At Grands Vaux Primary School we offer a curriculum which is broad and balanced and which builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills of all children, whatever their starting points, as they progress through the school. The curriculum incorporates the statutory requirements of the Jersey Curriculum 2014 and other experiences and opportunities which best meet the learning and developmental needs of the pupils in our school. The aim of our curriculum is for pupils to have the skills to be successful, independent and motivated learners in readiness for their next stage of education.

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils and their understanding of the core values of our society are woven through the curriculum.

The outdoor environment and the local community are considered an opportunity for active learning for all our pupils.

For more information please review the attached link by cutting and pasting it into your browser:

https://www.gov.je/education/schools/childlearning/pages/understandingcurriculum.aspx

Early Years Foundation Stage
Children in Nursery and Reception follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. This learning challenges children and encourages them to develop into independent, motivated learners and thinkers, full of curiosity about the world around them within a fun, happy and secure environment.

Our Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is based on seven areas of learning:
•    Communication and Language
•    Personal, Social and Emotional Development
•    Physical Development
•    Maths
•    Literacy
•    Understanding of the World
•    Expressive Arts and Design

Children have opportunities to explore, enquire and to take risks through practical, hands-on learning experiences. At our school, we have a high quality outside learning environment which the children are able to use throughout the day.

Our year group termly newsletters are available via the school website, in the parents area.

Our History and Geography Curriculum

The Introduction of the ``Think Alouds``

This term we have have started on a journey to review all aspects of how we plan, deliver and assess our curriculum. We have introduce “Think Alouds” as our curricular start points. A “Think Aloud” is a pictorial or extract of text to encourage prediction and analysis skills. “Think-alouds” have been described as “eavesdropping on someone’s thinking.” With this strategy, teachers can verbalise aloud while reading a selection orally. Their verbalisations include describing things they’re doing as they read to monitor their comprehension. The purpose of the think-aloud strategy is to model for students how skilled readers construct meaning from a text.

Year 1- The Think Aloud

Old or New?

‘In the olden days the toys were very simple, they were small but very funny. Some children were playing in the street. There were spinning top, cars and some of them were made with cloth and felt.’

Year 2- The Think Aloud

Who were the greatest explorers?

‘I’d take you in a heartbeat, Felix said quietly. ‘If girls were allowed on expeditions then you know that I would take you.’

‘It’s not fair that girls can’t be explorers!’ Stella said.’It’s stupid and it doesn’t make sense!’

The injustice of it made her whole body tremble. Stella had grown up listening to Felix’s stories whenever he returned home from an expedition, and had always loved them, but there comes a time when a girl gets tired of hearing about other people’s adventures, and want to start having fun of her own.

Year 3- The Think Aloud

Could you be a stone age survivor?

A selection of stone age artefacts will be left around the classroom for groups to carousel around and note down their thoughts upon. Their peers then ascertain whether they agree with one another’s ideas.

Year 1’s History and Geography Progressive Curriculum
Year 2’s History and Geography Progressive Curriculum
Year 3’s History and Geography Progressive Curriculum
Year 4- The Think Aloud

What have the Romans done for us?

The children will work as historians and undertake an archaeological interactive dig.  This offers lots of opportunities to examine artefacts, hypothesise on their use and consider what they tell us about the Romans.

Year 5- The Think Aloud

Would you go over the line?

“Gas! Gas!” The cry goes up and is echoed all along the trench. For a moment we are frozen with panic. We have trained for this time and again, but nonetheless we fumble clumsily, feverishly with our gas masks.

“Fix bayonets!” Hanley’s yelling while we’re still trying frantically to pull on our gas masks. We grab our rifles and fix bayonets. We’re on the fire step looking out into no-man’s-land, and we see it rolling towards us, this dreaded killer cloud we have heard so much about but have never seen for ourselves until now. Its deadly tendrils are searching ahead, feeling their way forward in long yellow wisps, scenting me, searching for me. Then finding me out, the gas turns and drifts straight for me. I’m shouting inside my gas mask. “Christ! Christ!” Still the gas comes on, wafting over our wire, through our wire, swallowing everything in its path…

Extract from ‘Private Peaceful’ by Michael Morpurgo
Year 6- The Think Aloud

Where would I be during World War II?

Chapter 1- Meeting

“Yes,” said Tom bluntly, on opening the front door. “What d’you want?”

A harassed middle-aged woman in a green coat and felt hat stood on his step. He glanced at the armband on her sleeve. She gave him an awkward smile.

“I’m the billeting Officer for this area,” she began.

“Oh yes, and what’s that got to do wi’ me?”

She flushed slightly. “Well, Mr, Mr…”

“Oakley. Thomas Oakley.”

“Ah, thank you, Mr Oakley.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Mr Oakley, with the declaration of war imminent…”

Tom waved his hand. “I knows all that. Git to the point. What d’you want?” He noticed a small boy at her side.

“It’s him I’ve come about,” she said. “I’m on my way to your village hall with the others.”

“What others?”

She stepped to one side. Behind the large iron gate which stood at the end of the graveyard were a small group of children.. Many of them were filthy and very poorly clad. Only a handful had a blazer or coat. They all looked bewildered and exhausted. One tiny dark-haired girl in the front was hanging firmly onto a new teddy-bear.

Extract from ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’ by Michelle Magorian
Year 4’s History and Geography Progressive Curriculum
Year 5’s History and Geography Progressive Curriculum
Year 6’s History and Geography Progressive Curriculum