At Rhodes Green CE Primary School, we want history to bring the past to life and help children understand how people, places and events have shaped the world in which they live today.

Our history curriculum is supported by Grammarsaurus and is carefully sequenced so that children’s historical knowledge builds progressively as they move through school. Children explore significant periods, events and individuals from British and wider world history, developing an increasingly secure understanding of chronology and how different periods connect.

We want our children to become curious historians. They learn to ask thoughtful questions, examine historical evidence, consider different interpretations of the past and use what they know to form their own conclusions.

Historical vocabulary is explicitly taught and children are encouraged to communicate their understanding confidently. They explore important concepts such as change and continuity, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, and significance, revisiting these ideas in increasingly sophisticated ways as they progress through school.

Wherever possible, we enrich classroom learning through historical sources, artefacts, visitors, local history and educational visits, helping children recognise that history exists beyond textbooks.

Through history, we want to broaden children’s horizons and help them understand both the world around them and their own place within it.

Above all, we want our Rhodes Green children to leave us with a curiosity about the past and a desire to keep discovering its stories.

As a Church of England school, Religious Education (RE) has an important place within the curriculum at Rhodes Green CE Primary School.

Through RE, we want children to develop a rich understanding of Christianity and a range of other religions and worldviews, while learning to think deeply about some of life’s biggest questions. Children are encouraged to explore beliefs, traditions and practices with curiosity, respect and an open mind.

Our RE curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to question, reflect, discuss and make connections. Children learn about the beliefs of others while considering their own ideas and developing an understanding of how faith and belief can influence people’s lives, choices and communities.

As a Church school, children develop a particularly strong understanding of Christianity, including the Bible, Christian beliefs and the life and teachings of Jesus. Alongside this, learning about other faiths and worldviews helps our pupils appreciate the diversity of the world in which they live.

RE also complements our wider Christian vision to “shine as stars in the world” and our DREAM Values of Determination, Respect, Empathy, Aspiration and Morals, encouraging children to show understanding, compassion and respect towards others.

Our aim is for children to leave Rhodes Green as thoughtful, knowledgeable and respectful young people, confident in discussing questions of faith, belief and meaning and ready to live positively alongside people with beliefs and backgrounds different from their own.

At Rhodes Green CE Primary School, we want science to spark curiosity and encourage children to ask questions about the world around them. We want our pupils to see themselves as scientists: observing, investigating, questioning, explaining and discovering.

Our science curriculum is supported by Grammarsaurus and is carefully sequenced so that children’s scientific knowledge and understanding build progressively as they move through school. Children develop secure knowledge across the key areas of biology, chemistry and physics, while continually revisiting and building upon their previous learning.

Scientific vocabulary is explicitly taught, enabling children to confidently discuss their ideas, explain what they have observed and communicate their findings.

Working Scientifically

Science at Rhodes Green is about more than learning facts. Wherever possible, children have opportunities to work scientifically through practical investigations, observations, comparative and fair testing, identifying and classifying, gathering and recording data and using evidence to answer questions.

We encourage children to be curious, make predictions, investigate their ideas and recognise that sometimes unexpected results can lead to even more questions!
Through our science curriculum, we aim to develop children who are knowledgeable, inquisitive and confident, with an understanding of how science shapes their everyday lives and the wider world.

Above all, we want science at Rhodes Green to leave children wanting to find out more.

At Rhodes Green CE Primary School, we believe that reading opens doors. It is the foundation for learning across the curriculum and one of the most important gifts we can give our children.

Our aim is for every child to become a confident, fluent and enthusiastic reader who develops both the skills needed to read successfully and a genuine love of books.

Learning to Read

We teach early reading and phonics through Read Write Inc. (RWI), a systematic synthetic phonics programme. Children are taught to recognise sounds, blend them together to read words and develop increasing fluency and confidence.

Children are regularly assessed so that teaching closely matches their stage of reading development. Those who need additional support receive targeted intervention so that gaps are identified and addressed quickly. For older children who require further support with reading and phonics, we use Read Write Inc. Fresh Start.

Developing a Love of Reading

Learning to read is only part of our ambition. We want Rhodes Green children to love reading.

Throughout school, children encounter a carefully chosen range of high-quality books, authors, genres and texts that broaden vocabulary, develop comprehension and introduce them to different people, places, cultures and experiences.
Through class texts, story time, inviting reading spaces and opportunities to read for pleasure, we aim to create a culture where books are valued and children choose to read.

By the time children leave Rhodes Green, we want them to see themselves as readers: confident, curious and ready to shine as stars in the world.

At Rhodes Green CE Primary School, we want every child to develop confidence, fluency and a genuine enjoyment of mathematics. We believe all children can succeed in maths when they are given strong foundations, high-quality teaching and the right support and challenge.

Our curriculum develops children’s understanding of number alongside their ability to reason, solve problems and explain their mathematical thinking. Children are encouraged to make connections, use mathematical vocabulary accurately and develop efficient strategies that they can apply independently.

Our Approach

In Key Stage 1, our mathematics curriculum is supported by Oak National Academy, while in Key Stage 2 we currently use White Rose Maths to support curriculum sequencing and teaching. As part of the continued development of our Rhodes Green curriculum, we are gradually transitioning towards using Oak National Academy across the school, providing increasing consistency and progression from the earliest stages through to Year 6.

Alongside our main curriculum, we use the NCETM Mastering Number programme to strengthen children’s number sense, fluency and confidence with key number facts.
Practical resources, representations and mathematical models are used to help children understand new concepts before progressing towards increasingly abstract mathematics. Children are regularly given opportunities to apply their learning through fluency, reasoning and problem-solving.

Our ambition is for every Rhodes Green child to leave primary school as a confident and resilient mathematician who is equipped with the knowledge, skills and positive attitude needed for the next stage of their education.