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Year 3.

Our Intent

In Year 3 we desire for our children to be safe and happy, as well as being excited and challenged by their learning. The way we organise the curriculum topics shows how we enable pupils to demonstrate progression of skills from previous years, as well as allowing the opportunity to teach and learn new subject knowledge.

During the autumn term our topic is Stone Age and children will be working to answer the question ‘What was life like during the Stone Age?’. The topic will dive straight into the prehistoric world and children will explore aspects of Stone Age life through our history lessons. W  will also teach art and DT skills through the topic, including creating shades of colours in art and making Stone Age jewellery. Our geography topic of Settlements will extend this learning, allowing children to explore early settlements and compare these to the modern day.

Our theme for the spring term in history is the Romans and children will be investigating the question ‘Why did the Romans invade Britain’? They will explore the impact that the Romans had, including the Roman Empire and how they changed Britain. This topic will be enhanced through art and DT, where children will create Roman inspired mosaics and bake Roman honey biscuits.

The summer term topic 'Keighley and Beyond' enables the children to explore our local and wider environment. We will delve into the history of our local town with a focus on transport through history. We will link this to a DT project by designing and making a boat that floats using recycled materials. In geography, we will explore our local area in more detail, focussing on locating our town and knowing the physical and human features of the area. We will complete a study of local artist, David Hockney, and attempt to use the features of his art in our own work. These topics allow the children not only to ask questions about their local environment but fuels healthy curiosity in the children about themselves and the world around them.

Year 4.

Our Intent

In Year 4 we cover three topics. Rainforests, Tudors and Inventions. I teach these topics as I strongly have a passion for these subjects and through my enthusiasm and engaging manner of teaching, I inspire my class to become responsible learners. All curriculum subjects are delivered throughout using an immersive approach with new subject knowledge taught and the progression of skills built on from previous years.

Rainforests looks at a contrasting location to their own town and we compare how people live in their environment and how we live. It is necessary to recognise that there is life beyond our town.

Tudors is looked at as a turning point in British history. Being a Catholic school we very much have the Tudor dynasty to explain how we are today. Chronology plays a big part in that topic. It is also enhanced by a visit to a local monastery and incorporate local heritage.

Inventions brings us to where we have come from to where we are today. This is a heavily science related topic and the curriculum stems out from that emphasis. We also cover a project that incorporates our enrichment opportunity to the Yorkshire Dales to serve a purpose displaying and showing our work of our local area.

The Year 4 topics give a wide and varied experience for all its learners with the cultural capital enhancements within the local area including a residential and a monasteries that Henry VIII dissolved. Making them become creative thinkers, problem solvers and ready for life beyond primary school.

 

Year 5

Our Intent

In Year 5 we look at three overarching themes: ‘What a wonderful world’, ‘If I could turn back time’ and ‘We built this city....on rock ‘n’ roll.’ As you may have guessed, these topic titles are the titles of songs, work is based around these. 

All areas of the curriculum are taught in a creative way and skills are built on from previous years.

In our topic about our ‘Wonderful World’ we look at the impact of Mother Nature on the world, space and world music. Understanding our world and the powerful forces within it, I feel,  is a vital understanding that our children need to know to become responsible citizens. 

Within our topic of ‘turning back time’ this topic is heavily history based and looks at the importance of historical events and how they have shaped our world today. We look at what life was like specifically in the Victorian times and how this era paved the way for many jobs and inventions we have today.

Thirdly, our last topic ‘We built this city…’ we primarily look at our capital city of London. We compare and contrast places with London and learn about our country from a geographical point of view. 

The year 5 topics allow for a progression of creative skills to be taught which build upon skills in previous years. Creativity is at the heart of these topics which will hopefully inspire year 5 in their learning.

 

 

 Year 6.

Our Intent

In Year 6 we look at three themes: Walk Like an Egyptian, We’ll Meet Again and Migration. This encompasses all areas of the curriculum and builds on the skills that the children have learned throughout their time at Our Lady of Victories.

In our first topic, ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’, we study the most interesting aspects of the Ancient Egyptians including mummification, hieroglyphs and even what life was like for children. We also look at the geography of present day Egypt with a focus on the River Nile, climate and rainfall and landmarks. I think it is important that our children know how our counterparts from thousands of years ago lived so they can realise how it wasn’t that different to today! It

In our topic of ‘We’ll Meet Again, we study the impact of World War II on not only British society but also Europe and the wider world. The children will expand their knowledge and understanding of the War and how its effects can still be seen today. In our Geography topic we will be learning about Rivers. The children will learn about not only their natural features but also their relationship with humans through our own activity, pollution and flooding.

In our topic of ‘A Changing World’ we will be studying how the role, rights and contribution of women in British society have changed over the past five centuries and in Geography we will be learning about our own relationship with the planet and how our use of its natural resources has impacted the environment around us. Both of these areas are very important in the world we live in today and feature regularly make headlines in the news and the media.