WHAT IS KEY STAGE 2?

THE CURRICULUM

WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION PHASE?

Foundation Phase (Infants) comprises of a morning only nursery class (5 days a week), one class of Reception children and one class of Year 1 & 2 children.

The emphasis on learning at Foundation Phase level is on progressive development from structured creative play and consolidation of the fundamental skills from which the curriculum can be extended at junior level.  At an early stage importance is placed on encouraging children to develop independence and a sense of responsibility for their own work.  This is seen as vital preparation for the individual and small group investigations and studies which form an important part of children's work during the junior stage. 

Key Stage 2 (Juniors) comprises of one class of Year 3 & 4 and one class of Year 5 & 6.  All children are offered the National Curriculum core and foundation subjects as well as Religious Education and Welsh as a second language.  In Key Stage 2, the children’s learning is developed through themed topics.  A prominent feature of the school is the teaching and acquisition of skills, great emphasis is placed on children working in groups on specific challenges, to develop self confidence, independence and higher order thinking and problem solving skills.  

ENGLISH

Children are taught and encouraged to develop the skills of oracy, reading, writing and listening.  They are encouraged to use the class libraries and to develop a love of books.  Once a child learns to read, then she/he must read to learn. While spelling, grammar and handwriting are taught formally every effort is made to make the learning relevant to other work which children are undertaking.  The main reading scheme used in the school is the Oxford Reading Tree. The pupils also follow a guided reading scheme Rigby Star and have weekly sessions reading within a group as well as being heard individually. All Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 children follow the National Curriculum Programme of Study with an emphasis on learning through skills. The school runs the 'The write stuff' initiative which is a programme that has been developed to suit the needs of the  children at Llangan Primary School by developing the children’s grammatical understanding and challenges them to develop the next stage of their learning in literacy and empowers them to produce high quality written work.  

 

MATHEMATICS

Emphasis is placed on the acquisition of essential skills and the understanding of concepts through regular and varied practical activity.  We try to help our children to be as fluent as possible in their use of the '4' rules, competent in the use of money and measurement, mental calculations, estimation and approximation.  Tables  and number bonds are taught throughout the school.  Games are used to consolidate mathematical concepts.  We will also expand the pupils knowledge with workshops and a dedicated maths week which parents are encouraged to attend.

 

SCIENCE

In this area, our chief aim is to promote scientific attitudes and approaches to children's observation.  It is important that they are aware of the physical and natural world around them.  Emphasis is placed on experimentation and 'hands on' use of apparatus.  Very often it is not what is learnt that is important but how it is learnt.  The children use the outdoor classroom as much as possible to enhance their learning. 

WELSH

The Welsh Language (Cymraeg). 

No subject is taught through the medium of Welsh but all children in the school receive Welsh language tuition and are encouraged to use the Welsh language throughout all of  their learning (bilingualism).  An awareness of Welsh culture, literature and tradition is promoted (Cwricwlwm Cymreig). Bilingualism extends social and cultural choices.  A mastery of the two languages of Wales opens the door to a spectrum of experiences..  It also provides a firm basis for learning other modern languages.  Pupils who have learnt two languages at an early age will already have encountered important linguistic concepts, such as gender and word order, and this will make them more receptive to different language structures. Llangan Primary School positively encourages the use of the Welsh language throughout every aspect of the children’s formal and informal learning.  The children are encouraged to speak Welsh to adults and peers alike through questioning, instructions, role play etc. Every fortnight, Llangan Primary School holds a Welsh assembly which introduces a shared Welsh sentence of the week to the children that is on display throughout the school, the use of this sentence is encouraged throughout the school as the week continues. Throughout the school, children are encouraged to use the Welsh language in everyday situations – at the fruit tuck shop, through questions on display boards, during lunchtime, on the school website etc.  This enables the children to understand that the Welsh language is a living and thriving language in their community and their wider world. If a child registers at Llangan Primary School from an education system outside of Wales, it is determined with support from the LA, if that child should be formally assessed in their Welsh language skills at the end of Key Stage 2.

 

HUMANITIES

Humanities cover the wide area of Environmental Studies, History and Geography.  It also shares common ground with Religious Education. It is concerned with giving children an understanding of the world in which they live at both local and global level.  While much of the work is undertaken through class and individual projects, the school tries to ensure that children form a balanced perspective of their geographical and historical heritage.  Emphasis is placed on Welsh and local history.  

TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVE ARTS 

Creative Arts include Music, Drama, Art and Design and Technology.  All children have an opportunity to design, create and make all kinds of models.  A number of home/school tasks are organised throughout the year. For Art and D&T lessons it is useful to have a plastic overall or old shirt to cover school clothes.  All children are involved in a great deal of messy constructive play! All classes have lessons in drama and music.  There are opportunities for children to learn the keyboard, violin, cello and harp as well as having woodwind and brass lessons.  Music is taught through a practical approach using tuned percussion instruments.  Singing is also an important feature of the school and the children are encouraged to take part in concerts and plays (Eisteddfodau, Harvest, Christmas concerts, and class assemblies etc).  

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)

The nursery and all year groups, from Reception to Year 6, have the use of multimedia computers. All classes have  additional PCs for use in the classroom and we also have a computer suite, which children are timetabled to use on a weekly basis. 

We also have digital video cameras and digital still cameras which are used by the children to record concerts, plays, educational visits, curriculum work and to assess their own and their peer’s work. 

I.C.T. is integrated within all subjects in a cross-curricular manner.  The children also receive weekly skills based lessons in the computer suite.   

 

P.E.

Physical Education has six elements, athletics, dance, games, gymnastics, outdoor activities and swimming.  All classes have two time tabled P.E. lessons a week.  The school has a large purpose-built hall which is equipped with a variety of P.E. apparatus.  The older children have opportunities to play rugby, netball, cricket and football with competitions held against local schools and schools further afield.

 

MUSIC

Music plays an important part of the children’s curriculum.  There are visiting tutors for music for the following instruments:- violin, cello, saxophone, flute, clarinet, keyboard and harp.  The school has bought its own harp and children are encouraged to learn an instrument to broaden their education.