Subject Information
Each subject is divided up into Foundation Stage Curriculum, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
Art
At Crackley Hall. Art forms an important and integral part of the curriculum. We believe art education stimulates creativity and imagination whilst giving the child unique opportunities to develop intellectually, emotionally, physically and socially. It provides all children with the opportunity to express themselves and to develop their understanding of, and respond to the world around them. Art is taught as an individual subject as well as incorporated in many other curriculum lessons (from the Stone Age to Andy Goldsworthy), to provide a purposeful context and further enrich pupils' learning. Each topic taught will be linked into other subjects within the curriculum to increase understanding.
Artist in residence days, workshops and trips to local art galleries, further enrich the art curriculum at Crackley Hall, and we offer a range of extra-curricular art clubs throughout the year. These include collage, clay modeling, sewing, painting and summer crafts. We also enter and do well in many competitions, local and national.
Below you will ind an overview of what your child will be expected to learn in each of the Key Stages.
Key Stage 1
In Key Stage 1 the children learn to use a range of different materials creatively to design and create their works of art. They draw, paint and sculpt materials such as clay to develop techniques in using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space. They also learn about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers.
By the end of Key Stage 1, children have become accustomed to using a sketchbook to record ideas and observations.
Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 2 the children are taught by subject specialist teachers and learn to improve their mastery of art and design by learning speciic drawing, painting and sculpture techniques. They experience using a wider range of materials, including textiles, lino printing, mosaic tiling, glass painting and felting. Children regularly record their observations and ideas in their sketchbooks and use them to review and evaluate improvements. They continue to learn about great artists, both past and present, and to openly discuss how this inluences their work. A dedicated Black History fortnight allows children to ind out more about artists who tell their tale through a variety of mediums exploring African- American culture in a bid to educate our pupils about racism.
Many of these topics are taught with the aim of sustainability – reusing and recycling wherever possible.
A dedicated Black History fortnight allows children in both Key Stages, to ind out more about artists who tell their tale through a variety of mediums, exploring African-American culture in a bid to educate pupils about racism. We also include One World Week in the Art programme, as we strive to ind out more about world religions and religious art.
Computing
The core of the Computing curriculum is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use and express themselves, and develop their ideas through information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as positive, safe, active participants in a digital world.
EYFS
Children in Reception learn what different digital devices are and identify when they use them. They discuss how to stay safe when using devices and what to do if they are unsure of something online. They use iPads to complete basic programming and coding principles, create digital art and the skills to ind and use the iPads to research information.
Key Stage 1
Children are taught the three strands of computing:
Digital Literacy:
How to use technology safely and responsibly and identify a range of technology at home.
Information Technology:
How to use technology purposefully to create, organise, store and manipulate digital content.
Computer Science:
Understand what algorithms are; how they are used as programs on digital devices and that programs execute by following precise instructions.
Key Stage 2
Children are taught the three strands of computing:
Digital Literacy:
How to use technology safely and responsibly and build a positive functional digital footprint. Understanding how networks aid collaboration and progress.
Information Technology:
Design a range of programs and systems that have a specific purpose, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data.
Computer Science:
Children design, write and debug programs that use more advanced variables and inputs/outputs. They will understand how computer networks work and how they help the world.
Design and Technology
Design and Technology is taught at Crackley Hall from Junior 1 to Junior 6. Within the Foundation Stage the children start developing their skills through both the Creative area of learning and through their Knowledge and Understanding of the World. The aim of teaching Design and Technology is to give the pupils the skills to think imaginatively and creatively to prepare them to participate in tomorrow’s rapidly changing technologies. They are given the opportunities to become autonomous and creative problem solvers, as individuals and members of a team. They look for needs, wants and opportunities and respond to them by developing a range of ideas and making suitable products. They combine practical skills with the understanding of aesthetics, social and environmental issues, function and industrial practices.
Educational visits are carried out where appropriate, such as visiting the MAD Museum in Stratford-upon-Avon with Junior 1 to look at how things work and the mechanisms used; this also links into STEAM.
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) and is a focus of many of the Design and Technology lessons each year. There is a STEAM club for different year groups, which helps them to develop skills in a number of areas linked to these exciting subjects with a hands-on approach.
Key Stage 1
By the end of Key Stage 1 the children should be able to:
- Use a range of materials to design and make simple products.
- Select materials, tools and techniques appropriate to the task and explain their choice.
- Understand how simple structures and mechanisms work.
- Measure, assemble, join and combine materials in a variety of ways using basic tools safely.
- Investigate and evaluate simple products, commenting on their main features.
- Build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable.
- Explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles, in their products.
- Use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes.
- Understand where food comes from.
- Evaluate own and others' work, suggesting ways of improvement.
Key Stage 2
By the end of Key Stage 2 the children should be able to:
- Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose.
- Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design.
- Design and make quality products using their knowledge and understanding of a range of materials, components and techniques.
- Choose and use a range of materials and components, depending on their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.
- Use understanding and knowledge and apply these to be able to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures.
- Accurately measure, mark, cut, join and combine a variety of materials, working safely and recognising hazards to themselves and to others.
- Investigate and analyse a range of existing products, and know how they work, including mechanical and electrical systems.
- Understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world.
- Apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.
- Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet.
- Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques.
- Evaluate their own and others' work suggesting ways of improvement.
Drama
Drama is an integral part of who we are at Crackley Hall School. Pupils experience a weekly drama lesson where we explore and develop the children's creativity, conidence and talents alongside a strong spirit of co-operation and collaboration. Drama is not just conined to lessons and we offer a host of opportunities for the children to further develop their communication skills through performance poetry clubs, school performances, concerts, accredited LAMDA examinations and local drama festivals. We believe that Drama is an integral part of a child’s education equipping them with crucial life skills including conident communication, collaboration and enjoyment.
Key Stage 1
During Key Stage One, the children play a range of drama games to encourage diction, vocal and facial expression, and appropriate reactions. We use fairy tales to explore characterisation through speech, dance, song and movement. We work together to create a group performance of a poem learnt from memory and proudly perform it to an audience. In addition, we host further stage performances including our Christmas Nativities and our annual Summer Show, where we tread the boards at the Royal Spa Centre in Leamington, performing to family and friends. We also have an opportunity to individually learn a poem from the LAMDA syllabus to perform to examiners in the Trinity Term, which encourages the children to communicate effectively and gain a more formal measure of their achievement in this area.
Key Stage 2
Key Stage Two drama lessons build on Key Stage One by further developing the children’s speaking and listening skills. The children are encouraged, through games, group and paired work to collaborate effectively, build their self-esteem and enjoy working as an ensemble. This is enhanced through opportunities to perform to a wider audience through a carol concert, an Easter presentation, an Evening of Performing Arts, entertaining grandparents and parishioners at a Strawberry Tea and our annual summer show at the Royal Spa Centre in Leamington. Here, pupils gain the experience of being part of a chorus, or, in the case of our Junior 6 children, having the main roles, all in a real theatre with lights, sound effects, a live band and exciting staging.
Drama is woven into our school's story, offering opportunities to all children to be the very best they can be and celebrating their successes.
English
English is a vital way of communicating in school, public life and internationally. In studying English, pupils develop skills in Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing. It enables them to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others effectively.
The study of English helps pupils understand how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Using this knowledge, pupils can choose and adapt what they say and write in different situations.
We aim to help children to develop a love for the English language; through the spoken and written word, by providing a literacy ‘rich’ environment. We recognise that English is a core subject within the National Curriculum and a prerequisite for educational and social progress.
At Crackley Hall, we strive for an integrated approach to literacy where we aim to instil a love of speaking and listening, reading and writing. Pupils learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction and media texts. We recognise the importance of reading as a crucial factor in a child’s academic journey, as well as the pleasure it brings. This emphasis cannot be underestimated.
Throughout their study of English, pupils develop their understanding that writing is both essential to thinking and learning and is also enjoyable in its own right. They learn to read like a writer and write like a reader.
Our English curriculum is planned around a core text and themed to link with other topic areas being studied by the pupils.
Key Stage 1
Pupils learn to speak confidently and listen to what others have to say. They begin to read and write independently and with enthusiasm. A phonics programme is introduced in the Foundation Stage and daily lessons support pupils’ development throughout the key stage and into Junior 2. Reading books are given to children and daily reading with staff is enjoyed. Pupils use their developing language to explore their own experiences and imaginary worlds.
Key Stage 2
Pupils learn how to speak in a range of contexts, adapting what they say and how they say it to the purpose and the audience and learn how to respond appropriately to others.
The move to more independent reading is encouraged and pupils increase their ability and stamina to read challenging and lengthy texts, analysing and discussing them with others. Pupils are directed to a range of appropriate texts and personal choice is emphasised as a key motivating factor for continued success. Writing is developed as they learn the main rules and conventions of written English and understand the process of planning, drafting and editing.
Forrest school
The philosophy of Forest Schools is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences. By participating in engaging, motivating and achievable tasks and activities in a woodland environment, each pupil has an opportunity to develop intrinsic motivation, as well as sound emotional and social skills. These, through self-awareness, can be developed to reach personal potential.
Forest Schools aim to develop:
- Self-awareness
- Self-regulation
- Intrinsic motivation
- Empathy
- Good social communication skills
- Independence
- A positive mental attitude, self-esteem and confidence
Forest School at Crackley Hall
At Crackley Hall, Forest School sessions involve many things and we aim to have a period of at least an hour of uninterrupted Forest School for participating classes with our dedicated Forest School practitioner.
The children are free to choose amongst many activities; some will be introduced by the leader, for example, bug hunting, mud painting, collecting, counting. Many are child-initiated and these are as varied as the children and participants involved and often draw on recent learning experiences; some examples include building fairy houses, making stone-age tools and pictures (Junior 1 having recently learnt about prehistoric humans) and almost always some children choose shelter building.
Over time, children participating in Forest School sessions can experience an increase in their self-belief, ability to work cooperatively with others, confidence, learning capacity, enthusiasm, communication and problem-solving skills and emotional well-being.
Forest School at Crackley has been running since 2016 and class teachers are recognising the short-term benefits. Children are more focused and ready to learn when they return to the classroom and are more willing to collaborate on projects with others. Longer-term benefits are being seen as higher self-esteem and a will to initiate something they would otherwise be reluctant to try.
French
Learning French at Crackley Hall aims to foster children’s curiosity, inspire a love of language learning, and deepen their understanding of and respect for the world. The teaching enables children to express their ideas and thoughts in French. They learn to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. Children not only learn a new language, they also learn more about their own language.
Key Stage 1
The children play games, sing songs and participate in role-play during our weekly French lessons. They learn some French phonics, vocabulary and begin to speak and understand some basic French phrases. They start responding to a foreign language and learn to listen carefully in order to discriminate sounds and identify meaning. They begin to understand about a culture other than their own.
During their lessons they learn about France, including French culture, history, modern life and other French-speaking countries. At this stage, children begin to develop an understanding of the structure of language, which is another essential building block to enable our children to communicate effectively in another language.
Key Stage 2
The children spend an hour a week developing their knowledge, skills and understanding of French. As they progress through school, they hone their skills in both the written and spoken word.
A range of strategies is used to engage children, including the use of ICT, role-play, songs, dialogue and practical activities. In Junior 5 and 6, pupils correspond with French children at our French partner schools as part of our pen pal project. The curriculum is differentiated across all the years in order to develop strengths and support children where appropriate. .
By the end of Junior 6, children listen to and understand short passages or instructions in French, take part in simple conversations and write simple sentences. They understand basic grammar and can use dictionaries and glossaries effectively. Above all, they have gained confidence and are excited to communicate in another language. They have acquired a valuable skill and knowledge that will benefit them as they mature into adulthood. By the end of Junior 6, they have established a strong foundation for future language learning success.
For our children to have the opportunity to learn French from so young an age is hugely advantageous. Young children absorb new skills, knowledge and understanding so easily that it is important for us to expose them to new ideas, including learning another language as soon as possible.
Geography
Geography is taught weekly to each class from Junior 1 to Junior 6. With the Foundation Stage, this area of learning is included in Understanding of the World.
Geography at Crackley Hall provokes and answers questions about the natural and human worlds, using different scales of enquiry to view them from different perspectives. It develops knowledge of places and environments throughout the world, an understanding of maps, and a range of investigative and problem-solving skills both inside and outside the classroom.
Geography is a focus within the curriculum for understanding and resolving issues concerning the environment and sustainable development. As our pupils study Geography, they encounter different societies and cultures. It helps them realise how nations rely on each other. It can inspire them to think about their own place in the world, their values, and their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment.
We teach the National Curriculum, ensuring clear progression in skills and knowledge. This approach builds and sequences learning year by year to maximise each child's educational experience. To develop geographical skills, we immerse children in all aspects of the subject. We make full use of the local area to achieve our goals, incorporating outdoor learning opportunities into our practice. School trips and fieldwork provide first-hand experiences that enhance children's understanding of the world beyond their immediate surroundings.
Key Stage 1
In Years 1 and 2, children have 45 minutes of Geography each week. During this time, they learn about their local area, their place within the UK, and the wider world. They study other countries and compare life in these countries to life in the UK. Pupils also explore the rainforest environment, weather, and seasons..
Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 2, pupils have one hour of Geography each week. They build on their existing knowledge by delving into natural disasters and their causes, studying and comparing different countries and environments, and expanding their understanding of both the natural and human worlds. Lessons across both key stages incorporate multi-sensory resources, role-play, ICT, and more, providing pupils with opportunities to appreciate the world around them.
History
History is taught at Crackley Hall from Junior 1 to Junior 6. History is covered within the Foundation Stage, as part of the children’s Understanding of the World: Past and Present.
The aim of teaching this non-core subject is to provide children with the opportunity to experience a ‘sense of History’, by gaining an understanding of the past.
Key Stage 1
For Junior 1, family life and homes (from cave dwellers to the first farmers) are taught in order to allow children to begin to understand the passage of time. Studying different times and cultures allows children to develop a sense of self and where they belong in the world, whilst beginning to understand the importance of identity.
Junior 2 also studies key events and famous people, such as the Fire of London, the Plague, Florence Nightingale and William Shakespeare. Pupils visit Kenilworth Castle for their work on castles and fortresses and ind out how the English language developed following invasions.
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2 pupils study Ancient History from the Egyptians, to topics such as the Tudors, The Aztecs, The Titanic, WWI and WWII. All topics are well resourced with historical documents, visual resources and trips/visits where appropriate.
The curriculum is lively and includes role-play, creativity and kinaesthetic teaching. History is linked to other subjects, such as Art, English, Design Technology and Geography.
Other objectives are to understand why things happen and the outcome of events. To be able to recall, describe, select and organise historical information. To understand how we know about past events, and to evaluate evidence and artefacts.
Crackley Hall also organises visits to places of historical significance and hosts frequent visits by companies such as Off the Page!, which brings fabulous all-day workshops to school to show the children how people would have lived at that particular time in history. We believe that reinforcing learning through a very visual curriculum can only benefit children.
Mandarin
Mandarin offers a unique opportunity for pupils to:
- Prepare for learning a foreign language that may prove helpful in the future
- Learn more about China, the Chinese, their place in history and their contribution to the world today
- Pursue a course which is markedly different and intellectually stimulating
- Undertake independent learning through the use of online activities and Chinese literature
Our primary focus is to help pupils understand the value of learning Mandarin, making it an enjoyable and stimulating experience that encourages further study. The Mandarin curriculum aligns with the foundation level of the Mandarin GCSE.
Throughout the curriculum, we incorporate information about Chinese culture, including major festivals, schooling, birthday traditions, values, and ways of thinking. Children engage in discussions to compare and contrast the cultural differences between Britain and China.
Key Stage 1
Pupils learn vocabulary and short sentences on their favourite topics, such as 'myself,' 'family,' and 'pets,' through rhymes, stories, and engaging activities. They develop their skills in identifying keywords while listening and remembering vocabulary and short sentences.
Mrs. Huang uses authentic Chinese resources to familiarise pupils with Chinese culture.
Key Stage 2
Building on the vocabulary and short sentence structures learnt in Key Stage 1, pupils advance their language skills. They learn pronouns to talk about the third person, use 'and' to extend sentences, and ask questions in Chinese.
Pupils also begin to embrace Chinese reading. About four percent of Chinese characters are pictographs, resembling pictures. Mrs. Huang introduces these pictographs first to spark interest in identifying intriguing Chinese characters. Pupils then learn radicals, the components of characters, to recognise more complex characters.
In writing, pupils start by copying strokes, such as lines, and then progress to learning character structures and writing rules. This guides them in writing radicals or simple characters in the correct stroke order. Eventually, they can refer to a stroke chart to write more complex characters independently.
All of this learning helps them become independent Mandarin learners in the future.
Mathematics
Mathematics is taught by class teachers from the Foundation Stage through to Junior 6, with a focus on maths mastery at Crackley Hall. From Junior 4 to Junior 6, children are placed in ability sets, ensuring they receive work tailored to their level and achieve success.
Maths at Crackley Hall aims to equip pupils with powerful tools to understand and change the world, including logical reasoning, problem-solving skills, and abstract thinking. The school adopts the concrete-pictorial-abstract (CPA) approach to facilitate a deep understanding of mathematics for all children.
Children who master a concept can demonstrate it with various concrete and pictorial representations and explain it using precise mathematical vocabulary. They can teach it to others and apply it across different and unfamiliar contexts and problems.
Maths is vital in everyday life and many professions, including science, technology, medicine, the economy, the environment, and public decision-making. We strive to relate our teaching to real-life situations and show connections between topics, enabling pupils to use previously learnt skills, strategies, and methods.
Maths is a creative discipline that can inspire moments of pleasure and wonder when a pupil solves a problem for the first time, discovers a more elegant solution, or sees hidden connections.
Key Stage 1
Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of maths through practical activity, exploration and discussion. They learn to count, read, write and order numbers to 100 and beyond. They develop a range of mental calculation skills and use these confidently in different settings. They learn about shape and space through practical activity which builds on their understanding of their immediate environment. They begin to grasp mathematical language, using it to talk about their methods and explain their reasoning when solving problems.
Key Stage 2
Pupils use the number system more confidently. They move from counting reliably to calculating fluently with all four number operations. They usually try to tackle a problem with mental methods before using any other approach. Pupils explore features of shape and space and develop their measuring skills in a range of contexts. They discuss and present their methods and reasoning using a wider range of mathematical language, diagrams and charts.
Music
Music is taught by a specialist teacher for one hour every week. Lessons are divided into several parts that include listening activities, singing, theory (reading of music) and composition work. Music is all-inclusive and children are actively encouraged to become part of the choral group, chamber choir and orchestra.
Children are encouraged to perform at the Friday celebration assemblies. There are also a number of concerts throughout the year where children have the opportunity to perform. Whole school productions at the end of the year are extremely enjoyable and the children perform on the main stage at the Spa Centre, in Leamington Spa, with full sound and lighting as well as a live orchestra.
Children are actively encouraged to learn to play a musical instrument during their time at the school. Demonstrations and taster sessions are regularly available within school, led by the peripatetic staff to assist children in choosing a preferred instrument.
Music should be a memorable experience and children are encouraged to work both independently and as a team to achieve their highest potential. As a result, children leave school confident to embrace any musical experience that may arise in the future.
Key Stage 1
Each lesson starts with a musical warm up that involves movement and development of their listening skills.
To begin with, children learn to play the recorder. Music notation is taught in every lesson and the children perform the pieces taught throughout the year in either assembly or a performing arts afternoon. The latter event occurs in the Lent Term and all children are actively involved.
By Junior 2, children are encouraged to learn a musical instrument. There are several opportunities for solo performances from those who have individual lessons throughout the year.
Percussion instruments feature in a number of lessons and are a major part of composition lessons. Sound qualities are explored, and the children are taught how to blend the instruments to make a successful composition. They are also taught how to sustain an independent part.
Singing is also a fundamental part of every lesson and songs are either topic based or part of a larger production.
All children are involved in Christmas nativity plays and part of the summer production concert at the Spa Centre in Leamington Spa.
Key Stage 2
Singing is taught in every lesson and many of the songs are in parts. All the children from Junior 4 to Junior 6 are encouraged to take part in the Young Voices Concert at Resorts World Arena in Birmingham. This is a memorable experience for every child as they perform with talented musical artists and are exposed to a wide range of musical styles.
Children from Junior 3 to Junior 6 are invited to join Choral Group, which is an extra-curricular club that introduces a wide range of songs in either unison or parts.
Children in Junior 5 to Junior 6 can audition for Chamber Choir. This is a group of approximately 30 children who perform to a exceptionally high standard. With a wide repertoire the group performs on a number of occasions both within and outside school, such as Open Events and local festivals.
Recorder continues to be taught in Junior 3 and Junior 4. Tone production is developed and a wider range of notes is taught. Performances are given by all the children in either assembly or on the performing arts evening in the Lent Term.
As in Key Stage 1, children are actively encouraged to learn a musical instrument and those that are of Grade 1 standard or above, are invited to join Orchestra. In the Lent Term, we combine with Crescent School for an Orchestral Day.
All children who are part of Orchestra and Chamber Choir are invited to attend free international concerts hosted by Warwick University.
Composition work is a fundamental part of lessons and work is frequently based on the BBC 40 pieces. Those who play instruments are encouraged to use them in these activities; many styles and forms are explored and experimented with.
Physical Education
Physical Education at our school is delivered by a team of subject specialists. PE plays a vital role in the overall education of our pupils, encouraging them to lead active and varied lives through meaningful physical activities. It helps them develop skills, understand the value of teamwork, and build physical competence. PE also promotes physical development in both cooperative and competitive settings, fostering resilience and fair play—essential qualities for well-rounded development in today's world.
Crackley Hall boasts a variety of indoor and outdoor facilities, which we plan to significantly enhance in the coming years. Our current amenities include a well-equipped gymnasium, two netball courts, and a main field for rugby, football, hockey, rounders, cricket, and athletics. From Nursery to Junior 6, pupils have the opportunity to utilise these facilities during formal lessons and co-curricular clubs. Additionally, our Junior 5 and 6 pupils can access external specialist facilities to further develop their skills and gameplay in netball and hockey. Our diverse curriculum is designed to help all children improve their coordination and enjoy both individual and team sports with confidence.
Key Stage 1
We focus on developing and practising sending and receiving skills, and we introduce the principles of invasion games through small-sided versions of rugby, football, netball, and hockey. During the summer, we teach basic techniques of running and throwing in athletics, as well as Kwik cricket and three-ball rounders. These activities are designed to enhance coordination skills and work on batting and fielding concepts.
In gymnastics, pupils focus on building basic core strength and mastering floorwork, gradually progressing these skills onto the apparatus. They explore themes such as travelling, shapes, and balance, which are then incorporated into routines created by the children themselves. This approach fosters teamwork, independent learning, and creativity.
Key Stage 2
We enhance pupils' basic game skills, focusing on improving their attack and defence strategies in netball, contact rugby, football, tag rugby, and hockey, while also introducing advanced invasion game strategies. During the summer, we further develop batting and fielding techniques and incorporate bowling through activities like Kwik cricket, hard-ball cricket, and rounders. Athletics is also a key part of the summer term, where students work on short and long-distance running, throwing events such as shot put, and jumping techniques for long jump and high jump.
All children are given the chance to nurture their competitive spirit through fixtures against other schools, as well as participating in Midlands and National level tournaments for selected individuals. We encourage competition at all levels, with a strong emphasis on fair play, teamwork, and leadership development.
Swimming is taught in Junior 3 and Junior 4, where pupils focus on improving their strokes, stamina, and water skills, working towards achieving swimming awards.
Co-curricular Activities
Crackley Hall offers a comprehensive range of co-curricular sporting opportunities at lunchtime and after school. These activities are led by a dedicated team of staff who train and organise fixtures in netball, hockey, rugby, football, swimming, cross-country, athletics, rounders, triathlon, and cricket. In addition to our own facilities, we also utilise Moorfields and a local astroturf.
Our program is further enriched by external coaches who offer opportunities in ballet, cricket, chess, dance, karate, and rugby. We maintain an extensive interschool fixture list, with matches against local state and independent schools typically taking place after school. Additionally, we participate in ISA and IAPS tournaments across various sports.
Personal, Social and Health Education
PSHE education helps children and young people stay healthy, safe and prepared for life - and work - in modern Britain.
There are three core themes of primary school PSHE:
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Health and Wellbeing
This area of PSHE teaches children:
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- What is meant by a healthy lifestyle
- How to maintain physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing
- How to manage risks to physical and emotional health and wellbeing
- Ways of keeping physically and emotionally safe
- How to manage change, including puberty, transition and loss
- How to make informed choices about health and wellbeing, and where to get help with this
- How to respond in an emergency
- To identify different influences on health and wellbeing
Pupils will learn things like the importance of personal hygiene; the physical differences between boys and girls; road safety and online safety; people who help us; how to talk about their feelings; and the benefits of physical activity.
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Relationships
This theme includes:
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- How to develop and maintain a variety of relationships, within a range of social and cultural contexts
- How to recognise and manage emotions within relationships
- How to respond to risky or negative relationships, including bullying and abuse
- How to respond to risky or negative relationships and ask for help
- How to respect equality and diversity in relationships
Amongst other things, children will learn to recognise that their behaviour can affect other people; to listen to other people and work and play cooperatively; to identify special people in their lives (parents, siblings, friends) and how they should care for each other; what physical contact is acceptable; and what to do if they’re being bullied.
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Living in the Wider World: economic wellbeing and being a responsible citizen.
Through this theme, children learn:
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- About respect for themselves and others, and the importance of responsible actions and behaviour
- About rights and responsibilities as members of families, other groups and citizens
- About different groups and communities
- To respect equality and diversity, and how to be a productive member of a diverse community
- About the importance of respecting and protecting the environment
- About where money comes from, keeping it safe, and the importance of managing it effectively
- The part that money plays in people’s lives
- A basic understanding of enterprise
Children will learn a variety of important skills and concepts, including how to create and follow group, class, and school rules; understanding what protects and harms the environment; making informed choices about spending or saving money; recognizing the unique qualities of individuals and the commonalities we share; understanding basic human rights; and respecting national, regional, religious, and ethnic identities.
We begin each year with a Protective Behaviours programme, a safety awareness and resilience-building curriculum. This program helps children and adults recognise situations where they feel worried or unsafe, such as feeling stressed, bullied, or threatened, and explores ways to stay safe. Protective Behaviours is a practical, down-to-earth approach to personal safety and mental health. It encourages self-empowerment and provides skills to boost self-esteem and avoid victimization. This is achieved by helping individuals recognise and trust their intuitive feelings (Early Warning Signs) and develop strategies for self-protection.
We are part of the Warwickshire Safe and Active schools Programme which sees all children from Nursery to Year 6 receive online and in-person guidance to help them be safe when they are out and about near roads.
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 1 PSHE includes topics such as basic skills for maintaining health and safety and for appropriate behavior. Children are given opportunities to take some responsibility for themselves and their environment. They begin to understand their own and others' feelings and become aware of the views, needs, and rights of others. They also learn social skills like sharing, taking turns, playing, helping others, resolving simple arguments, and resisting bullying.
Key Stage 2
During Key Stage 2 PSHE, pupils learn about themselves as growing and changing individuals with their own experiences and ideas, and as members of wider communities.
They learn about the world and the communities within it.
They develop their sense of social justice and moral responsibility and begin to understand that their own choices and behaviour can affect local, national or global issues and political and social institutions.
As they face the changes of puberty and transfer to secondary school, they learn how to make more confident and informed choices about their health and environment, to take more responsibility for their own learning, and to resist bullying.
Relationship, sex and Health Education (RSHE)
Our Mission Statement commits us to the education of the whole child (spiritual, physical, intellectual, moral, social, cultural, emotional) and we believe that RSHE is an integral part of this education. Furthermore, our school aims state that we will endeavour to raise pupils’ self-esteem, help them to grow in knowledge and understanding, recognise the value of all persons and develop caring and sensitive attitudes. It is in this context that we commit ourselves:
In partnership with parents, we aim to provide the children with what they need to know to be safe and healthy and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way. It is about their development of the pupils knowledge and understanding of her/him as a sexual being, about what it means to be fully human, called to live in right relationships with self and others and being enabled to make moral decisions in conscious. It aims to secure the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships and relationships with other children and adults.
Pupils in each year group follow a programme supported by resources from the Scheme, routed in christian values. Parents have full access to the resources and are encouraged to follow the programme with their child, at home, to create a partnership and a learning triangle.
Religious Education
Religious Education at Crackley Hall is an integral part of school life. The Catholic foundations of our school have been deeply embedded by the Sisters of Mercy and carefully nurtured by subsequent members of our school family. In November 2019, the Catholic Diocesan Inspection Report, recognised the school’s outstanding links with the community and reported that the standard of pastoral care was very high; staff ensure they know each pupil individually.
As a result, pupils feel extremely safe and happy at school and know how to seek support for their wellbeing. Each week, they participate in Collective Worship, where they have the chance to plan and engage in assemblies that explore the weekly mission. We regularly come together as a family to celebrate the Eucharist at school, with children actively participating through readings, music, and the offertory. Interactive Prayer Corners in each classroom serve as focal points for class prayer.
We prepare the Catholic children in Junior 3, and also new pupils (who are practising Catholics) who join us after Junior 3, for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. This takes place during RE lessons so that their peers have a good understanding of these Sacraments and also through First Holy Communion sessions in the Spring and Summer Terms.
Over the past few years, we have established strong connections with our local Parish Priest and the Diocese. Pupils serve as altar servers at Mass, both at school and in the parish. Their work is also displayed at St Francis of Assisi Church, fostering a link between the school and the parish. Pupils are encouraged to join the thriving Mini Vinnies group, which organises various projects each year to support those in need within the school and the wider community. These projects include writing to elderly and housebound parishioners at Christmas and organising annual skipathons to raise funds for those in need.
Crackley Hall is part of the Diocese Service Level Agreement. The Diocese provides a network of support through access to interactive materials on its website, meetings with other Catholic Schools in the local area, visits from the RE Adviser, CPD courses and curriculum development training.
Key Stage 1
We follow the Diocese Scheme, Learning and Growing as People of God, covering a wide range of topics. From this we have developed a scheme of work as to which topics and attainment levels will be covered throughout the year. Teachers then plan weekly lessons in detail. These are carefully differentiated with a range of learning styles being catered for in each lesson. Children are spiritually nurtured through open prayer, meditation and reflection.
Key Stage 2
The curriculum for Key Stage 2 uses the same scheme and structure as Key Stage 1. The scheme revisits certain topics across the year groups, but deepens the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the topics as they mature.
In both key stages there are cross-curricular links with RE and English which enable pupils to combine literacy and Religious Education to develop thinking skills and the quality of their reflections.
Extra-curricular
The curriculum is also enhanced through various activities: 'Vocations Week', 'A Faith Walk' and also a residential retreat to Alton Castle for Junior 5 pupils each year. In addition, speakers are invited into the school to encourage the pupils to recognise their responsibility in the local and global community.
Multifaith
Other world religions are covered through the Diocese Scheme, Assemblies, PSHE & Citizenship lessons and cross-curricular links and through other subject areas, i.e. Art, Geography and History.
A multicultural topic is covered in each year group to help pupils develop their understanding and respect for other faiths. Pupils visit different places of worship and explore a wide range of beliefs.
Minnie Vinnies
A mini version of the St Vincent de Paul Society was set up in 2015 to help pupils develop their role and responsibility within the community. They organise events to raise funds, increase awareness of different projects and help the whole school become involved. In addition, they create links with the local community through the organisation of a variety of events.
Science
Science at all levels, here at Crackley Hall, is designed to stimulate and encourage curiosity about phenomena and scientific events in the world. We link directly to practical experience with ideas.
Knowledge is developed through hands-on activities wherever possible, since scientific method is about evaluating explanations through experimental evidence and modelling. Through Science lessons, pupils learn to understand how major scientific ideas contribute to the technological changes which impact on our way of life. Pupils learn to question and discuss science-based issues. They also learn about famous scientists and their amazing discoveries and we annually celebrate British Science Week.
The new National Curriculum programmes of study set out what pupils should be taught in Science in the Foundation years, Key Stage 1 and 2. The National Curriculum provides the basis for planning the progressive schemes of work taught across the school. The knowledge, skills and understanding in each programme of study identify the four key areas of science that pupils need to study, these are:
- Scientiic enquiry (the basis for all the hands-on experimental work), where children are taught to think about making fair tests whenever a comparison is needed.
- Life processes and living things
- Materials and their properties
- Physical processes
Scientiic enquiry is taught through all parts of the programmes of study as investigative techniques.
Understanding and knowledge are tested through verbal questioning, observations and teacher assessments that are made continuously during lessons, in both Key Stage 1 and 2. In addition, in Key Stage 2, we carry out end of unit assessments and an online test of all of the topics covered over the year.
Foundation and Key Stage 1
Science is taught informally in the Foundation Stage as part of the children's Knowledge and Understanding strand of the Early Learning Goals, and by class teachers in Key Stage 1. It is often taught as a cross-curricular topic in the Foundation Stage.
The principal focus of science teaching in Key Stage 1 is to enable our pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly constructed world around them. Pupils are encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice. They are also helped to develop their understanding of scientiic ideas by using different types of scientiic enquiry to answer their own questions, including observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and inding things out using secondary sources of information. Our pupils are also encouraged to regularly use simple scientiic language to talk about what they have found out and communicate their ideas to a range of audiences in a variety of ways.
Most of the learning about science is done through the use of irst- hand practical experiences, but there is also some use of appropriate secondary sources, such as books, photographs and technology. 'Working scientiically' is always taught through and clearly related
to the teaching of substantive science content in the programme of study. All pupils are regularly encouraged to read and spell scientiic vocabulary at a level consistent with their increasing word-reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.
Key Stage 2
Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4)
The principal focus of Science teaching in Lower Key Stage 2 here at Crackley Hall is to enable our pupils to broaden their scientific view of the world around them. They do this through exploring, talking about, testing and developing ideas about everyday phenomena and the relationships between living things and familiar environments, and by beginning to develop their ideas about functions, relationships and interactions.
are regularly encouraged to ask their own questions about what they observe and make some decisions about which types of scientiic enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering them, including observing changes over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative and fair tests and inding things out using secondary sources of information. They draw simple conclusions and use some scientiic language, irst, to talk about and, later, to write about what they have found out. All pupils are also encouraged to read and spell scientiic vocabulary correctly and with conidence, using their growing word-reading and spelling knowledge.
Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6)
The principal focus of Science teaching in Upper Key Stage 2
is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientiic ideas. They do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientiic phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. At Upper Key Stage 2, they encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates. They also begin to recognise that scientiic ideas change and develop over time. They are challenged to select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientiic enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative
and fair tests and inding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information. Pupils draw conclusions based on their data and observations, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientiic knowledge and understanding to explain their indings. All pupils are also encouraged to read, spell and pronounce scientiic vocabulary correctly.