Curriculum

The National Curriculum is divided into five stages. The first three of these stages apply to Primary Schools.

Foundation Stage (Early years) Aged under 5
Key Stage 1 (Infants) Aged 5 to 7 years
Key Stage 2 (Juniors) Aged 7 to 11 years

Within each Key Stage the following areas of study are mandatory.

English, Maths and Science for the Core Subjects with ICT.

Art & Design, Design Technology, History, Geography, Music, & P E

R.E is an important element of the curriculum at the school (see separate page)

Additionally, some other subject areas are included in our curriculum, for example Citizenship, Education for Personal Relationships and French in the Junior School.

Teachers plan their work largely from the programmes of study specified in the National Curriculum. Each term all teachers follow one, or a number of themes, which form the inspiration and focus of the children’s work. Within this topic based approach certain areas of the National Curriculum are targeted, which will vary according to the topic.

In addition extra emphasis is placed on the core curriculum subject of Numeracy, Literacy and Science. Through the planned, developmental structure within the school we aim to develop the maximum potential of each child. All children participate equally in the educational process but of course not all children achieve equally. Within the school, emphasis is placed on nurturing individual skills , powers of critical thought, self-expression and aesthetic awareness, and the importance of equality is always a consideration.

English.

The five areas of the English National Curriculum order form the basis of our work scheme – speaking and listening, reading, writing, spelling and handwriting.

All areas are harmoniously developed, and as language impinges on all curriculum areas throughout the school great regard is placed on developing confidence in the use of linguistic skills.

Every class has its own library of novels and stories and children may take books home to read. The main School Library is also available to children as both a reference and resource centre, where children can research more deeply into topics.

A variety of strategies are used to encourage children to become confident and fluent readers who essentially enjoy books. The highly regarded Oxford Reading Tree forms our current core scheme, with both phonic and look and say approaches being adopted.

Joined handwriting is taught from Reception using the ‘Kingston’ scheme.

Special emphasis is given to drama, which, for many years, has resulted in a Year 6 leavers’ performance for outside audience.

Numeracy.

Being a hierarchical subject, we have a very structured and well-established mathematical scheme (Collins Scheme ) in general use throughout the school. This is supplemented by much other work concentrating on the use of maths for problem solving and investigation. Children are taught number skills, algebra and data handling and work associated with shape, space and measuring. The R M Maths scheme is installed on the computers in the suite and used regularly by all classes to further reinforcement and provides additional help developing mental skills and problem solving techniques. Emphasis is placed on the learning of tables and on mental arithmetic.

Science.

The skills, knowledge and understanding developed in this area enable the children to observe, explore and investigate the world about them and to use the correct approach to scientific investigation.

The three main components of our scheme of work are based on the National Curriculum requirements covering :

• Living things,
• Materials and their properties,
• Physical processes – light, sound, forces energy and space.

Largely practical, the children plan investigations, design tests, observe and question results, leading to their own hypotheses.

The Humanities – History/ Geography/ Citizenship/Personal & Social Education.

Children begin to develop an understanding for the past by noting the differences from the present. Accordingly, we set our scheme of work into a chronological framework relative to the children themselves. This work widens as their understanding increases to encompass specific periods in the past using a range of sources of information.

Geography

Starting from our own area, the children learn about where we live and the associated geographical and environmental features of our immediate locality. As the children become increasingly aware of the world beyond their boundaries, topics are put into a broader geographical context. A number of thematic studies form part of our topic programme placing the British Isles and the European Union in context.

Design Technology

Technology is largely approached from an investigational position and children are given opportunities to design and make products for different purposes. They are encouraged to be critical of their work and evaluate the results for possible improvement. With increasing maturity the children apply their knowledge and understanding to progressively complex assignments.

French

Is taught weekly in all year groups by a native speaker.

Latin

A weekly lesson is currently taught in Year 6.

ICT

The school has networked computers in each class as well as a suite of 35 machines in a dedicated suite linked with the School Library to make a Multi media Learning Base. All are cabled to link with the Internet with parents required to sign a permission form before usage. A wide range of software provides additional information for many of the topics studied as well as facilities for using word processing and data handling materials.

Art & Design.

Art is usually the child’s first method of recording. As such, children will be given the opportunity to record with confidence what they observe, experience and imagine. First hand observation plays an increasingly important part in our scheme of work and attention to accuracy and detail are greatly valued.

Basic skills are taught using a variety of media. As well as pencil and paint, pupils are taught to use clay, textiles, wood, print , plaster and lino.

Children are introduced to the work of the great artists and designers and taught to respond to and appreciate recognized masterpieces.

Music.

Music plays a very important part in the school. The selection of individual instruments offered includes piano, recorder, flute, clarinet, trumpet\trombone, violin, cello, mini-bass, drums and percussion. All infant children are offered group recorder lessons from their third (summer)term and from Year 3 the remaining instruments are offered. All instrumental music lessons are chargeable but fees are kept to a minimum through shared lessons. Arrangements for music lessons are made through our Head of Music, Mrs R Rutland.

There is also a splendid choir, a flute group and Strings Ensemble.

Class music lessons take place weekly and there are regular hymn practices, enabling enlivening and enhancement of our school liturgies.

Physical Education.

All P.E. lessons are designed to teach bodily awareness and muscular co-ordination. They also show children how to keep fit and healthy. Games, gymnastics and dance are all introduced at the Foundation Stage and developed throughout the school. Gymnastics takes the form of both floor-work and apparatus work from the earliest age.

Games skills are introduced at Reception level and the programme widens through the Infant and Junior Years to include the major games of netball and football as well as many other sports such as rounders, athletics, cross country, hockey, 5 a side and tag rugby. A professional coach conducts soccer sessions for all Juniors who wish to take part after school and there is an after school club P E club for older Infants.

Margaret Roper School participates fully in a number of inter-Croydon and inter-Catholic schools competitions and has a proud history of great and regular success.

Swimming is introduced from Reception and classes are timetabled in block sessions throughout the year. With a swimming pool on site, a strong tradition has been forged in this sphere and a great many children are highly competent and strong swimmers.

P.E. is not an optional part of the curriculum and we take the view that if a child is well enough to be at school then he/she will take part in any P.E. activity.

Pupils with Special Educational Needs.

All children have special needs in one way or other. Every child is unique and learns at his/her pace and level of understanding.

Where a pupil is identified as having a specific learning difficulty, a special programme of assistance is devised and extra tuition and guidance is given in small groups or individually. This may be in a tutorial room or, more likely, within the classroom from a special needs assistant under the supervision of a teacher.

Children experiencing severe difficulties in adjusting to their class programme may be referred to external support agencies. In all cases, a very full and thorough consultation is made with parents in the first instance.

More able children may also be identified as having special needs, and a wide range of strategies are adopted to meet these needs. As well as provision for extension work within the existing curriculum, target children are often presented with challenging tasks and opportunities to attend specialist outside programmes from time to time.

Homework.

We recognise the potential advantage to children of homework well done. The school has a very definite policy on homework, and all children are expected to complete set tasks.

Extra Curricular Activities.

At Margaret Roper we are singularly fortunate in having a range of extra curricular activities dependent on voluntary assistance. With our own sports field , shared swimming pool on site and access to the new sports hall, we can provide many sporting activities. As in all things we aim for excellence and training in swimming, cross-country, netball, football, athletics, 5 a side and various other sports.

Every class has a number of off-site visits each year.

For a full list of Extra curricular clubs offered at present please contact the school office.

Art & Design Club.

The Art & Design Technology Club encourages pupils to work on their own or as part of a team on a range of designing and making activities. They meet weekly after school.

Computer Club.

This meets at lunch time weekly in our computer suite and is currently offered to children in Year Three.

Discipline.

We firmly believe that good discipline is a prerequisite to good learning. Margaret Roper School children are taught to respect persons and property. Children need the framework of a settled daily routine where they feel valued and secure. Clear boundaries of acceptable behaviour have to be understood by the children and regular reminders and examples of good behaviour are drawn to the attention of the children. Qualities of helpfulness, honesty, politeness and courtesy are frequently encouraged. Teachers use their judgement to act with love and care of a wise parent. Where sanctions are necessary, these most commonly take the form of loss of free time, such as detention at break time. If there is any special concern about a child’s behaviour, parents are informed and invited to school to discuss the matter.

In accordance with national legislation for state school, there is no corporal punishment.

Margaret Roper has an excellent name for its behaviour. Children are regularly praised for their manners both in and out of school. Together with the support of parents, we aim to maintain this well-earned reputation.

A copy of the behaviour policy is normally posted on the Parents’ notice board, and from time to time is circulated to parents.

Reporting to Parents.

Informal communication with parents is frequent and highly valued.

During the Autumn Term parents are offered a more formal appointment to discuss how their child has settled into a new class.

A second open evening takes place in the Spring Term at which your child’s work is available for you to see, This is followed by discussion with the class teacher.

During the latter part of the summer term a comprehensive written report on your child is sent home after which an Open Day is held.

Advice on access to the school.

Direct vehicular access to the school is rather difficult. To ensure the safety of all our children, we ask parents not to drive right up to the school. Rather, please park in the Catholic Children’s Society car park, or in the parking space on the left before the archway to Thomas More School . Parents should only drive up to the school premises in emergency or outside normal school hours.

Parking is available for evening meetings and events, either on our own car park or, courtesy of Thomas More School, around their buildings. Parents should not park on Thomas More premises at any other time.

The main entrance to the school on foot is via the pathway from Russell Hill. If parking in Russell Hill, parents are requested to keep entrances clear for neighbouring residents. Please do not leave valuables in your car. There have been a number of thefts from vehicles.