Our curriculum for English reflects the importance of spoken language in children’s development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. Spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear and speak are vital for developing their vocabulary and grammar and their understanding for reading and writing. Teachers at Naseby ensure the continual development of children’s confidence and competence in spoken language and listening skills. Children develop a capacity to explain their understanding of books and other reading, and to prepare their ideas before they write. They must be assisted in making their thinking clear to themselves as well as to others, and teachers ensure that children build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions. Children are also taught to understand and use the conventions for discussion and debate.

All children are enabled to participate in and gain knowledge, skills and understanding associated with the artistic practice of drama. Pupils are able to adopt, create and sustain a range of roles, responding appropriately to others in role. They have opportunities to improvise, devise and script drama for one another and a range of audiences, as well as to rehearse, refine, share and respond thoughtfully to drama and theatre performances.

We have worked closely with the RSC as an Associate School since 2017, and our children have enjoyed the opportunities this has afforded including performing with the RSC at Stratford in the Playmaking festivals.

The programmes of study for reading in key stages 1 and 2 at Naseby consist of 2 dimensions: word reading and comprehension (both listening and reading)

Teaching focuses on developing pupils’ competence in both dimensions; different kinds of teaching are used for each and an understanding of how our pupils learn is integral to the way we teach English.

Skilled word reading involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Underpinning both is the understanding that the letters on the page represent the sounds in spoken words. This is why we use the Read Write Inc. phonics scheme in Early Years and Key Stage One.

Good comprehension draws from linguistic knowledge (in particular of vocabulary and grammar) and on knowledge of the world. Comprehension skills develop through pupils’ experience of high-quality discussion with the teacher, as well as from reading and discussing a range of stories, poems and non-fiction. All pupils are encouraged to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world they live in, to establish an appreciation and love of reading, and to gain knowledge across the curriculum.

It is essential that, by the end of their time at our school, all pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education.

Please click here for our English Impact Statement

Please click here for our Reading Spine

The programmes of study for writing at key stages 1 and 2 are constructed similarly to those for reading:

• transcription (spelling and handwriting)
• composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing)

It is essential that we teach and develop children’s competence in these 2 dimensions. In addition, children are taught how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing.

Writing down ideas fluently depends on effective transcription: that is, on spelling quickly and accurately through knowing the relationship between sounds and letters (phonics) and understanding the morphology (word structure) and orthography (spelling structure) of words.

Effective composition involves articulating and communicating ideas, and then organising them coherently for a reader. This requires clarity, awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.

Writing also depends on fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting which all children are taught at our school.

Please click here to find our Writing Curriculum.

Opportunities for teachers to enhance children’s vocabulary arise naturally from their reading and writing. As vocabulary increases, teachers show children how to understand the relationships between words, how to understand nuances in meaning, and how to develop their understanding of, and ability to use, figurative language. Teachers also teach children how to work out and clarify the meanings of unknown words and words with more than 1 meaning.

Children are taught to control their speaking and writing consciously and to use standard English. They are taught to use the elements of spelling, grammar, punctuation.

Throughout the programmes of study, teachers teach children the vocabulary they need to discuss their reading, writing and spoken language. It is important that children learn the correct grammatical terms in English and that these terms are integrated within teaching.

Please click here for our Spelling Progression Map

Please click here for our Grammar and Punctuation Progression Map

The school uses a variety of teaching and learning styles in mathematics lessons. Our principal aim is to develop children‟s knowledge, skills and understanding in mathematics. We do this through a daily lesson that has a high proportion of whole class and group-direct teaching. Our lessons are based on the National Curriculum and the Effective Maths Schemes of Work for Mathematics. During these lessons we encourage children to ask as well as answer mathematical questions. They have the opportunity to use a wide variety of resources such as number lines, number squares, digit cards and small apparatus where it will enhance their learning. Wherever possible we encourage the children to apply their learning in everyday situations.

• Maths Progression
• Effective Maths Whole School Curriculum 2024-2025

The school uses a mixture of The Diocese of Peterborough Syllabus and Understanding Christianity for our teaching of RE. Our RE curriculum includes not only Christianity, but also other faiths. RE is compulsory in all state schools, but parents have the right to withdraw their child from RE lessons on religious grounds. This also applies to the daily Act of Worship.

• Religious Education Curriculum Overview 2024-2025

Children are encouraged to develop enquiring minds and to adopt a scientific approach to learning.
They acquire, through a range of practical work, the skills needed to carry out and record accurate observations, carry out fair tests and formulate hypotheses and to form conclusions.

All classes have an interactive white board which teachers use to enhance teaching. A class set of laptops is used throughout the school. The school is well supported in computing by Guilsborough Academy.

History, Geography, Music, Design and Technology, Art and Physical Education (PE) make up the foundation subjects of the National Curriculum.

Through PSHE our pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepared for life and work. We believe that well planned and delivered PSHE has a positive impact on both academic and non-academic outcomes for pupils, particularly the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. To plan our PSHE, we  use the SCARF program and the  PSHE Association Programme of Study.

We believe that SMSC is essential for children’s individual development, as well as the development of society as a whole. It is central to the development and growth of pupils as people. SMSC

The whole school meets daily for worship. Themes are planned termly in advance with music and songs planned alongside.  The school’s Christian Ethos Team  lead  collective worship sessions through the term. We also invite a range of visitors to come to speak in collective worship from other Faiths. Parents are invited to services in All Saints Church by newsletter, and we work closely with Naseby Methodist church also. 

Children’s work is assessed in a variety of ways; on-going in lessons by their teachers (Teacher Assessment) and, in KS2 more formally three times each year. The combination of these assessment methods builds a picture of how well the child is progressing. At the end of Years 2 & 6, children are formally assessed by their teachers (Teacher Assessment) and through national tests. 

Homework Policy
We set homework because it has the potential to raise standards, extend coverage of the curriculum and to improve pupils’ study skills and attitudes to learning.