At primary school level teaching takes place in the core areas of English, Maths, Science, ICT, and Religious Education, as well as the foundation subjects of Science, Art, PSHE, Geography, Design Technology, History, Music, Physical Education and Health/Sex/Safety Education.  A more detailed description of the teaching in each of those areas is set out in year group development plans below.

Parents can additionally find details of the national curriculum at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum

At St. Mark’s we teach both through subject-specific methods and through cross-curricular and integrated methods where appropriate. This can mean, for example, that in addition to learning our spellings and practising reading in English (subject specific) we will combine our writing skills and History knowledge by drafting a fictional diary entry in the life of a WWII evacuee (cross-curricular).

The children will normally follow a set timetable incorporating all curriculum areas but are designed to be flexible enough to cope with the weather (for example in the case of outdoor P.E), visitors in school or Theatre groups or other activities that teachers plan for their class.

Phonics

In Early Years and in KS1 we follow the phonics scheme. ‘Sounds-Write’. This is followed by ‘No Nonsense Spelling’. Alongside this and in accordance with the New Curriculum, we follow progression documents in spelling, punctuation and grammar.