Curriculum

The key elements of learning taught in the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics support children to develop the foundations for understanding the world. All pupils are taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science. We aim to ignite pupils’ curiosity about natural phenomena and encourage them to confidently explore and discover the world around them. They are encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave and analyse causes. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, we aim to encourage our pupils to recognise the power of rational explanation.

Through our practical and engaging curriculum, we link knowledge learning to practical experimentation and experiences. This is conducted in line with the ‘plan, do, record, review’ approach which enables children to link their observations to experiments and demonstrations to scientific knowledge, including conceptual knowledge.

In addition, the teaching of science will promote and develop transferable skills such as observation, communication and teamwork and allow mathematical and English skills to be applied. 

Understanding of key concepts in science is built on across the key stages and a progression of skills allows pupils to move from early observations and exploration to considered questioning and drawing out of ideas. 

Cumulative knowledge acquisition in Key Stage 1 and 2 is developed in line with key national curriculum strands:

At LMPS, we provide a high-quality art and design education that engages, inspires and challenges pupils. Lessons stimulate creativity, imagination and inventiveness through equipping children with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. Art should enable children to communicate what they see, feel and think. Children experiment with the use of colour, texture, form, line, shape, pattern and different materials.

We nurture our pupils’ understanding across a range of media to help them to think critically and gain a more rigorous understanding of art and design. We want our children to know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

A range of integrated experiences are carefully planned to fit in with our half termly learning projects, where relevant to do so, in order for children to develop a range of skills in a meaningful and purposeful way. 

We use sketchbooks to help children to develop their ideas and to show and assess progression in their artistic knowledge, understanding and related skills. The children learn to improve their mastery of art and design techniques by learning specific drawing, painting, printing and sculpture techniques. The children use technology to produce images, patterns and decorative pieces of work. They will record their observations and ideas and use them to review and evaluate improvements. They take inspiration from nature and from a range of design examples and will also learn about great artists, architects and designers in history. 

As the children progress through school, art experiences are built upon so the children can make decisions about their approach to different challenges. Drawing skills are used to support many other subjects, for example designs to support design and technology projects and illustrations to support writing, and as such are very important aspects of how the children record their knowledge visually.

We provide access to an innovative computing curriculum which will equip our pupils to harness technology in a safe, purposeful and creative way. Computing at LMPS teaches pupils how systems work and how to apply this through programming. We also provide pupils with the opportunity to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing skills are a major factor in enabling children to be confident, creative and independent learners and it is our intention that children have every opportunity available to allow them to achieve this.

The children have many opportunities to use technology. This is both through discrete learning opportunities as well as through wider cross-curricular application of the knowledge and skills learned. Children complete engaging project work, including in relation to editing images, animation, control of floor robots and music creation. We also support practical application of information technology within other subjects to secure knowledge and understanding, for example within the teaching of mathematics, science and design and technology. At LMPS, we want our pupils to become digitally literate in order to prepare them as active participants in a digital world

At LMPS, we inspire children’s creativity, imagination and specific technological skills through engagement with carefully planned Design and Technology projects.  Pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Children learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Our aim is to encourage children to become independent, creative problem solvers and thinkers as individuals and part of a team.

Design and Technology develops children's skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and to use a range of materials, including food. Through the study of Design and Technology, we combine practical skills with the knowledge required for children to design and make their products. We allow children to look at the products from the past in order to make those for the future. As outlined in the National Curriculum document, we follow a ‘Design, Make, Evaluate’ approach to the teaching and learning of Design and Technology. 

Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, our pupils develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. They explore this further within the context of their wider learning across the curriculum with projects in the subject being integrated into their mathematics, science, geography, history and art topics to develop a broad range of subject knowledge.

Our geography education is designed to inspire a sense of curiosity and wonder in our children in both their immediate surroundings, the local community and the world we live in. We encourage them to raise questions about a variety of localities and environments and to learn about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments that will develop life-long diverse knowledge and a spirit of enquiry.

We strive for our teaching to equip pupils with knowledge about the Earth’s key physical and human processes and its people. As our pupils reach the end of Key Stage 1, we will have inspired our children to appreciate their local area as well as to understand that we are part of a bigger world where areas have similarities and differences. As pupils progress through Key Stage 2, their knowledge about the world will form a strong foundation for them to widen their understanding of how physical and human processes, landscapes and environments are interconnected. They will learn about how the world will continually change over time and we as humans have parts to play in protecting our planet. 

The children’s geographical knowledge and understanding is supported by subject specific skills that are learnt throughout the key stages including map reading and fieldwork. These geographical skills help pupils to understand, present, analyse and communicate a range of information, either collaboratively or as an individual. Skills are put into practice both inside and outside the classroom through local fieldwork, educational visits and the use of our own school grounds.

We aspire for children to be curious and passionate geographers, who understand the current human and physical challenges to our planet and to appreciate their role in ensuring a sustainable future. We want to encourage our pupils to be global citizens who are roundly educated and aware of their local surroundings and the world we live in.

The history curriculum at LMPS aims to support pupils to gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past within the context of that of the wider world. We strive to inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past and encourage the children to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement. 

We provide opportunities to develop, build and master subject specific skills, knowledge and understanding of Britain and the wider world. Encouraging our children to work as historians allows them to know more and do more. 

We endeavour to teach children to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as to investigate their own identity and the challenges of their time. This empowers our pupils to be effective citizens within British society through the development of a sense of responsible citizenship that comes with an appreciation of how history has shaped the present. Children are also encouraged to consider how our past may influence our future.

At LMPS, History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. We believe that teaching History in this way is important in broadening children's horizons, challenging preconceived ideas and developing life skills to prepare them for secondary education and beyond

At LMPS, we a teach foreign language in order to provide an opening to other cultures, fostering pupils’ curiosity and deepening their understanding of the world. We teach French to our children through a fun and practical approach, as part of an interactive learning experience. We aim to ensure that all children make good progress through engagement and enjoyment.

Children are encouraged to develop their French language skills as well as learn about French culture and traditions. We provide opportunities for children to communicate for practical purposes and enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language. Our aim is for children to be able to communicate on a range of subjects within French, both in speech and in writing. 

We believe that early language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages. We seek to promote engagement and positivity about the learning of an alternative language (French), providing the motivation and inspiration for pupils to study and work in other countries in the future.

Our music curriculum aims to engage and inspire pupils to develop both a life-long love of music and their talent as musicians. We support our pupils to develop a critical  engagement with music, allowing them to compose, listen to and perform a wide range of musical styles both in individual and group settings. We believe that our curriculum should increase our pupils’ self-confidence, their creativity and imagination and provide opportunities for them to develop their self-expression and sense of personal achievement. 

Music is a unique way of communicating that can inspire and motivate students. It is a vehicle for individual expression and it can play an important role in the personal development for all. Music can reflect the culture and society that we live in or come from, and the teaching and learning of music enables students to learn more about the world we live in. 

Music can play an important role in helping students feel part of a community. We provide opportunities for all of our pupils to create, play, perform and enjoy music as well as to develop the skills to appreciate a wide variety of musical forms.

We aim to engage and inspire our children to:

• develop an ability to listen to, and appreciate a wide variety of music, including different styles, periods and cultures.
• explore and express ideas and feelings about music, in a variety of ways.
• actively create and develop musical ideas using voice and instruments.
• nurture a sense of group identity and togetherness through composing, rehearsing and performing music with others and to an audience.
• develop self-discipline and creativity, aesthetic sensitivity and fulfilment through music.
• develop their awareness and understanding of music from a variety of styles, periods and cultures.
• access to and develop an enjoyment of music which will sustain through their lives.
• evaluate music from across a range of different periods, genres, styles and traditions.
• learn to sing and use the voice, to create and compose music on their own and collaboratively.
• learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and to have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence.
• develop subject specific knowledge in key areas of the music, including pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and musical notations.

We are passionate about raising sporting achievement and improving the health and well-being of all pupils. Our aim is to deliver a high quality P.E. curriculum and to offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities linked to this curriculum to enable all pupils to build their confidence and achieve their full potential. 

We believe that a rich and varied P.E. curriculum can improve attainment, attendance and behaviour. In addition, we want to inspire a love of sport in order to raise the level of physical activity of our pupils outside of school, to develop the skills and attitudes needed for every child to enable a lifelong participation in physical activity and support long-term habits for a healthy lifestyle. 

Our curriculum provides all pupils with the opportunity to learn a variety of key skills. Each year, the pupils are able to build on these skills and apply them to a range of different sporting contexts. We want every pupil to have a positive mind-set and the confidence to participate in any sport or game that is provided for them. Although key learning of movement, strategy, healthy lifestyles and cooperation permeates all of our physical education provision, we also want our pupils to have fun. Pupils at LMPS are encouraged to enjoy the lessons, extra-curricular activities and competitions which they take part in across their time at our school. Through this approach, we can foster healthy exercise habits that are sustainable and empower our pupils for future life. 

Our children are taught that teamwork enriches our lives and that working for the team is selfless. We want children to take pride in their team, rely on each other and recognise that everyone, regardless of ability, has a part to play. We also encourage children to foster a high-level of respect for one another and those who they participate against. 

At LMPS, we provide opportunities to compete in sport at all ages and through a range of sporting areas.  Activities build character and help to embed our Sporting Values which are celebrated across the school. Overall, we aim to inspire, motivate and enable all pupils to succeed and excel in sport and other physically-demanding activities

At LMPS we believe that all of our pupils must get an excellent, broad and well-balanced education that will teach them the necessary skills to prepare them for their future.  We use P.S.H.E. education to build on the statutory content outlined in the national curriculum and in statutory guidance on: keeping safe, drug education, financial education, sex and relationship education (SRE) and the importance of physical activity and diet for a healthy lifestyle. 

We want our children to develop a sense of belonging and to nurture responsible citizens within the local community and British Society. Through P.S.H.E. provision, we develop our children’s self-confidence and self- esteem so that they believe that they can succeed in all elements of school and future life: fostering respect and tolerance for others in the diverse world in which we live; nurturing a sense of belonging and responsibility within different communities; securing understanding of safety; developing their understanding of self so that they feel empowered and enabled to make considered choices. 

We deliver our P.S.H.E. objectives, in line with the DfE Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance, using the SCARF approach, which considers learning across six main strands: 

• Me and My Relationships 
• Valuing Differences 
• Keeping Myself Safe 
• Rights and Responsibilities 
• Being my Best 
• Growing and Changing 

Each strand is covered within a specific half term and is deliberately planned to build on prior learning. Our approach takes into account the diverse nature of families in which our children live. LGBT and same sex families are carefully discussed in an age-appropriate way to ensure that tolerance and respect are fostered. 

Pupils who demonstrate the need for more support in any particular area are referred to the school’s pastoral team to enable additional provision in accordance with the need identified. All lessons are compulsory in line with the DfE’s Relationship Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance. If a parent wishes to withdraw their child from the human reproduction lesson (this does not include science-based lessons), this will be done in consultation with a member of school staff following a request to withdraw from parent(s) / carer(s).

We believe that R.E. is an essential curriculum area that enhances the children's understanding and acceptance of different religions and cultures, fostering tolerance and respect for all.  We teach our children about core beliefs, practices and traditions within the religions studied to enable a wide-ranging knowledge to be gained of each faith. Over the school year, we aim to make R.E relevant by studying and celebrating real events within our community as well as key religious stories to engage the children in a meaningful way. We also aim to enhance our curriculum in many other ways, including off site visits and inviting members of the community in to share aspects of their religion with us. 

Across the school, we aim to develop children’s skills of enquiry, reasoned argument and reflection. We are a multi faith community and our curriculum reflects this. Our R.E. curriculum focuses on respect, understanding of diversity and social cohesion. We provide our children with the resilience that they need to resist certain extremist narratives by creating a positive understanding and respect for all religions. Pupils explore their own beliefs in the context of developing respect for different faiths and beliefs. Through this teaching, we aim for pupils to build their sense of identity and belonging, which will help them flourish within their communities and as citizens in a multi-cultural society.

By delivering a diverse curriculum across the school, we encourage deep thought and personal reflection on big questions, fostering an understanding of diversity and promoting respectful attitudes. Children are given the opportunity to ask their own questions to develop their critical thinking, self-belief and self-confidence, as well as to support a sense of enquiry founded on respect for all.

Right to Withdraw

R.E. is provided for all pupils. It is taught in an inclusive and open-minded manner, with pupils taught about beliefs, traditions and worship of different religions objectively and without prejudice or bias. 

In line with government legislation, parents / carers retain the right to withdraw pupils from religious education lessons and / or collective worship. If you wish to do this, please contact the school in writing either through email to office@lmpsdorset.co.uk or through posting your request to the school directly.