’
Design and Technology is delivered through the termly phase project learning which is driven by confidence, initiative and diversity. These projects are centred on a key enquiry question which is explored in different contexts and developing different skills towards a final creative outcome. This enquiry is underpinned by the consideration of concepts which are applied to the different contexts and examples of creative arts explored.
At Home
Take opportunities to look at how things work. For example, if you have a clock with cogs on view, take time to notice how they move.
Get out the Lego and Meccano and build!
Spend time improving your skills by simply cutting, folding and sticking.
Set yourself a challenge of making something out of nothing e.g. a carrier bag out of newspaper, a maze (for a marble) out of cardboard in a shoebox lid.
At School
At Sun Hill, we follow the National Curriculum programme of study, a copy of which can be found here below.
Staff use progression of skills documents, which we have developed alongside the National Curriculum statements, to plan their English lessons.
In studying English, pupils develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing that they will need to participate in society and for employment. Pupils learn to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others confidently and effectively.
Literature in English is rich and influential. It reflects the experiences of people from many countries and times and contributes to our sense of cultural identity. Pupils learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction and media texts, gaining access to the pleasure and world of knowledge that reading offers.
Learning about sentence structure, grammar, punctuation and spelling helps pupils understand how language works. Using this understanding, pupils can choose and adapt what they say and write in different situations, as well as appreciate and interpret the choices made by other writers.
At Home
Take opportunities to take books out from the local library as well as our own library. Explore a variety of genres and text types.
Play spelling games such as Boggle or Scrabble. Put post-it notes on objects around the house that your child finds tricky to spell. Practice spellings in a physical and creative way; chalk on the ground, writing by squirty water or use colours to get creative with words.
Reading 5 times a week is part of our weekly homework expectation. Engage your children with their understanding and comprehension of what they have just read. Can they answer simple retrieval-based questions? Can they put themselves in the role of a character in the book? Can they talk about the techniques that the author has used to engage the reader?
A recommended reading list for Years 3-6 can be found here:
At School
The study of geography stimulates an interest in, and a sense of wonder about, places. It helps young people make sense of a complex and dynamically changing world. It explains where places are, how places and landscapes are formed, how people and their environment interact, and how a diverse range of economies, societies and environments are interconnected. It builds on pupils’ own experiences to investigate places at all scales, from the personal to the global.
The geography curriculum is delivered through the termly phase project learning which is driven by confidence, initiative and diversity. A geography based project will be studied each year and is centred on a key enquiry question which is explored in different historical time periods and contexts. This enquiry is underpinned by the consideration of concepts which are applied to the different contexts and time periods explored.
At Home
Take opportunities to look at how places compare and contrast to Alresford and the UK. Go on a ‘secret street’ walk in a different area and see what you can find out about the local area, compare and contrast to Alresford or holiday destinations.
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Read stories and look at non-fiction books around ‘place’.
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Play games – fill in a world, Europe or UK map.
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Explore google maps when visiting somewhere new
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Watch geographical documentaries such as Blue Planet or the National Geographic channel
At School
During the children’s time at school, they will learn about a range of historical periods, people, places and events. They will study their local area as well as other countries around the world. They will be provided with opportunities to carry out research about these different times and use this to develop their historical enquiry skills. When researching, the children will be encouraged to use a variety of sources to gather information and use while investigating.
The history curriculum is delivered through the termly phase project learning which is driven by confidence, initiative and diversity. A history based project will be studied each year and is centred on a key enquiry question which is explored in different historical time periods and contexts. This enquiry is underpinned by the consideration of concepts which are applied to the different contexts and time periods explored.
At Home
Take the opportunity to look back at your own timeline of events and family trees.
Explore people from history and their legacy
At School
Our aim is for Maths learning to be stimulating and enjoyable, with children learning through practical activities, exploration and discussion. Whilst building children’s mathematical skills, understanding and fluency to be ready for Secondary School, we also provide tasks to give children an understanding of the importance of Maths and its application to the real world. apply their knowledge in various contexts.
At Home
Please support what your children are learning in maths by practicing times tables and mental maths questions which increase speed of answering simple calculations. It is also very important to provide a positive approach to maths and its relevance to daily life; for example cooking, shopping, building and engineering.
There is a list of websites below which you may find useful:
French is taught across the school, both formally and through songs, alphabet, poems, rhymes and stories. We also explore international or multi-cultural work, for example through links within project learning as well as stories from other lands and the celebration of festivals.
We make use of ICT in lessons too, for example e-mail and materials from the internet or interactive class resources.
Why not try these free online resources to practise your language skills?
Music is thoroughly embraced across the school both within class as well as by children taking up individual sessions with peripatetic teachers. Within class lessons, the children explore a variety of music styles. Across all genres they discuss, collaborate and perform using different pitch, tone, pause and pace as well as playing different instruments.
Where possible music learning is integrated with the project learning; either by the context or concept being explored.
Children have opportunities to take part in musical performances in each of the years for a range of different purposes and audiences. These include; entertaining stage shows, performances and celebrations in church or specific music concerts with Listen to Me.
At School
Our school vision for PE is to give children physical skills, physical development and knowledge of the body and its relationship to exercise. PE provides the opportunity for pupils to be creative, competitive and to develop themselves as an individual, within groups and within teams. We work on the basis that children need to develop their skills in dance, gymnastics and invasion games whereby they learn how to plan, perform and evaluate their actions, ideas and performances.
Using our Sports Premium and The Saints Foundation, PE has been given a high profile within the school. Tournaments, festivals and skill based sessions have taken place both in school and externally to give children an understanding of the importance of sport and the enjoyment that it brings – sports include: hockey, netball, rugby, football, cricket, rounders, swimming, dance, multi skill events and others! The sporting year is finally marked with our incredible sports day during the Summer Term and Area Sports which is conducted in June.
At Home
Take some time to play different games at home and in the park to develop skills such as throwing and catching, running and evasion games.
There are lots of local sports clubs for children including:
https://www.newalresford-tc.gov.uk/Sports_Clubs.aspx#
At Sun Hill Junior School, we believe that personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHE), enables children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. We attempt to provide children with the tools to understand how they are developing personally and socially and whilst doing so allow them to be able to successfully tackle many of the moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. We aim to focus on well-being to enable children and young people to embrace change, feel positive about themselves and enjoy healthy, safe, responsible and fulfilled lives. In terms of economic well-being and financial capability, we aim to teach young people to develop as questioning and informed consumers and learn to manage their money and finances effectively.
We want our children to be confident, self-motivated individuals who understand their rights and responsibilities within a diverse multi-cultural society.
Through PSHE at school, we aim for all learners to:
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Know and understand what constitutes a healthy lifestyle (in line with the National Healthy Schools guidance)
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Be aware of safety issues
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Understand what makes a good relationship with others
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Have respect for other people
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Be independent and responsible members of the school community, demonstrating behaviours adopted in our school values
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Develop self-confidence and self-esteem and make informed choices regarding personal and social issues
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Develop good relationships with other members of the school and the wider community
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Gain the knowledge, skills and understanding to play an effective role in public life
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Learn about their rights, responsibilities, duties and freedoms and about laws, justice and democracy
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Play an active role in the life of their schools, neighbourhoods, communities and wider society as active citizens
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Equip children and young people to engage critically with and explore diverse ideas, beliefs, cultures and identities and the values we share as citizens in the UK.
At School
The RE Curriculum is delivered in accordance with the Hampshire programme "The Living Difference".
Each unit of work is planned around a concept which the children will creatively explore, question and investigate, hold discussions, contextualise and evaluate.
Our units of work are designed to enable the children to gain a richer awareness of how these "concepts" are significant to themselves and to different religions throughout the world, including Christians, Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus.
At Home
The curriculum is designed to encourage the children to look at our world more philosophically in relation to themselves compared to other cultures. For more information about the main religions, please click on the link below.
At School
The children will be encouraged to take part in both practical and fact-based lessons, where they will be encouraged to enquire about and research a given topic.
Practical science lessons will focus on how and why things happen in the world. The children will gain observational, recording and evaluating skills through these practical lessons. They will also learn how to use scientific vocabulary and to ask scientific questions. Knowledge about how things work will grow through explanations, hands-on experience and research.
At Home
Take opportunities to try some experiments at home! For example, if you have an egg and some vinegar, put the egg in a bowl, pour over some vinegar until the egg is covered and watch it change over the course of three days. (Cover the bowl with cling film to hide the smell!)
Please click on a links below for more fantastic Science activities and games:
Confidence, Initiative and Diversity are the drivers of our curriculum. Our curriculum drivers, and the skills emerging from them, underpin all aspects of our curriculum – core subjects, project learning and discreet subjects. This is illustrated in the following documents:
At Sun Hill Junior School, we believe in creating an environment where everyone can flourish and is provided with the opportunities and support to reach their own personal goals. This is reflected throughout the planning and learning in school and our dedication to inclusivity is detailed in our: visions and aims, SEND Policy and SEND Information Report.
For further information about the curriculum please contact Mrs Sue Griffiths, Headteacher at adminoffice@sunhill-jun.hants.sch.uk
