Lostock Gralam C of E Primary School
Our Curriculum
At Lostock Gralam, we want our children to experience the awe and wonder of God's world so we are always striving to embed new research, practice and ideas within our Curriculum to ensure it is tailored to suit the current needs of our children.
Our curriculum is carefully planned and tailored to the needs and interests of our children; ensuring a varied range of learning experiences and activities to maximaise their learning and knowledge.
Our Curriculum Intent
Lostock has a unique curriculum which aims to excite and challenge through knowledge-rich and purposeful exploration which is at the heart of every child. Our curriculum will empower children to be articulate, passionate and aspirational about our ever-changing world and inspire them to be the best that they can be.
Our Curriculum Journey
Start with a story
Many of our class topics are planned around a story or alongside the year group Pathways to writing texts which enrich both understanding and enjoyment of the topics.
EYFS.
In early years, our curriculum at Lostock Gralam promotes learning through play, building children’s confidence as they learn to explore, develop relationships, set their own goals and solve problems.
Learning is child-led, guided by the children’s interests and their curiosity, we establish themes and topics to explore with each term, incorporating high quality texts and hands on experiences through our learning environment which are regularly enhanced to challenge children and encourage meaningful play.
Our curriculum supports the children in their journey to becoming well-rounded individuals who are independent, resilient, and confident in themselves and with others.
KS1
The curriculum at Lostock Gralam weaves a chronological path through history beginning in Y1 with the understanding of how we find out about the past with Mary Anning, learning about key inventions in transport and travel with bicycles, trains and the moon landings. This helps us in geography to understand what made it easier to travel further for holidays and work and we use mapping skills to help us. Y2 find out about the significance of the Titanic and what we have learned from this disaster. We learn about the first flights and significant pilots such as Emily Earhart and the Wright Brothers. In geography we begin by learning about our local surroundings and the countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom. We then build on this with continents and oceans of the world, hot and cold places and use our Y2 residential to Delamere forest to compare and contrast with tropical rainforests around the wider world.
Inspired by her lessons about Mary Anning, this pupil looked for curiosities on the beach. She found this beautiful turtle shell.
Y2 enjoy their Titanic workshop in the Maritime Museum.
Enjoying the outdoors on residential at Delamere. A lovely way to be able to compare this forest with tropical rain forests in geography.
Lower KS2
Children entering Y3 have the exciting experience of becoming 'Time Travellers' to travel back to the Stone, Iron and Bronze ages before comparing the achievements of some of the early civilisations (Ancient Sumer, Ancient Egypt, Indus Valley and Shang Dynasty). Mapping skills and the understanding of the compass points help Y3 to locate the counties of Cheshire and Wiltshire and plot a route to Stone Henge. Moving into Y4, the children then learn about the 'Legacies' left by early ancient civilisations (Ancient Greeks) and the impact of early settlers on Britain (Roman Empire). Alongside the Pathways to write text 'Escape from Pompeii, Y4 gain an understanding of volcanoes and the significance of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Within geography, Y4 learn about the journeys of rivers from source to mouth.
Children in Y3 enjoying the loaned resources from the Cheshire Education Service to enhance their learning about the Stone age.
Y3 'Time Travellers' display showing key questions, travelling timelines and maps, enrichment texts, library service resources and examples of children's work.
Y4 linking geography and history to locate the counties first settled in by the Roman Empire and learning how this changed Britain.
Having fun in the Ancient Greek workshop learning about the legacies left by the Ancient Greeks; what we have learned from them and still use today.
Recapping our understanding of how we find out about the past by understanding the work of archeaologists.
Upper KS2
In Year 5, a local history study helps the children to develop an understanding of 'Identity' and understand 'What put Northwich on the map? Learning about the arrival and settlements of the Saxon and Vikings helps further understand how the identity of Britain has changed. Towards the end of the year, they study exploration and migration to North America. The geography curriculum is carefully plaited within the history themes to enhance the children's understanding by using mapping skills, plotting routes and comparing the changes in land use and ownership. In Year 6, the theme of 'Conflict' from 1066 to present gives children the understanding of the impact of conflict on Britain and the wider world. We go back in time to learn about the Ancient Mayan civilisation. Our Geography curriculum weaves links within our learning to help us make sense of the world around us by introducing the chance to compare and contrast Britain with South America.
An example of Y6 work answering the key questions within a series of lessons about The Battle of Hastings
Y6 researched, planned and lead our Remembrance service at the War Memorial in Lostock Gralam
Y5 learning to be Viking Warriors
Trips and Visitors
Trips out and visitors in are an improtant part of our curriculum and bring awe and wonder to our topics. Our children love the experiences of being able to handle artefacts, observe primary sources of evidence and go to new places. They thrive on the chance to speak to historians, geographers, scientists and experts and also learn about the wealth of jobs available to them.
Travelling timelines and Travelling Maps
Travelling maps and timelines are added to, used for reference and travel with us to our next class to ensure continuity and progression in our learning about chronology and places.
Whole School Topics
During Phase 2, the whole school comes together for a shared topic. Each year the theme changes between an environmental focus and a human conflict focus. Children are taught about the dangers and threats to our world and the wildlife and people in it. We work together to find out how we can act and discover what we can do to have a positive impact on both our local surroundings and areas further afield. We teach children about local people and places who are having a positive impact such as Chester Zoo and use their educational resources and research to support our teaching and learning. We weave real life actions and stories alongside the Global Development Goals.
Please see our page dedicated to our Zoo Project 2019 for more information.
The wider curriculum- breadth and balance
As part of our aim to ensure that all our children have the same experiences to develop their cultural capital, many extra activities, visits out and visitors in are planned and booked throughout the year to provide enrichment and excitement and to enhance the curriculum further.
Forest School and Outdoor learning. Our children enjoy the chance to work in our beautiful school grounds (which are continuously being improved and cared for by a dedicated team of Eco enthusiasts). Many of our subjects are planned with the outdoors in mind, from spelling lessons to Science investigations, and from Maths puzzles to Team-building games. Our wooded area is used to dvelop forest school skills such as den-building, fire safety and fire lighting, gardening and bird watching.
Music is taught throughout school. Children in Years 1-6 all spend a half term each year learning to play the Ukulele with a specialist teacher. We have visiting keyboard and guitar teachers to further enhance this provision. Many children take the opportunity to learn an instrument and we have a large signing choir.
PE is taught by a specialist sports coach as well as our class teachers. We also have specialist gymnastics and cricket coaches that join us throughout the year.
Languages children in KS2 are taught German.
Residential visits play an important part in our school and we give our children opportunities and experiences thay may not have access to otherwise such as sitting round camp fires in Delamere forest and toasting marshmallows; maing dens and wading through streams. In year 6 the children go away for 2 nights to take part in ourdoor and adventurous activities such as high ropes courses, canoeing, team building, orienteering and problem solving activities. Taking part in trips and in on site outdoor learning encourages our children to experience the awe and wonder of God's world and to show respect and care for the things in it. It is another opportunity to develop the qualities of resilience and perseverence as well as the Christian values of friendship and trust.
Day Trips/Visitors in. Carefully planned visits out and visitors in provide the awe, wonder, excitement and enrichment of our History and Geography curriculum. They encourage a practical, fun and hands on experience for all children and ensure memories are made and kept.
For more information, please look at our curriculum overview at the bottom of the page. Or just pop in and ask us a question we are always happy to help! And remember to follow us @LostockGralamPr for daily updates on everything we are doing.