Primary School Curriculum

Overview

Our Primary School curriculum is organised according to the two Key Stages of the National Curriculum of England, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

Key Stage 1

This Key Stage covers classes in Years 1 and 2, children between 5 and 7 years old.

Key Stage 2

This Key Stage covers classes in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, children between 8 and 11 years old.

Within the Primary section of the school we follow the Cambridge International Primary Curriculum for the following subjects:

• Art and Design.
• Digital Literacy (ICT).
• English.
• English as a Second Language (where appropriate).
• Maths.
• Music.
• Physical Education.
• Science.

For Humanities, we follow the requirements of the National Curriculum (England).

For French and Arabic, our curriculum is based on the requirements of the Moroccan National Curriculum.

The subject areas (alphabetically) are as follows:

Primary Art & Design

The subject gives pupils a platform to express themselves, sparking imagination, creativity and developing transferable skills. Pupils explore and push boundaries to become reflective, critical and decisive thinkers. They learn how to articulate personal responses to their experiences.

Pupils develop creative skills that will help with many aspects of their future learning and development. Pupils:

• Learn to see themselves as artists and become increasingly reflective and independent
• Develop the skills needed to express creative ideas and to communicate visually
• Understand their place and the place of others in a creative, innovative and interconnected world.

We teach Cambridge Primary Art & Design through a broad range of investigative, art-making and reflective activities. These include several study areas, for example painting, print making, model making or digital art. This course supports progression to Cambridge Lower Secondary Art & Design

There are no Cambridge Primary Progression Tests or Checkpoint for this subject. The emphasis of this course is for teachers to give pupils formative feedback on the skills they want them to develop. This can be through discussion, observation and lesson outputs where teachers discuss with pupils ‘what went well’ and how they can improve further, so that pupils can reflect on and improve their performance.

Primary Digital Literacy (ICT)

Digital literacy is an essential skill for learners of all ages, including the youngest primary pupils. The digital world allows us to connect, collaborate, innovate and discover new information on an ever-broadening scale, and pupils must be able to effectively use technology from the very beginning of their educational journey.

Pupils develop the digital skills that will help with many aspects of their future learning and development. They will:

• Understand their place, and the place of others, in an interconnected world and make educated decisions about the information that they encounter online.
• Develop knowledge and understanding that will allow them to respond to, and evaluate technology of the future.
• Develop skills to create increasingly sophisticated documents and presentations.
• Learn how to become positive contributors to the digital world.
• Use digital technology safely and protect their own physical and emotional wellbeing.

We teach Digital Literacy as a separate subject with a specialist teacher and ensure that our course supports progression to Cambridge Lower Secondary Digital Literacy.

There is no Cambridge Primary Progression Test or Checkpoint for this subject.

The emphasis of this course is for teachers to give pupils formative feedback on the skills they want them to develop. This can be through discussion, observation and lesson outputs where teachers discuss with pupils ‘what went well’ and how they can improve further, so that pupils can reflect on, and improve, their performance.

Primary English

Cambridge Primary English promotes an enquiry-based approach, developing pupils’ confidence, creativity and intellectual engagement. This subject is designed for pupils who have English as a first language.

Pupils develop English skills they can apply for a range of different purposes and audiences in everyday situations and in study. They learn to communicate confidently and effectively and develop the critical skills to respond to a range of information, media and texts with understanding and enjoyment. They develop a first language competency in English.

The curriculum framework covers knowledge, skills and understanding in the three strands:

• Reading.
• Writing.
• Speaking and listening.

The course supports progression to Cambridge Lower Secondary English

Cambridge Primary English is taught using a broad range of activities that promote experience, reflection and improvement. Recommended fiction genres, poetry, playscripts and non-fiction text types provide authentic contexts for skills development.

The learning objectives in the three strands of the curriculum framework support an integrated approach to teaching and learning reading, writing, and speaking and listening skills. Grammar is embedded within the reading and writing strands to promote a meaningful learning experience where pupils both explore grammatical concepts through reading and apply them in their own writing.

Cambridge Primary English is assessed through Cambridge Primary Progression Tests and Cambridge Primary Checkpoint.

Cambridge Primary Progression Tests provide detailed information about the performance of each pupil for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the curriculum. The tests help teachers to compare the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and groups and share feedback with pupils and parents. They are marked by teachers in our school and come with a unique reporting and analysis tool.

Cambridge Primary Checkpoint English tests skills, knowledge and understanding at the end of the primary programme. Tests are marked in Cambridge to provide an international benchmark of learner performance. Feedback reports show how a pupil has performed in relation to the curriculum, their learning group, the whole school, and against all pupils who have taken tests in that series around the world.

Primary English as a Second Language

This subject is designed for pupils who have English as a second language. Developed in conjunction with Cambridge Assessment English, it is based on the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), used across the world to map learners’ progress in English.

Pupils will learn to communicate confidently and effectively and develop the critical skills to respond to a range of information, media and texts. Cambridge Primary English as a Second Language develops a solid foundation for the further study of English as a second language, and for study through the medium of English.

Divided into six stages, the Curriculum Framework covers knowledge, skills and understanding in five strands:

• Reading.
• Writing.
• Use of English.
• Listening.
• Speaking.

The course supports progression to Cambridge Lower Secondary English as a Second Language.

The programme is taught through an integrated approach to planning and teaching to develop effective communication skills in English. The five strands of the Curriculum Framework, and their respective learning objectives, work together to support the development of knowledge, skills and understanding.

The Use of English strand provides pupils with the linguistic features they need to be able to understand and use when engaging with the language receptively (Reading and Listening) and productively (Writing and Speaking). Pupils will revisit and engage with language at deeper levels and in different contexts.

Cambridge Primary English as a Second Language is assessed both through Cambridge Primary Progression Tests and Cambridge Primary Checkpoint.

Cambridge Primary Progression Tests provide detailed information about the performance of each pupil for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the curriculum. The tests help teachers to compare the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and groups and share feedback with pupils and parents. They are marked by teachers in the school and come with a unique reporting and analysis tool.

Cambridge Primary Checkpoint English as a Second Language tests skills, knowledge and understanding at the end of the primary programme. Tests are marked in Cambridge to provide an international benchmark of pupil performance. Feedback reports show how a pupil has performed in relation to the curriculum, their learning group, the whole school, and against all pupils who have taken tests in that series around the world.

Primary Humanities (Geography and History)

For the Humanities part of our Primary School curriculum, we have chosen to use guidelines on Geography and History from the National Curriculum of England as being more appropriate to our context.

We teach both geography and history, with the aim that a high-quality geography education will inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching equips pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Aims for Geography:

Our curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes.
• Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time.
• Are competent in the geographical skills needed to:
• Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes.
• Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
• Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

Pupils will develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality, Morocco and North Africa. They will learn to understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

Pupils should be taught to:

(Locational knowledge)

• Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans
• Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas

(Place knowledge)

• Understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country

(Human and physical geography)

• Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles

use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:

• Key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather
• Key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop

(Geographical skills and fieldwork)

• Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage
• Use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far; left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map
• Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key
• Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.

In Key Stage 2 (Years 3,4,5 and 6), pupils extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

Pupils should be taught to:

(Locational knowledge)

• Locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
• Name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
• Identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)
• (Place knowledge)
• Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America

(Human and physical geography)

describe and understand key aspects of:

• Physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle
• Human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water
• (Geographical skills and fieldwork)
• Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied
• Use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
• Use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies

A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching equips pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. 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.

Aims (History)

Our curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Know and understand the history of the British Isles as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped the nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
• Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
• Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Subject content (History)

Key stage 1

Pupils will develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They should know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. They will learn to use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They should ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events. They will learn to understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

In planning to ensure the progression described above through teaching about the people, events and changes outlined below, teachers will introduce pupils to historical periods that they will study more fully at key stages 2 and 3.

Pupils will learn about:

• Changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life
• Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
• The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods [for example, Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lowry, Rosa Parks and Emily Davison, Mary Seacole and/or Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell]
• Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.

Key stage 2

Pupils should continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They should note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

In planning to ensure the progression described above through teaching the British, local and world history outlined below, teachers should combine overview and depth studies to help pupils understand both the long arc of development and the complexity of specific aspects of the content.

Pupils will learn about:

• Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
• The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain.
• Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots.
• The Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor.
• A local history study.
• A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.
• The achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China.
• Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world.
• A non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300.

Cambridge Primary Mathematics

Cambridge Primary Mathematics explores five content areas:

• Number
• Geometry
• Measure
• Handling data
• Problem solving

This course support progression to Cambridge Lower Secondary Mathematics. Our curriculum focuses on principles, patterns, systems, functions and relationships so that pupils can apply their mathematical knowledge and develop a holistic understanding of the subject. It provides a solid foundation upon which the later stages of education can be built.

Cambridge Primary Mathematics is assessed through two testing options: Cambridge Primary Progression Tests and Cambridge Primary Checkpoint.

Cambridge Primary Progression Tests provide detailed information about the performance of each learner for stages 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the curriculum. The tests help teachers to compare the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and groups and share feedback with pupils and parents. They are marked by teachers in our school and come with a unique reporting and analysis tool.

Cambridge Primary Checkpoint Mathematics tests skills, knowledge and understanding at the end of the primary programme. Tests are marked in Cambridge to provide an international benchmark of learner performance. Feedback reports show how a pupil has performed in relation to the curriculum, their learning group, the whole school, and against all learners who have taken tests in that series around the world.

Primary Music

Music fosters creativity and builds confidence. It helps pupils to express themselves and shows them the importance of communication as they learn to connect with other musicians and with audiences.

Pupils explore music as performers, composers and informed listeners. They make, understand and appreciate music from different cultures, times and places, helping them to develop leadership and collaboration skills as well as self-confidence.

Pupils who follow the Cambridge Primary Music course

• Cultivate a joy of music through participating in meaningful and enjoyable experiences
• Develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to contribute as musicians
• Collaborate with others in purposeful and expressive ways through singing and playing instruments
• Nurture their individual and collective creativity
• Use their growing knowledge to explore and generate music that is unique, relevant and valuable.

Pupils develop creative skills that will help with many aspects of their future learning and development. The course supports progression to Cambridge Lower Secondary Music

Cambridge Primary Music is flexible so pupils can perform through singing and playing musical instruments of any kind (as well as found objects and music technology). Pupils will experience music from their own culture as well as exploring music from other times and places. The programme complements rather than replaces instrumental or singing lessons.

There are no Cambridge Primary Progression Tests or Checkpoint for Cambridge Primary Music.

The emphasis of this course is for teachers to give pupils formative feedback on the skills they want them to develop. This can be through discussion, observation and lesson outputs where teachers discuss with students ‘what went well’ and how they can improve further, so that pupils can reflect on, and improve, their performance.

Primary Physical Education

Physical education is a vital part of a balanced school curriculum. Regular exercise improves physical and mental health and there is growing evidence that it improves academic performance across the curriculum. Establishing good patterns of exercise in primary school provides pupils with the foundation for an active and healthy lifestyle.

Pupils learn about learning to move and moving to learn. Pupils develop skills through a wide variety of age-appropriate physical activities, including games, gymnastics and dance. As individuals and team members, they will:

• Increase confidence, moving with increasing control, fluency and variety.
• Improve their understanding of concepts, rules, tactics, strategies and compositional ideas.
• Participate in respectful and responsible ways, engaging appropriately and safely.
• Improve knowledge and understanding of how physical education can contribute to a healthy and active lifestyle.
• Develop transferable skills promoting physical, cognitive and social development and become independent, critical and reflective movers and thinkers.

Pupils develop creative skills that will help with many aspects of their future learning and development. The course supports progression to the Cambridge Lower Secondary Physical Education.

We teach the subject through a broad range of tasks, challenges and physical activities. It includes cooperative, competitive, athletic, adventurous and health-based contexts that are appropriate for each learning stage.

Pupils will move for as much of each lesson as possible, with activities designed promote pupils’ confidence, self-esteem, cognitive abilities and social skills.

Our programme is designed to complement, rather than replace, coaching in individual sports or physical activities, such as that provided by our Elite squads in Basketball, Football and Swimming.

There are no Cambridge Primary Progression Tests or Checkpoint for this subject.

The emphasis of this course is for teachers to give learners formative feedback on the skills they want students to develop. This can be through discussion, observation and lesson outputs where teachers discuss with pupils ‘what went well’ and how they can improve further, so that pupils can reflect on, and improve, their performance.

Primary Science

Children are naturally curious, and science supports the development of a child’s curiosity, helping them to investigate problems, learn more about the world around them and understand and use scientific explanations for a wide range of phenomena.

Cambridge Primary Science covers four content areas:

• Scientific enquiry.
• Biology.
• Chemistry.
• Physics.

Scientific enquiry is about considering ideas, evaluating evidence, planning investigative work and recording and analysing data. The Scientific enquiry objectives underpin Biology, Chemistry and Physics, which are focused on developing confidence and interest in scientific knowledge, including environmental awareness and history of science.

Pupils develop research, collaboration and creative skills that will help with many aspects of their future learning and development. The course supports progression to Cambridge Lower Secondary Science

In every stage, pupils develop their understanding of foundational concepts in biology, chemistry and physics, which they will build on throughout their school careers.

Importantly, science is an experimental subject and learners have many opportunities to develop their skills in scientific enquiry. Not only does this help them to experience and understand different areas of science, but it also helps them to appreciate that scientific understanding changes over time.

Cambridge Primary Science is assessed through Cambridge Primary Progression Tests and Cambridge Primary Checkpoint.

Cambridge Primary Progression Tests provide detailed information about the performance of each pupil for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the curriculum. The tests help teachers to compare the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and groups and share feedback with pupils and parents. They are marked by teachers in our school and come with a unique reporting and analysis tool.

Cambridge Primary Checkpoint Science tests skills, knowledge and understanding at the end of the primary programme. Tests are marked in Cambridge to provide an international benchmark of learner performance. Feedback reports show how a pupil has performed in relation to the curriculum, their learning group, the whole school, and against all pupils who have taken tests in that series around the world.