Vale View Curriculum Overview 

We place a strong emphasis on learning the basics of reading, writing and mathematics so that our children achieve their full potential across all areas of the curriculum. Learning is planned, based on our pupil’s needs and achievements and next steps in learning takes into account different learning styles.

In Mathematics, in addition to the daily maths lesson, time is spent allowing the pupils to learn and consolidate their number facts such as multiplication and division facts, number bonds etc, through fun games and activities and many children enjoy the use of the online ICT program ‘TTRS’ where they can compete against other young mathematicians. Children learn best when they are interested and so we aim to make our broad and balanced curriculum as interesting and relevant to our pupils as possible.

In line with the National Curriculum, we at Vale View believe that Literacy unites the important skills of reading and writing. Our approach to teaching and learning reflects this philosophy. In reading our school aims to provide the children with the skills and strategies necessary to develop into competent and fluent.  We promote a love of reading and reading for pleasure through the use of rich texts, class reads, author visits, Library sessions etc

At Vale View we use Read Write Inc as a starting point for the children’s reading journey. Ensuring that high-quality phonic work is taught systematically and discretely as our prime approach used in the teaching of early reading. Read Write Inc is a systematic phonics programme which helps children learn to read fluently and at speed so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary and spelling.  These texts can be decoded by the children.

As children learn to decode and become more competent readers we then use a variety of books matched to their Reading level to ensure the children gain a wide breadth of both fiction & non-fiction books. We read individually with our children as well as in groups ensuring we develop their reading skills at their level, striving to enable progress to take place. We do guided reading sessions in ability groups and children are given opportunities to practise and extend their reading skills independently. Shared reading takes place on a daily basis throughout the curriculum looking at a variety of text types and genres.

Find out more about Read Write inc on our Phonic pages or at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjlPILhk7bQ

We are  constantly developing our curriculum and the cross-curricular  themed approach to the children’s learning through topics and high quality texts. All subjects such as geography, history, art, science, music & DT etc and associated essential skills, will be linked to the topic for each year group to ensure a more connected, relevant and enjoyable curriculum for all. Literacy topics will also be linked to each topic where appropriate to make the children’s learning in reading & writing more significant and to keep it embedded in real life.