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Garland Junior School

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Curriculum

What is phonics?

Phonics is a method of teaching children to read and write. Through a synthetic phonics programme, children learn that all words can be broken down into phonemes (units of sounds), which are represented in writing by graphemes (groups of letters). Through being taught these GPCs (grapheme-phoneme correspondences) children will be able to read more fluently and spell more accurately.

Scheme used at Garland

Some children when they come to us in Year 3 have not passed their phonics screening test. These children are taught phonics (specific to their gaps) in small intervention groups during whole class spelling time. All members of staff delivering the phonics programme have had training in how to deliver phonics correctly. At Garland we follow the Oxford University Press scheme ELS ‘Essential Letters and Sounds’. ELS is a DfE approved systematic synthetic phonics programme, this means that sounds are taught and revisited in a specific order. A link to Oxford University Press parents page, can be found by clicking here.

Why is phonics important?

At Garland we believe a love of reading is important for all children. If children are struggling to decode words then their enjoyment of reading is hindered. We have therefore put in a systematic synthetic programme to help our struggling readers to decode words with ease. Once children can decode fluently then can then fully-comprehend books and stories and a love of reading can thrive. In the first term after introducing phonics, we saw an accelerated rate of progress in the children’s reading and writing.

Please see the ELS handbook below:

Essential Letters & Sounds Handbook

Here at Garland Junior School we believe that art should support the whole curriculum and our intent is to 1. Provide an amazing vehicle for children to be inquisitive and curious about the world around them. 2. To provide a springboard for oracy and language acquisition enabling children to talk about what they see or imagine. 3. Provide a subject where there is no right or wrong and children can express themselves using a variety of mediums and hence experience a strong sense of self-worth and success. Implementation. Here at Garland Junior School the art curriculum has been carefully formulated to ensure that the children get a variety of experinces across each year group and that these build up during their journey through the school so that by the time they finish in Y6 they have covered a wide and diverse spectrum of art and design. From simple sketching to soap carving, from using natural materials found outside to studying the paintings of Seurat and Lowry. Children are taught Art through a range of creative and practical activities in which we follow the National Curriculum. Lessons are planned and carried out as part of our 2-week time table. However, we expect art to be incorporated in other areas of the curriculum. For instance, chalk and pastel drawing which are done in Y6 to help capture the image of a WW1 battle field to the skeletons which are drawn during science in Y3. In accordance with the national curriculum each child is given an art book in which goes sketches , paintings , collages and ideas from which paintings or models are then made. Art work is displayed in class rooms and corridors giving pupils the opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities and to gain a feeling of achievement and pride from their work. Impact Art is assessed on a continual basis- each lesson is formulated around particular skills or painters and the teacher will monitor and advise verbally how to improve or suggest ideas when pupils are struggling. Art is a subject where pupils can express themselves and see how different cultures and periods of history have affected artistic styles and methods and children are encouraged to talk about what they see and feel when studying this subject.

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