ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Early Years Foundation Stage
The curriculum taught in the EYFS Department is in line with the new Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Our curriculum planning focuses on the seven areas of learning. The three prime areas are: communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. The four specific areas are literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.
Our school fully supports the principle that young children learn through play and by engaging in well-planned structured activities inside and outside. Ongoing, informal assessments form an important part of curriculum planning for each child.
Subject specialists teach French, Music and Physical Education. Forest School, an outdoor learning programme, takes place for half a day a week. To ensure a structured, progressive approach to the teaching of reading and writing, the phonics scheme, ‘Read Write Inc’, is followed. A mastery approach to maths is introduced through the use of concrete representatives such as Numicon, counters and every day objects, making the concepts of numbers real and setting firm foundations for the future.
For further information about all that we do in EYFS, please click here.
Key Stage 1
The curriculum gradually becomes more formal in Key Stage 1, although the children’s learning is made meaningful and relevant to them through our creative curriculum. Pupils have many opportunities to engage in independent and collaborative learning experiences and projects.
There is a strong focus on developing fluency in reading and writing, through the continuation of the ‘Read Write Inc’ phonics scheme. Confidence with maths is developed through a mastery approach which builds up core mathematical skills.
Forest School takes place regularly. Subject specialists teach French, Music, Physical Education (including swimming), Dance, Computing and sessions in the Library.
The below model illustrates how the Key Stage 1 curriculum at Headington Prep supports our aim to equip pupils to be future ready.
Key Stage 2
As the children progress to Key Stage 2, in addition to the specialist lessons which take place in the younger years, children are also taught Science and Art and Design by specialist teachers as part of their curriculum.
In Years 3 and 4, form teachers teach a core number of subjects to their form such as English, History, Geography and PSHE.
In Years 5 and 6, most subjects are taught by specialist teachers including English and Maths. Cross-curricular links between subjects such as History and English are made where relevant and possible. For example, events such as the stage productions in Years 2, 4 and 6 provide opportunities for cross-curricular work across the arts.
STEM subjects are also promoted in Years 3 to 6 through projects incorporating Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths.
The below model illustrates how the Key Stage 2 curriculum at Headington Prep supports our aim to equip pupils to be future ready.
Curriculum overview
In the younger years, the curriculum is predominantly taught by class teachers. As the pupils progress through the School, subjects are taught increasingly by specialists.
Forest School
Forest School encourages children to explore their own innate learning in the outdoors. They can learn to develop their team working skills, become more independent and manage risks. Children and young people are stimulated by the outdoors and, over time, typically experience an increase in their self-belief, confidence, learning capacity, enthusiasm, communication, problem-solving skills and emotional well-being.
These sessions take place in the Senior School woodland. They are led by our fully trained Forest School leaders and Learning Assistants.
The school library
The School actively promotes the importance of reading and aims to instill the love of books in every child. The Library plays a large part in this, with each class attending a weekly Library lesson. Pupils are encouraged to borrow books and e-books, widen their reading tastes and explore different genres. The Library is open at breaks and lunchtimes for those seeking a quiet time with a book on a beanbag – it is a popular and thriving hub. There is also access to both computers and iPads.
