Our Curriculum

At Conway we want every child to develop a love for, and enjoyment of, mathematics which they will use confidently throughout their lives.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage an emphasis on real life experiences means that children have opportunities to develop their understanding of mathematics in the world around them. There is a strong emphasis on learning number bonds through the mastering number programme which will equip all children for success in their future learning.

Across the school we use White Rose to ensure that our children have the skills needed to progress and ensure that every child becomes a happy, confident and resilient learner, where they can move on with confidence to increasingly difficult concepts.

As a school we have partnered with the NCETM to take part in two projects: Mastering Number and Mastery Readiness. We believe this will support our children to become confident mathematicians both now and in the future.

We also believe in making mathematics exciting, enjoyable and accessible by using a range of strategies to enhance arithmetical proficiency. We practice our times tables daily and showcase them in assemblies on a weekly basis, culminating in a whole school competition each half term. This runs alongside our daily arithmetic review sessions.

Please see separate page. Click here.

Writing is a powerful communication tool and here at Conway we ensure that it is closely linked to the curriculum unit.  The progression of writing skills supports the acquisition of knowledge.  There is a specific focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar enabling pupils to develop the stamina to write at length.  Writing includes a range of genres, styles and techniques which are revisited throughout the curriculum units to allow for effective composition to be built upon throughout the key stages.  

The curriculum has been designed to stimulate pupils’ curiosity about phenomena and events in the world around them with a mix of substantive and disciplinary knowledge to enable pupils to know more and remember more.

History ignites the curiosity about the past to enable our pupils to work as historians and develop their historical vocabulary, chronological understanding, knowledge and interpretation skills and their historical enquiry skills. Each unit being planned includes opportunities for children to investigate, handle artefacts, watch historical footage, take part in role play activities, visit relevant sites and museums and where appropriate, experience oral history, engaging with historical characters and ways of life.

Our aim is for all Conway pupils to become responsible citizens with a secure understanding of the world around them. Throughout the key stages, our geography curriculum enables pupils to gain a secure understanding of core vocabulary, as well as locational knowledge and key concepts. Pupils develop the skills needed to identify and compare physical and human geography in contrasting areas of the world. Through their understanding of present day issues, pupils learn about the impact they can have on the planet. Fieldwork is carried out regularly, ensuring pupils have opportunities to practise geographical investigational skills such as map reading, observing, using a compass and describing directions.

We live in an increasingly technical, ever evolving world. Our computing curriculum focuses on preparing our pupils for the future in which work and other activities are continuously being transformed by access to varied and developing technology. Through computing, we teach children to learn how to store, manipulate, retrieve and present information which may consist of text, numbers, images, sound or other signals. These skills are taught through topics consisting of communicating information; handling information, modelling and control and coding, based on our scheme of learning. We also have a rigorous focus on e-safety and internet dangers.

Our PSHE curriculum meets the statutory requirements as set by the government. Our PSHE curriculum enables our pupils to achieve their potential by supporting their wellbeing and tackling issues that can affect their ability to learn, such as anxiety and unhealthy relationships. PSHE is wide ranging with topics such as: keeping ourselves safe, having healthy relationships and internet safety among others. We work hard to involve parents in our curriculum through regular workshops and coffee mornings to ensure that children are able to discuss any issues that they encounter. We supplement our teaching using SCARF resources which meet all statutory guidance.

As a school we follow the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus which encourages the development of twenty four dispositions that define and promote a flourishing personal, spiritual and moral character. The syllabus includes includes nine religious traditions recorded to have significant representation within Birmingham. Engagement in our RE curriculum will encourage pupils to be respectful and tolerant of those with different faiths and beliefs. Through RE we help children develop their sense of identity and belonging through building self-awareness and the skills of reflection, thereby supporting their Religious Education learning as well as their personal spiritual development.

Music is one of the major stimuli for our Early Years pupils; from daily rhyme, song and learning rhythm through our drumming lessons, music is woven through all aspects of the Early Years curriculum. From year one we follow the Charanga scheme to ensure that our pupils have a progressive immersion in their music education. We develop the importance of singing through our weekly assemblies and class and school productions which in turn, helps to develop the confidence of our pupils in a wide range of situations.

French lessons are taught throughout KS2. A large proportion of our pupils are already bi-lingual and so studying a different language together opens our minds to different cultures; this helps to deepen pupils’ curiosity of the world beyond their doorstep. We begin with a focus on speaking and listening through the use of Language Angels which ensures progression as pupils learn a new language.

We know that being physically active helps to develop a healthy mindset. There are many opportunities for sport and fitness throughout the school day. Each class has 2 dedicated time slots each week for PE. One multi-skills session where a practical skill is learnt to incorporate into the PE lesson. We cover a range of different sports and fitness activities to help pupils improve their physical and mental health. To help us meet the goal of every child being able to swim 25 metres all of our year three children go swimming throughout the year; this is a statutory requirement, in addition our year two pupils have extra lessons as swimming is such an important life skill.

As part of the local sports partnership we are heavily involved in tournaments and competitions across the local area and also offer a varied range of after-school sports clubs.

Our science curriculum is designed to provide our pupils with the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. We aim to provide our pupils with the substantive and disciplinary knowledge needed to make sense of the world around them. Throughout each science unit, we teach our pupils about core scientific concepts, as well as provide opportunities to work scientifically. Units are sequenced in a way that allows prior learning to be consolidated and built upon. Pupils are encouraged to be curious, predict, explore, observe, ask and answer questions and draw conclusions using the different types of scientific enquiry. Scientific vocabulary is celebrated through all key stages.

Art and DT is linked to the curriculum units to ensure that our pupils make meaningful connections to understand how art and design reflect and shape our history and contribute to the environment, culture, creativity and wealth of our nation. Our pupils are exposed to a wide range of genres and styles. Through our design and technology curriculum, we endeavour to create the designers and problem solvers of the future who will be able to create effective solutions to the needs and wants of society. We want our pupils to appreciate how things are made and the importance of technological advancements throughout history. Vocabulary is considered at every point of our pupils’ journey through DT, art and design; they are encouraged to engage with and critique the work of others, as well as their own and are supported in using key terminology and language to tell the story behind the art.