Our Curriculum at APS

Our school curriculum includes the ‘National Curriculum’, as well as religious education. The National Curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and secondary schools so children across the country learn the same things. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject. RE is taught using Discovery RE according to the Cumbria Agreed Syllabus.

REVISED Cumbria Syllabus for RE 2017 

The intention of the curriculum at Alston Primary School is to provide an inspiring , rich and varied education that develops a child’s life experiences, interests and prepares them for the next stage of their education.  Pupils experience a unique curriculum that is underpinned by key knowledge and skills that impacts positively on their performance in all subject areas. Our teaching and learning is linked to a range of high quality texts which link areas of our curriculum and enhance the students knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

Using a range of teaching styles and experiences, we aim to foster a love of learning and a passion for enquiry. Our goal is to provide children with a safe, yet challenging, environment in which they can take risks and make mistakes as well as developing their resilience and ability to be self-reflective as they do so.

We put emphasis on the experiential nature of learning;  where children can learn by ‘doing’. Our active and engaging lessons build on and strengthen children’s knowledge and understanding. We firmly believe that there is a role for creativity across all subjects and our learning may be represented in many forms from drama, art, music and different media. Connections between and within curriculum areas are highlighted as are the real life applications behind our learning.

We make use of the local area, both within the school grounds and beyond, to support the acquisition of skills and knowledge in a way that is meaningful for the children. We aim to supplement our topic work and core teaching with excursions at least once every half term. In such an isolated area, we feel it is vital for the children to explore the wider world and gain a sense of what lies beyond the Moor. During their time in Key Stage 2, children enjoy one city break and one outdoor activity residential. 

We celebrate achievement in all areas and aim to have happy children who enjoy coming to school. We encourage self-expression and creativity while promoting respect for each other within and beyond the diverse community we live in. This broad and balanced curriculum is customised to meet the local needs of our learners.

Our curriculum is developed as a two year rolling programme from years 1-6. This is used in conjunction with skills progression to look at the next steps for learning and ensure coverage of all subjects. There is consistency in the progression of pupils' knowledge and skills throughout each year group. 

Literacy

In Literacy, we use a wide range of quality texts and different media to stimulate creative writing opportunities for a range of purposes, linking this to other subjects as much as possible to allow for in depth-interrogation. We utilise technology as much as possible for publishing and recording our work in creative forms.

At Alston Primary School, we value reading as a key life skill and are dedicated to enabling our pupils to become lifelong readers. We believe reading is key for academic success. To ensure this, we have a holistic approach to the teaching of reading.

We implement the following:

• Children take part in Guided Reading lessons, where children are exposed to a range of different texts and can demonstrate their understanding and thinking behind these. We are very lucky to have a wide range of reading books in our school. 
• Children read and are read to regularly. This could be a book that the teacher recommends to the class or a recommendation from a child.  Each classroom has a reading area that is filled with books suitable for their reading age. This is a comfortable place for children to read throughout the day.
•  Children who are not yet ‘free readers’ will work through our school reading scheme (Read, Write, Inc); these are levelled books which match the children’s current reading age. We expect family at home to read these books with or to their child on a regular basis. 
• Children have daily phonics following Read, Write Inc in small groups where they participate in speaking, listening and spelling activities that are matched to their developing needs. The teachers draw upon observations and continuous assessment to ensure children are stretched and challenged and to identify children who may need additional support. Children work through the different phases, learning and developing their phonics sounds and knowledge. Reading books are matched to the GPCs currently being taught in school. Parents can find out more about RWI and how they can support at home at https://www.ruthmiskin.com/parentsandcarers/.

Numeracy

At Alston Primary School we aim to teach a rich, balanced and progressive curriculum using Maths to reason, problem solve and develop fluent conceptual understanding in each area's expectations. Pupils are challenged, being taught in flexible groupings according to the subject area. We use White Rose materials alongside additional challenges from a wide range of other providers. Every day, we have a mental maths challenge called ‘Ten a Day’ which is tailored to the cohort's ongoing needs, reinforcing and consolidating methods we have been learning. 

Parents can learn more about White Rose Maths by visiting Advice and guidance for parents | White Rose Education. 

 

Music Development Plan

Alston Primary School 

Overview 

Detail	Information
Academic year that this summary covers	2024-2025
Date this summary was published	September 2024
Date this summary will be reviewed	July 2025
Name of the school music lead	G Percival  A Horn
Name of school leadership team member with responsibility for music (if different)	G Percival
Name of local music hub	Cumbria Music Service
Name of other music education organisation(s) (if partnership in place)	Mr Dom Waldock – Freelance Peripatetic Music Teacher

 

Part A: Curriculum music 

This is about what we teach in lesson time, how much time is spent teaching music and any music qualifications or awards that pupils can achieve. 

Our current music curriculum is aligned with the National Curriculum for Music and the non-statutory Model Music Curriculum (MMC) Guidance published by the Department for Education in 2021. 

This Scheme is taught using Charanga as a teaching tool, with some amendments to meet the needs of our pupils, using the features from ‘Musical Futures’. It provides clearly-sequenced units and lessons with week-by-week support for each year group. We teach music using lesson plans and resources to support every lesson. Key Learning and Outcomes with ‘I Can’ statements are used to assess musical attainment. 

Our Scheme follows a spiral approach to musical learning, with children revisiting, building and extending their knowledge and skills incrementally. In this manner, their learning is consolidated and augmented, increasing musical confidence and enabling them to go further. Teachers can adapt their teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of the children they teach. 

Our philosophy of music education is based on the principle that it should be fun and engaging for all concerned, and that every child is a born musician. Music plays a role in every aspect of our lives, wherever and whoever we are. For this reason, we divide the academic year into six units, each corresponding with one of six recurring Social Questions, combined with a unique Musical Spotlight. 

Our scheme is suitable for children aged 5–11, with six units per year. Each unit is structured into six steps. One lesson (step) is taught per week to ensure that the golden standard of one hour of music per week takes place. 

The first step of each unit introduces that unit’s focus in terms of content, skills and knowledge; the middle steps then develop this, and the final, sixth step assesses the learning through exciting performances and activities. 

At the centre of each lesson is a song around which the musical learning is centred. This drives our desire to be a singing school.  Each lesson has an easy-to-follow structure complemented by an array of supporting documents, lesson plans and resources that support the teaching of listening, singing, performing, composing and improvising exercises within lessons. 

The resources provided are easily accessible for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Teaching is planned and arranged so that pupils with SEND will not be treated less favourably than other pupils and will be able to participate.  Disabled musicians will still have access to the music curriculum through scaffolding, being able to listen to music during lessons and experience modelling by staff/ other pupils, providing them with opportunities to respond in a way that is in line with their ability. 

The music subject leaders continually develop and build on the school's music scheme through working Penrith Cluster Hub, working together to monitor and provide strong quality first CPD for teaching, alongside the Charanga training programmes. 

Part B: Co-curricular music 

This is about opportunities for pupils to sing and play music, outside of lesson time, including choirs, ensembles and bands, and how pupils can make progress in music beyond the core curriculum. 

Children in Key Stage 2 have the opportunity to take place in the school choir and it is open to all abilities and groups, free of charge to allow equal opportunities for participation, regardless of SEND and pupil premium eligibility. 

Rehearsals take place once a week, then they have the opportunity to sing/ perform at least once per term. Choir will have opportunity once a term, to perform off-site and venues such as the Day Hospital or local care home.  

Away from the choir, all year groups perform in an annual Christmas Production and Church service.  

In addition to the Music Curriculum, Children who have demonstrated a further desire to learn a musical instrument, have the opportunity to take up tuition with our freelance peripatetic music teacher, Dom Waldock, who inspires the students in Piano, Guitar and Singing.  

Part C: Musical experiences 

This is about all the other musical events and opportunities that we organise, such as singing in assembly, concerts and shows, and trips to professional concerts. 

• Children also sing during assemblies from a variety of songs from Out of the Ark (https://www.outoftheark.co.uk/category/assembly-songs/) which provides a vast catalogue of different songs appropriate to the season or time of year. All children have the chance to sing these together as an ensemble. 

• The school choir sing regularly at wider events and occasions. They sing at a Christmas performance, the annual Christmas School Production (alongside the other cohorts 

• The school choir also sing and perform in assemblies throughout the school year. 

• They choir also performs during the annual school summer showcase. Songs are topical and relevant to the current season, but there are also other opportunities for them to sing and create music from a wider repertoire of music, that inspire their own love of music and creative flair. None of these events involve a charged admission or fee to see the choir perform. 

• Key Stages will also perform songs during their annual topic assemblies for parents and carers in ‘Celebration Assembly’. 

In the future 

This is about what the school is planning for subsequent years. 

During the next year, we aim to: 

• Pupil Voice in the Summer term in order to develop awareness of children’s development in music, as well as questioning staff on current provision to support CPD needs and quality first teaching alongside the skills of subject specialists.  

• Develop the knowledge of staff to build their expertise in teaching a wider range of instruments such as ukulele, and other instruments that we have available in school. 

• Develop staff’s knowledge to deliver the ‘Musical Futures’ scheme. 

• Ensure that children have accessed a professional musical performance. 

• Working further with Penrith Cluster Hub, Sunbeams Music Trust and Live Music Now to further develop children’s opportunities to experience high-quality musical experiences.  

• Provide opportunities either on site or off site for children to experience concert quality performances by professional musicians. 

• Consider entering the School Choir into Carlisle Music and Drama Festival 2026 to compete alongside other local primary schools. 

• To seek performance opportunities for pupils in a larger public forum e.g. Young Voices competition 2026. 

Further information (optional) 

The school is aware of the following and is using these to develop the curriculum accordingly: 

• Non-Statutory Guidance for Music (DfE, 2021) - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6061f833d3bf7f5ce1060a90/Model_Music_Curriculum_Full.pdf  

• The Department for Education publishes a guide for parents and young people on how they can get involved in music in and out of school, and where they can go to for support beyond the school.  

• DfE Policy Paper: The power of music to change lives: a national plan for music education. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62bc1242d3bf7f292040d364/The_Power_of_Music_to_Change_Lives.pdf (2022) 

 

Subject Leaders 

Mr Percival- Literacy; Humanities (History and Geography)

Mr Watters- Maths; Computing; Art; Design and Technology; Modern Foreign Languages

Mrs Brown- Early Reading; Science; Religious Education 

Miss Philipson- Physical Education; Personal, Social, Health and Emotional Studies 

Miss Alison- Music 

 

Skills Progressions