Our Curriculum Subjects

• Art
  Art

  Our Art curriculum explores a wide range of techniques, materials and skills. We love exploring classic and modern art and develop skills throughout all year groups.

  Art and design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a unique way of understanding and responding to the world. Pupils use colour, form, texture, pattern and different materials and processes to communicate what they see, feel and think. Through art and design activities, children learn to make informed value judgements and aesthetic and practical decisions, becoming actively involved in shaping environments.

  

• Design and Technology - DT
  Design and Technology - DT

  At Mottingham Primary we believe that Design and Technology is an important part of education. It enables children to use and develop their observational skills, develop a curiosity and technological approach to solving problems as well as instil a context related purpose to their planning, making and evaluating. Children are given a context and purpose for their designing so that they always have a reason to achieve and an audience to target.

  Design and Technology is important for developing skills for the future, innovation and preparing for a modern world.

  

• English
  English

  At Mottingham Primary School, English is at the heart of all of our teaching and we strive for excellence in all areas. Through quality first teaching, we provide the tools for all pupils to succeed in Reading, Writing and Speaking & Listening.

  Opportunities to develop language and vocabulary are integral to the school, as is grammar and comprehension. Cross-curricular English is essential and is a core feature of every school day.

  We open doors to success and children develop a lifelong love of reading!

  

• Geography
  Geography

  Skills, knowledge and understanding in Geography progress through Year 1 to Year 6, being taught, developed and applied throughout. A range of opportunities are provided to enable all pupils to communicate their knowledge and understanding whilst making links an connections.

  Our focus throughout is on contextualized geography, using real, named, localities and environments which can be located on appropriate maps, and avoiding stereotypes. Illustration of the variation in features (not all cliffs are white like those at Dover!) is given wherever possible to overcome this. Throughout the units, knowledge, skills and concepts are brought together holistically, underpinned by the development of a strong and evolving subject vocabulary with which to talk about and discuss the geography being learned.

  An enquiry approach is used as a shared experience, with key and supplementary questions, to encourage curiosity, geographical thinking, exploration and research, and to combine relevant knowledge with skills. This hopefully mitigates against a didactic approach and encourages teaching and learning to become a joint pupil / teacher 'adventure' or 'journey'. Pupils will often discover that some of the questions have more than one answer, some of which are 'better' than others. This is particularly true when environmental issues are discussed, and experts propose different solutions. Pupils can explore how 'real world' decisions are made!

  

• History
  History

  We love History!

  Our History curriculum provides pupils with a clear understanding of how people lived in the past and what they believed to be important. Within the units there are recurring themes such as settlement, migration and religion which builds a stronger web of knowledge to ensure it sticks. Engaging with challenging themes enables pupils to connect with what is happening in the world around them. It enables them to engage in debate about what is happening today and use the past to inform those opinions.

  Over the course of our provision, pupils develop an understanding of how we know about the past through a range of sources of evidence and with increasing confidence and will consider their utility and reliability. The children benefit from a curriculum that enriches their lives and broadens their cultural experiences. This leads to a better understanding of culture and heritage and a desire to engage further with these areas.

  

• Computing
  Computing

  Computing is an integral part of our lives and technology is constantly changing. At Mottingham Primary School, computing is taught to all pupils to give them the skills and confidence to use technology safely and responsibly. We are training our pupils to become responsible digital citizens with a strong regard to E-Safety and cyber awareness.

  Computing is fun and purposeful but is also challenging. Computing is embedded into all areas of the curriculum to enhance children's learning and to help develop them to become independent learners.

  We have a wide range of resources ranging from iPads in every room, a computer suite and a class set of Chrome Books.

  

• Maths
  Maths

  Our school develops children's knowledge, skills and understanding in all areas of mathematics. We know that Maths is an essential life skill and that children will need it throughout their lives.

  We are a Maths Beat Pioneer, which is a wonderful resource that supports the development of skills through a range of problem solving techniques, knowledge acquisition and practice. You can find out more about it on our Maths Beat page.

  During lessons we encourage children to ask as well as answer mathematical questions. Developing language understanding is an essential element of effective reasoning. Guided talk supports children to express their understanding and explore justifications for their answers.

  They have the opportunity to use a wide range of resources such as number lines, number squares, digit cards, Numicon, Base 10 and small apparatus to support their work and their thinking.

  

• Music
  Music

  At Mottingham, we know that music plays an important role in increasing our children's social and emotional well being as well as their confidence. Music is used to unite the school, bringing children together from many different walks of life, creating a platform to celebrate these differences. The children and staff love music as it provides opportunities to explore relevant issues and concepts in a vibrant, engaging and relevant manner.

  Currently our children also learn through viola, violin, ukulele and Djembe Drums!

  

• PSHE/SMSC
  PSHE/SMSC

  Personal, Social, Health and Education (PSHE) contributes to our school curriculum by helping to give students the skills, knowledge and understanding to lead confident, healthy, independent lives and to become informed, active and responsible citizens. It includes work in lesson time and a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum.

  

• Religious Studies - RE
  Religious Studies - RE

  As a multi-faith school we feel it is incredibly important to make children aware of the values and traditions of different religions practiced around the world.

  Where possible we encourage children to share their experiences of religion and welcome parents to come in and talk to classes about their own beliefs.

  We use Discovery RE to support our programme of learning, which supports to develop big ideas and a deeper understanding.

  

• Science
  Science

  Science at Mottingham Primary School is about children developing a sense of enquiry and extending their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

  We use a range of teaching methods in science lessons, with an emphasis on providing a curriculum which develops and extends the children's scientific concepts and enables them to be curious about the world. This will lead to children learning to work as scientists, planning and undertaking practical investigations.

  We understand that science lessons should be filled with awe and wonder, ensuring that the children encounter memorable experiences and relate their findings to real life contexts.

  Stimulating hooks form essential elements of our delivery!

  

• Physical Education - PE
  Physical Education - PE

• Modern Languages
  Modern Languages

• Outdoor Learning
  Outdoor Learning