Pannal Primary School

At Pannal, science (which falls mainly under the Understanding of the World area of the EYFS curriculum) starts in the Early Years with children exploring the world around them. Children will have the opportunity to take part in science activities daily as it is an integrated part of the EYFS classroom. The children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they may learn about changing states whilst making pancakes, they may begin to learn about forces whilst using the cars and the drainpipes to make ramps, or they may notice that the lights come on when somebody moves which leads to a discussion about electricity.

Throughout Key Stage 1 and 2 we see the teaching of science as a vital way for the children to understand the world in which they live. We place great value on outdoor learning; working outdoors teaches the children to respect their environment and begin to understand the complexity and relative fragility of the natural world.

The children learn specific scientific vocabulary so that they can accurately explain their understanding of the concepts studied. Knowledge organisers, which have the key knowledge and scientific vocabulary we want the children to retain, are used for each unit of work. Regular revision of vocabulary and low-stakes quizzes are used to ensure that this knowledge is being secured.

We believe that exciting and engaging practical investigations are key to deepening our children’s scientific knowledge, skills and conceptual understanding.   We ensure that all children are exposed to various ways of working scientifically whilst introducing and developing scientific concepts. They become familiar with five types of scientific enquiry: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing; and researching using secondary sources.

We are fortunate to be able to make regular use of the woods next to our school, as well as the natural spaces around our grounds, to provide an abundance of scientific opportunities. These experiences provide a meaningful context and relevance to their learning. Science is taught discretely, but links are made to other areas of the curriculum wherever possible. In Key Stage One, for example, knowledge gained by first-hand experiences of the changing seasons in the woods is linked to report writing in literacy. In year six, during the summer term, pupils learn about living things in their habitats while working towards their John Muir Award.

At Pannal, Geography (which falls mainly under the Understanding of the World area of the EYFS curriculum) starts in the Early Years with children exploring and learning about the world – starting in their immediate environment; the classroom and playground, then the local environment; the woods, the village and Harrogate and then branching out into the wider world. The children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they may learn about where Chinese New Year is celebrated as a planned topic, they may notice and discuss the changing seasons during a Forest School session, or they may learn about recycling whilst tidying the classroom and putting paper in the correct bin.

What we hope for our pupils by the time they leave Pannal School

Geography is an important part of children’s understanding of the world and their place in it.  If children develop a sense of place, an understanding of the impact our environment has on us and the impact we have on it, we hope that they will grow up with a sense of awe and wonder about the world they live in and a sense of responsibility to care for it.

Geography offers our children the opportunity to learn about their immediate environment and how we interact with it. We teach children about places close to home and far away and engage them in thinking about the character of different places, the impact of human and physical features on people, and how places differ from their familiar environments.

We intend that children leave Pannal School with a sense of their place in the world, an ability to articulate their thoughts and feelings about different places they have learned about and a hunger to continue learning about the world in which they live. They will also have learned a range of skills for gathering and analysing information.

Why we teach what we do

Our geography curriculum is planned using the National Curriculum for geography. For each year group, the geography curriculum addresses core ‘Big Ideas’ so that themes are revisited throughout a child’s primary education in different contexts. These themes are location, climate, landscape, interdependence and connectedness, and environmental change. Associated with each of these themes, we have identified vocabulary and ensured that it is covered and revisited as part of the teaching of geography.  The geographical areas studied are at a local, national, and international level and encompass human and physical geography.  We aim to give the children breadth of experience of the vast diversity of the world while comparing with their own environment to recognise similarities and differences.

 We share knowledge organisers with the children. These outline the core information we want them to learn and retain. We provide opportunities for the children to review their learning, taking time to embed specific knowledge which forms a foundation for subsequent teaching and learning.

Within our geography teaching, there are opportunities for the children to ask questions about their learning.  Fieldwork and first-hand experience are important parts of our teaching: we make use of the village where we live and the locations of our residential visits to give the children opportunities to carry out fieldwork.  Work is differentiated so that all children can access the learning at an appropriate level.

How geography is taught

In Early Yeays Foundation Stage, the children talk about their experience of environments (home, school, woodland) and how they differ from one another. Some children are beginning to recognise how people help to maintain or harm the environment. Geography is taught as a discreet subject from years 1 to 6. Children are taught about their immediate environment and about places nationally and internationally, encouraging them to recognise similarities and differences between different places.

Maps are an important part of our teaching. We encourage children to make their own maps. By doing this the teachers gain a lot of knowledge about children’s perception of the world and they can use this to teach individual children new skills. We use printed maps, satellite imagery, and digital maps throughout the school to help the children develop a sense of place and to recognise that different maps give different information.

Visits, local walks, and our residential visits are an important part of our geography teaching: giving the children first-hand experience in new surroundings to consider the human and physical characteristics of places.

When learning about places further afield, we make use of photographs and websites and in some cases teachers’ first-hand experiences and knowledge. 

 

Pannal Primary School’s Mission Statement is “Enjoying learning together, building foundations for life”.

We feel that Physical Education plays an important role in helping us to fulfil this statement. Our vision is for all children to be able to enjoy participating in physical activity in PE, during lunchtime activities, at after school clubs, at festivals, during competitions/tournaments and through learning leadership skills. We have worked hard to develop our Physical Education offering in school both within curriculum time and during extra-curricular activities.

Our PE curriculum

The National Curriculum for PE forms the basis of our teaching and is delivered using the Real PE model and the online learning platform, Jasmine. The Jasmine online platform provides interactive lessons for each year group and ensures progression from Early Years (EYFS) through to Year 6. We feel that Real PE fits our school’s context and provides for all ability levels. In EYFS the strands of Real PE dovetail with the Early Learning Goals the children are striving to achieve and helps the children get ready for PE in Year 1.

The Real PE program has been in place at Pannal Primary School since 2018 and the children are becoming increasingly familiar with the program’s approach and transition seamlessly between year groups. Children undertake modules from both the Real PE and the Real Gym schemes of work throughout the year alongside other sports and skills.   

Real PE has the mantra – “Creating positive relationships with physical activity for life” which is echoed by all at Pannal Primary School. Real PE provides progression for all year groups, the ability to build on previously taught skills and a consistent approach.  Children start with a warm up which may be a ‘fusion’ warm up that exercises both cognitive and physical skills, they are then introduced to a new skill and are then taught how to incorporate this skill in an activity or mini game. Strategies and tactics are discussed but no formal team game rules are explicitly taught.

The children consider the health implications of being physically active and cross reference knowledge from other subjects to understand the importance of exercise. 

We want pupils to gain confidence in their abilities and excel in a broad range of skills and physical activities. Our PE lessons give our children the opportunity to do their best. The effort that the children put into their learning is praised and this ensures children are not afraid to fail.

PE or other physical activity takes place for 2 hours per week.  All staff ensure that children are active for a large percentage of each PE lesson to help with fitness and enjoyment.

PE lessons are inclusive to all in the class and are adaptable so that each child learns a new skill at their own level. Each lesson builds on the skills and techniques taught in the previous lesson.  Personal challenge forms an integral part of Real PE lessons. Children are taught to challenge themselves in the lessons. The Real PE and Gym program offers filmed demonstrations of each task for the children to watch and they can then move through the difficulty levels to suit their ability. Teachers will also adapt the task in the moment to provide an additional layer of challenge.

The multi-ability cogs, within the Real PE program, help our children to work collaboratively. The social cog, in particular helps children to reflect on how to work well with others, as well as encouraging and respecting each other.   Children are encouraged to come up with their own assessment criteria e.g. creativity, fluency, body tension. The cogs fit well with the Pannal Values and Choices that are promoted in all areas of school life.

After having been a Real PE Legacy School we have continued to embed the real PE scheme throughout our school which  we hope will make a real difference and create a real legacy for every child.

Real Dance was recently introduced in Years 1,2 and 3 to ensure there was also consistency over this area of the curriculum. 

We are always evolving, and Yoga was a discipline that we wished to add to the curriculum, particularly to help pupil well-being. This is now being taught by a qualified yoga teacher to Year 4 as one of their PE lessons. 

We are shortly about to introduce a new initiative called BURSTS, which has been produced by the same organisation that developed Real PE. BURSTS will enable stronger links between school and the parents of EYFS children in order to promote physical wellbeing.  

In addition to the above, children participate in athletics in the summer term and our children all swim weekly for 15 weeks of sessions during Year 3. 

The wide range of PE which is delivered to the pupils, aims to engage and inspire all pupils through the balance of Participation and Excellence:

Participation

Physical education taught across the school is wide and varied, both during the school day and as extra-curricular clubs.

Opportunities include:

PE lessons using the Real PE, Real Gym or Real Dance programmes (see above)

Traditional team games; football, netball, hockey, cricket

Individual pursuits; cross country, fitness training, athletics, golf, boccia, yoga

Bespoke activities: fencing, archery, climbing

Maths of the Day/ Active Learning

In addition, over the years some paralympic games have been introduced to the school, leading on from previous Olympic Games; the teachers were trained, and the pupils have enjoyed learning the skills associated with these games. The Olympic values are still prevalent across the school.

Over recent years, funds have been used to employ a Specialist PE teacher and this expertise is used across the school to teach pupils from Early Years to Year 6 in PE activities ranging from basketball to multi-skills.

This diet of sport builds strong relationships of trust between pupils and school staff and impacts positively upon the engagement and trust between them in the classroom. The discipline demanded of the children in sports impacts upon behaviour within the classroom, and the school attributes the excellent behaviour for learning within the school as a direct result of the culture of discipline, respect and dedication nurtured through sports activities.

In our experience, the key is to capture the imagination of the whole school community to generate excitement and interest in sports. Staff sporting interests are highlighted to the children to instil a love of sports and physical activity and to encourage them to take their love of sports into their adult lives.

Excellence

In every aspect of school life, high expectations for all pupils are evident and ingrained in the culture and ethos of the school. Not unlike every other school, there is considerable pressure to maintain high standards but the school’s leadership recognises that one of its key contributing tools for success has been the importance placed on competitive sport. Through sport, the children begin to develop the important qualities of discipline, resilience, communication, teamwork, and ambition: qualities that they are then able to use in their learning within the classroom.

From an early age, competitive sport is nurtured and encouraged, with KS1 pupils preparing for and entering local competitions in athletics, football, and dance. In KS2, the school’s policy is for every child to take part in at least one sport festival, with staff identifying the pupils with specific talents in, for example, football, basketball or orienteering. Skills are taught through P.E. lessons and through a wide variety of sports provision offered after school, both through Teachers but also through highly skilled Teaching Assistants who, with their skill and enthusiasm, ensure that sport is enjoyed by all.

In Year 5 & 6 we deliver a Sports Leadership programme. The pupils use this programme to learn how to lead extra-curricular sporting opportunities for younger pupils. This is an engaging project for all pupils.

The school is keen to provide a wide range of extra-curricular clubs for pupils throughout the year. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to try new sports such as Badminton, Netball, Karate, Street Dancing, Tennis, Football, Multi-skills, Hockey, Cricket, Rounders, Athletics and Cross Country. We monitor participation and check uptake against gender, SEN and free school meals. We also enter a wide range of competitions in these sports and qualified for the North Yorkshire finals in cricket and football, going on to become Regional winners of the cricket in the year 3/4 girls and boys in 2023/24.

What our children say

In pupil questionnaires, PE surveys and Pupil Voice discussions P.E. is always the favourite subject of the vast majority of pupils. Children understand that sport is not just about winning but also taking part.

Transition between Key Stages

We have recently introduced transition sessions between the key stages with joint PE lessons arranged for the end of the academic year with children from EYFS and Year 1 and for children in Year 2 and Year 3. These sessions enable the younger children to get a taste for what PE in their new Key stage will be like. They are supported by the older children and this also gives an opportunity for the Key Stage 2 children to get to know each other better. This is beneficial for many reasons but not least because the inter school competitions span two year groups at a time and the children are likely to be paired for team events.

Sports Week 

Each year we support National School Sports Week by offering each year group the opportunity to try a new sport. 

So far, we have had the chance to try lacrosse, rugby, hockey, orienteering, cheerleading, yoga, netball and tennis. 

Sports Week coincides each year with the KS1 and KS2 sports days, where we champion participation of every child in activities both on and off the track. Children strive to be Pannal shaped by demonstrating the values and choices they use in all areas of their school life. 

  

PE leading to representative sport for the school

We are keen to inspire our children and to raise participation levels and the profile of sport within the school. We aim to engage more children who are not instinctively drawn to sport. Despite COVID restrictions putting a stop to representative sporting activities until November 2021 we have already raised representation rates to 50% in KS2 and there have been no events for KS1 as yet. We hope to return to previous rates of 80% of key stage 2 children and 50% of key stage 1 children representing the school in some form of sporting activity.

All our children have the opportunity to represent the school and recently some of our children qualified for the SEN Panathlon event arranged by Harrogate School Sports Partnership. In addition, a small group of our students participated in horse riding sessions this year in association with Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA). They have all did extremely well and have each attained their Grade 1 certificate in Riding and Horse Care.

 

Our Year 5/6 boys qualified for the Harrogate final in cricket and football.

In 2022 the Year 3/4 cricketers won the County finals of the Dynamos cricket tournament at Headingly and the Year 6 Girls cricketers reached the quarter finals in the same series.

PE leading to participating in a sport outside of school

We also aim to develop those children who are already involved in the sporting life of the school to a higher standard and to allow them to compete at higher levels. This is achieved through entering teams in cluster and district competitions. Our teams have won through to county finals in many different sports.

Our local secondary schools also offer a range of sports activities for local primary schools which we actively signpost our pupils to along with local sporting clubs.

 

Extra-curricular activities

The school is keen to provide a wide range of extra-curricular clubs for pupils throughout the year. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to try new sports such as Badminton, Netball, Karate, Street Dancing, Tennis, Football, Multi-skills, Hockey, Cricket, Rounders, Athletics and Cross Country.

All of the events and opportunities above have led to Pannal Primary School being awarded the Platinum Award by School Games which we are very proud of.

Partnership Work

After a number of changes within the Harrogate area regarding sporting opportunities, we are happy to be joining Sporting Influence in their sporting programme, including competitions and festivals in a number of sports.

We recognise the impact upon community cohesion, which is strengthened through the school’s involvement in competitive sport. Pupils from local primary schools build good relationships with each other which lends itself to a smoother transition to secondary school.

Parental involvement is high, with many of our parents offering to support or just come along and cheer on the team, and our relationships with parents are deeper and more impactful as a result.

Whilst some schools choose to prioritise core subjects over the development of a strong sporting culture, we believe that the positive benefits upon the development of a child’s character by participating and competing in sport, believing wholeheartedly that a child who learns to be resilient, disciplined, respectful and determined on the sports field will apply the same skills within the classroom.

To find out more information on the Harrogate School Sports Partnership please visit www.harrogatessp.com

 

Assessment, monitoring and staff training

We have developed Assessment proforma for all aspects of PE. These documents allow easy assessment of pupils and enable us to note their next steps.

We monitor participation in representative sporting fixtures on behalf of the school and check uptake against gender, SEND, Pupil Premium and free school meals.

All staff who deliver PE lessons have received full training by the Real PE provider and the specialist PE teacher. Training and updates are given to staff as required.

The specialist PE teacher attends PE Network meetings to liaise with other teachers and share best practice.

 

PE and Sports Premium funding

Click here to read about how we are using our PE and Sports premium funding.

Click here to see the Sports Partnership Key Indicators of Improvement.

 

PE Curriculum Map

Purpose of study – Physical Education

A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.

Aims - The national curriculum for physical education aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
• are physically active for sustained periods of time
• engage in competitive sports and activities
• lead healthy, active lives

Key Stage 1 Attainment Target - Pupils should develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.

Pupils should be taught to:

• master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities
• participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending
• perform dances using simple movement patterns

Foundation and Key Stage 1 Curriculum

Key Stage 2 Attainment Target - Pupils should continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They should enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They should develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.

Pupils should be taught to:

• use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
• play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and tennis], and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
• develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance [for example, through athletics and gymnastics]
• perform dances using a range of movement patterns
• take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
• compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best

Swimming and Water Safety - All schools must provide swimming instruction either in key stage 1 or key stage 2.

In particular, pupils should be taught to:

• swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
• use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke
• perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations

Key Stage 2 Curriculum

Our vision is to make quality musical experiences accessible for all children and promote an appreciation for learning and listening to music. We aim to excite children, enabling them to learn new skills, broaden their knowledge and develop a life-long love of the subject. Through inclusive planning, we build confidence, a sense of achievement and joy in making music together. Music empowers our children to become ambitious, resilient and independent.

At Pannal, Music (which falls mainly under the Expressive Arts and Design area of the EYFS curriculum) starts in the Early Years with children exploring how to make sounds with instruments (both proper instruments and those they make), singing and keeping rhythm. Music is embedded throughout the day in our routines as well as supporting children’s learning in whole class and small group teaching – the staff have a song for every occasion! The children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they learn songs for the Christmas Nativity and may be taught to use instruments to support the music, as well as using instruments in their everyday play – using the stage in the outdoor classroom is always a popular place to perform to their friends!

Our music curriculum for Key Stage 1 and 2 incorporates the four key aspects from the National Curriculum: performing, composition, listening and notation with reviewing and evaluating being embedded throughout. These strands are explored and extended in designated music lessons as well as through cross-curricular opportunities and Key Stage singing assemblies. To help children gain a broad knowledge and appreciation of music, each year group studies an ‘origin’, e.g. Celtic music, African traditions and Pop music.

We share knowledge organisers with the children which have been specifically designed for each year group. These outline the core information, e.g musical language or notation symbols, we want them to learn and retain each year so they can continue to build on these foundations.

At Pannal, we believe that every child that every child should be given the opportunity to learn an instrument. In Year 3, the recorder is taught to all children and the ukulele in Year 4. This exposure to music making plays a part in the enthusiastic uptake to the individual instrumental and vocal lessons offered by our specialist team of peripatetic teachers.

We have a strong tradition of excellence in music education and value the contribution it makes to each child’s personal development. Instilling a love of music is a priority from Reception onwards and we offer our pupils a wealth of experiences throughout their time at Pannal.

We enrich our classroom curriculum with opportunities for every child to perform on the stage at least annually in a year group production or in one of our extra-curricular groups. These include two singing groups designed to encourage participation and enjoyment: Little Voices (KS1) children and Junior Voices (KS2). We also have a thriving school orchestra which is open to anyone in KS2 who has a basic understanding of reading music and is keen to play alongside other children. Throughout the year, there are opportunities for collaborating with other schools, local adult ensembles and wider music making.

 

Junior Voices

Junior Voices is an after school club where children meet to learn songs and perform in concerts.

 

 

In Art and Design we aim to provide a well-rounded experience for our pupils. We want to equip them with the skills to create their own art works, help them to develop a visual literacy and gain knowledge about great artists and designers.

At Pannal, Art (which falls mainly under the ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ area of the EYFS curriculum) starts in the Early Years with children observing, enjoying and recording the world around them. Children will have the opportunity to take part in Art activities daily as it is an integrated part of the EYFS classroom. Children are encouraged to be independent artists, and to explore the wide range of media and materials available to them in the creative areas of the classroom. The children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they may use powder paints to create visual representations of fireworks they have seen, they may explore colour mixing to try and paint something that the adults have provided as a provocation or they may explore the feel and textures of chalks on the playground. 

As children move through the school, they acquire and develop skills in drawing, painting, print making and sculpture. The progression of these skills is across the year groups and key stages. Children begin by exploring the potential of different materials and techniques and record their findings in a sketchbook which accompanies them through school from Year 1 – Year 6. The next step is to allow children time to create art that is valued, with opportunities to work independently and to collaborate with others. It is important to us that we provide an environment where children feel safe taking risks and are not intimidated by ‘getting it wrong’. Teachers not only engage and inspire our pupils, but challenge them to think critically about their work and the work of other artists. We provide opportunities for children to share and discuss their opinions in ways that are respectful.  

As children develop mastery through their practise and development of ideas, they also gain an understanding of line, colour, shape, pattern, texture, tone and form. The acquisition of this visual language, together with the development of subject specific vocabulary and knowledge of some great artists and designers is also an important part of the curriculum. 

Children are taught about ten specific artists and designers which have been chosen to reflect a broad spectrum of Western art movements. They include well-known artists that children are likely to encounter in their lives away from school, as well as artists and designers that reflect some aspects of British art history, including artists from Yorkshire. When looking at the work of these artists, children are encouraged to make links and connections to a wider context (historical or geographical, for example). Wherever possible, artworks (including those of other artists) are referenced while children are learning an artistic skill or technique and this in turn helps to further develop their visual literacy.  

Knowledge organisers are used in each year group and include vocabulary progression, examples of outcomes for discrete skills and information about the featured artist/s. 

We want our teaching of Art and Design to foster a love of art in our pupils and furnish them with the skills and enthusiasm for future study of the subject. In developing their knowledge and understanding of art and artists we hope our children will begin to appreciate how art and design contributes to the cultural heritage of where they live. 

At Pannal, ‘Languages’ (which falls under the ‘Communication and Language’ and the ‘Understanding of the World’ areas of the EYFS curriculum) starts in the Early Years with children being introduced to the idea that people around the world speak different languages. Staff are aware that our children may well know different languages and many speak languages other than English at home. Opportunities to talk about this and to say ‘hello’ etc. in these languages are captured where possible. Children in the Early Years take part in whole school celebrations of language at a level which is appropriate to their understanding. The children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they may learn some key phrases during Modern European Languages week, they may teach staff and friends how to say ‘hello’ in their home language, or they may show an interest in another country, leading to discussions around the languages spoken there.

We have an enthusiastic team of linguists who aim to share their love of foreign languages with the children. We hope that this passion for speaking French and Spanish will be infectious and the children will develop a lifelong love for languages. 

Our first aim is to develop speaking and listening skills and encourage the children to ‘have a go’ at all times.  We then lay the foundations, through written French, in readiness for the children’s transition to secondary school and hopefully future study in adulthood.

French is introduced at Key Stage 1 through songs, rhymes and games. In Lower Key Stage 2 weekly lessons incorporate speaking and listening skills in a fun and enjoyable way. As the children progress to Upper Key Stage 2, they learn to read and write in French and speak with more confidence. Topics are interesting and relevant and engage and stimulate learning.

During Upper Key Stage 2 the children continue to learn French, but we also provide the children with an introduction to Spanish.

The children learn about both the language and the culture of France and other European countries. Each year we embrace this by marking European Day of Languages with a whole school themed day.

At Pannal, we work closely with a cluster of primary schools to share good practice. We are developing links with the secondary schools in Harrogate to meet the needs of transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 to ensure that our children continue with their successful language journey.

We hope, in the near future, to re-establish links with a French primary school so that the children can put their newfound love of French into practice and interact with similar aged children to themselves in France.

Our vision for computing at Pannal Primary School is to ensure that all learners have a secure foundation of the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the digitally rich environment in which they live.  Our provision has its roots in Early Years and goes on to provide the national curriculum entitlement to all pupils in Key Stage One and Two.  

Computing in Early Years 

At Pannal, Computing starts in the Early Years with children introduced gently to some of the equipment that they will use in more depth further up the school. The EYFS staff are conscious that the children use a lot of technology outside of school, and that they must make the most of every opportunity in school to develop the Personal and Social skills that will support their learning as they move through school. Children are given the chance to use IT as part of the provision in the classroom. The children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they may program floor robots to navigate the classroom, they may use a digital camera to take a photo of some of their work, or they may use the listening centre to listen to their favourite story digitally. 

Computing in Key Stage 1 and 2 

As Pannal uses research to inform the decisions around curriculum design we have chosen to draw on The Teach Computing Curriculum written by the Raspberry Pi Foundation on behalf of the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) to ensure our delivery of computing curriculum is both high quality and comprehensive.  The curriculum is designed in line with strong pedagogy for learning as it is sequential and ensures pupils revisits themes regularly (at least once in each year group) consolidating and building on prior knowledge as pupils are taught new topics.  

As our school is in an affluent area, many of our pupils have access to online devices at a young age, we therefore emphasise the key messages of using the internet safely beyond computing lessons. We achieve this through gamification (Google’s Internet Legends), issuing a monthly online safety newsletter to parents and e-safety assemblies throughout the year. As we recognise that many of our pupils will use online platforms to digitally communicate with others, we have implemented DB Primary to provide a safe space where pupils can message, blog and upload content. This platform is monitored through filters which alert staff to any unacceptable behaviours should they occur. Aspects of keeping safe online are also addressed throughout our PSHE curriculum. 

The Teach Computing Curriculum is inclusive and ambitious. Appropriate activities are scaffolded, supporting all pupils to thrive and succeed in computing lessons. Exploratory tasks are used to encourage a deeper understanding of concepts whilst encouraging pupils to apply and make connections across their learning in different contexts. 

As computing requires a large amount of subject knowledge and specific vocabulary, we have ensured teachers are professionally supported by providing high-quality, explanatory resources to aid them in delivering the curriculum to a high standard with confidence. 

At Pannal, Design Technology (which falls mainly under the ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ of the EYFS curriculum) starts in the Early Years with children exploring how to fix and join materials to achieve a desired effect, as well as regular cooking and baking sessions. The classroom is set up for the children to independently access and use DT in their play. The children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they are explicitly taught scissor skills during the weekly ‘crafternoon’ session, they may choose to use junk modelling resources to make models, or they may experiment with different ways to build a train track during independent play.

Throughout Key Stage 1 children learn to develop, model and communicate their design ideas of purposeful, functional and appealing products for themselves and others, through talking, drawing, using templates and creating mock-ups where appropriate. Children will experience using a range of tools, equipment, materials, textiles and ingredients to make their design ideas. Pupils' will develop their ability to evaluate existing products, their own ideas and products against simple design criteria.

In Key Stage 2 pupils will build on the skills and knowledge previously developed to research and develop design criteria to inform their own designs aimed at particular individuals and groups. Ideas will be generated and developed through discussion, annotated sketches, diagrams, prototypes and other developmental strategies. Pupils will be exposed to a wider range of tools and materials for them to select from, depending on practical task, functional properties and desired aesthetic qualities of their product. Pupils will continue to evaluate existing products but use more detailed design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work. Children will also develop an understanding of how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world in which they live.

At Pannal, RE (which falls mainly under the ‘Understanding of the World’ area of the EYFS curriculum) starts in the Early Years with children exposed to other cultures and religions around the world. EYFS staff strive to make this learning relevant to the children and to ensure that is taught sensitively and openly. The children learn about celebrations and cultural events that they take part in in their community, and are also introduced to events that happen throughout the world. Staff make sure to find out about the religions and cultural events that are celebrated by the families in our school to ensure that we can learn about them together. We follow the North Yorkshire Agreed Syllabus, and the children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they take part in a Harvest celebration in the local church, they may try foods and make art linked to Diwali, or they may have noticed some special food in the supermarket which leads to a discussion about Chinese New Year.

For Key Stage 1 and 2, Religious Education is planned using the North Yorkshire Agreed Syllabus 2019-2024.

Parents may see a copy of this syllabus in school. All children will be involved in a daily act of worship, often known as assembly, which is broadly Christian. Parents may withdraw their child from Religious Education provided that such a request is made in writing to Mrs Turner. Alternative provision would then be made following consultation with parents.

The North Yorkshire Syllabus aims for:

“RE to explore big questions about life, to find out what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can make sense of religion, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.”

There are three main aims of RE.  These are to ensure that all children in school will:

 1. Know about and understand a range of religions and worldviews, so that they can:

• describe, explain and analyse beliefs and practices, recognising the diversity which exists within and between communities and amongst individuals
• identify, investigate and respond to questions posed, and responses, offered by some of the sources of wisdom found in religions and worldviews
• appreciate and appraise the nature, significance and impact of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.

2. Express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews, so that they can:

• explain reasonably their ideas about how beliefs, practices and forms of expression influence individuals and communities
• express with increasing discernment their personal reflections and critical responses to questions and teachings about identity, diversity, meaning and value, including ethical issues
• appreciate and appraise varied dimensions of religion.

3. Gain and deploy the skills needed to engage seriously with religions and worldviews, so that they can:

• find out about and investigate key concepts and questions of belonging, meaning, purpose and truth, responding creatively
• enquire into what enables different individuals and communities to live together respectfully for the wellbeing of all
• articulate beliefs, values and commitments clearly in order to explain why they may be important in their own and other people’s lives.

To summarise, they will meet these aims through knowing, understanding, expressing ideas, gaining skills and deploying the skills needed to engage seriously about religions and worldviews.  The children will have the opportunity to explore specific questions that will lead them into learning about different world religions. 

The syllabus is structured around the above aims and the three strands, Believing, Expressing and Living.  These strands are woven into the units of work that we cover within each area of school.  In each unit of work key questions that the syllabus identifies are addressed.  The key questions within each unit of work opens up the content to be studied.

The whole school will follow the long-term plan below:

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n the Foundation Stage, children will discover the beliefs of Christian people and other faiths, as part of their growing sense of self, their own community and their place within it.

In Key Stage 1, they will become more familiar with the beliefs of Christian people and begin to explore Jewish people.

In Key Stage 2, children will explore Christian people, connect their previous  knowledge of Jewish people, explore Hindu and Muslim people.  In lower KS2 children will be introduced to Hindu people in more depth and in upper KS2 Muslim people will be covered more exclusively in the units covered.  However, some units of work will give children the opportunity to connect beliefs of Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim people to provide knowledge progression as the children journey through school.

The North Yorkshire Agreed syllabus helps to promote SMSC within school by supporting the school’s overall ethos through the planned RE activities as well as promoting a sense of self-knowledge, moral courage, and a capacity for promoting sympathy for others.  Despite this, we as a school have a duty to ensure that SMSC is developed through every area of school life.

Within RE, ‘spiritual’ should not be confused with ‘religious’. Spiritual development refers to the aspects of the child’s spirit which are enhanced by school life and learning, and may describe the ‘spirit’ of determination, sharing or open-mindedness. Spiritual development describes the ideal spirit of the school. RE can support this by promoting: 

• Self-awareness
• Curiosity
• Collaboration
• Reflection 
• Resilience
• Response
• Values
• Appreciation

Activities for moral development in RE 

Moral development is about exploring and developing pupils’ own moral outlook and understanding of right and wrong. It is also about learning to navigate the fact of moral diversity in the world. RE is extremely well-suited to exploring social and personal morality in significant ways, it can do this by: 

1) Valuing others

2) Moral character development 

3) Moral diversity

Activities for social development in RE 

Social development refers to the ways young people are shaped in schools with an eye on the sort of society we wish to create in the future. Developing children and young people socially means giving them the opportunities to explore and understand social situations and contexts they may encounter in school or outside. In the RE classroom, such social situations may include exploring: 

• Shared values 

• Idealised concepts: focusing on the abstract concepts our society is built on, such as justice, fairness, honesty and truth

• Moral sources: a chance to reflect on where ideas about how we should behave come from, whether religious or non-religious texts

• Influences

• Social insight

• Role models

• Experiential learning: pupils should have opportunities to embody for themselves expected behavioural and social norms, whether through class discussions, group work, or ongoing behaviour expectations.

There are two meanings associated with ‘cultural’ development, and RE embodies them both. Firstly, the term refers to the pupils’ own home culture and background, whether religious or not and secondly, the term describes our national culture. Schooling should prepare all young people to participate in Britain’s wider cultural life, whatever their own background. 

RE and British values 

RE can make a key educational contribution to pupils’ explorations of British values, and through teaching of RE it can enable pupils to learn to think for themselves about them. The subject offers opportunities to build an accurate knowledge base about religions and beliefs in relation to values. This in turn supports children so that they are able to move beyond attitudes of tolerance towards increasing respect so that they can celebrate diversity. 

At Pannal, PSHE (which falls mainly under the ‘Personal, Social and Emotional Development’ are of the EYFS curriculum) starts in the Early Years with children being taught to thoughtfully and sensitively think and talk about emotions and to think about themselves and others kindly. Staff in the EYFS treat PSHE as an absolute priority – they know that children need to be happy and settled before they are ready to learn. Plenty of time is given for talking through scenarios that may arise - staff are aware that young children need explicitly teaching about how to function as part of a large group. Specific teaching time is given to teaching children how to look after their health; mental and physical. Children take part in Yoga, Mindfulness and Forest School sessions, as well as learning about their bodies and how to look after them. The children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they may talk about keeping clean when we learn about babies, they may use a timer to make sure they are sharing the toys fairly, or they may need help settling a dispute about whose turn it is to use the marble run.   

To teach PSHE in Key Stages 1 and 2 we have adopted the Question- Based model from the PHSE Assocation and adapted it to match the needs of our cohorts. The overview of this can be found here. Focusing on our well-being and the well-being of others is a thread that can be seen running throughout everything we do at Pannal school. To be ‘Pannal-shaped’, is to demonstrate both the Olympic values of self-belief, passion, respect, determination, teamwork, honesty; as well as make good choices from the 5 Ways to Well-being; connect, give, keep learning, take notice and be active. Pupils are celebrated when they demonstrate these values and choices and encouraged to work on those that they find hardest to achieve.

Pupils at Pannal, also, work on their own personal ‘toolkit’ every year to  record activities, experiences and strategies that aid their ability to remain calm, stay focused and be happy i.e. to nurture their mental health. They also reflect on how this changes as the years progress; which methods still work for them and which no longer do. We hope this reflection will, in time, be invaluable in creating life-long strategies to maintain wellbeing.

Staff are encouraged to share their own strategies for keeping mentally and physically healthy with pupils as well as each other. This could be spending time outdoors, appreciating nature, cooking, doodling or a physical activity like joining our running club etc. This supports everyone at Pannal to find techniques that work for them but also encourages them to see activities from a different angle, one which highlights the effect on their mental health.

Finally, we aim for all our community members at Pannal School to embrace well-being and be able to cope with life’s ups and downs. On offer to pupils, parents and staff are a variety of external and internal programmes that can be used to support the well-being of all, both at home and at school. We value everyone’s mental and physical health and aim for everyone at Pannal school to thrive.

Within school, Mrs Dent is employed to offer pastoral support to pupils and also provides home visits for supporting with parenting issues.

Every Monday, we have a counsellor in school from JustB. 

Just B Emotional Wellbeing Support

Just ‘B’ provides emotional wellbeing support to primary and secondary schools in our area. This service aims to provide children and young people with a space to share, explore and develop an understanding of their lives and emotional responses.

https://justb.org.uk/schools-support/

Additional Emotional Support

The Go-to

The Go-to is a new mental health website for supporting children and young people in North Yorkshire.

Please see the attached guidance and link to access this resource.

https://www.thegoto.org.uk/

Elsa Support

The link below offers free emotional support resources.

https://www.elsa-support.co.uk/category/free-resources/coronavirus-support/

Compass Phoenix (formerly Compass Buzz and Reach)

Compass Phoenix is a free, confidential health and wellbeing service for children and young people between the ages of 5-19.

It’s also available for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) up to the age of 25.

The Compass Phoenix service is for those children and young people who may benefit from receiving early help and prevention of harm work in relation to mild to moderate emotional wellbeing and mental health issues.

The aim of the service is to improve outcomes for children and young people’s mental health by strengthening the range of mental health support available to children and young people.

https://www.compass-uk.org/services/compass-phoenix/

Growing Healthy North Yorkshire – Healthy Child Team

The Healthy Child Team promote and protect the health and wellbeing of all children and young people aged 5 to 19. They work with children, young people and families to empower and enable them to make informed decisions about health, and to support them in transitioning safely and happily into adult life.  On their website they provide useful information for children and their families including sleep, e-safety and emotional health.

https://www.hdft.nhs.uk/services/childrens-services/growing-healthy-north-yorkshire/

The school governors following consultation with parents and staff established our Relationships and Sex Education policy (RSE). Sex education should be complementary to that given at home. The purpose is to prepare pupils to cope with the physical and emotional challenges of growing up, and to give them an understanding of human reproduction. We aim to present the facts in an objective, balanced and sensitive manner. The school nurse works alongside teaching staff for some lessons.

In Years 4, information is given to girls about managing their periods. In years 5 and 6 information is given about puberty, conception, pregnancy and birth. It is taught in the context of a carefully planned science and health education programme, with particular regard to moral considerations and the value of family life. Parents are always given prior notification of these lessons and invited to preview the video material that is used.

All parents have the right to withdraw their children from RSE lessons. All lessons are structured within our wider PSHE curriculum plans.

Please click here to see what children should know by the end of primary school.

We have explored the concept of “curriculum entitlements” - the idea that there are certain experiences that all children should have the opportunity to have during their childhood.  These activities will span many of our curriculum dimensions and also give an insight into SMSC which threads through all aspects of the curriculum.

The strands of SMSC within Pannal School are not treated in isolation, but rather seen as inter-connected through every area of school life.  It has a very strong link within the work covered in Personal, Social, Health and Cultural Education (PSHCE)  and Religious Education (RE).  To break it down:

Pupils’ spiritual development is shown by their:

• beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life
• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them.
• use of imagination and creativity in their learning
• willingness to reflect on their experiences.

Pupils’ moral development is shown by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and their readiness to apply this understanding in their own lives
• understanding of the consequences of their actions
• interest in investigating, and offering reasoned views about, moral and ethical issues.

Pupils’ social development is shown by their:

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts
• willingness to participate in a variety of social settings, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively

Pupils’ cultural development is shown by their:

• willingness to participate in, and respond to, for example, artistic, musical, sporting, mathematical, technological, scientific and cultural opportunities
• interest in exploring, understanding of, and respect for cultural diversity

This is evident in school through strong values which are apparent in the day to day life of the school.  Pupils and all adults are respectful of each other and their environment.  They are reflective about beliefs, values and more profound aspects of human experience, using their imagination and creativity, and developing curiosity in their learning.   There are many opportunities for pupils to further develop their social skills, an appreciation of theatre, music, art and literature.  They are encouraged to develop skills and attitudes to enable them to participate fully and positively in modern Britain.  Pupils respond positively to a range of artistic, sporting activities within the active and arts dimensions.