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 scientific exploration daily as it is an integrated part of the EYFS learning environment. The children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they may learn about changing states of matter 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 develop their understanding of 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.

Geography at Pannal Primary 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 both 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.

How Geography is Taught

At Pannal, geography begins in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as part of the Understanding the World area of learning. Children start by exploring their immediate surroundings — the classroom and playground — before expanding their understanding to the local area, including the woods, the village, and Harrogate. From there, they begin to learn about the wider world where we aim to give the children a breadth of experience of the vast diversity of the world while comparing with their own environment to recognise similarities and differences.

Our geography curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and built around developing key concepts of ‘Place’, ‘Space’, ‘Earth Processes’ and ‘Environment’. These themes are revisited throughout a child’s time at Pannal, helping them build deeper understanding over time. We also focus on developing geographical vocabulary linked to each theme.

Units are carefully sequenced, and we share knowledge organisers with the children. These outline the core information we want them to learn and retain, and 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.

Fieldwork and first-hand experience are important parts of our teaching: we make use of the local environment, and the locations of our residential visits, to give the children first-hand experience in new surroundings to carry out fieldwork and consider the human and physical characteristics of places. Maps play an important part of our teaching. Children create their own maps to express their understanding. We use printed maps, satellite imagery, and digital maps throughout the school to help the children develop a sense of place and to recognise how different maps can show different types of geographical information.

Our Vision for Geography

By the time children leave Pannal School, we hope they will have:

• a strong sense of place and identity.
• the ability to articulate their thoughts and feelings about different places and geographical concepts
• a toolkit of geographical skills for gathering and analysing information
• a curiosity about the world and a hunger to learn more about the world in which they live.

Environment Dimension

At Pannal School, we aim to empower children with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to deal positively with the changes and uncertainty of the future. By the time they leave us, we hope that they have become confident, connected, lifelong learners with a sense of responsibility for the well-being of their natural environment. We recognise that our children are growing up in a world in environmental crisis. As such, we have a responsibility to provide opportunities for our students to become engaged in real world affairs and begin to understand the complex environmental issues confronting our planet.

When planning our curriculum, we look for natural links in the National Curriculum to embed the Environment Dimension and give children memorable experiences from which they learn about their inter-relationship with the world around them, the impact they have on it and their responsibility to care for it. We plan for outdoor learning opportunities, teach them about the natural environment and promote conservation activities.

We believe that every child should have opportunities to learn outside the classroom. We have a rich and exciting outdoor environment at our school. We use our extensive school grounds and the adjoining woodland regularly as a means of inspiring and stimulating children in their learning and take the children on walks so that we can also use the area within walking distance of the school. In years 5 and 6, the children take part in residential visits which complement their learning in school and give them opportunities to learn more about other areas of Yorkshire.

All year groups make use of the woodland adjacent to school throughout the year for a variety of learning opportunities. This might be regular visits over the course of a term as part of a project, or a single visit as a stimulus for writing, science or art. The children learn to appreciate the natural environment and enjoy these learning opportunities.

Forest School

We have an area of woodland adjacent to the school grounds and direct access to this wonderful learning environment. Currently, all of our Reception, year 2, 5 and 6 children take part in a series of Forest School sessions each term. Through a balance of supported and self-initiated tasks, children learn to appreciate the natural world and their responsibility to care for it. They are taught to use tools safely, assess and manage risks, negotiate and cooperate with each other and value others’ strengths and opinions. Research has shown that Forest School develops children’s confidence, self-esteem and determination to persevere with tasks: attributes which have far reaching benefits.  www.foresteducation.org

Climate Action at Pannal Primary School

At Pannal we are committed to creating a more sustainable future for our children. Our Climate Action Plan sets out the steps we will take to help reduce our carbon footprint, adapt our school site and systems to build resilience and enhance the biodiversity of our environment, and develop our curriculum to prepare our children for a world shaped by climate change. Through Forum Families, our whole-school approach to pupil voice, and our Green Team, we aim to empower children to share their ideas and opinions in mixed age groups and be involved in the decision making and direct action necessary to implement change.

Residential Visits in KS2 at Pannal School

Residential Visits are an important part of our Key Stage 2 curriculum at Pannal School. We believe they give the children a wide range of opportunities, which enhance both our curriculum provision for the children and the children’s independence, confidence, resilience, and social skills.

In Key Stage 2 at Pannal School, there are residential visits in years 4, 5 and 6 which each have a different focus, and all complement each other.

Year 4 Sleepover (one night)

In June of Year 4, as an introduction to residential experiences, the children have an overnight sleep-over in school. For some of the children, this is the first time they have stayed away from home. The aims of the visit are to develop the children’s confidence and independence away from home.

Year 5 Carlton Lodge (two nights)

In the autumn term of Year 5, the children spend 2 nights and activity days at Carlton Lodge Outdoor Education Centre at Carlton Miniott near Thirsk. The focus for this visit is:

• to offer the children a range of outdoor adventurous activities
• to encourage them to try new activities
• to help them to recognise their strengths
• to face and try to overcome challenges.

Year 6 Geography/ History Field Trip: Grinton Lodge (4 nights)

In Year 6, the children spend a week (Monday to Friday) at Grinton Lodge YHA in Swaledale. The focus for this visit is geography fieldwork, identifying historical evidence of how the local landscape, and its use, has changed over time, as well as developing the children’s independence and resilience.

We travel to the Lodge by coach and for the rest of the week have no transport until we return to school on Friday. This means a slower pace of life as we visit places in the locality and learn to appreciate staying in a National Park. While there, the children learn about the lead mining history in the valley with the help of the owner of the Swaledale Museum in Reeth who brings history to life. We also study the stream nearby and see first-hand the features of rivers and the effects of the water on the landscape. We walk to the top of Fremington Edge to gain a unique perspective of the valley and the children often feel a profound sense of achievement when they complete the walk.

The children:

• mix with other people across their year group
• enjoy spending time with established friends, and often find new friendships form
• learn to organise themselves, taking responsibility for what they need with them for each day out
• have time to reflect on what they have learned about themselves, others and the location
• learn a wide variety of geography fieldwork skills in a memorable environment

Before and after this visit, the children complete work in school related to the visit and all of this is presented as a project file which gives the children a taste of the type of independent work they might be required to complete at secondary school.

The centres we use have approved supplier status from NYCC’s Educational Visits Advisor giving confidence that everything is in place to cover all Health and Safety requirements. Grinton Lodge is a youth hostel (YHA) and Carlton Lodge holds the AALA licence from the Adventurous Activities Licensing Service.

 ‘Safeguarding children is our priority, and we work closely with industry leading experts, including the DBS and the NSPCC, to ensure that our child safeguarding practices are over and above those required by law. All properties are regularly inspected for their physical safety and security,’ YHA.

We hope that this gives you an appreciation of what we aim to achieve through the residential experiences that we offer at Pannal. We hope you will encourage your children to participate. We spend a lot of time preparing the children for these visits and talking to them about their excitement and apprehension and encouraging them to support each other. As we all know from experience, new situations are challenging but also very worthwhile. Please encourage your child(ren) to grasp these opportunities and grow through their learning.

We pride ourselves on keeping parents well informed about any residential in which their child(ren) will participate but if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to discuss with your child’s class teacher or the educational visits coordinator.

At Pannal, History (which falls mainly under the Understanding of the World area of the EYFS curriculum) starts in the Early Years with children beginning to understand the idea of time; both in the short term and the long term. This complicated concept is introduced and explored; starting with changes that have happened to them and their families and branching out into changes in the wider world. The children take part in both planned and spontaneous activities. For example, they may learn about the moon landings as a planned topic, they may talk about the life of the monarch when a big news story happens, or they may tell the class about a new baby in the family which leads to a discussion about how we change throughout our lives.

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

History has an important part to play in our understanding of the world and the societies we live in. We want children to realise how the past has influenced our lives today. Learning about people and events in the past, both in Britain and the wider world, helps children to develop their own values and may influence decisions they make both at present and in the future. We want all children to value their own and other global cultures.

Our history curriculum stimulates a child’s natural desire to investigate. Children are given the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the past through carefully planned structured learning investigations and a variety of high-quality provision.

Children experience different periods of history in chronological order and their knowledge is consolidated and extended in each of the periods studied. At the same time, children are developing the key skills of enquiry. The ability to undertake independent research, evaluate and interpret evidence, and justify their own conclusions is seen as essential preparation for the next stage in their learning.     

Why we teach what we do                                                                                                                                            We follow the National Curriculum and aim to offer a ‘knowledge-rich, broad and balanced’ curriculum. We plan lessons to stimulate an interest in finding out about the past, encouraging children to ask meaningful questions that will further their understanding and increase their knowledge.

As children move through the school, progression in history is carefully planned and monitored to ensure all children, regardless of their learning needs, can develop skills and knowledge. We provide learning opportunities and differentiated tasks that build upon previous knowledge and achievement. Topics are revisited to ensure that key concepts and facts are stored effectively in a child’s long term memory.

History is taught as a discreet subject from Years 1 to 6 and there is a history focus in each term. The ‘Big Ideas’ in history are addressed in each year group and the topics studied are planned to include the historical concepts of:

• Change and continuity; 
• Cause and consequence; 
• Similarity and difference; 
• Significance and diversity.

History in EYFS is incorporated into learning as the children begin to investigate their own history and that of their family and friends. As well as British and global history, local history is also studied. This reinforces the relevance of History to their lives and their community and further develops a sense of identity and place. Where we live and grow is an important part of who we are.                                                                                                                         

How history is taught

We share knowledge organisers with the children which provide the key information we want children to learn and retain. Key facts, events, dates and relevant vocabulary are featured. Key vocabulary is introduced, developed and extended for each topic and is revisited regularly. We give time to review learning and use a variety of retrieval activities and quizzes which inform subsequent planning.

We use a variety of teaching and learning strategies with an emphasis on Inquiry-based Learning. We give children a wealth of experiences, from stories and role-play to research projects and lively debate.  The learning is enhanced through visits to museums and historical sites; workshops led by experts; visitors; the use of artefacts such as objects, paintings and documents; stories and drama.

 

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 competent with the program’s approach and transition seamlessly between year groups. Children undertake modules from both the Real PE, Real Gym and the Real Dance 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 is part of the curriculum in Years 1,2 and 3 and links well with the Real PE programme as does the Real Gym which we use throughout the year groups.

We are always evolving, and the children also get to experience yoga sessions throughout the year.

We introduced a new initiative called BURSTS in EYFS. 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. This is done via an App.

In 2025, our school had the opportunity to introduce Skillabus sports skills courses for Years 1-6, this is via an app.

In addition to the above, children participate in athletics in the summer term and our children all swim weekly for 18 weeks of sessions during Year 3. 

The wide range of PE which is delivered, 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, orienteering

Bespoke activities: fencing, archery, lacrosse

Maths of the Day/ Active Learning style activities

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, cross country 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 Regional  finals in cricket and football in both boys and girls in Year 5/6..

 

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. We have had over 75% of Key Stage 2 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 North Yorkshire Sport. 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 and girls cricket teams qualified for the Harrogate finals, leading to the North Yorkshire finals and then both teams qualified for the Regional finals at Hunslet Nelson Cricket Club.(July2025)

 

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 greater 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 Gold 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.

We believe that physical activity positively benefits the development of a child’s character. By participating and competing in sport, we believe 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.

 

Assessment, monitoring and staff training

Real PE have recently provided a new platform for assessment which we will be using going forward. These records 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
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 Years 3 and 4 the recorder is taught to all children. 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 band 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.

 

 

At Pannal, we are very lucky to have a talented and experience group of music teachers providing quality instrumental and vocal lessons during the school day. Our tutors are independent but work in partnership with us and are committed to maintain the high profile of music at Pannal.

Please click here for more information about Pannal Primary School instrumental & vocal lessons.

Please click here to read the terms & conditions for instrumental and vocal lessons.

 

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 also 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 European Day of Languages, 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 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 through songs, rhymes and games. In Lower Key Stage 2 weekly French lessons incorporate speaking and listening skills in a fun and enjoyable way as well as learning vocabulary and writing short sentences. 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.

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 have recently introduced a Physical French Phonics programme which will help the children to recognise different phonemes in French and their grapheme correspondence. This is an approach which is being developed in all Key Stage 3 settings in readiness for the new GCSE curriculum.

We have also recently partnered with a school in France, the École Louis Pasteur and we have started to write to one another. We hope this experience will bring language learning to life, showing the children what school is like in France and also enabling them to use the French they have learnt so far.

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 via a QR code.

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 the 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. 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.

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.