Curriculum

We follow the same ‘Stage Not Age’ curriculum as our secondary school in Seaford. The curriculum builds on the knowledge and skills for each stage. Each pupil's capability is considered individually and the appropriate stage identified for each subject. Learning objectives are highly personalised and based on pupils’ current ability rather than chronological age.

English

Children are given many opportunities to immerse themselves in reading and we encourage a love of books. We use the Read Write Inc phonics programme and all our pupils access daily phonics/reading sessions. We use a topic-based approach to teaching which revolves around a different book every half term.

Pupils are taught to apply sounds they learn in reading and we endeavour to make writing meaningful to them. For example they recently wrote a letter to the Executive Headteacher to invite him to one of our community events and wrote poems for our Christmas celebration.

Maths

We follow a concrete and pictorial abstract model and use manipulatives with our pupils. We encourage them to show their learning through different models. We ensure that our pupils’ knowledge of place value and the four operations is secure before moving them on to more challenging activities.

Science

We use an investigative approach and encourage curiosity and questioning. We continuously make links to real life to allow our pupils to see how much the development of science impacts our every day world. Recently our pupils have been making electrical circuits and filmed themselves explaining how they work.

RE

Religious festivals are used as opportunities to develop pupil knowledge of world religions and linked to other areas of the curriculum, notably cooking. This year we will be visiting places of worship in the local area.

Opportunities for collective worship are embedded in the timetable with check in time, lunch time and reflection time. We reflect on the values we consider important, promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of the present and the future.

PSHE

PSHE is taught as a discrete subject, following the Jigsaw and SEAL curriculums, but also constitutes an important part of the day-to-day conversations we hold with our pupils during reflection times or restorative conversations. We support our pupils and their families in making better health choices through cooking sessions and daily conversations. We use the Zones of Regulation to teach self-regulation and our focus is to help our pupils develop their self-esteem, empathy and build better relationships by taking responsibilities for their actions. Our Golden Rules encourage them to become better citizens.

PE

We use a variety of approaches to help our pupils develop fundamental movement skills and gross motor skills. This happens during lunch play and the many enrichment activities we offer our children. We foster teamwork and collaborative skills through our entire curriculum and the use of our We Not Me reward system.

Topic

We use a topic-based approach to teach Art, D&T, Computing, Geography, History, Languages and Music. Some of the topics we have covered include:

• The rainforest
• Ancient Egyptians
• Dinosaurs and dragons
• Big deep blue sea
• Chocolate
• The Romans
• Master of Puppets

Emotional Literacy

The Zones of Regulation

We use the Zones of Regulation curriculum to teach our pupils to recognise and manage their feelings. Pupils use our Zones of Regulation board throughout the day to tell staff how they are feeling and use individually agreed strategies to get back into the Green Zone. Each classroom has a Den that the pupils can use when they need some space to self-regulate.

Celebrating Achievement

We celebrate achievement by posting ‘Well Done’ notes on our Wall of Fame, and recording good work in pupils’ individual celebration books, which we share with their families when they visit.

Pupils earn Golden Time and Dojo points by following our Golden Rules. They earn We Not Me points by working collaboratively and showing kindness and consideration to others. Both Dojo and We Not Me points lead to rewards which have been discussed and agreed on by the whole group.

Our Enrichment Offer

Our enrichment offer is varied because our pupils tend to learn better outside the classroom. As well as providing opportunities for cross-curricular learning, it equips our pupils with the skills they need to better manage their feelings and develop their social skills.

We offer weekly activities such as-

• Urban Adventure Base at Mile End Park (cycling, climbing, caving, canoeing)
• Young Volunteers programme at Stepney City Farm
• Forest School
• Cooking

We also organise regular curriculum-related and reward trips. Recently we have been to London Zoo, the Natural History Museum, the Cutty Sark and Canary Wharf Ice Rink.

Our Therapeutic Offer

We share Bowden House School’s resources and have regular visits from our Speech and Language Therapist and CAHMS practitioner, who both carry out pupil assessments and support our staff with planning the most effective lessons for each pupil.

We are also lucky to have access to two therapy pets. Bibo and Zizou are Bowden Primary’s own therapy cats. The pupils enjoy having them around. Bibo and Zizou teach the pupils to be patient, kind and gentle. They are also both very skilled at bringing a smile to our children’s faces when they are feeling upset or dysregulated.

The Bowden Garden

We have dedicated a whole corner of our playground to the Bowden Garden. The pupils have been involved in setting it up and have helped us clear up the old garden, prepare the soil for the new garden, build the planters and plant the seeds. We now have many varieties of plants and vegetables growing in the Bowden Garden. It is a small oasis in the city, a calm space where the pupils can come and spend time when they need some breathing space.

TERM	ENGLISH/TOPIC	TRIP	MATHS	PSHE/SEAL	RE LINKS
Autumn 1	Space Explorers	Royal Observatory	Place value	Being me in my world (Jigsaw)	Yom Kippar Diwali Black History Month
Autumn 2	Victorians Great Fire of London	Ragged School Museum The Monument	Addition and subtraction	Celebrating difference (Jigsaw)	Guy Fawkes Remembrance day Hannukah Christmas
Spring 1	Extreme Earth	Natural History Museum	Multiplication & division	Dreams and Goals (Jigsaw)	Epiphany Chinese New Year Shrove Tuesday/Ash Wednesday
Spring 2	Rumbling Rainforest	Horniman Museum/ London Zoo	Measurement (length, height,mass, capacity, temperature) Fractions Decimals	Healthy Me (Jigsaw)	Ramadan/Eid Passover Easter Holi
Summer 1	Excellent Egyptians	British Museum	Statistics Position and Direction	Relationships (Jigsaw) Helping Hands Loudmouth Theatre	Vesak Mental Health Awareness Week
Summer 2	Eco Warriors	Local Recycling Centre	Time	Changing Me - RSE (Jigsaw)	Eid