MINIBROOK
Minibrook is the key stage two part of our school. Our key stage two team work with students aged between 7-11. Minibrook class sizes are very small, with the maximum of four in a group. This allows all Minibrook students to receive an amazing amount of support and nurture whilst learning. The Minibrook curriculum is carefully planned to make sure lessons are inspiring and packed full of fun. Students also get the chance to attend weekly outdoor education lessons, which include a huge variety of outdoor pursuits, such as canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing and even skiing!!
Minibrook students also have a fluffy, four legged visitor throughout the school week . Marley pops into school to offer a little extra support and cuddles when students may need it. She loves tickles, playing on the school playground and a long nap in the afternoon.
Minibrooks vision and ethos:
- Respect and value every student, ensuring high levels of care and support underpin everything we do.
- We are person-centred and are inquisitive about how best to support all learners, ensuring equality of opportunities and valuing each individual’s contribution to the school community.
- We work together, positively and in a mutually supportive manner, to provide an environment where the needs of each students are met.
- We recognise the importance of developing pupils’ Social Communication and Emotional Regulation so each student can develop the skills necessary for life after school and in the community.
- We are ambitious and encourage every student to reach their full potential. We develop the self-esteem, self-awareness, and confidence of every student.
- We provide a stimulating, challenging, varied, and rewarding learning environment in a happy and encouraging atmosphere.
- We value learning and provide a broad, balanced, developmentally appropriate and relevant curriculum, appropriate to the needs of each student.
- We work in partnership and collaboration, ensuring successful partnerships between school, parents, and carers.
KS2 English Curriculum
Reading
Reading is taught as a discrete daily lesson, as well as being incorporated into all areas of the curriculum. All students are assessed on their phonic knowledge, and then follow a specific programme depending on their phonic knowledge. For our readers who require more support with their phonic knowledge, we use Read Write Inc. Phonics, and for our more confident readers, we use Fresh Start. We also use Accelerated Reader to enable our students to read a range of different texts, and demonstrate their understanding.
Year 3
Speaking and Listening
In Year 3, students will be taught to discuss their learning and to develop speaking skills. Throughout the year, they will become more familiar with, and more confident in, using language in a variety of situations, for a range of audiences and purposes. They will be able to develop their understanding of a subject through discussions, learning to give their opinions and listen to other viewpoints, as well as being able to speak clearly for different purposes.
Reading
Reading is taught as two different aspects; word reading and comprehension. Word reading skills (including phonics) will be taught, alongside helping students to understand what they are reading. In comprehension, students will be taught key skills to enable to them read, understand and enjoy a wide range of books. They will listen frequently to poems, non-fiction and other writing, ask and answer a range of questions about a text and discuss ideas that are not obviously described in a text. They will also develop their skills in being able to describe characters, summarise plots and predict what might happens. There will be discussions around themes and conventions, with the opportunity for students to explore these in a range of books. Students will study the language choices of the author, and consider the effect of these. They will also be able to offer opinions about what they have read and justify their views.
Writing
Writing is separated into three main components: spelling, handwriting and composition. There will be a spelling focus each week where students are taught a new spelling rule and be given the opportunities throughout the week to practise these spellings. They will be taught spelling patterns and conventions, building on the spellings taught in Year 2. Students will also have the opportunity to study the Year 3 and 4 common exception words.
Handwriting is built into each lesson, where students will build on the joined-up writing started in Year 2 with the aim of increasing consistency and fluency throughout their writing.
Composition of writing includes vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. To develop their composition skills, students will be taught to plan, draft, compose, edit and evaluate their writing. They will use an increasing range of sentence structures depending on the purpose of their writing, including writing sentences that include when, where and why something happens. They will write for a range of purposed and audiences both in their English lessons and across the curriculum, and ensure that their work makes sense. Each week, there will be a punctuation or grammar focus, which provides students with the specific knowledge to be able to incorporate into their independent writing.
Year 4
Speaking and Listening
Students will be taught to discuss their learning and develop speaking skills. They will become more familiar with, and confident in, using language in a variety of situations, for a range of audiences and purposes. They will be able to develop their understanding of a subject through discussions, learning to give their opinions and listen to other viewpoints. They will also learn to speak clearly and in different ways for drama, formal presentations and debate.
Reading
In word reading, students will be taught to read and understand the meaning of new words s using the skills they have learnt previously and building on learning in Year 3. Students will develop the fluency and stamina to read longer texts; the main focus in reading in Year 4 is comprehension. Students will be taught key skills to enable them to read, understand and enjoy a wide range of books. They will be able to summarise the main ideas of a text, justify their opinions of particular characters and discuss ideas that are not obviously described in a text. In fiction, they will note how an author chooses language to create a mood or atmosphere. In non-fiction, they will identify the structures or features of particular non-fiction texts.
Writing
Each week, students will have a spelling focus, providing them with the opportunity to learn spelling patterns and conventions, building on the spellings taught in Year 3. The students will have daily opportunities to learn to spell new words correctly and practise spelling skills. They will also have the opportunity to explore the Year 3 and 4 common exception words.
Handwriting continues to be taught each English lesson, with the aim of increasing children’s consistency and fluency throughout their independent writing.
Composition of writing includes vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. They will be taught to plan, draft, compose, edit and evaluate their writing. They will be able to use an increasing range of sentence structures, and be able to expand sentences by adding detail. They will also learn how to organise their writing into clear paragraphs. They will be able to write for a range of purposes and audiences as part of their work across the curriculum. There will be a punctuation or grammar focus each week, where students are taught a specific grammar or punctuation objective, and learn how to incorporate this into their independent writing.
Year 5
Speaking and Listening
Students will be taught to discuss their learning and to develop speaking skills. They will become more familiar with, and more confident in, using language in a variety of situations, for a range of audiences and purposes. They will be able to develop their understanding of a subject through discussions, learning to give their opinions and listen to other viewpoints. They will develop their skills in being able to speak clearly and in different ways for drama, formal presentations and debate.
Reading
Students will be reading aloud a wider range of poetry and books written at an age-appropriate level with accuracy and at a reasonable speaking pace. Students will be encouraged to read frequently, both for pleasure and for information. There will be the opportunity for students to listen frequently to stories, poems, non-fiction and other writing. Students will learn how to retrieve, record and present information from a text, as well as summarising the main ideas of a text. They will be able to predict what may happen based on evidence and clues given, and be able to discuss and evaluate the text and justify their views. They will use clues from the text to work out characters’ feelings, actions or motives. They will be able to distinguish between fact and opinion, and explain their reasoning. Students will be able to identify how language, structure and presentation add to the meaning, and be able to compare texts.
Writing
Each week, students will have a specific spelling focus where they will be taught spelling patterns and conventions, and draw on their knowledge of word families and roots to help them to spell new words correctly. They will have regular opportunities to learn to spell new words correctly and practise spelling skills. They will also explore the Year 5 and 6 common exception words, and be able to use a dictionary and thesaurus.
Students will continue to be taught handwriting in order to increase speed, fluency and legibility.
Composition in writing incorporates vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. To develop their composition skills, students will be taught to plan, draft, compose, edit and evaluate their writing, while incorporating a wide range of punctuation and grammar features. They will be able to select the appropriate grammar and vocabulary to develop the effectiveness of their writing. Students will use a range of techniques to build detail into their writing and link ideas within and between paragraphs, as well as being able to adapt their writing for a range of purposes and audiences. Each week, students will have a punctuation or grammar focus, which will provide them with the opportunity to study a specific objective which they can incorporate into their writing.
Year 6
Speaking and Listening
Students will be taught to discuss their learning and to develop speaking skills. They will become more familiar with, and confident in, using language in a variety of situations, for a range of audiences and purposes. They will be able to develop their understanding of a subject through discussions, learning to give their opinions and listen to other viewpoints. They will be able to speak clearly and in different ways for drama, formal presentations and debate. They will be able to prepare work orally, through drama and role play, discussing, rehearsing and recording their ideas.
Reading
Students will be encouraged to work out unfamiliar words that they come across in their writing by using a range of different skills such as using their knowledge of word roots and word families to help them. Students will be taught key comprehension skills to enable them to read, understand and enjoy a wide range of books. They will have the opportunity to read and discuss a wider range of fiction, poetry, plays and non-fiction. Students will be able to identify and discuss themes and conventions across a wide range of writing. They will be able to predict what may happen based on evidence and clues given, and give responses to texts and recommend books to peers, giving reasons for views and choices. They will be able to use clues from the text to work out characters’ feelings, actions or motives and give evidence to back their conclusions. Students will be able to compare different texts, and discuss and evaluate how author’s use of language (including figurative language) and consider the impact on the reader.
Writing
Each week, students will have a specific spelling focus where they will be taught spelling patterns and conventions, and draw on their knowledge of word families and roots to help them to spell new words correctly. They will have regular opportunities to learn to spell new words correctly and practise spelling skills. They will also explore the Year 5 and 6 common exception words, and be able to use a dictionary and thesaurus.
Students will continue to be taught handwriting in order to increase speed, fluency and legibility.
Writing composition incorporates vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. To develop their composition, students will plan, draft, compose, edit and evaluate their writing, while using a wide variety of punctuation and grammar features with confidence. They will be able to refine their grammar and vocabulary to further develop the effectiveness of their writing. They will use a wider range of techniques to build detail into their writing and ensure it flowers smoothly throughout sections of a piece. Students will be able to build on their understanding of the differences between Standard and non-Standard English, and will also focus on how to achieve different levels of formality in their spoken and written work. They will be able to adapt their writing for a range of purposes and audiences as part of their work across the curriculum. Each week, students will have a punctuation or grammar focus, which will provide them with the opportunity to study a specific objective which they can incorporate into their writing.
Scheme A
| Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | |
| Autumn 1 | Fiction – Roman myths | Fiction – Roman myths | Fiction – Roman myths | Fiction – Roman myths |
| Autumn 2 | Non-fiction – reports: endangered animals | Non-fiction – reports: endangered animals | Non-fiction – reports: rewilding | Non-fiction – reports: rewilding |
| Spring 1 | Poetry – shaping the world | Poetry – shaping the world | Poetry – Poems from a green and blue planet | Poetry – Poems from s green and blue planet |
| Spring 2 | Fiction – Classic fiction: Stig of the Dump | Fiction – Classic fiction: Stig of the Dump | Fiction – Classic fiction: The Iron Man | Fiction – Classic fiction: The Iron Man |
| Summer 1 | Non-fiction – explanations: modern technology | Non-fiction – explanations: modern technology | Non-fiction – instructions and explanations: adventures | Non-fiction – instructions and explanations: adventures |
| Summer 2 | Poetry – Poetic forms: acrostics and haikus | Poetry – Poetic forms: acrostics and haikus | Poetry – narrative poetry | Poetry – narrative poetry |
Scheme B
| Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | |
| Autumn 1 | Fiction – Fairy tales: Alternative version | Fiction – Fairy tales: Alternative versions | Fiction – short stories: African stories | Fiction – short stories: African stories |
| Autumn 2 | Non-fiction – biographies: extraordinary animals | Non-fiction – biographies: extraordinary animals | Non-fiction – biographies: The Undefeated | Non-fiction – biographies: The Undefeated |
| Spring 1 | Poetry – Anthologies: poetry for a change | Poetry – Anthologies: poetry for a change | Poetry – poems on a theme: Migration | Poetry – poems on a theme: Migration |
| Spring 2 | Fiction: Classic fiction: Harry’s Mad | Fiction: Classic fiction: Harry’s Mad | Fiction – Science fiction: Boy in the Tower | Fiction – Science fiction: Boy in the Tower |
| Summer 1 | Non-fiction – Letters and postcards: Dragon Post | Non-fiction – Letters and postcards: Dragon Post | Non-fiction – Persuasive writing: Advertising and influencing | Non-fiction – Persuasive writing: Advertising and influencing |
| Summer 2 | Poetry – Classic poems: fun with sounds and images | Poetry – Classic poems: fun with sounds and images | Poetry – Classic poems | Poetry – Classic poems |
Each half term will have a fiction, non-fiction or poetry focus, with objectives linked by LKS2 and UKS2 to provide opportunities for differentiation within the classroom, and different year groups to be taught concurrently.
KS2 Maths Curriculum
The Maths Scheme of Work is interleaved and vertical, providing students the opportunity to cover similar objectives at differentiated levels where necessary. Ensuring that Number is covered every half term, alongside applied topics, provides students with the opportunity to consolidate and strengthen their understanding of Number, while also being able to apply their knowledge to a range of different mathematical concepts.
Year 3
Autumn 1
Students will focus on place value in Number; being able to recognise place value of each digit in a three-digit number; identifying, representing and estimating numbers using different representations; and being able to read and write number up to 1000 in numerals and words. They will also focus on addition and subtraction, being able to add and subtract numbers mentally, including a three-digit number and ones, a three-digit number and tens, and a three-digit number and hundreds. Students will be able to use formal written methods of columnar addition and subtraction, and be able to estimate the answer to a calculation and use inverse operations to check answers.
Students with focus on Measurement, looking specifically at time. They will be able to estimate and read time with increasing accuracy, use vocabulary associated with time, record time with different units of measurement, and be able to know the number of seconds in a minute. Students will also be able to tell and write the time from an analogue clock, including using Roman numbers, and 12-hour and 24-hour clocks. They will also be able to compare durations of events. Students will be able to know the number of days in each month, year and leap year, and be able to compare durations.
Autumn 2
Students will focus on place value in Number; being able to count from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 50 and 100; and being able to find 10 or 100 more or less than a given number. In multiplication and division, they will be able to recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4- and 8-times tables. They will be able to write and calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division using the multiplication tables that they know, including for two-digit numbers times one-digit numbers, using mental and progressing to formal written methods.
Students will study measurement, and be able to measure, compare, add and subtract lengths (m/cm/mm); mass (kg/g); volume/capacity (l/ml). They will also look at statistics, being able to interpret and present data using bar charts, pictograms and tables. They will also be able to solve one-step and two-step questions presented in scaled bar charts, pictograms and tables.
Spring 1
Students will focus on consolidation in place value. They will be able to solve number problems and practical problems involving the number and place value objectives. Within addition and subtraction, students will be able to solve problems, including missing number problems, using number facts, place value, and more complex addition and subtraction, and be able to estimate the answer to a calculation and use inverse operations to check answers. Students will also study fractions, they will be able to count up and down in tenths; recognise that tenths arise from dividing an object into 10 equal parts and in dividing one-digit numbers or quantities by 10. They will be able to recognise and use fractions as numbers, including unit fractions and non-unit fractions with small denominators. They will be able to recognise and who, using diagrams, equivalent fractions with small denominators.
Students will also study geometry, and be able to draw 2d shapes and makes 3d shapes using modelling materials, recognising 3d shapes in different orientations and describe them. They will also be able to identify horizontal and vertical lines and pairs of perpendicular and parallel lines. Students will be able to recognise angles as a property of shape or a description of turn, they will be able to identify right angles, recognise that two right angles make a half -turn, three make three-quarters of a turn and four complete a turn. They will also be able to identify whether angles are greater than or less than a right angle.
Spring 2
Students will consolidate their prior knowledge of multiplication and division, including missing number problems, involving multiplication and division, including positive integer scaling problems and correspondence problems in which n objects are connected to m objects. Students will be able to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator within one whole. They will also be able to compare and order unit fractions, and fractions with the same denominator.
Students will be able to identify 2d shapes and measure the perimeter of simple 2d shapes. They will also recap their prior knowledge of being able to measure, compare, add and subtract lengths, mass and volume/capacity, and develop their knowledge and understanding further.
Summer 1
Students will consolidate their prior knowledge of fractions by solving problems that involve all of the Year 3 fractions objectives.
Students will be able to add and subtract amount of money to give change, using both £ and p in practical contexts. Students will extend their knowledge of telling the time with increasing accuracy, using both the 12-hour and 24-hour clock.
Summer 2
Students will be able to solve problems, including missing number problems, for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, by determining which operation to use. Students will estimate the answer the addition and subtraction problems, and use inverse operations to check answers.
Students will look at statistics, being able to interpret and present data using bar charts, pictograms and tables, and apply this knowledge to a real-world setting. They will be able to solve one-step and two-step questions presented in scaled bar charts, pictograms and tables.
Year 4
Autumn 1
Students will focus on place value in Number; being able to recognise the place value in each digit in a four-digit number, and be able to identify represent and estimate numbers using different representations. They will be able to read Roman numerals to 100 and know that over time, the numeral system changed to include the concept of zero. They will be able to count backwards through zero to include negative numbers, be able to order and compare numbers beyond 1000, and round any number to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000. Students will also look at addition and subtraction, being able to add and subtract numbers with up to 4 digits using the formal written methods of columnar addition and subtraction, and be able to solve addition and subtraction two-step problems in contexts, deciding which operations and methods to use and why.
Students will also focus on Measurement, being able to read, write and convert time between analogue and digital 12- and 24-hour clocks. They will also be able to solve problems involving converting between different units of time measurement.
Autumn 2
Students will focus on place value in Number; being able to count in multiples of 6, 7, 9, 25 and 1000, and being able to find 1000 more or less than a number. In multiplication and division, students will be able to recall multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up to 12 x 12, and be able to multiply two-digit and three-digit numbers by a one-digit number using formal written layout. Students will be able to build on their addition and subtraction by being able to estimate and use inverse operations to check answers to a calculation. They will also be able to solve addition and subtraction two-step problems in contexts, deciding which operations and methods to use.
Students will study measurement, where they will be able to convert between different units of measure. They will also study statistics, by interpreting and presenting discrete and continuous data using appropriate graphical methods, including bar charts and time graphs. They will also be able to solve comparison, sum and difference problems using information presented in bar charts, pictograms, tables and other graphs.
Spring 1
Students will consolidate their knowledge of place value by being able to solve number and practical problems that involve all of the number and place value objectives and with increasingly large positive numbers. Students will also be able to apply their addition and subtraction knowledge to two-step problems in contexts, deciding which operations and methods to use and why, and be able to estimate and use inverse operations to check answers to a calculation. Students will also look at fractions, and be able to recognise and show, using diagrams and families of common equivalent fractions. Students will be able to count up and down in hundredths, recognise that hundredths arise when dividing an object by one hundred and dividing tenths by 10. They will be able to solve problems involving increasingly harder fractions to calculate the quantities, and fractions to divide quantities, including non-unit fractions where the answer is a whole number.
Students will also study geometry. They will be able to compare and classify geometric shapes, including quadrilaterals and triangles, based on their properties and sizes. They will also be able to identify lines of symmetry in 2d shapes presented in different orientations. Students will be able to describe positions on a 2d grid as coordinates in the first quadrant. They will be able to describe movements between positions as translations of a given unit to the left/right and up/down, and be able to plot specific points to draw sides to complete a give polygon.
Spring 2
Students will focus on multiplication and division in Number. They will use place value, known and derived facts to multiply and divide mentally, including multiplying by 0 and 1, dividing by 1, and multiplying together three numbers. They will also be able to recognise and use factor pairs and commutativity in mental calculations. Students will be able to add and subtract fractions with the same denominators. They will also recognise and write decimal equivalents of any number of tenths or hundredths, and recognise and write decimal equivalents to ¼, ½, and ¾.
Students will look at perimeter, being able to measure and calculate the perimeter of a rectilinear figure (including squares) in centimetres and metres, and find the area of rectilinear shapes by counting squares.
Summer 1
Students will consolidate their prior knowledge of multiplication and division by solving problems involving multiplying and adding, including using the distributive law to multiply two-digit numbers by one digit, integer scaling problems and harder correspondence problems such as n objects are connected to m objects. Students will be able to find the find the effect of dividing a one-digit or two-digit number by 10 and 100, identifying the value of the digits in the answer as ones, tenths and hundredths.
Students will be able to estimate, compare and calculate different measures, including money in pounds and pence. Students will be able to solve comparison, sum and different problems using information presented in bar charts, pictograms, tables and other graphs.
Summer 2
Students will continue looking at fractions (including decimals). They will be able to round decimals with one decimal place to the nearest whole number, compare numbers with the same number of decimal places up to two decimal places, and solve simple measure and money problems involving fractions and decimals to two decimal places.
Students will be able to identify acute and obtuse angles and compare and order angles up to two right angles by size. They will be able to complete a simple symmetric figure with respect to a specific line of symmetry.
Year 5
Autumn 1
Students will focus on place value in Number; being able to read, write order and compare numbers to at least 1000000 and determine the value of each digit. They will also be able to read Roman numerals to 1000 and recognise years written in Roman numerals. Students will be able to interpret negative numbers in context, count forwards and backwards with positive and negative numbers through zero. They will also be able to round any number up to 1000000 to the nearest 10, 100, 1000, 10000 and 100000, as well as using rounding to check answers to calculations and determine, in the context of the problem, levels of accuracy. For addition and subtraction, students will be able to add and subtract whole number with more than 4 digits, including using formal written methods. They will also be able to add and subtract mentally with increasingly large numbers. They will also begin looking at fractions (decimals), and will be able to read, write, order and compare numbers with up to three decimal places.
Students will also focus on measurement; being able to solve problems involving converting between units of time. Students will also look at angles, and will know that angles are measured in degrees, and be able to estimate and compare acute, obtuse and reflex angles. They will also be able to draw given angles and measure them in degrees. Students will be able to identify angles at a point and angles on a straight line, and be able to identify other multiples of 90°.
Autumn 2
Students will focus on place value in Number, being able to count forwards and backwards in steps of powers of 10 for any given number up to 1000000. Developing on the addition and subtraction knowledge, they will learn how to use rounding to check answers to calculations and determine, in the context of a problem, the levels of accuracy. They will be able to solve addition and subtraction multi-step problems in contexts, deciding which operations and methods to use and why. Students will learn how to multiply numbers up to 4-digits by a one- or two- digit number using a formal written method, including long multiplication for two-digit numbers. They will be able to multiply numbers mentally drawing upon known facts. Students will be able to divide up to 4-digits by a one-digit number using the formal written method of short division and interpret remainders appropriately for the context. They will also be able to divide numbers mentally drawing upon known facts.
Students will study conversion in measurement, and will be able to convert between different units of metric measure, and be able to understand and use approximate equivalences between metric units and common imperial units. In statistics, students will be able to solve comparison, sum and difference problems using information presented in a line graph, and be able to complete, read and interpret information in tables, including timetables.
Spring 1
Students will consolidate their prior knowledge of place value, being able to solve number problems and practical problems that involve all of the number and place value objectives. They will also solve addition and subtraction multi-step problems in contexts, deciding which operations and methods to use and why. They will use rounding to check answers to calculations and determine, on the context of a problem, levels of accuracy. Students will be able to compare and order fractions whose denominators are all multiples of the same number, and be able to identify, name and write equivalent fractions of a given fraction, represented visually, including tenths and hundredths.
Students will study geometry, being able to identify 3d shapes, including cubes and other cuboids, from 2d representations. They will be able to use properties of rectangles to deduce related facts and find missing lengths and angles. They will also be able to distinguish between regular and irregular polygons based on reasoning about equal sides and angles. Students will be able to identify, describe and represent the position of a shape following a reflection or translation, using the appropriate language, and know that they shape has not changed.
Spring 2
Students will be able to identify multiples and factors, including finding all factor pairs of a number, and common factors of two numbers. Students will know and use the vocabulary of prime numbers, prime factors and composite (non-prime) numbers. They will be able to establish whether a number up to 100 is prime and recall prime numbers up to 19. Students will be able to recognise and use square numbers and cube numbers, and the notation for squared and cubed. Students will be able to recognise mixed numbers and improper fractions and convert from on from to the other and write mathematical statement > 1 as a mixed number. They will be able to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator and denominators that are multiples of the same number. Students will be able to multiply proper fractions and mixed numbers by whole numbers, supported by materials and diagrams.
Students will be able to measure and calculate the perimeter of composite rectilinear shapes in centimetres and metres. They will also be able to calculate and compare the area of rectangles, including squares, and including using standard units, square centimetres and square metres and estimate the area of irregular shapes. Students will also be able to estimate volume and capacity.
Summer 1
Students will be able to multiply and divide whole numbers and those involving decimals by 10, 100 and 1000. They will be able to solve problems involving multiplication and division including using their knowledge of factors and multiples, squares and cubes. Students will be able to read and write decimal numbers as fractions. They will recognise and use thousandths and relate them to tenths, hundredths and decimal equivalents. Students will be able to round decimals with two decimal places to the nearest whole number and to one decimal place, and solve problems involving number up to three decimal places.
Students will be able to use all four operations to solve problems involving measure using decimal notation, including scaling.
Summer 2
Students will be able to solve problems involving addition, subtractions, multiplication and division and a combination of these, including understanding the meaning of the equals sign. They will be able to solve problems involving multiplication and division, including scaling by simple fractions and problems involving simple rates. Students will be able to recognise the per cent symbol and understand that per cent relates to ‘number of parts per hundred’ and write percentages as a fraction with denominator 100, and as a decimal. They will also be able to solve problems which require knowing percentage and decimals equivalents of ½, ¼, 1/5, 2/5, 4/5 and those fractions with a denominator of a multiple of 10 or 25.
Students will be able to solve comparison, sum and difference problems using information presented in a line graph. They will also be able to complete, read and interpret information in tables, including timetables.
Year 6
Autumn 1
Students with focus on place value in Number; being able to read, write, order and compare numbers up to 10000000 and determine the value of each digit. They will also be able to use negative numbers in context, and calculate intervals across zero. They will round any whole number to a required degree of accuracy, and solve number and practical problems that involve all number and place value objectives. Within fractions (decimals), students will be able to identify the value of each digit in numbers given to three decimal places and multiply and divide numbers by 10, 100 and 1000 giving answers up to three decimal places.
Students will be able to recognise angles where they meet at a point, are on a straight line, or are vertically opposite, and find missing angles. They will be able to draw 2d shapes using given dimensions and angles. Students will also begin looking at algebra; being able to use simple formulae and generate and describe linear number sequences.
Autumn 2
Students will focus on multiplication and division in Number. They will be able to multiply multi-digit numbers up to 4 digits by a two-digit whole number using the formal written method of long multiplication. They will also be able to divide a 4-digit number by a two-digit whole number by using the formal written methods of long and short division, interpreting remainders according to the context.
Students will build on their prior work on algebra, consolidating their knowledge of simple formulae, and being able to express missing number problems algebraically. They will also be able to generate and describe linear number sequences. Students will also look at measurement, and will be able to solve problems involving calculation and conversion of units of measure, using decimal notation up to three decimal places where appropriate. They will be able to use, read, write and convert between standard units, converting measurements of length, mass and volume from a smaller unit of measure to a larger unit and vice versa. Students will be able to convert between miles and kilometres. In statistics, students will be able to interpret and construct pie charts and line graphs and use these to solve problems. They will also be able to calculate and interpret the mean as an average.
Spring 1
Students will consolidate their prior knowledge of place value, by solving number and practical problems that involve all number and place value objectives. They will use their knowledge of the order of operations to carry out calculations. Students will be able to use common factors to simplify fractions, using common multiples to express fractions in the same denominator. They will also be able to compare and order fractions, including fractions greater than one.
Students will also study geometry. They will be able to compare and classify geometric shapes based on their properties and sizes and find unknown angles in any triangles, quadrilaterals and regular polygons. They will be able to recognise, describe and build 3d shapes, including making nets. Students will be able to illustrate and name parts of circles, including radius, diameter and circumference and know that the diameter is twice the radius. Students will be able to describe positions on the full coordinate grid, and be able to draw and translate simple shapes on the coordinate plane and reflect them in the axes.
Spring 2
Students will be able to perform mental calculations, including with mixed operations and large numbers. They will be able to identify common factors, common multiples and prime numbers.
Students will be able to solve problems involving the relative sizes of two quantities where missing values can be found by using integer multiplication and division facts. They will be able to solve problems involving the calculation of percentages and the use of percentages for comparison.
Summer 1
Students will be able to add and subtract fractions with different denominators and mixed numbers, using the concept of equivalent fractions. They will be able to multiply simple pairs of proper fractions, writing the answer in its simplest form. They will also be able to divide proper fractions by whole numbers. Students will be able to associate a fraction with division and calculate decimal fraction equivalents for a simple fraction.
In algebra, students will be able to find pairs of numbers that satisfy an equation with two unknowns, and enumerate possibilities of combinations of two variables. Students will be able to recognise that shapes with the same areas can have different perimeters and vice versa, and be able to recognise when it is possible to use formulae for area and volume of shapes.
Summer 2
Students will be able to multiply one-digit numbers with up to two decimal places by whole numbers. They will be able to use written division methods in cases where the answer has up to two decimals places, and solve problems which require answers to be rounded to specified degrees of accuracy. Students will be able to recall and use equivalences between simples, fractions, decimals and percentages, including in different contexts.
Students will be able to solve problems involving similar shapes where the scale factor is known or can be found, and solve problems involving unequal sharing and grouping using knowledge of fractions and multiples. Students will be able to calculate the area of parallelograms and triangles, and be able to calculate, estimate and compare volume of cubes and cuboids using standard units, including cubic centimetres and cubic metres, and extending to other unit
KS2 Science Curriculum
Year 3
Initially in Year 3, students will cover the topic of Plants. They will learn how to identify parts of a flowering plants, and recognise what a plant needs to be able to grow well. They will learn that plants make their own food, how water travels around a plant, and be able to demonstrate the life cycle of a plant.
In the second half of the Autumn term, Year 3 will cover the topic of Light. The students will be able to name a number of light sources, including the sun, and recognise that they cannot see in the dark. They will be able to state that reflections can be seen on shiny surfaces and be able to make generalisations about shiny surfaces. They will be able to recognise that light travels from a source. They will investigate shadows, and recognise that when a light is blocked, a shadow is formed, and make observations about the changes in shadows. Students will investigate different light sources and be able to describe and compare some light sources. They will be able to state that light sources are seen when light from them enters the eyes.
In the first half of the Spring term, Year 3 will cover a topic on Forces and Magnets. The students will be able to recognise that pushes and pulls are forces, and that a force acts in a particular direction. They will be able to observe the movements, shape and direction of objects when forces act on them. Students will observe and explore how friction affects the movement of objects, and identify that friction is a force. Students will investigate with magnets, recall that magnets have a north and south pole, and classify materials as magnetic or non-magnetic.
In the second half of the Spring term, Year 3 will cover a topic on Animals including humans. The students will identify some foods needed for a healthy and varied diet. They will know that they have bones and muscles in their bodies and state that they and other animals have skeletons. Students will be able to identify animals that do not have an internal skeleton (invertebrates) and group animals with and without an internal skeleton. They will be able to recognise that their skeletons grow as they grow.
In the first half of the Summer term, Year 3 will cover a topic on Rocks. The students will be able to observe, name and describe the characteristics of a variety of rocks. They will be able to identify fossils in rocks. Students will be able to understand that there are rocks under the Earths’ surface and recognise that soil is a mixture of different materials and living things. Students will use the evidence from investigations to classify rocks, as well and explaining that rocks are using for different purposes dependent on their physical properties. They will be able to explain that different types of rock react different to physical forces.
In the second half of the Summer term, students will use practical scientific methods, processes and skills to consolidate their knowledge from the year. They will set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests, making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers. Students will be able to gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions, while recording their findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables. They will be able to use their results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions. Students will them be able to report on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions. They will be able to identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes, and use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.
Year 4
In the first half of the Autumn term, Year 4 will cover a topic on Living things and their habitats. Students will be able to recognise that animals can be grouped into vertebrates and invertebrates. They will be able to identify that some animals feed on other animals and some on plants. They will also be able to explore ways of grouping living things including animals and plants (flowering and non-flowering).
In the second half of the Autumn term, Year 4 will cover a topic on Sound. Students will be able to recognise and describe many sounds and sound sources, as well as being able to state that they hear sounds through their ears. They will be able to recognise that when sounds are generated by objects, something moves or vibrates, and describe differences in pitch and volume. Students will be able to describe what they observe when they move further away from a source of sound.
In the first half of the Spring term, Year 4 will study Electricity. Students will be able to identify mains operated and battery-operated devices, and describe some of the dangers associated with mains electricity. They will be able to name some of the components of a simple electrical circuit and know that batteries are sources of electricity. They will be able to construct a working circuit and recognise that for a circuit to work it must be complete. Students will investigate different materials an be able to identify whether they are conductors or insulators.
In the second half of the Spring term, Year 4 will learn about Animals including humans. Students will be able to identify a wider range of body parts, including some internal organs, and be able to locate the name the different organs in the digestive system. They will be able to name the different types of teeth and recognise that they need to take care of their teeth. Students will also be able to represent feeding relationships with simple food chains.
In the first half of the Summer term, Year 4 will study Solids, liquids and gases. Students will be able to name some solids and liquids, and state that air is a gas. They will be able to state some differences between solids, liquids and gases and observe what happens to a variety of materials when they are heated. They will be able to describe what happens to water when it is heated and cooled, and state that ice, water and steam are the same material. Students will be able to identify the processes of melting, freezing, evaporation and condensation and recognise that these processes can be reversed.
In the second half of the Summer term, students will use practical scientific methods, processes and skills to consolidate their knowledge from the year. They will set up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests, making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers. Students will be able to gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions, while recording their findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts and tables. They will be able to use their results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions. Students will them be able to report on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions. They will be able to identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes, and use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.
Year 5
In the first half of the Autumn term, Year 5 will study Living things and their habitats. Students will be able to describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird. They will also be able to describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals.
In the second half of the Autumn term, Year 5 will study Earth and space. Students will be able to describe the movement of the Earth, and other plants, relative to the Sun in the solar system. They will able able to describe the movement of the Moon relative to the Earth, and describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies. They will be able to use the idea of the Earth’s rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the sun across the sky.
In the first half of the Spring term, Year 5 will study Forces. Students will be able to explain that unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object. They will be able to identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction, that act between moving surfaces. They will be able to recognise that some mechanisms, including levers, pulleys and gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect.
In the second half of the Spring term, Year 5 will cover a topic on Animals including humans. Students will be able to describe the changes as humans develop to old age. They will compare internal and external fertilisation in animals and explain that living things need to reproduce if the species is to survive. They will be able to compare gestation periods of different animals.
In the first half of the Summer term, Year 5 will study Properties of materials. Students will be able to compare and group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties, including their hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity (electrical and thermal), and response to magnets. They will know that some materials will dissolve in liquid to form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution. They will use their knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and evaporating. They will give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials, including metals, wood and plastic. Students will demonstrate that dissolving, mixing and changes of state are reversible. They will be able to explain that some changes result in the formation of new materials, and that his kind of change is not usually reversible, including changes associated with burning and the action of acid on bicarbonate of soda.
In the second half of the Summer term, students will use practical scientific methods, processes and skills to consolidate their knowledge from the year. They will plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary. They will take measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate. Students will record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs. Students will use test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests. They will be able to identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments. Students will be able to report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.
Year 6
In the first half of the Autumn term, Year 6 will study Living things and their habitats. Students will be able to describe how living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences, including micro-organisms, plants and animals. They will be able to give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics.
In the second half of the Autumn term, Year 6 will study Light. Students will be able to recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines, and use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye. They will be able to explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects and then to our eyes. They will be able to use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them.
In the first half of the Spring term, Year 6 will study Electricity. Students will be able to associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit. They will be able to 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. Students will be able to use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram.
In the second half of the Spring term, Year 6 will cover a topic on Animals including humans. Students will be able to identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood. They will be able to recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function. They will be able to describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transporting with animals, including humans.
In the first half of the Summer term, Year 6 will study Evolution and inheritance. Students will be able to recognise that living things have changes over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. They will be able to recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents. Students will be able to identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.
In the second half of the Summer term, students will use practical scientific methods, processes and skills to consolidate their knowledge from the year. They will plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary. They will take measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate. Students will record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs. Students will use test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests. They will be able to identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments. Students will be able to report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations.
| Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 | |
| Autumn 1 | Plants | Living things and their habitats | Living things and their habitats | Living things and their habitats |
| Autumn 2 | Light | Sound | Earth and Space | Light |
| Spring 1 | Forces and magnets | Electricity | Forces | Electricity |
| Spring 2 | Animals, including humans | Animals, including humans | Animals, including humans | Animals, including humans |
| Summer 1 | Rocks | States of matter | Properties and changes of materials | Evolution and inheritance |
| Summer 2 | Working scientifically | Working scientifically | Working scientifically | Working scientifically |
Topic Based Curriculum
Here at Mini brook, we teach Geography, History, Art, Design and Technology, and Music through a Topic-based curriculum, providing students with the opportunity to make cross-curriculum links and see how certain facts and ideas connect with other subjects. It also provides them with opportunities to develop their understanding at a greater depth, as well as being able to consolidate their knowledge in a range of different ways. Learning through a Topic-based curriculum creates context for students to see the meaningful applications of their academic knowledge and skills, which means in turn, they will be able to retain the information better.