Curriculum

EYFS
The EYFS is housed in a purpose built classroom with access to a large outdoor area.
We follow the EY Outcomes document to plan exciting learning for our themes.
Children are encouraged to plan their own work for the classroom and to contribute to this as the week goes on.
Focussed, adult led activities are planned for Writing, Maths and Faith Development each week as well as adult guided and child initiated activities.
Challenges are set for the children to complete by themselves and they are given a real sense of responsibility for their own work.
We have 3 visits off site each year to reinforce thematic learning. This year we have had visits to Bolsover Castle, Derby Theatre and Withernsea Lighthouse and the seaside.
Literacy
At Akaal Primary School, we try to link Literacy to our topic as much as possible, to ensure that we cover lots of genres and have a completely immersive experience. This term (Summer 2023) we are transitioning our phonics scheme from ReadWrite Inc to Little Wandle. Whilst this transition takes place we are following the Letters and Sounds structure to align with Little Wandle from September.
As well as the reading that takes place as part of Literacy and in other curriculum areas, we also have a designated reading session for 45 minutes once a week. The reading session covers the reading skills needed and we use a range of resources including pictures, videos and written reading comprehensions.
Maths
Mathematics teaching at Akaal Primary School ensures that children will:
- Develop a high level of numeracy.
- Develop an ability to think clearly, logically and creatively in mathematics with confidence, independence and flexibility of mind.
- Ensure an awareness of the usefulness of mathematics in the world beyond the classroom.
- Have an understanding of mathematics through a process of problem solving, enquiry and experiment.
- Gain an understanding of the nature and purposes of mathematics.
- Have an appreciation of the importance of sharing mathematics by discussing, explaining and reporting.
- Have an awareness of the personal qualities such as perseverance when working individually or as part of a group.
Teachers plan carefully and with detail to enable children to become confident learners, following the guidance set out by National Curriculum.
Children are taught to use a variety of strategies that make the most of concrete (build it) manipulatives, pictorial (draw it) representations and abstract (write it) concepts which allows them to make good progress and take responsibility for their own learning as they can choose from a variety of strategies when faced with mathematical scenarios.
At Akaal we are committed to following the mastery approach in maths, this ensures that pupils make good or better progress, they are able to clearly explain their learning journey and can clearly communicate ideas.
Curriculum Theme Overview
Please use the link below to download our Curriculum Theme Overview:
Download Our Curriculum Theme Overview
Subject Coverage
Please use the link below to download our Subject Coverage Document:
Download Our Subject Coverage Document
P.E.
At Akaal, our PE curriculum is geared towards giving our children a complete and unique experience across a vast range of sports. Developed by Mr Hallam and Mr Peggs, who developed the idea of taking the curriculum quite literally, focusing on particular skills that can be developed in a multitude of different sports. During the Spring and Summer terms, the term is split so that the first half of the term (6 weeks) will be the children working on developing the skills required to play different games that are after the half term, until Easter, and these are usually 1-2 weeks of the games before moving onto a different game. We feel that this gives the children a broader opportunity to play a range of games, fuelling a love for different and more unique sports, which includes (But is not limited to) more traditional sports such as football, cricket, and hockey, and newer sports such as Quidditch, Tchoukball and Kin Ball.
Start of the Year – October Half Term
Within the first autumn term in the year, the children will be working on athletics, as this leads us neatly into Sports Day, which we have decided should take place at the end of the first half term, as the weather is usually a little cooler than summer, but should provide an good enough weather for the event to take place.
After October Half Term – Christmas
As the weather progresses, typically the weather begins to deteriorate into rain and then snow (Along with the colder weather), which we decided would be a perfect opportunity for all classes within the school to do gymnastics. Our new gymnastics programme includes such equipment as trampettes and climbing equipment.
January – Easter
After athletics and gymnastics have been completed, the classes split off to begin their different skill building, which works its way up from Year 1, right the way up to Year 6. The Year 1 children will be learning the skill of movement and jumping, which will build into activities such as obstacle courses, the ninja trail, agility games, and “Tag” games. The Year 2 children are developing their throwing, which leads into sports such as tag rugby, basketball, and bench ball. The Year 3 children are concentrating on their control and balance, and this will lead into Kin Ball and Hockey. The Year 4 children are focusing on kicking, which leads neatly into long ball, Kin ball, and kick rounders. Year 5 will be developing their rolling, and leads into hockey, curling, and bowls. Finally, Year 6 are developing their bowling, which will support dodgeball, bowling and basketball.
Easter – End of the Year
As the weather continues to improve, we wanted as many outdoor activities as possible during this term. As a school, we want to be a leader in the local area for cricket, and so cricket takes a large portion of this term. The vast majority of the areas for skill development are geared towards this effect, and because of this focus on cricket, we decided that it would be prudent to spend 4 weeks of the 6 playing cricket in the second half of the term. To this end, Year 1 will be developing their catching, which will lead into different sports such as handball, netball, and dodgeball (as well as cricket). Year 2 will be working on bouncing, which leads into games such as basketball, and table tennis. The children of Year 3 are developing their throwing at a target, leading into sports such as netball, quidditch, and tchoukball. Year 4 are kicking at a target, which means that they will be playing football, foot golf, and crab football. The Year 5 children will be striking with power, which leads into rounders, cricket and softball, and finally the Year 6 children will striking with accuracy, and playing such games as tennis, badminton and cricket.
As you can see, our curriculum is geared around giving the children a broad range of sports and activities that they can engage and love. We want to remove the traditional stance on PE that for a term the children play a particular sport, and instead we wanted to replace it with something that is dynamic, unique and exciting, which we feel that we have created.