Curriculum

Curriculum Summary

At Molehill Primary Academy, alongside the other LAT cluster schools in Maidstone, we follow the National Curriculum with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme as a framework and vehicle for learning. Molehill Primary Academy is currently a candidate school and is on its way to seeking authorisation to be an IB World School in the next two years.

The purpose of the National Curriculum is to outline the skills and knowledge that should be acquired by the time our children leave primary school; however, the PYP is a way of framing learning in order to help children develop holistically as well as academically.

Learning is organised into six ‘Transdisciplinary Themes’ which, alongside the learner profile, provide children opportunities to acquire the knowledge and develop the skills outlined in the National Curriculum with an overall view of creating conscientious global citizens.

As Molehill Primary Academy has a PAN of 45, there are some classes in the school which have a mixture of students from two year groups. As such, the foundation subjects and science are taught in a two-year cycle which ensures that all skills are covered over a two-year period. Subject leaders and SLT are involved in the monitoring of the coverage of these skills to ensure the relevant information is passed on to the following teacher.

There are many resources that are able to be accessed by teachers to support them in the delivery of the National Curriculum, such as the White Rose Mathematics Scheme and Maths No Problem which focus on the mastery of key mathematical skills; however, these are resources to be accessed as opposed to rigid schemes of work which are followed blindly.

We follow the Kent Scheme for Religious Education and use Jigsaw for the teaching of PSHE.

Mathematics

‘Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but extreme beauty’ – Bertrand Russell

Mathematics is not just about knowing answers, understanding facts and being able to roll these out at will. At Molehill, we are working to give children a firm understanding of all areas of Mathematics but to also enjoy the beauty and relevance of Mathematics in the real world. Children can experience a sense of awe and wonder as they solve a problem for the first time, discover a more elegant solution and make links between different areas of Mathematics.

Mathematics is important in everyday life and is not just a skill that children should learn at school, then forget. Being fluent with numbers, understanding patterns and using logic and problem-solving skills are part of everyday life. Mathematics makes a significant contribution to modern society as the basic skills of Mathematics are vital for the life opportunities of our children and Mathematics helps to develop the mind and those highly valued cognitive skills.

Learners at Molehill Primary Academy study Mathematics to become functioning, successful adults who are able to think for themselves and thrive in the real world. Our aim is that all children should leave Molehill Primary Academy with a positive opinion of Mathematics and a positive outlook on their future studies of the subject. The language of mathematics is international. The subject transcends cultural boundaries and its importance is universally recognised.  Mathematics helps us to understand and change the World.

If you would like any further information, please don’t hesitate to talk to your child’s class teacher.

Visit the White Rose Maths Hub Website

English

At Molehill Primary Academy we aim to equip pupils with the language and written skills that they will need to thrive and to instil a love of literature through reading.

The ability to read, write, speak and listen empowers children to communicate effectively, interpret the world around them insightfully and engage with a fast-moving world meaningfully.

Literate children grow up to become adults who are more likely to be employed in higher earning occupations, healthy and more engaged with society.

In Key Stage 1, we follow the ‘Letters and Sounds’ phonics scheme to help support children’s reading and spelling skills.

You can find out more information about ‘Letters and Sounds’ by clicking here.

*Only schools authorised by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.

If you have any questions about Molehill Primary Academy’s curriculum offer please contact the school office and we will be happy to help.