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Curriculum Information Evening

Curriculum Information Evening for Parents
English and Maths
 
On Tuesday we held an online information session for parents to find out about how we are teaching maths and English. 
 
On the right are the links to watch the presentation and view the slides.
 
 
FAQ
 
What are the requirements for a Gem reader at home?
Children who aren't on the reading scheme should still be reading every day at home: a book of their choice at an appropriate level. For parents, it is helpful to check that the books are appropriate in terms of difficulty: for example by talking with your children about what is happening in the part of the book they just read, or listening to them read a page.
 
There are no SATs this year: when will children be assessed?
We will have an assessment week for Years 1 to 6 on the second week of Term 5 (26th April), where children will sit a similar range of tests that SATs cover (arithmetic and reasoning in maths, reading comprehension, and phonics or SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar). These will be used to assess where the children are with their learning to inform teaching for the next two terms.
 
What are the Unit Tests in maths and how are they working for children who were in school during lockdown?
All children will be given very small 'unit tests' for the maths topics that were during lockdown, and for the rest of the year. These are not big formal tests; they are a few very carefully targeted questions that teachers are setting as part of normal classroom practice. They will find out which areas of a topic would benefit from extra consolidation; we won't assume that everyone has had the same experience of learning this year. This isn't repetition, it is ensuring that the essential knowledge and skills are consistently embedded and the children can apply them in a range of contexts.
 
How can I help fill gaps in my child's knowledge ready for secondary school?
As we mentioned during the presentation, a very useful thing that parents can help with at home is regular small practise of core knowledge that are best embedded mentally. A couple of minutes very regularly is enough, during day-to-day activities. These are:
  • number bonds (up to 1000 and down to three decimal places);
  • subitising (being familiar with what small numbers of objects look like: for younger children);
  • times tables up to 12x12, including related division facts and missing number questions (see the maths section of the website for more details).