Approach to Learning

Children at HPAM receive an ambitious curriculum that is sequential and builds upon what they have previously remembered and understood.

It is meticulously planned for each child.

Our broad, balanced, challenging and creative curriculum exceeds the National Curriculum objectives in all subjects. We strive to ensure that every child is able to access the curriculum with a deeper understanding. This ensures that each child receives excellent knowledge and skills for future learning and employment.

Early Years

The youngest children at HPAM learn through a play-based curriculum that is ambitious and sequential and based on the 7 key areas of learning.

• communication and language
• personal, social and emotional development
• physical developments
• literacy
• mathematics
• understanding the world
• expressive art and design

From Y1 to Y6 we teach English and maths every day. We teach the science, history, geography, Religious Education, computing, Physical Education, music, art, French, PSHE and Design Technology every week

From Early Years we teach phonics and follow the Read Write Inc scheme to teach systematic synthetic phonics. Children are assessed each half term so that any gaps are identified and that all books read match the sounds that each child has already learnt. Once off the programme, children follow a progression of comprehension skills through texts of a variety of genres (vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, summarise).

We follow the White Rose Maths scheme which uses a concrete - pictorial - abstract mastery approach. We use a 4 sticker approach which allows each child to achieve. Each half term of writing is based around a high quality text and a range of genres; through this the children are taught vocabulary, handwriting and grammar.

 

Years 1 to 6

History

Early Years begin by thinking about past and present with experiences from their own lives, KS1 consider a broad concept of the past including within their living memory which progresses to KS2 moving chronologically from Stone Age in Y3 to the present day in Y6.

Geography

Our Early Years children start by thinking about what is immediately surrounding them, Y1 broaden this to our local area, Y2 introduce global comparisons and global perspective, Y3 develop their map skills, Y4 deepen their understanding of Geomorphology, Y5 continue to develop their map skills including latitude/longitude and biomes then Y6 apply their knowledge from prior years to a field study.

Science

Children in Early Years think about their understanding of the world through investigations which moves through the school to working scientifically through a range of units: animals including humans, materials, plants, living things and their habitats, forces and magnets, rocks, light, sound, states of matter, Earth and Space, electricity and evolution and inheritance.

Religious Education

Children are taught about the key beliefs of different religions and allows our children to compare faiths to each other and also those who follow no faith.

Art

Early Years access art in provision every day through developing their practical skills (holding a paint brush) and by building their confidence and imagination. From Y1 - Y6 we follow the same progression each year - drawing, collage, painting, printing, sculpture and textiles. Through each unit, the children are also taught about a diverse range of artists.

Computing

Online safety is paramount through our computing curriculum so is revisited regularly. Children are taught computer science (the technical design of a device/software), information technology (the technical knowledge and understanding of hardware and software) and digital literacy (using information and communication technologies).

Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship Education

Early Years start by thinking about relationships, interactions and keeping safe. From Y1 - Y6, the children follow an age-appropriate sequence: the Autumn term starts with a focus on friendships and relationships, moving onto campaigners and people who have brought about change in the world, the economic wellbeing and how to be responsible citizens and then understanding how to be physically and emotionally healthy.

Physical Education

We follow the Merton School Sports Partnership scheme which aligns with the sporting competitions across the borough. Through a variety of sports it focuses on the impact on your heart, head and hands.

Music

Our music curriculum is based around four key areas, which when learnt together contribute towards the development of musicianship: singing, listening, composing and performance.

French

Children are taught vocabulary through different themes so that they are able to have context for what they are learning. Learning French allows children to foster their curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world whilst being able to express their ideas and thoughts in another language through speech and in written word.

Design Technology

Early Years begin by thinking about materials and creativity with children being encouraged to build and develop their fine and gross motor skills. Moving into KS1 and KS2, children follow a process of research, design, create and evaluate. Using creativity and imagination, children design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts.

Whole School Approaches  

The No Hands Up Policy 

At Harris Primary Academy Merton, we use a No Hands Up strategy. The rationale behind it is that when children self-select themselves to contribute to lessons, the same children answer every time, and many other children will feel safe in not engaging with what is going on around them. 

No Hands Up is actually a simplification. It is about a changed classroom dynamic in which the teacher poses questions to the whole class rather than to individuals. Once a question is set, children have time to think through their answers and/or discuss their ideas with a partner.  Once that thinking time is over, every single child has what they need to be able to share an answer.  The teacher can select any child, and everybody can share what they discussed with their partner. An effective teacher can then weave their ideas into a learning narrative and use high-quality questioning to support each child. 

Finally, crucially, No Hands Up refers only to children's answering, children raise their hands whenever they like to ask questions. 

Strengths: 

It teaches children that their ideas have a value. 

It means that more children play an active role in class discussions. 

It re-educates children that being engaged is an essential part of learning. 

The Stop Sign 

We use the stop sign in all aspects of school life. The stop sign consists of one hand being held up in the conventional stop manner. When the children see others doing the stop sign, they immediately stop talking and doing what they are doing and echo the stop sign back.  

The stop sign is used in classroom settings, assemblies, to stop the children at the end of play and on school trips. It is a quick and effective way to gain all the children's attention and is consistently used across the school by all members of staff. 

Homework 

The expectation is that all our pupils to read every night at home and to practice their times tables, relevant to their year group. We set times tables and spelling/handwriting activities weekly. 

For further information, please see our Homework Policy.