Primary Curriculum
At Kents Hill Park Primary, the curriculum is knowledge-rich and it is unique. Every child is taken on a thematic learning journey that sparks their imagination and embeds core knowledge. Threaded through all that is the school ethos. Children are nurtured to be confident, independent and forward-thinking. Fundamental British values and SMSC are intentionally entwined in all that the school does.
A high-quality text lies at the heart of every topic and creates the framework in which purposely chosen core knowledge sits. A wide range of texts, both fiction and non-fiction, have been chosen to widen the children’s experience of literature, provoking questions and inspiring thinking and creativity. The core knowledge is used to create sequenced and purposeful learning opportunities across the curriculum, where reading and knowledge retention play a crucial role. As the children progress through each topic, and the academic year, intentional links are made between lessons and topics to enable schema to develop and embed. The curriculum builds strong building blocks in preparation for each pupil’s transition to the secondary phase of their academic career.
Reading is celebrated across the school and all children are read to by an adult every day. Each core text is read aloud as a class to immerse everyone in the text, no matter their reading ability. The content is gradually revealed to captivate the listeners, enabling deeper learning into significant events and inspired writing opportunities.
Excellent manners are extremely important. Each week the school will focus on strengthening a different social skill.
EYFS/Key stage 1 Manners Curriculum
What is phonics?
Phonics is a way of teaching children to read quickly and skilfully.
Your child will be taught how to:
- Recognise the sounds that each individual letter represents
- Identify the sounds that different combinations of letters represent (e.g. ‘sh’, ‘ay’)
- Blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word
Read Write Inc.
At Kents Hill Park, pupils are taught to read using the Read Write Inc. (RWI) phonics programme. Read Write Inc., developed by Ruth Miskin, provides a structured and systematic approach to teaching early reading. It is designed to create fluent readers and confident speakers.
Learning to Read – Tricky Words/Red Words
How can Parents/Carers Help at Home?
A key element of learning to read is developing comprehension, fluency and expression. This comes from children reading sounds and words they are secure in. Please encourage your child to read their reading book at least three times, with each read building on the last. Please remember, children enjoy re-reading stories they know well and their speed and understanding improves on every read.
Each time your child reads, please focus on the following:
- First read: read every word accurately
- Second read: read more words ‘at a glance’
- Third read: read the whole story accurately, fluently and with a storyteller voice
When your child reads the story, ask them to sound out the words that they can’t read automatically. For example, ch – air chair. Please don’t allow your child to struggle too much or guess the word by using the pictures. Praise them when they succeed.
For any questions, please speak with a member of the Foundation Team, who will be happy to help.
Kents Hill Park’s Personal, Health, Social and Relationships Education (PHSRE) curriculum plays an important role in supporting young people to develop into confident, independent and forward-thinking adults. As part of this, we deliver Relationships Education, Health Education and Sex Education to pupils at Kents Hill Park School.
Relationships Education, Health Education and Sex Education are important to help and support children through their physical, emotional and moral development. It helps children grow up able to enjoy the positive benefits of loving, rewarding and responsible relationships. It makes sure they are informed and comfortable with their bodies, that they understand the changes during puberty and that they are healthy and are physically and emotionally safe. This forms a vital link to safeguarding.
Relationships and Health Education are both compulsory in all primary schools in England. For primary aged children this includes curriculum content under two headings (DfE, 2019):
Relationships Education
- Families and people who care for me
- Caring friendships
- Respectful relationships
- Online relationships
- Being safe
Health Education
- Mental wellbeing
- Internet safety and harms
- Physical health and fitness
- Healthy eating
- Drugs, alcohol and tobacco
- Health and prevention
- Basic first aid
- Changing adolescent body
Relationships Education
The Department for Education has introduced statutory Relationships Education in primary schools to ‘put in place the building blocks needed for positive and safe relationships, including with family, friends and online’ (DfE, 2019). This includes exploring and being respectful of different family types, positive friendships, how to treat each other with kindness and recognising the difference between online and offline friendships. Much of what is covered in Relationships Education was already being taught as part of our weekly PHSRE lessons and this guidance has built on our curriculum offer.
As the basis of our Relationships Education planning, we use the ‘PHSE Education Planning Toolkit’, focusing on ‘Core Theme 2 – Relationships’. This has been produced by the PSHE Association, who are the leading body supporting schools with PHSRE and RSE teaching:
PHSE Education Planning Toolkit
Medway Primary RSE planning and resources are also used to complement the PHSE Association relationships planning:
Please note, the lessons listed in all of the above resources only form an outline plan. We do not use all of the lessons provided and teachers will adapt the lessons / use different resources /change the order of the lessons as they see fit. Some lessons may fall in different year groups. Class teachers will share their learning overviews for PHSRE as part of their topic overviews at the beginning of each half term so that parents and carers are aware of the content covered.
Health Education
‘Health Education aims to give your child the information they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing, to recognise issues in themselves and others, and to seek support as early as possible when issues arise’ (DfE, 2019). It includes learning about our mental and physical health and ‘the changing adolescent body’ to equip children to understand and cope with puberty. Health Education is statutory, which means all children must take part.
For puberty lessons, we will be using the Medway Primary RSE planning and lesson guides (see below).
Please note, teachers may choose to adapt/use different resources/change the order of these lesson plans.
Class teachers will share their learning overviews for PHSRE as part of their topic overviews at the beginning of each half term so that parents and carers are aware of the content covered.
Sex Education
Under the National Curriculum, the basics of sex education fall within the Science Curriculum. The statutory content of the Science curriculum requires schools to teach all children about human development and reproduction.
For lessons that go beyond the statutory curriculum content, we will be using the Medway Primary RSE resources and planning for our Sex Education lessons:
Medway Planning RSE Year 2 – Lesson 3 – Everybody’s Body
Medway Planning RSE Year 6 – Lesson 4 – How a Baby is Made
Please note, teachers may choose to adapt/use different resources/change the order of these lesson plans.
Parents and carers will be notified a half term in advance of Sex Education lesson delivery.
The Right to Withdraw from Sex Education
Kents Hill Park School has worked within the Department for Education’s Relationships Education, Health Education and Sex Education statutory guidelines to ensure a sensitive and balanced approach. Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from specific lessons, as set out below.
Under the National Curriculum, the basics of Sex Education fall within the Science Curriculum. The statutory content of the Science curriculum requires schools to teach all children about human development and reproduction. For lessons that go beyond the statutory curriculum content, we will be using the Medway Primary RSE resources and planning for our Sex Education lessons.
Parents/carers cannot withdraw their child from any other lessons in the statutory Science curriculum or Relationships and Health Education in all Primary year groups.
Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from the Year 2 and Year 6 Sex Education lessons:
Medway Planning RSE Year 2 – Lesson 3 – Everybody’s Body
Medway Planning RSE Year 6 – Lesson 4 – How Babies Are Made
Should you be considering withdrawing your child from the Sex Education lessons listed above, requests must be put in writing and addressed for the attention of the Headteacher. Upon receiving a written request, the Headteacher will consider this request and discuss it with the parent/carer.
Any withdrawn pupil would be appropriately supervised and provided with PSHRE based learning opportunities.
Medway Primary RSE planning and resources
Medway Primary RSE planning and resources are used to complement the PHSE Association relationships planning:
Please note, the lessons listed in all of the above resources only form an outline plan. We do not use all of the lessons provided and teachers will adapt the lessons/use different resources/change the order of the lessons as they see fit. Some lessons may fall in different year groups. Class teachers will share their learning overviews for PHSRE as part of their topic overviews at the beginning of each half term so that parents and carers are aware of the content covered.
