Year Group Curriculum Overviews

Reading:

Children learn to:

• Read and retell stories orally including new vocabulary in which they have learnt
• Apply phonic knowledge and skills to decode words
• Read accurately by blending sounds

Writing:

• I love your book here’s mine - children create their own superhero for our class project and describe their superhero character
• Memoir picture books - children write simple sentences and write about their own families
• Traditional tales - children read traditional tales and write their own version to change either the setting or the character. The children learn to sequence stories, describe characters and use story language.
• Information book - children learn interesting facts about the five sense and write facts about the five senses

Phonics:

• Children learn Phonics through the Systematic, Synthetic Phonics scheme Bug Club. This follows the progression, introduction, revisit, teach, practise and apply which ensures the children are provided with consistent routines that build on the knowledge acquired in Reception.
• There will be a rapid recap of Phase 3 sounds
• The children are then taught Phase 5 sounds introducing them to segmenting and blending through a series of units in the following order:
  • Unit 13 - /zh/wh/ph
  • Unit 14 - /ay/ a-e/eight/ey/ei (long a)
  • Unit 15 - /ea/e-e/ie/ey/y (long e)
  • Unit 16 - /ie/ i-e/ y/ (long i)
• Tricky words - children learn to recognise tricky words (non - decodable words) - oh, their, Mr, Mrs, looked, called, asked, water, where

Plants

Children will be taught to:

• Identify and name a variety of common wild and garden plants including deciduous and evergreen trees.

Seasonal Changes

Children will taught to:

• Observe changes across the 4 seasons and describe weather associated with the seasons and how the length of the day varies.

Staying Safe Online
Children learn about the basics of online safety, including how to use the internet responsibly and understanding the importance of not sharing personal information.

Uses of Technology
This topic explores the different ways technology is used in everyday life, helping children recognise various devices and their purposes.

Digital Painting
Students use simple digital tools to create artwork, learning how to manipulate images on a computer or tablet.

Moving a Robot
Children are introduced to basic coding, learning how to control a robot's movements through simple commands and programming.

Grouping Data
This topic involves teaching children how to categorise and group information, helping them understand how data is organised and used.

Our Wonderful World

What are the 7 continents?
Hot or cold?
What are the local human and physical features?

• This essential skills and knowledge project teaches children about physical and human features, maps, cardinal compass points, and positional and directional language.
• They learn about the equator, hemispheres and continents and are introduced to the countries, capital cities and settlements of the United Kingdom.
• The children carry out simple fieldwork to find out about local physical and human features.

Childhood

• The children will begin exploring what makes them who they are and understanding their own ‘history’.
• They will start looking at their own timeline with photos to help them explore how they have gone through the stages of life such as: being a baby, a toddler etc.
• They will then look at important moments in their life and their family tress to help understand what has impacted on them significantly.

Investigation

• In the second half of the topic children will explore childhood in the 1950’s to compare and contrast their childhood with those from this time period.
• They first understand how long ago the 50’s was and what it was like to live in this period.
• They will also explore the significant event of Queen Elizabth II’s coronation and how this was a shared experience to then explore what experiences do they share with each other and with those from the 50’s

Term 1 - What responsibility has God given people about taking care of the world?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What does the story of creation teach us about the world?
• How do people treat God’s creation?
• How should Christians follow God’s instructions for taking care of creation?
• What would you like to ask about creation?
• What does it mean for a Christian to be made in God’s image?
• How do Christians’ care for the people God created?

Term 2 - Why is each person important in the Nativity story?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• Angels - what was the Good News?
• Mary and Joseph - why were they chosen?
• Shepherds - why did they leave their flocks?
• Herod - why was Herod jealous?
• Wisemen - why was the gift so special?

• Children use their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes.
• Children place the Stave House characters on the stave in the correct spaces.
• Children place B, Middle C and Middle D on the stave in the correct places.
• Children will make short tunes on the stave, read it aloud, and play the notes on tuned percussion instruments.
• Children will recognise and play crotchets, minims and semibreves.

• Power - Children learn how they can use their power in positive and negative ways
• Feelings bingo - Children develop their understanding of their emotions
• What goes in, must come out - Children learn that what they put in their hearts is what comes out
• Guess who? - Children learn about who they are grateful for and why
• Healthy choices - Children help Boris to make good choices to keep healthy

• Pants! - Children learn about appropriate and inappropriate contact
• Truth or lies - Children are encouraged to differentiate between truth and lies
• Would you rather? - Game of preference
• Marshmallow Test - Learning that there is a choice in spending and saving
• Taking care of me - Ways to take care of ourselves everyday

Reading:

• Read and retell stories orally including new vocabulary in which they have learnt
• Apply phonic knowledge and skills to decode words
• Read accurately by blending sounds

Writing:

• My First Haiku Book - children learn about haiku poems and write their own haiku poem
• Information booklets - children create their own instructional text
• World Speech Day - children write their own speeches based upon an environmental issue
• Picture story books - children read a variety of picture story books and create their own version by changing the character or the setting

Phonics:

• Children continue to learn Phonics through the Systematic, Synthetic Phonics scheme Bug Club. This follows the progression, introduction, revisit, teach, practise and apply which ensures the children are provided with consistent routines that build on the knowledge acquired in Reception.
• The children are then continue to learn Phase 5 sounds introducing them to segmenting and blending through a series of units in the following order:
  • Unit 17 - /ow/ o-e/ o/oe (long o)
  • Unit 18 -/ ew/ ue/ u-e (long u) u/oul (short u)
  • Unit 19 - /aw/ au/ al/
  • Unit 20 - /ir/ er/ ear
  • Unit 21 - /ou/ oy
• Tricky words - children learn to recognise tricky words (non - decodable words) - who, again, thought, through, work, laughed, because, Thursday, Saturday, thirteen, thirty, different, any, many

Everyday Materials

Children will be taught to:

• Distinguish between an object and the materials from which it is made.
• Identify and name a variety of everyday materials including wood, plastics, glass, metal, water and rock.
• Describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials
• Compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple properties.

Seasonal Changes

Children will be taught to:

• Observe changes across the 4 seasons and describe weather associated with the seasons and how the length of the day varies.

Writing Digitally
Students practise typing and creating text on a computer, learning the basics of word processing and digital writing tools.

Programming Animations
Children learn the basics of animation by programming simple sequences using Scratch Jnr.

Staying Safe Online
Children deepen and refresh their understanding of online safety. Children are taught how to stay safe online and what to do if they encounter problems.

Debugging Programs
Students are taught how to identify and fix errors in simple programs, fostering problem-solving skills and resilience.

Bright Lights, Big City

What is a city?

• This project teaches children about the physical and human characteristics of the United Kingdom, including a detailed exploration of the characteristics and features of the capital city, London.

Term 3 (Judaism) - What is it like to live as a Jewish person?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• Why are these objects special?
• Why is the Star of David and the Menorah important to a Jewish person?
• What is the Torah and how is it used in the Jewish faith?
• What is the importance of Shabbat within the Jewish faith?
• How do Jewish people worship in the synagogue?

Term 4 (Christianity) - Why is Easter the most important festival for Christians?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What happened on Palm Sunday and what does it teach us about Jesus?
• What happened at the Last Supper and what does it teach us about Jesus?
• What happened on Good Friday and what does it teach us about Jesus?
• What happened on Easter Sunday and what does it teach us about Jesus?

• Children return to and build on their previous learning.
• Children will listen to a rhythm, using crotchets, minims and semibreves and clap or play back the rhythm. Children will make a rhythm pattern on the stave using the appropriate rhythm family characters. Children read and play a range of rhythm patterns.
• Children will compose on the stave, read it aloud, and play the notes on tuned percussion instruments.
• Children will begin to read written notation.

• Who’s missing? - Developing an awareness of our surroundings and the people around us
• The smartest giant in town - How can we help others? How have others helped us?
• Who looks after me? - Who looks after us? How can we show them our appreciation?
• Teamwork: monsters university - Working as a team to reach an end goal
• Helping Boris - Discussing simple rules to help keep us safe online

• Goldilocks and Baby Bear - Thinking about the motive behind our behaviour, how our behaviour affects others and how to make amends
• Forgiveness fizz - Discussion on how forgiveness can help hard situations disappear
• Chalk faces - Different ways we can handle negative emotion effectively
• Disappointed robots - Exploring different ways to handle disappointment
• Builders and wreckers - How the words we use can build others up or knock them down

Reading:

• Read and retell stories orally including new vocabulary in which they have learnt
• Apply phonic knowledge and skills to decode words
• Read accurately by blending sounds

Writing:

• Poetry - children write their own poems based upon the poems shared within class
• Fable picture books - children read a fable picture book as a class and create their own version by changing an element within the story
• Non-chronological reports - children create non-chronological reports on
• Diaries - children learn the features of a diary and will create their own diaries entries
• Curiosity letters - children will write curiosity letters to Year 2 teachers and ask them what it is like to be a pupil in Year 2

Phonics:

• Children learn Phonics through the Systematic, Synthetic Phonics scheme Bug Club. This follows the progression, introduction, revisit, teach, practise and apply which ensures the children are provided with consistent routines that build on the knowledge acquired in Reception.
• The children are then continue to learn Phase 5 sounds through segmenting and blending using a series of units in the following order:
  • Unit 22 - ere/eer are/ear
  • Unit 23 - /c/ k/ ck/ ch
  • Unit 24 - /ce/ci/cy sc/stl/se
  • Unit 25 - ge/gi/gy dge
  • Unit 26 - le mb kn/gn wr
  • Unit 27 - tch sh ea. (w)a o
• Tricky words - children learn to recognise tricky words (non - decodable words) - eyes, friends, two, once, great, clothes, it’s, I’m, I’ll, I’ve, don’t, can’t, didn’t, first, second, third

Plants

Children will be taught to:

• Identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants including trees

Animals Including Humans

Children will be taught to:

• Identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals
• Identify and name a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores
• Describe and compare the structure of common animals
• Identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense

Digital Music Making
This topic allows children to explore creating music using digital tools, introducing them to basic concepts of sound and rhythm.

Using Loops for Repetition
Children learn about loops in programming, understanding how repeating commands can simplify tasks and create patterns.

Organising Files
Students are taught how to organise and manage digital files, learning skills that help them keep their work neat and accessible.

Staying Safe Online
Children are taught how to stay safe online and how to be a good digital citizen.

School Days

Following on from their understanding of significant moments in their childhood and comparing these to children of the 1950’s, children will begin to explore school life and how this affects their lives then explore the school days of the Victorian era.

This topic is to consolidate the fact that History is the understanding of the present with a focus on the key concepts of time, change and the key skills of comparison.

Term 5 (Islam) - What does it mean to be a Muslim?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What do we know about Islam and what do we want to know? Why is the Qur’an special to Muslims?
• What do stories teach us about Muslim beliefs?
• How are Muslim babies welcomed into the World?
• How, why and to whom do Muslims Pray?
• What does it mean to be a Muslim?

Term 6 (Christianity) - Why did Jesus tell stories?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• Why did Jesus tell stories?
• What does Jesus teach about caring for people who are lost?
• What do you think makes a good listener? Why is it important for believers to listen to God?
• Who is my neighbour?
• Why did Jesus tell stories?

• Children return to and build on their previous learning.
• Children will listen to a rhythm, using crotchets, minims and semibreves and clap or play back the rhythm. Children will make a rhythm pattern on the stave using the appropriate rhythm family characters. Children read and play a range of rhythm patterns.
• Children will compose on the stave, read it aloud, and play the notes on tuned percussion instruments.
• Children will begin to read written notation.

• Who’s missing? - Developing an awareness of our surroundings and the people around us
• The smartest giant in town - How can we help others? How have others helped us?
• Who looks after me? - Who looks after us? How can we show them our appreciation?
• Teamwork: monsters university - Working as a team to reach an end goal
• Helping Boris - Discussing simple rules to help keep us safe online

• Goldilocks and Baby Bear - Thinking about the motive behind our behaviour, how our behaviour affects others and how to make amends
• Forgiveness fizz - Discussion on how forgiveness can help hard situations disappear
• Chalk faces - Different ways we can handle negative emotion effectively
• Disappointed robots - Exploring different ways to handle disappointment
• Builders and wreckers - How the words we use can build others up or knock them down

Reading:

The children will become more fluent in their reading, they will also learn to read words using one of these strategies:

• Reading them automatically
• Decoding them quickly and silently
• Decoding them aloud

Writing:

• I love your book, here’s mine - The Story Machine - Children will create their own story.
• Biographies - Children learn the features of biographies and write a biography on Mary Anning.
• Fairytale picture book - Children read traditional tales and write their own version to change either the setting or the character. The children learn to describe characters and use story language.
• Story picture book
• Newspaper reports - Children will learn about the features of create their own newspaper report.
• Let’s make a picture book series - Malala’s Magic Pencil - Children will create their own picture book on what their magical pencil can achieve.

Phonics:

• Using Bug Club phonics the children’s lessons are structured in the same way each day with an introduction, revisit, teach, practise and apply element, this ensures the children are provided with consistent routines that they can become familiar with.
• The pupils will continue to learn Phases 3,4, 5 and 6.
• The pupils will be able to spell words more accurately.

Living Things and Their Habitat

Children will be taught to:

• Explore and compare the difference between things that are living, dead and things that have never been alive
• Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and to describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants and how they depend on each other
• Identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitat including microhabitats
• Describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals using the idea of a simple food chain and identify and name different sources of food

Everyday Materials

Children will be taught to:

• Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials
• Find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching

Staying Safe Online
Children continue to build on their understanding of online safety, learning more about safe browsing, recognising inappropriate content, and understanding the importance of keeping personal information private.

Information Technology Around Us
Students explore the different types of information technology they encounter in their daily lives, such as ATMs, barcode scanners, and tablets, learning how these devices help people and businesses.

Digital Photography
Children learn how to take and edit digital photos, understanding the basics of photography and the use of simple editing tools to enhance images.

Code Revision
This topic focuses on reviewing coding concepts covered in Year 1, setting children up for more advanced topics.

Let’s Explore the World

What are the similarities and differences between the UK and Somalia?

• This essential skills and knowledge project teaches children about atlases, maps and cardinal compass points.
• They learn about the characteristics of the four countries of the United Kingdom and find out why there are hot, temperate and cold places around the world.
• They also compare England to Somalia.
• Children carry out fieldwork, collecting primary data in their locality to answer geographical questions.

Movers and Shakers

What is ‘significance’?

• The children will begin with understanding the term ‘significance’ by exploring impact - they will compare and contrast multiple figures and decide for themselves who is more or less significant due to their impact.
• The children will then explore multiple significant people in more detail, these figures are split into two distinct groups which help understand their impact upon the world. These groups are: explorers and activists.
• Throughout the children will make timelines to see when certain significant figures lived and to see who they may have impacted or who made an impact on them.

Term 1 - Why did Jesus teach the Lord’s prayer as a way to pray?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What is prayer?
• What did Jesus mean when He said pray ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’
• What did Jesus mean when He said pray ‘Give us today our daily bread’?
• Do you think forgiving someone and being forgiven are important? If yes, why? If no, why not?
• What did Jesus mean when He said pray ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil’?
• What does the Lord’s prayer mean to Christians today and how does it help them in their daily life?

Term 2 - How does the symbol of light help us understand the meaning of Christmas for Christians?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What does Jesus mean when He says, ‘I am the light of the world?’
• What do you think the most important symbol on the Christingle is and why?
• How and why do artists use the symbol of light in their religious paintings?
• Who is your guiding light?

• Power plus - Describing how we can use our power in positive and negative ways
• Heart decisions - Considering the reputations we would like to have
• Bright hearts - What is in our hearts, is played out in our words and actions
• Love map - Identifying special people and how they show us love
• Boris face plate - Creating a robot face from healthy foods

• I am cubes - Recognising and celebrating our strengths and ways in which we are all unique
• Trash or truth - Learning to differentiate between the truths and lies that we hear or speak about ourselves
• Meaning of my name - Writing an acrostic poem for your name by selecting words that describe you
• Boundin - Discussion around how being thankful for what we have, changes our attitude
• Heartbeat - Noting the difference in our heart rate after physical activity. Loving ourselves means looking after ourselves

Writing:

• I love your book, here’s mine - Ocean meets Sky - Children will create their own book using descriptive language
• Poetry - Children will learn about the features of poetry and create their own poem
• Information book - Children will learn about exploring the seashore and produce an information booklet
• Non-chronological reports - Pupils will learn the features of a non-chronological report and produce a non-chronological about Whitby
• Speech writing - Children will create their own speech for World Speech Day
• Chapter book - Madame Badobedah - Children will create their own chapter book

Everyday Materials

Children will be taught to:

• Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials
• Find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching

Plants

Children will be taught to:

• Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow in mature plants
• Find out and describe how plants need water, light and suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy

Robot Algorithms
Students learn how to create algorithms to control robots, understanding the step-by-step instructions needed for robots to complete tasks accurately.

Using Pictograms to Show Data
Children are introduced to pictograms, learning how to represent and interpret data visually through simple charts and graphs.

Staying Safe Online
Children continue to build on their understanding of online safety.

Coastlines

What are the features of a coastal town?

• This project teaches children about the physical and human features of coastal regions across the United Kingdom, including a detailed exploration of the coastal town of Whitby, in Yorkshire.

Term 3 (Judaism) - Why are they having a party?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• Why are they having a party?
• What is Rosh Hashanah?
• What is Yom Kippur?
• Why are they having another Jewish party (Sukkot) What are the Jewish people remembering at the festival of Sukkot?
• What are the Jewish people celebrating at their festival of Hanukkah?

Term 4 - How do the symbols of Easter help us to understand the meaning of Easter for Christians?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• How do different symbols help us to remember the story of Easter?
• What do the symbols of bread and wine teach us about the meaning of Easter for Christians?
• What does the symbol of the cross teach us about the meaning of Easter for Christians?

• Spot the difference - Be aware of surroundings and the people around you
• Secret kindness agents - Looking for opportunities to do something kind for others
• Everyday heroes - Thinking about people who look after us in our community
• We all fit together - Looking at how we are the same and how we are different
• HeartSmart on the playground, HeartSmart online - Rules for keeping safe online

• That’s what friends are for - Saying sorry and offering forgiveness between friends
• Balloon spoons - Demonstrating how holding onto unforgiveness can make us feel
• Let the ouch out - Reflecting on helpful ways to deal with hurt
• Traffic lights - Ways to handle negative emotion
• Crumpled hearts - Demonstrating the consequences of teasing or bullying

Reading:

• Read and retell story orally

Writing:

• Curiosity letters - Letters from Dear World, How are you? Children will learn the features a letter and create their own letters
• Instructions - Children will be provided with a variety of different examples of instructions and will create their own set of instructions
• Let’s make a chapter book series - The Hodgeheg - Children will create their own chapter books
• Information books - Children will create their own information book on Monarchs
• Fables - Children will learn about fables and create their own fable
• Let’s make a chapter book series - The Queen’s Tale - Children will create their own chapter book series

Plants

Children will be taught to:

• Observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow in mature plants
• Find out and describe how plants need water, light and suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy

Animals Including Humans

Children will be taught to:

• Notice that animals including humans have offspring which grow into adults
• Find out about and describe the basic needs of animals including humans for survival (water, food and air)
• Describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amount of different types of food and hygiene

Digital Music
Students explore how to create music digitally, experimenting with different sounds, rhythms, and digital instruments.

Programming a Quiz
Children learn how to create a simple interactive quiz through programming, understanding how to use questions, answers, and feedback in their code.

Staying Safe Online
Children continue to build on their understanding of online safety.

Magnificent Monarchs

• Children will begin with a timeline of British monarchs and thinking about any specifically famous ones they may already know.
• Children will investigate the power of the monarchy.
• Children will investigate specific monarchs such as Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II and understand and explain their significance.

Term 5 - How do the five pillars of Islam help a Muslim to show commitment to God (Allah)?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What does it mean to make a commitment? How might a Muslim show commitment to their faith?
• How does a Muslim show their commitment to God (Allah) through prayer and confession of faith? First & second pillars of Islam: Shahadah, Salat.
• How does giving to charity show commitment to God (Allah)? The third pillar of Islam: Zakat.
• How does fasting show commitment to God (Allah)? The fourth pillar of Islam: Sawm - fasting.
• How does pilgrimage show a commitment to God (Allah)? The fifth pillar of Islam: Hajj.
• How do the five pillars of Islam help a Muslim to show commitment to God (Allah)?

Term 6 - Why do Christians make and keep promises before God?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• Why do you think people belong to a Christian community?
• What is Baptism and what does it mean?
• What promises are made by parents and Godparents at an infant Baptism and why are they important?
• What happened when Jesus was baptised? What does his Baptism mean to Christians?
• What does marriage in church mean to Christians?
• What do Christians make and keep promises before God?

• Children will take part in African drumming lessons taught by guest instructors from the Harrow Music Service.

• Grains of sand - There never has and never will be another one of me
• The truth about me - Not all the thoughts we have about ourselves are true
• Real is a big deal - Discussing how different emotions feel
• Nice to meet you! - Looking at ways to be polite when meeting others
• Sun safe! - Thinking of ways to stay safe in the sun

• Road signs - Finding alternative solutions to problems
• Ways to say - Looking at seemingly impossible situations in different ways
• Rainbows from rain - Overcoming challenges and difficulties
• Imagine a bright future - Imagining ‘What if …’ in a positive way
• Energy detectives - Looking for signs of energy and thinking about ways to conserve it

Reading:

• ‘Stone Age Boy’
• ‘Stig of the Dump’

Writing:

• The Natural World Poetry (2 weeks)
• Stone Age Boy book-focused planning (2 weeks)
• Instructions (2 weeks)
• Historical Narrative (3 weeks)

Animals Including Humans

Children will be taught to:

• Identify that animals including humans need the right types and amount of nutrition and that they cannot make their own food; they get their nutrition from what they eat
• Identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement

Forces And Magnets

Children will be taught to:

• Compare how things move on different surfaces
• Notice that some forces need contact between 2 objects but magnetic forces can act at a distance
• Observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others
• Compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of whether they are attracted to a magnet and identify some magnetic material
• Describe magnets as having 2 poles
• Predict whether 2 magnets will attract or repel each other depending on which poles are facing

Staying Safe Online
Children deepen their knowledge of online safety, learning about safe communication, recognizing cyberbullying, and understanding the importance of strong passwords and privacy settings.

Connecting Computers through Networks
Students explore how computers connect and communicate through networks, including an introduction to the internet and basic concepts of data transmission.

Digital Animation
Children learn to create digital animations, understanding how to bring characters and scenes to life through sequencing frames and using animation software.

Our Planet, Our World

What human and physical features can I find in the UK?

• This essential skills and knowledge project teaches children to locate countries and cities, and use grid references, compass points and latitude and longitude.
• They learn about the layers of the Earth and plate tectonics and discover the five major climate zones.
• They learn about significant places in the United Kingdom and carry out fieldwork to discover how land is used in the locality.

Through the Ages

• Children will begin with an in-depth exploration of Stone Age Britain, its chronology, daily life, monuments and an indepth look at Cheddar man .
• Children will then move onto exploring Bronze Age Britain, again investigating everyday life with a focus on archeological findings such as items from the Beaker Folk and the Amesbury Archer to showcase how we know about this age.
• Children will then end this topic by exploring Iron Age Britain, looking at the significant changes and booms that occurred in this time such as: farming, the creation of Hillforts and becoming the group we know of as the Celts.

This Topic has a strong focus on archaeology to help the children understand how we know about these ages without literacy.

Term 1 - What is the Bible's Big story?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What is the Bible?
• What do the concepts Creation and Fall mean and how do they fit into the big story?
• What does the concept People of God mean and how does it fit into the big story?
• What does the concept Incarnation mean and why is it so significant to the big story?
• What does the concept of the Gospel mean and how does it fit into the big story?
• What do the concepts Salvation and Kingdom of God mea and how do they fit into the big story?

(Additional lessons)

• How does the Bible influence the lives of Christians today?
• What is the Big story? (Assessment)?

Term 2 - Why is each person important in the Nativity story?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What did the prophets foretell about the first Christmas?
• How did John the Baptist prepare the way?
• Why did God choose Mary? (optional lesson)
• What clues does the feast of Epiphany give us about Jesus’ life?
• How does Advent and the feast of the Epiphany help the Christian community live out the true meaning of Christmas?

Colour theory: This project teaches children about colour theory by studying the colour wheel and colour mixing. It includes an exploration of tertiary colours, warm and cool colours, complementary colours, analogous colours and how artists use colour in their artwork. Exploring composition with 2D shapes.

• Contrasting colours, also called complementary colours are colours found on the opposite sides of the colour wheel. They provide maximum contrast to each other.
• Contrasting/complementary colours are, red and green, yellow and purple and orange and blue.
• Analogous colours are groups of colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel.
• Warm colours include red, yellow and orange.
• Tertiary colours are made by mixing equal amounts of a primary and secondary colour.
• Cool colours include blues, greens and some purples.

Musical Spotlight: Writing Music Down

Social Question: How Does Music Bring Us Closer Together?

• Explore the notes, crotchets and minims within the music pieces played. See how these notes can fit on the lines and spaces of a stave.
• Introduction to playing the recorder.
• There will be an opportunity for children who currently learn a musical instrument to play their own instrument in class.
• Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B.

Musical Spotlight: Playing in a Band

Social Question: What Stories Does Music Tell Us About the Past?

• Children learn to read the notation of one of the instrumental parts when playing together in this unit.
• Children explore time signatures which tell us how many beats there are in each bar.
• An introduction to harmony in music. Children explore singing and playing instruments together to create these beautiful sounds.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Children play, improvise and compose using a selection of notes.

Reading:

• ‘The Street Beneath my Feet’

Writing:

• Information (3 weeks)
• World Speech Day (2 weeks)
• Animals & Pets poems (2 weeks)
• Science Report (3 weeks)

Rocks

Children will be taught to:

• Compare and group together different kinds of rock on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
• Describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock
• Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter

Sequencing Sounds
This topic involves creating and organising sounds in a sequence to make digital music or sound effects, helping children understand patterns and rhythm.

Using Branching Databases
Students learn to use branching databases, which help them categorise information and make decisions based on data, fostering logical thinking and data management skills.

Staying Safe Online
Students will build on their understanding of how to be a good digital citizen.

Rocks, Relics and Rumbles

What causes Volcanoes and Earthquakes?

• This project teaches children about the features and characteristics of Earth's layers, including a detailed exploration of volcanic, tectonic and seismic activity.

Term 3 (Judaism) - What does it mean to be Jewish?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What is a promise/ covenant?
• What is the significance of the Shema?
• What is the significance of Passover for Jewish people?
• What is the importance of the sedar meal for Jewish people?
• What is the importance of the ten commandments for Jewish people?
• What have I learnt about what it means to be Jewish?

Term 4 - Who is the most important person in the Easter story?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• Why did Judas betray Jesus?
• What does Peter's denial say about the challenges of the Christian Faith?
• Why were there women at the crucifixion of Jesus?
• Who is the most important person in the Easter story?

Musical Spotlight: Compose Using Your Imagination.

Social Question: How Does Music Make the World a Better Place?

• Children use their imagination when creating compositions in this unit. What do you see when you close your eyes? Can you write a melody or find sounds that represent the story you want to tell?
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A, B.

Musical Spotlight: More Musical Styles.

Social Question: How Does Music Help Us Get to Know Our Community?

• Children learn how music, with all its styles, has changed and shaped lives around the world.
• Children explore changes in dynamics. Loud sounds are called ‘forte’, and quiet sounds are called ‘piano’.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A, B.

Reading:

• ‘The Goose Guards’
• ‘Chariots and Champions’

Writing:

• People’s History (3 weeks)
• Letter from a Roman soldier (3 weeks)
• Biographies (3 weeks)
• Memoir (3 weeks)

Plants

Children will be taught to:

• Identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers
• Explore the requirement of plants for life and growth and how they vary from plant to plant
• Investigate the way in which water is transported within plants
• Explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal

Light

Children will be taught to:

• Recognise that they need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence of light
• Notice that light is reflected from surfaces
• Recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect their eyes
• Recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object
• Find patterns in the way the size of shadows change

Digital Literacy - Desktop Publishing
Children are introduced to desktop publishing, learning how to create and format documents, combining text and images to produce professional-looking work.

Using Events to Create Interactive Programs
Students learn how to use events in programming to create interactive applications, understanding how actions like clicks or key presses can trigger responses in their programs.

Staying Safe Online
Children continue to deepen their knowledge of online safety.

Mediterranean sea and Europe; Italy. Linked to our History Topic, The Romans.

Children learn about the growth and expansion of the Roman Empire (map skills, locational and place knowledge, human and physical features).

Emperors and Empires

What did the Romans do for us?

• Children begin with an in-depth exploration of Rome itself, its founding and its beginning of rule from Kings to the Senate. The children will investigate the everyday life of a Roman and understand the reasons for its vast growth and expansion before the Empire. Finally, the children will then explore how Rome became an Empire, its various emperors and the organisation of its army.
• Roman Britain is split into two aspects firstly the children will investigate the invasion and conquest of Britain with specific focuses on Boudicca’s rebellion and the difficulty of conquering Scotland with the creation of Hadrian’s wall.
• Lastly, the children will then focus on answering the topic question of ‘What did the Romans do for us’ looking at what inventions, technology and ideas the
  Romans brought with them from their empire.

Term 5 (Buddhism) - What did the Buddha teach his followers about life?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• Who is Siddhartha and what did he discover?
• What did the Buddha realise when he became enlightened?
• What do you think causes suffering?
• What do you think is the most important thing anyone can achieve during their lifetime?
• What did the Buddha teach his followers about life?

Term 6 - Who is Jesus?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• ‘I am the bread of life’
• ‘I am the light of the world’
• ‘I am the good shepherd’
• ‘I am the true vine’
• ‘I am the resurrection and the life’
• Who does Jesus say he is?

Ammonites: Looking at nature and natural forms as a starting point for artwork. Demonstrating how to enhance form and texture in their drawings using techniques such as hatching, cross-hatching and shading.

Lowry’s drawing style; Landscape: Work in the style of a significant artist, architect, culture or designer. Looking at body shape and movement.

Musical Spotlight: Enjoying Improvisation.

Social Question: How Does Music Make a Difference to Us Every Day?

• Children explore the structure of songs and patterns in songs that they recognise including Introduction, verse, and chorus.
• Children will improvise over a section of the song.
• Children identify sections of the music that change or repeat.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A, B♭, B.

Musical Spotlight: Opening Night.

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with Our Planet?

• Children create and present a performance with an understanding of the songs they are singing and where they fit in the world.
• Children will present what has been learnt in the lessons with confidence.
• There may be an opportunity for the children to take part in the Harrow Music Services’ Sing, Sing, Sing or Song Fest events.

Reading:

• ‘The Saga of Eric the Viking’
• ‘Beowulf’

Writing:

• Sensory Poetry (2 weeks)
• Play Script (3 weeks)
• Character-focussed short stories (3 weeks)
• Norse Myth (3 weeks)

States of Matter

Children will be taught to:

• Compare and group materials together according to whether they are solid, liquids or gases
• Observe that some materials change state when they are heated or cooled and measure or research the temperature at which this happens in degrees celsius
• Identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature

Living Things and Their Habitat

Children will be taught to:

• Recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways
• Explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment
• Recognise that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to living things

Staying Safe Online
Children deepen their knowledge of online safety, learning about safe communication, recognizing cyberbullying, and understanding the importance of strong passwords and privacy settings.

The Internet and How It Works
Students explore how the internet functions, including understanding concepts such as servers, browsers, and data packets, and how information travels across the web.

Audio Production
Children learn how to record, edit, and produce audio, gaining skills in manipulating sound files and understanding the basics of audio editing software.

Interconnected World

What is the difference between the North and South American climate?

• This essential skills and knowledge project teaches children about compass points and four and six-figure grid references.
• They learn about the tropics and the countries, climates and culture of North and South America.
• Children identify physical features in the United Kingdom and learn about the National Rail and canal networks.
• They conduct an enquiry to prove a hypothesis, gathering data from maps and surveys before drawing conclusions.

Invasion:

• Children will recap the Roman invasion and investigate the causes of Roman withdrawal alongside life at the time.
• Children will then investigate the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain with a specific exploration of Sutton Hoo.
• Children will explore Anglo-Saxon Britain.
• Children will explore the invasion of the Vikings and the beginnings of ‘England’ finishing with the Norman invasion.

Term 1 - How did belief in God affect the actions of people in the Old Testament?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• How did Abra(ha)m demonstrate his faith in God?
• How did Moses follow God’s ‘calling’ for his life?
• What does it mean for a believer to follow God’s call?
• How did Ruth demonstrate faith in God through selflessness?

Term 2 - Is the Christmas message of peace still relevant for today’s world?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What do I understand Christmas to mean for many Christians? What does it mean to me?
• What do you think the word ‘peace’ means?
• Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace - what does this mean?
• What does the Bible say about Jesus’ message of peace?
• Is this Christmas message of peace still relevant for today’s world?

Contrasts and complements: Recap on everything the children have learned so far about colour and colour theory.

• Using aquarelles.
• Watercolour paint creates a translucent effect called a wash.
• Watercolours can be mixed on the paper (wet on wet) or in a palette (wet on dry).
• Colours can be made bolder by layering them or adding less water.)

Musical Spotlight: Musical Structures.

Social Question: How Does Music Bring Us Together?

• Children learn how musical sections that repeat or change help create the structure, or form, of a piece of music or a song.
• Children look for patterns in the sections of music and songs within this unit.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B♭.

Musical Spotlight: Exploring Feelings When You Play.

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with Our Past?

• Children explore how special effects in music can make the words we sing more meaningful and how the sounds that we hear in music can also help to communicate specific moods.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, F♯, G, A, B♭, B.

• Words have power - Demonstrating consequences of the words we use about ourselves and others
• Reap what you sow - Suggesting ways we can grow a desired characteristic - e.g. kindness
• Wily wolf - Thinking about and discussing how we know who we can trust
• Family recipe - Thinking about the characteristics that make a healthy family life
• Healthy minds - Recognising what positively and negatively affects our mental health

• Heart to heart - Looking at ways we feel loved
• Brilliant me ball - Celebrating our strengths achievements
• One in a million - Comparing measurements to determine our uniqueness
• Don’t agree with I don’t like me - Highlighting things about our bodies we are grateful for
• Hands up - Creating a catchy rhyme/song or rap to remind others about the importance of hand washing

Reading:

• ‘King of the Cloud Forests’
• ‘A Year full of Stories’

Writing:

• Diaries
• Information (3 weeks)
• World Speech Day (2 weeks)
• Explanation/Science Report (3 weeks)

Sound

Children will be taught to:

• Identify how sounds are made associating some of them with something vibrating
• Recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear
• Find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it
• Find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it
• Recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases

Types of Repetition in Computer Science
This topic introduces children to different types of loops in programming, such as "for" and "while" loops, helping them understand how to execute repetitive tasks efficiently in their code.

Data Logging
Students learn how to collect, record, and analyse data using digital tools, understanding how data logging can be used in various scientific and practical applications.

Staying Safe Online
Children continue to deepen their knowledge of online safety, learning about how to be a good digital citizen.

Misty Mountain, Winding River

How does a river change from source to mouth?
Are all mountains the same?

• This project teaches children about the characteristics and features of rivers and mountain ranges around the world, including a detailed exploration of the ecosystems and processes that shape them and the land around them.

Term 3 (Hinduism) - How do Hindus worship?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• Why do Hindus have many images of God?
• Why is the Aum symbol important to Hindus?
• How do Hindus worship at home?
• How does a Hindu priest help Hindus worship at the mandir?
• Why do Hindus go on a pilgrimage?

Term 4 - What is Holy Communion and how does it build a Christian Community?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What did Jesus do and say at the Last Supper and how do Christians remember this today?
• Why do Christians share in body and blood of Jesus at church?
• How does the act of sharing Holy Communion influence a Christian’s day to day life?
• What was Jesus’ legacy?

Musical Spotlight: Compose with Your Friends.

Social Question: How Does Music Improve Our World?

• Children learn that music is often written based on various key signatures that guide melodies used in the music. There is often a note that sounds like ‘home’, or where a melody should ‘land’. This is called the ‘tonic pitch’ or the ‘home note’ and makes a melody or a song sound final - like it has been resolved. Children practise listening, singing, and playing instruments to explore this important note in music.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, F♯, G, A, B♭, B.

Musical Spotlight: Feelings Through Music.

Social Question: How Does Music Teach Us About Our Community?

• Children explore how music is used for many reasons and can help us express our feelings and how music can be loud or quiet, fast or slow, smooth and connected or short and detached.
• Children use instruments with different sounds to help communicate different emotions. They will explore the music in this unit and try to connect their feelings to what they hear.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F♯, G, A, B♭, B.

• What’s missing - Being aware of surroundings and people around you
• Guess my feelings - Suggesting how someone is feeling based on their facial expressions and body language
• Unseen heroes - Thinking about and thanking the unseen heroes of our local community
• Teamwork makes the dreamwork - Recognising that we sometimes need help from others and working together to achieve a shared goal
• True smartphone - Developing an awareness of ways to use mobile phones and tablets responsibly

• Saying sorry - Discussing ways to fix broken friendships
• Pass through the pain barrier - Discussing what forgiveness is and the value of forgiving others
• Good stress, bad stress - Talking about different types of stress and ways to manage negative stress
• Boundaries - Learning about personal boundaries
• Be kind online - Recognising and dealing with online abuse

Reading:

• ‘Secrets of a Sun King’

Writing:

• Stories from another culture/Setting- focussed short stories (3 weeks)
• Instructions (3 weeks)
• Memoir (3 weeks)
• Persuasive letter for personal gain (3 weeks)

Animals Including Humans

Children will be taught to:

• Describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans
• Identify the different types of teeth in humans and their simple functions
• Construct and interpret a variety of food chains identifying producers, predators and prey

Electricity

Children will be taught to:

• Identify common appliances that run on electricity
• Construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming its basic parts including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers
• Identify whether or not a lamp will light in a simple circuit based on whether or not the lamp is part of a complete loop with a battery
• Recognise that a switch opens and closes a circuit and associate this with whether or not a lamp lights in a simple series circuit
• Recognise some common conductors and insulators and associate metals with being good conductors

Photo Editing
Children are taught how to edit photos using digital tools, learning techniques to crop, adjust colours, and add effects to enhance their images.

Using Repetition in Games
Students apply their knowledge of loops and repetition to create simple games, understanding how repetitive actions can be used to enhance gameplay and create dynamic experiences.

Staying Safe Online
Children continue to deepen their knowledge of online safety, learning how to deal with problems online.

Ancient Civilisations

• Children in this topic will build on their pre-existing knowledge of archaeology (Sutton Hoo) to explore ancient civilisations.
• Children will investigate the Sumerian civilisation’s development with a specific focus on their system of farming and its significance in allowing them to grow and thrive. Children will also investigate their governing system with a specific focus on hierarchy and the world’s first emperor.
• Children will then investigate the ancient Egyptian civilisation focusing on similar areas of development and rule: city life, hierarchy and the role of the pharaoh.
• Children will then test their historical skills of comparison and significance in comparing both Sumer and Egypt then independently investigating the Indus Valley civilisation and deciding how similar or different it was compared to both Sumer and Egypt.

Term 5 (Hinduism) - What does it mean to live as a Hindu?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What does it mean for a Hindu to live with a belief in dharma and karma?
• What does it mean to be born into a Hindu family?
• What does it mean for a Hindu to live with a belief in ahimsa?
• What does it mean to have a Hindu wedding?
• What does it mean to die as a Hindu?

Term 6 - Why is liturgy important to many Christians?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What are the main ingredients of Christian public liturgy and worship?
• What might be the role of liturgy for Christians in building their relationships with God, with each other and with themselves?
• How do individuals respond to different elements of the liturgy and how they are changed by experiences?
• How important are each of the different elements of the liturgy when compared to one another and what is the relationship between them?
• How can participation in a Eucharistic liturgy bring about positive transformation?
• How would you create a liturgy for your school or your parish?

Vista: This project teaches children about the techniques that artists use when composing landscape images, such as colour and atmosphere.

Statues, Statuettes and Figurines: This project teaches children about the 3-D representation of the human form, including statues, statuettes and figurines. They study examples from ancient civilisations, and use their clay skills to create a Sumer-style figurine.

or

Animal: This project teaches children about the historical and cultural portrayal of animals in art. They study the visual qualities of animals through sketching, printmaking and clay modelling.

(An armature is an open framework on which a sculpture is moulded with clay or similar material. A Bankura ghora (horse) is a terracotta horse crafted in the Panchmura Village in the Bankura District of West Bengal. The village is famous for its terracotta sculptures of horses.)

Musical Spotlight: Expression and Improvisation.

Social Question: How Does Music Shape Our Way of Life?

• Children will explore how improvisation is a way to express feelings and add dynamics to improvisation to make their music more expressive.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, F♯, G, A, B♭, B.

Musical Spotlight: The Show Must Go On!

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with the Environment?

• Children will create and present a performance.
• Children present what has been learnt in lessons with confidence. Introduce the performance with an understanding of what the songs are about and any other connections.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, F♯, G, A, B, B, C♯.

• Human BEings not DOings - Celebrating one another for who we are not what we do
• Voice of love - Who speaks into our lives and are they using the voice of love?
• Speak truth - Having the courage to tell the truth isn’t always easy
• Dare to be different - When dares are fun and when they are not. Thinking of ways to say no to dares
• Risky business - Learning the facts and risks associated with smoking

• Endurance expedition - Thinking about the skills and attitudes needed to meet a challenge
• Habits - help or hinder? - Considering the habits we need to develop or change to reach our goals
• Just keep swimming - How to persevere and hold on to hope
• Dreamers - Dreaming of the future
• Changing me! - Key facts about the changes that take place in puberty between 9 - 11

Reading:

• ‘The Firework-Maker’s Daughter’
• ‘Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella story from China’

Writing:

• Inspired by… poems (2 weeks)
• ‘A Firework-maker’s Daughter’ book-focused planning (2 weeks)
• Biography (3 weeks)
• Stories from another culture and/or developed short stories (3 weeks)

Forces

Children will be taught to:

• Explain that unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object
• Identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction that act between moving surfaces
• Recognise that some mechanisms including levers, pulleys and gears allow a smaller force to have a greater effect

Staying Safe Online
Children further their understanding of online safety, learning about issues like phishing, safe social media use, and protecting their digital footprint.

Understanding Computer Systems
Students explore the components and functions of computer systems, understanding how hardware and software work together to perform tasks.

Internet Research Methods
Children learn effective internet research techniques, including evaluating the credibility of sources, using search engines efficiently, and citing online information correctly.

Using Selection in Programming
This topic introduces students to the concept of selection in programming, teaching them how to use conditional statements (if-else) to make decisions in their code.

Investigating Our World

What is a biome?
What is a vegetation belt?

• This essential skills and knowledge project teaches children about locating map features using a range of methods.
• They learn about the Prime Meridian, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and worldwide time zones and study interconnected climate zones, vegetation belts and biomes.
• Children learn about human geography and capital cities worldwide before looking at the UK motorway network and settlements.
• They carry out an enquiry to identify local settlement types.

Dynamic Dynasties:

• The children will explore the beginnings of the Shang dynasty alongside investigating what artefacts and other archaeological finds were used to ‘find’ the Shang dynasty.
• Children will explore the theme of change through the first instance of a dynastic change in China from the Xia to the Shang.
• The children will explore the characteristics of the Shang dynasty such as: the governing system, religion, warfare etc.
• The children will investigate the end of the Shang dynasty and explain why they were overthrown - this will then lead into the final stage of exploring the next dynasties that followed the Shang.

Term 1 - What do the miracles tell us about Jesus?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What does the miracle at the wedding of Cana tell us about Jesus?
• What does the miracle of feeding the 5000 tell us about Jesus?
• What does the miracle of the woman who touched Jesus’ garment tell us about Jesus?
• What does the miracle of the healing of the paralysed man tell us about Jesus?
• What does the miracle of the raising of Lazarus tell us about Jesus?
• What do the miracles tell us about Jesus?

Term 2 - How do art and music convey Christmas?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What do the Gospel accounts reveal about the theology (beliefs) associated with the festival of Christmas?
• How is the theology (beliefs) of Christmas represented in art today?
• Do Christmas cards convey the central beliefs of Christmas to the world?
• The Nativity narrative; whose story is it to tell?

Tints, Tones and Shades: This project teaches children about colour theory by studying the colour wheel and exploring mixing tints, shades and tones. They learn about significant landscape artworks finding colours within different works before using this knowledge to create landscape paintings using primary colours as well as black and white.

Taoties: This project teaches children about the significance and art of the taotie motif, including ancient and contemporary casting methods.

Musical Spotlight: Melody and Harmony in Music.

Social Question: How Does Music Bring Us Together?

• Children learn about melody and harmony. A melody (or a tune) is a group of notes played one after another. In music, 'melody' contrasts with 'harmony'. Harmony means notes which are played at the same time, like chords. Composers often think of a melody and then add harmony to it.
• Children explore the voices that sing the melodies and the instruments used within the music in this unit to create the harmonies.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E♭, E, F, F♯, G, A, A♭, B♭, B.

Musical Spotlight: Sing and Play in Different Styles.

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with Our Past?

• Children explore how singing and playing in different styles with different grooves is part of being in a band or an ensemble.
• Children will learn about music from all around the world.
• Children explore the various tempos of the music in this unit.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E♭, E, F, F♯, G, A♭, A, B♭, B.

• Boss v Leader - Considering how powerful people lead others
• Lion Heart - Describing the heart reputation we would like
• Watch what you watch watch - Discussing how to know what we should and shouldn’t watch
• Letter of thanks - Writing letters of thanks to people who support and encourage us
• Sleep well - Thinking about the importance of good quality sleep for health

• Gunner - Making the connection between Gunner’s story and Don’t forget to let love in
• Make the right voice choice - Considering the way the words we listen to about ourselves make us feel
• Under pressure - Thinking about different sources of pressure, including from our friends, and ways we can respond
• Allocating resources - Recognising that resources can be allocated in different ways and these choices affect others
• Help! - Who to go to for help and how to keep asking until help is given

Reading:

• ‘The Secret Garden’
• ‘Varmints’

Writing:

• Non-chronological reports / Information (3 weeks)
• Graphic Novels (3 weeks)
• World Speech Day (2 weeks)
• Diary / Memoir (3 weeks)

Living Things and Their Habitat

Children will be taught to:

• Describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird
• Describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals

Earth and Space

Children will be taught to:

• Describe the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the sun in the solar system
• Describe the movement of the moon relative to the Earth
• Describe the sun, Earth and moon as approximately spherical bodies
• Use the idea of the Earth's rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the sun across the sky

Video Production
Children learn how to create and edit videos, understanding the basics of shooting, editing, adding effects, and producing a finished video project.

Creating Graphics
Students explore graphic design tools and techniques, learning how to create and manipulate digital images for various purposes.

Staying Safe Online
Children further their understanding of online safety.

Moving Mechanisms: This project teaches children about pneumatic systems. They experiment with pneumatics before designing, making and evaluating a pneumatic machine that performs a useful function.

Eat the Seasons: Benefits of seasonal eating. Preparing a seasonal soup, icing, peeling and grating, learning about cooking techniques.

Sow, Grow and Farm

How far has your food travelled?
Should we import our food?

• This project teaches children about the features and characteristics of land use in agricultural regions across the world, including a detailed exploration of significant environmental areas.

Term 3 - How did the first five Sikh Gurus shape Sikhi?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• How did Nanak become Sikhi’s first Guru?
• Why is the Guru Granth Sahib important to Sikhs?
• How is equality shown in the langar?
• What does a Sikh wedding ceremony tell us about Sikh beliefs about marriage?
• What was Guru Arjun Dev’s greatest achievement?

Term 4 - What happened in churches during Lent, Holy week and Easter Sunday?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What happens in churches during Ash Wednesday?
• What happens in churches on Palm Sunday?
• What happens in churches on Maundy Thursday?
• What happens in churches on Good Friday?
• What happens in churches on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday?
• Why are rituals important to a believer’s life?

Musical Spotlight: Composing and Chords.

Social Question: How Does Music Improve Our World?

• Children learn to create chords in music by playing three or more pitches together. Chords provide the basis for accompaniment in music. By using chords in compositions, children will create music that is really interesting.
• Children will create an accompaniment and explore composition activities to learn about chords.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E♭, E, F, F♯, G, A♭, A, B♭, B.

Musical Spotlight: Enjoying Musical Styles.

Social Question: How Does Music Teach Us About Our Community?

• Children will explore many different, wonderful and interesting styles of music and how ‘texture’ or the layers of sound, makes it so interesting.
• Children learn that texture can be the number of voices and instruments you hear at once and that styles of music have different textures.
• Children explore how voices and instruments combine to create texture in music.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, E♭, F♯, F, G, A♭, A, B♭.

• When I’m feeling lonely… - What we can do when we feel lonely
• Read my lips - Listening to what others say
• Honour - Thinking of people who deserve honour and suggesting ways to honour them
• Great groups - To investigate the purpose and role of different groups (including pressure groups)
• Be aware what you share - Developing an awareness of what you should and shouldn’t share online

• Different perspective - Developing simple strategies to resolve conflict
• Nelson Mandela - Describing what Nelson Mandela’s life teaches us about forgiveness
• Emotions don’t drive - How to handle our emotions
• I did not I am - Discussing how we respond to our own mistakes
• Bully Busting - Recognise bullying in all its forms and thinking about strategies to deal with bullying

Reading:

• ‘Who let the Gods Out?’

Writing:

• Greek Myth (3 weeks)
• Balanced Argument (3 weeks)
• Explanation (3 weeks)
• Playscript (3 weeks)

Properties and Changes of Materials

Children will be taught to:

• Compare and group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties, including their hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity and response to magnets
• Know that some materials will dissolve in liquid to form a solution and describe how to recover a substance from a solution
• Use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated including through filtering, sieving and evaporating
• Give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fairs tests for particular uses of everyday materials including metals, wood and plastic
• Demonstrate that dissolving, mixing and changes of states are reversible changes
• Explain that some changes result in the formation of new materials and that this kind of change is not usually reversible including changes associated with burning and the action of acid on bicarbonate of soda

Animals Including Humans

Children will be taught to:

• Describe the changes as humans develop to old age

Using Selection in Quizzes
Children apply their knowledge of selection in programming to create interactive quizzes, using conditional logic to handle different responses and outcomes.

Digital Portfolio Production
Students learn to compile and present their digital work in a portfolio, showcasing their skills and projects in a structured and visually appealing format.

Groundbreaking Greeks:

• The children will explore the geography of Greece to help understand the arrival of City States with collective identity as Greek.
• To explore the kingdoms of the Minoans and Mycenaeans as well as their downfall and the beginning of the Greek dark age.
• To explore the Golden Age (Classical Period) of Greece - with a specific focus on investigating their inventions such as the Olympics, aspects of Maths, Democracy etc and understand their influence on Modern Britain and the World.

Term 5 - How did the final five human Sikh Gurus shape Sikhi?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What did Guru Hargobind wear two kirpans?
• Why do Sikhs look to Guru Har Rai about care for the creation?
• How did Guru Har Krishan care for those who were dying? What did Sikhs believe about death?
• In what ways was Guru Tegh Bahadur brave?
• How and why was the Sikh Khalsa formed?

Term 6 - How do Muslims live and embrace their faith in a diverse world?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What difference do you think it would make to a Muslim to repeat the Shahdah and greeting several times a day?
• Does connecting today’s message with ancient buildings make a difference? If yes why and if not why not?
• What does giving to charity mean for a Muslim?
• What does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain today?

Musical Spotlight: Freedom to Improvise.

Social Question: How Does Music Shape Our Way of Life?

• Children explore how improvisation gives you the freedom to express yourself, to really go for it!
• Children will improvise in this unit building on their previous musical learning.
• Children will learn that an ‘interval’ in music refers to the distance between two pitches. Some notes lie right next to each other (stepping motion) while other notes lie further apart (skipping motion).
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E♭, E, F, F♯, G, A, B♭, B.

Musical Spotlight: Battle of the Bands!

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with the Environment?

• Children create a fun and confident performance with their choice of music and songs.
• Children perform in small groups and as a whole class using a range of instruments.
• Children will introduce their music professionally, and think about their audience and what they would like to see and hear.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E♭, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A♭, A, B♭.

• Time to get real - How images we see online and in the media don’t always represent reality
• No need to hide what’s inside - Exploring how shame can make us want to hide how we really feel
• Soft shells - Knowing who we can trust to be vulnerable and open with
• Hearts that welcome feedback - How feedback can help us grow
• Decisions, Decisions! - Finding out about the risks associated with alcohol for young people

• Egg in the flask - Demonstrating that ‘No Way Through’ isn’t true!
• Success isn’t always what you see - How the successes we achieve on the inside can often be greater than those seen on the outside
• Hope light - Looking at the power of Hope and how it can keep us going
• Period Relay - Key facts about the menstrual cycle
• What am I? - How to look after ourselves during puberty

Reading:

• ‘Now or Never: A Dunkirk Story’
• ‘Goodnight Mister Tom’

Writing:

• Anthology of Life Poetry (2 weeks)
• ‘The Piano’/Historical narrative (3 weeks)
• Flash Fiction (3 weeks)
• Historical account (3 weeks)

Animals Including Humans

Children will be taught to:

• Identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood
• Recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function
• Describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported with animals including humans

Electricity

Children will be taught to:

• Associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in a circuit
• Compare and give reasons for variations in how components function including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches
• Use and recognise symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram

Staying Safe Online
Children learn online safety skills, including managing their digital identity, understanding the impact of their online actions, and recognising more sophisticated online
threats like scams and malware.

Communication and Collaboration Online
Students explore various tools and platforms for online communication and collaboration, learning how to work effectively with others on digital projects while maintaining good digital citizenship.

Creating Web Pages
Children learn the basics of web design, including how to create and style web pages with an understanding of the principles of good web design and user experience.

Our Changing World

What are the causes of Climate Change?
Why do you think Saudi Arabia is a major oil exporter?

• This essential skills and knowledge project revises the features of Earth, time zones and lines of latitude and longitude to pinpoint places on a map.
• Children find out more about map scales, grid references, contour lines and map symbols.
• They learn about climate change and the importance of global trade.
• Children analyse data and carry out fieldwork to find out about local road safety.
• They study patterns of human settlements and carry out an enquiry to describe local settlement patterns.

Britain at War

• Term 1: To understand the causes and consequences of World War One. How the war affected daily life in Britain as well as why so many civilians volunteered to take part.
• Term 2: To understand the effect the Treaty of Versailles had on Germany and how significant it was in creating the chance for the Nazi party to gain power. To explore the other causes of how the Nazi party managed to gain power and begin a war. To understand the impact of World War Two on Britain as well as Jewish civilians through the lens of Anne Frank.

Term 1 - What might the journey of life and death look like from a Christian perspective?

Children will discuss the following questions in detail:

• How is life like a journey?
• How is the sacrament of baptism significant to a believer’s life?
• How is the sacrament of confirmation significant to a believer’s life?
• What does marriage mean for a believer?
• What do Christians believe happens after we die?

Term 2 - How would Christians advertise Christmas to show what Christmas means today?

Children will discuss the following questions in detail:

• What meaning do different advertisements give to Christmas and how might Christians feel about the meaning?
• What meaning do the different Gospel accounts give to Christmas?
• How and why does the church advertise Christmas?
• What is needed in an advertisement for it to be effective in conveying the central Christian beliefs of Christmas?

Musical Spotlight: Music and Technology.

Social Question: How Does Music Bring Us Together?

• Children will learn about how nowadays, music and songs are often created and composed using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Children will explore the difference between the live sounds and digital sounds.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, F♯, G, A, B♭, B.

Musical Spotlight: Developing Ensemble Skills.

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with Our Past?

• Children play and sing together in this unit, making sure to use dynamics and expression, and read a notated instrumental part.
• Children will listen to one another and follow the leader if there is one.
• Children explore gradual changes from soft to loud (“crescendo”) or from loud to soft (“decrescendo”) and how this can help make music more exciting.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, D, E, F, F♯, G, A, B♭, B.

• Powerful poses - Demonstrate that our body language can be used to help us feel more powerful
• Stone trainers - Comparing our hearts to trainers - how do we keep our hearts soft but strong
• Secret scenarios - Recognising when it is right to keep a secret and when a secret should be shared
• Tying the knot - Recognising the importance of commitment in marriage
• Healthy Food, Healthy Heart - Learning about the Eatwell plate and how to plan a healthy meal

• What are you worth? - Working out what we are worth
• People say I am - Encouraging one another with kind and positive words and accepting the words spoken about us
• Thumbs up - Recalling significant events and people in our lives so far
• Gratitude jar - Thinking of things we are grateful for each week
• Signs to spot - Identifying early signs of illness

Reading:

• ‘Freedom 1783’
• ‘Windrush Child’

Writing:

• ‘Discussion’ (2 weeks)
• Community Activism - Persuasive letter (3 weeks)
• World Speech Day (2 weeks)
• Social and Political Poetry (2 weeks)

Electricity

Children will be taught to:

• Associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in a circuit
• Compare and give reasons for variations in how components function including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches
• Use and recognise symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram

Light

Children will be taught to:

• Recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines
• Use the idea that light travels in a straight line to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye
• Explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects then to our eyes
• Use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain why shadows have the same shape as the object that cast them

Using Variables to Create Games
This topic introduces students to using variables in programming, helping them understand how to store and manipulate data to create interactive and dynamic games.

Spreadsheets
Students learn how to use spreadsheet software to organise, analyse, and visualise data.

Infographics
Children explore how to create infographics, learning to combine text, images, and data to present information in a clear and visually appealing way.

Staying Safe Online
Children learn online safety skills, learning how to recognise more sophisticated online threats like scams and malware.

Frozen Kingdoms

What are the effects of climate change?

• This project teaches children about the characteristics and features of polar regions, including the North and South Poles, and includes a detailed exploration of the environmental factors that shape and influence them.

MAAFA

• To explore ancient African kingdoms before the arrival of Europeans in the 14/1500s, with a focus on the kingdom of Benin.
• To explore these initial encounters, the beginning of the Slave Trade and how - and why - it occurred on such a large scale.
• To explore the system of the Transatlantic Slave Trade looking at: capture in Africa, the middle passage and plantations in the Caribbean.
• To explore the causes of abolition, including an investigation into rebellions as well as abolitionists, alongside our class book ‘Freedom’ which showcases both and specifically inclusion of the original ‘Black’ abolitionists.

Term 3 (Buddhism) - What does it mean to be a Buddhist?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• What do you think causes suffering and how do you think we can overcome it?
• What is the noble eight - fold path and how might this help a Buddhist in their daily life?
• What do Buddhists understand about samsara and nirvana?
• What does it mean to be part of the sangha for a Buddhist?
• What does it mean to be a Buddhist?

Term 4 - How does the Christian festival of Easter offer hope?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• How do Christians believe the Easter Story helps people to understand the meaning of forgiveness?
• How does Jesus’ journey to the cross offer signs of hope?
• How does the Easter Story relate to God’s plan of salvation?
• How do the resurrection narratives point towards an understanding of Christian hope?

Musical Spotlight: Creative Composition.

Social Question: How Does Music Improve Our World?

• Children create music that is harmonically interesting by using chords in compositions.
• Children create accompaniment for a melody using chords.
• Children will explore how chords are used within the music in this unit by listening and responding to La Bamba and looking at the composition activities for Disco Fever.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, C♯, D, E, F, F♯, G, A, B♭, B.

Musical Spotlight: Musical Styles Connect Us.

Social Question: How Does Music Teach Us About Our Community?

• Children explore how music is powerful and brings people from different backgrounds and parts of the world together.
• Children learn that when we dance, sing and play, we can all share ideas and it helps us to come together.
• Children will explore how the different styles of music in this unit developed from different social themes.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, C♯, D, E, F, F♯, G, A, B♭, B.

• All the same, all different - Demonstrating ways we are different and ways we are the same
• Listen up! - Practising being a good listener
• You go before me - Thinking of ways the generations before us have overcome challenges that we benefit from
• Growing together - Considering ways we can be a good friend and support one another
• Social media - good or bad? - Discussing the benefits and dangers of social media

• Work it out - Developing strategies to resolve conflict and disputes
• Power of forgiveness - Jimmy Mizen’s parents - Discussing how we benefit when we choose to forgive others
• Way to say - Exploring how our tone and body language communicates more than our words
• Bit by bit - Discussing how to build trust between friends
• Deep impact - Considering the impact of bullying

Reading:

• ‘The Wolf Wilder’
• ‘The Ice Bear’
• ‘The Little Prince’

Writing:

• Narrative - adventure/suspense/animal character (3 weeks)
• Explanation (3 weeks)
• Autobiography (3 weeks)

Living Things and Their Habitat

Children will be taught to:

• Describe how living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences including microorganisms, plants and animals
• Give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics

Evolution and Inheritance

Children will be taught to:

• Recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago
• Recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents
• Identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution

Creating Animations
Students build on their animation skills by creating more complex digital animations, learning advanced techniques and software tools to bring their ideas to life.

Digital Portfolio Production
Children compile and present their digital work in a comprehensive portfolio, showcasing their skills, projects, and achievements in a structured and professional manner.

Staying Safe Online
Children deepen their understanding of staying safe online as they transition into Year 7.

Frozen Kingdoms

What are the effects of Climate Change?

Term 5 - How has the Christian message survived for over 2000 years?

Children will explore the following questions in detail:

• How did the Christian message first spread? (Pentecost)
• How did the Early Church protect the Christian message through the Apostle’s Creed?
• Why is Bible translation important in helping the Christians message survive?
• How has the Christian message survived persecution in North Korea?
• How does the church spread its message worldwide?
• How does the local church spread the Christian message today?

Term 6 - Who decided (Version a or b)?

Children will look at rules and responsibilities and understand who decides through the following themes:

• The Traditional Jewish/ Christian/Creation Story
• A Modern Jewish/ Christians Creation Story
• Guidelines for Living in Islam
• Creeds

Musical Spotlight: Improvising with Confidence.

Social Question: How Does Music Shape Our Way of Life?

• Children improvise and create their own personal musical ideas, thinking about phrasing and dynamics.
• Children learn that a ‘phrase’ is sort of like a ‘musical sentence’. Sometimes, a melody is made up of many phrases - just like a paragraph is made up of many sentences. Explore how phrases fit together to make a melody.
• Singing and listening are at the heart of each lesson. Play, improvise and compose using a selection of these notes: C, C♯, D, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A♭, A, B♭, B.

Musical Spotlight: Farewell Tour.

Social Question: How Does Music Connect Us with the Environment?

• Children will work on the Year 6 production of ‘Le Petit Prince’.

• This is Me! - Being proud of who we are
• HeartSmart Self-Talk - Catching negative self-talk and replacing it with positive self-talk
• Boundaries for respect - Learning how to use boundaries to establish respectful friendships
• Vaccines - facts vs fake news! - Finding out facts about vaccinations
• Fix it, find out, fit in! - Find out facts about legal and illegal substances and their risks

• The bridge to yet - Demonstrating that ‘No way through’ isn’t true
• Self awareness - Thinking about how we are feeling, why we feel that way and what we need
• Hearts filled with hope - Looking at the power of Hope and how it can keep us going
• Where the magic happens - Learning to step out of our comfort zones
• Under construction - the teenage brain! - How the brain changes during puberty