Design and Technology is a subject which our pupils are involved in designing and making things from musical instruments to pizza. Music and Art are vital for creative development. We currently have Cornwall Music Service visiting school for a 12 week period week to teach Years 1&2 (Henwood Class) and Years 5 and 6 (Caradon Class) children to play an instrument and all children have the opportunity to learn within their time at Primary School. Performance and visual arts also play a significant part within our curriculum with a Christmas nativity for Key Stage 1 in which all the school support with vocals and stage management, plus a summer KS2 production in which the whole school support again in singing and set design. We are fortunate to have an amphitheatre within our village for which we are regularly involved with, watching local and national theatre companies as well as getting involved with puppetry/music/dance/drama workshops when the opportunity arises.

 

 

Computing and other IT can help pupils make accelerated progress. We support pupils to develop their skills such as researching, typing, editing and art skills. Then we use those skills in cross-curricular work. We use the platform of ‘Purple Mash’ to guide lessons through programming, coding and e-safety ensuring good progression of skills and techniques.

 

At Upton Cross Academy, we aim to provide children with a DT education that is relevant in our rapidly changing world. We want to encourage our children to become problem solvers who can work creatively on a shared project. We believe that high-quality DT lessons will inspire children to think independently, innovatively and develop creative, procedural and technical understanding. Our DT curriculum provides children with opportunities to research, represent their ideas, explore and investigate, develop their ideas, make a product and evaluate their work. Children will be exposed to a wide range of media including textiles, food and woodwork; through this, children will develop their skills, vocabulary and resilience.

 

 

Reading is highly valued as an essential tool to learning which begins with the RWI approach in EYFS and KS1. The children are taught regular systematic phonics with guided reading skills alongside. Teaching children to become excellent readers is a large and exciting part of what we do at Upton Cross. We have lots of opportunities for reading through exciting books and materials. Children have extended daily reading time to embed these skills in KS2. Parents are encouraged to support reading at home with age/ability appropriate reading lists and phonics cards.

Reading Challenge

Listed below are the top fifty books that are recommended that your child reads. Have a look and see how many of these you can read this year. If you click on the link you can also download a checklist too. Happy reading!  

Year R

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

At Upton Cross Academy, we use the ‘Read Write Inc’ phonics programme designed by Ruth Miskin to teach early reading. The structured programme helps all children learn to read fluently and at speed so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary and spelling. At the core of the programme is the lively and vigorous teaching of synthetic phonics. Children learn the 44 common sounds in the English language and how to sound-blend words for reading (decoding) at the same time as developing handwriting skills and spelling (encoding).

We have found that by using the Read Write Inc. programme, children experience success from the very beginning of their reading journey. Lively phonic books are then closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and as children re-read stories their fluency increases. The stories include prompts to support thinking out loud and discussions, helping children develop the skills they need to be successful storytellers.

Read Write Inc. lessons are fun and engaging and all staff who deliver the reading sessions are fully trained. The lessons are taught daily and pupils are regularly assessed and grouped to enable appropriate challenge and pace throughout the programme.

Exciting Writing opportunities are carefully planned to excite and engage our learners, to ensure they make excellent progress. Writing is naturally promoted through other subject areas. We embrace Pie Corbett’s ‘Talk for Writing’ as a beautiful platform to structure and develop writing skills, explore language and encourage role-play.

At Upton Cross, we intend for our pupils to leave our setting at Year 6, being independent, confident writers, who have the skills to succeed in secondary school and beyond. English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society and it plays a pivotal role at Upton Cross, where the children value and appreciate the central role it plays within the wider curriculum. Therefore, a high-quality education in English is vital to teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. The exposure to quality literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Through wider reading and application of knowledge through writing, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually

We aim to enable our children to:

• Enjoy quality experiences that will enhance their knowledge, skills and understanding
• Be enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction
• Become lifelong learners as readers and writers through Talk for Writing.
• Explore global issues through writing (for example, persuasive writing and spoken language)  
• Write with confidence, fluency and understanding, orchestrating a range of independent strategies to self monitor and correct
• Write a range of text types (fiction and non-fiction) and in a range of genres and be able to write in a variety of styles and form appropriate to the situation
• Increase their ability to use planning and drafting to improve their work
• Use a variety of mediums to express their written ideas, e.g. ICT and Drama.

 

Writing starts with enjoying and sharing stories. Throughout the school, we place a strong emphasis on children reading stories and enjoying a range of literature. Through regular reading, we want children to build up an extensive and rich vocabulary for use in their own writing.

Phonics

At Upton Cross Academy we use Read Write Inc.  Please click on the links below to read more about Read Write Inc. and how to support your child at home with phonics. 

 

 

At Upton Cross Academy, we have mapped a progression of knowledge and skills that explores, develops and is ambitious of three areas of the curriculum - geography, history and science. All opportunities for cross curricular learning are embraced. With each of our class having 2 year groups, we have designed a 2 year rolling program that has been developed to ensure all children have a clear coverage of each subject. They are based on the National Curriculum and are progressive as each subject moves up through the school.

 

At Upton Cross Academy, we believe that high-quality history lessons inspire children to want to know more about the past and to think and act as historians. By linking learning to a range of topics, children have opportunities to investigate and interpret the past, understand chronology, build an overview of Cornwall’s past, Britain’s past, as well as that of the wider world, and to be able to communicate historically. We develop children with the following essential characteristics to help them become historians:

 An excellent knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from a range of historical periods, including significant events in Cornwall’s and Britain’s past.

 Learning about the concept of chronology, which underpins children's developing sense of period, as well as key concepts such as change and causation.

 The ability to think critically about history and communicate ideas confidently to a range of audiences.

 The ability to support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using historical evidence from a range of sources.

 The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past by formulating and refining questions and lines of enquiry.

 A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make critical use of it to support their learning.

 A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics.

 A developing sense of curiosity about the past and how and why people interpret the past in different ways

 

 

Our mathematics curriculum covers everything from cooking with weights and measures all the way through to long division and algebra. The ‘White Rose’ mastery approach is embraced across the whole school. Children are able to progress from fluency, to reasoning and then on to problem solving when mastering the focus of maths, giving further opportunities of reaching greater depth. New mathematical ideas are introduced with lots of hands-on practical Science at Upton Cross, which gives our pupils the experience of being real scientists.

 

Our KS2 classes have opportunity to learn French as a Modern Foreign Language. When other moments arise to embrace further languages children are encouraged.

The ASONE Hub is committed to ensuring wider access to music for all children and young people. In order to do this, the Hub works with Cornwall schools and Hub Registered Providers to help provide free or subsidised instrumental/vocal tuition for school-age children.

Please note that this funding does not include students attending private schools or FE/HE institutions as it is provided by Cornwall Schools Forum and administered by the Hub on their behalf.

If the child meets one of the following criteria and is receiving lessons from a Hub Registered Provider they will be entitled to a 100% subsidy (up to £5.00 per lesson):

• Currently eligible for Free School Meals (not including FSM universal entitlement for Infants school pupils)
• Currently in Care

If the child meets the following criteria and is receiving lessons from a Hub Registered Provider they will be entitled to a 50% subsidy (up to £2.50 per lesson):

• Parent/carer in the child’s household, or the child learning, is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (Personal Independence Payment)
• One or more parents/carers in the household are currently serving in the British Armed Forces

Subsidies apply to only one instrument per child and for a maximum of 34 weeks over the year.

Students with Statements of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health & Care Plan can receive a subsidy which allows them to receive an individual 20-minute instrumental or vocal lesson at the same cost of a small group lesson (value of subsidy is up to a maximum of £8.50 per lesson and usual small group fee still applies). This subsidy only applies if a student has an ECHP/Statement of Special Education Needs and the school feels that it would be beneficial for the student to learn individually rather than learning as part of a small group.

 

Music Lessons provided by the Cornwall Music Service Trust

If you would like your child to learn a particular instrument please contact the Cornwall Music Service Trust where you can sign up to 1 to 1 lessons or groups sessions. All information and costings can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

Physical Education is where our children participate in all activities. As well as teachers delivering high quality PE, all children spend a day biweekly within our school forest developing life skills, problem solving and creativity. Lessons are carefully designed to embrace curriculum topics of each class. Children have 10 weeks swimming lessons a year in KS2. Thus ensuring as many children achieve 25m before the transition to secondary school. Those who are advanced swimmers have lessons to develop and strengthen technique as well as learning basic life-saving skills.

Meet our Sports Lead - Mr Jones

Oli Jones is an Advanced Skills Teacher for P.E. He has taught across many schools in South East Cornwall. Oli's passion is running and he regularly competes in marathons, ultra marathons (over 26 miles), and triathlons. In 2017, he competed in the London Marathon for the 13th time and in an Ironman Triathlon Championship in Canada!

Oli joined us in September 2017 and works at our school every Tuesday. Since arriving with us, he has given our children the opportunity to join in a Duathlon Club and has set up Marathon Kids as a regular fitness for all. 

Oli has tidied the PE shed and audited our resources. He has take his Duathlon Club to Siblyback, Lanhydrock and Bodmin/Wenford Camel Trail to train and he delives PE across all the year groups at our school. Also currently teaching swimming at Lux Park for KS2 first thing on a Tuesday morning. 

Kernow Learning PE Vision Statement

PE in Kernow Learning schools is all about developing physical literacy and a love of movement at primary level, with a focus on leadership skills, health and wellbeing. This puts Physical Education at the heart of our educational agenda– ensuring young people are well enough to learn and have developed a range of personal competencies that will help them in the classroom and beyond."  

Kernow Learning Trust is keen to address the negative stereotype of PE being all about prowess in sport and rather reposition it to enhance lifelong skills.

 

The RSHE programme of study has three strands— health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world. Schools are expected to cover all three but it will be mandatory for all schools to deliver health education and relationships and sex education from September 2020.

‘Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to know how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.’ (Secretary of State Forward from Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education guidance 2019)

As a school, we have incorporated our existing PSHE curriculum with the new compulsory RSE aspects, using a modern scheme to ensure all the objectives are covered clearly: becoming the newly founded RSHE lessons.

What are the new strands and what do the cover?

The new compulsory curriculum covers many areas with a strong focus on relationships. The focus of this is on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and with adults.

This starts with pupils being taught about what a relationship is, what friendship is, what family means and who the people are who can support them. From the beginning of primary school, building on early education, pupils should be taught how to take turns, how to treat each other with kindness, consideration and respect, the importance of honesty and truthfulness, permission seeking and giving, and the concept of personal privacy. Establishing personal space and boundaries, showing respect and understanding the differences between appropriate and inappropriate or unsafe physical, and other, contact – these are the forerunners of teaching about consent, which takes place at secondary.

The curriculum has also put a renewed focus on children physical health and mental wellbeing. The aim of teaching pupils about physical health and mental wellbeing is to give them the information that they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing. It should enable them to recognise what is normal and what is an issue in themselves and others and, when issues arise, know how to seek support as early as possible from appropriate sources.

Physical health and mental wellbeing are interlinked, and it is important that pupils understand that good physical health contributes to good mental wellbeing, and vice versa. We aim to promote pupils’ self-control and ability to self-regulate, and strategies for doing so. This will enable them to become confident in their ability to achieve well and persevere even when they encounter setbacks or when their goals are distant, and to respond calmly and rationally to setbacks and challenges. This integrated, whole-school approach to the teaching and promotion of health and wellbeing has a potential positive impact on behaviour and attainment.

Relationships Education, RSE and Health Education (RSHE) compliment several national curriculum subjects. We will explore links with other subjects and the content being covered and integrate teaching where possible.

For a full list of the RSHE objectives and how we intend to cover them using our new Scheme Jigsaw, please see the PDF coverage map.

What is PSHE Education?

PSHE Education (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) is a planned programme of learning through which children and young people acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to successfully manage their lives – now and in the future. As part of a whole-school approach, PSHE Education develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society.
What do schools have to teach in PSHE Education?
According to the National Curriculum, every school needs to have a broad and balanced curriculum that:
• promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school;
• prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life;
• promotes British values.
From September 2020, primary schools in England also need to teach Relationships and Health Education as compulsory subjects and the Department for Education strongly recommends this should also include age-appropriate Sex Education.
Schools also have statutory responsibilities to safeguard their pupils (Keeping Children Safe in Education, DfE, 2019) and to uphold the Equality Act (2010).
The Jigsaw Programme supports all.

 

What is Jigsaw, the mindful approach to PSHE, and how does it work?

At Upton Cross, we have introduced a whole school PSHE scheme called Jigsaw. Jigsaw combines PSHE, emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and spiritual development.

Jigsaw is designed as a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (Puzzle) at the same time. This enables each Puzzle to start with an introductory assembly, generating a whole school focus for adults and children alike.

Jigsaw aims to help children know and value who they really are and how they relate to other people in this ever-changing world.

There are six Puzzles (half-term units of work) each with six Pieces (lessons). Every year group studies the same Puzzle at the same time (sequentially ordered from September to July), allowing for whole school themes and the end of Puzzle product, for example, a display or exhibition (like the Garden of Dreams and Goals) to be shared and celebrated by the whole school. Each year group is taught one lesson per week and all lessons are delivered in an age- and stage-appropriate way so that they meet children’s needs.

 

The different puzzle pieces are:

Term	Puzzle (unit)	Content
Autumn 1	Being Me in My World	Includes understanding my own identity and how I fit well in class, school and global community. Jigsaw Charter established
Autumn 2	Celebrating Difference	Includes anti-bullying (cyber and homophobic bullying included) and understanding
Spring 1	Dreams and Goals	Includes goal-setting, aspirations, who do I want to become and what would I like to do for work and to contribute to society
Spring 2	Healthy Me	Includes drugs and alcohol education, self-esteem and confidence as well as healthy lifestyle choices, sleep, nutrition, rest and exercise.
Summer 1	Relationships	Includes understanding friendships, family and other relationships, conflict resolution and communication skills, bereavement and loss.
Summer 2	Changing Me	Includes Relationships and Sex Education in the context of coping positively with change.

 

Relationships & Sex Education

An important part of the Jigsaw PSHE programme is delivered through the ‘Relationships’ and ‘Changing Me’ puzzle pieces which are covered in the summer term.

There are four main aims of teaching RSE:

• To enable children to understand and respect their bodies
• To help children develop positive and healthy relationships appropriate to their age and development
• To support children to have positive self-esteem and body image
• To empower them to be safe and safeguarded.

Each year group will be taught appropriate to their age and developmental stage. At no point will a child be taught something that is inappropriate; and if a question from a child arises and the teacher feels it would be inappropriate to answer, (for example, because of its mature or explicit nature), this information with be shared with you by your child’s class teacher. The question will not be answered to the child or class if it is outside the remit of that year group’s programme.

Below is a summary of RSE coverage within the Jigsaw scheme for each year group:

• Year 3 – How babies grow and how boys’ and girls’ bodies change as they grow older
• Year 4 – Internal and external reproductive body parts, body changes in girls and menstruation
• Year 5 – Puberty for boys and girls, and conception
• Year 6 – Puberty for boys and girls and understanding conception to birth of a baby

 

Religious Education is a key part of SMSC at Upton Cross and is based on the Cornwall Agreed Syllabus. The progression of learning is delivered through a 2 year rolling programme. Daily worship is delivered through assemblies/end of the day.

 

Our aim at Upton Cross is to instill in our children a life-long passion for science and for our children to see science as a viable career. Children will be immersed in activities that encourage creative thinking, teamwork and foster curiosity. We aim to give children the skills they will need to be successful in all walks of life, not just in science, developing knowledge, scientific enquiry, observation, problem solving and increase their cultural capital. Science at Upton Cross seeks to equip children with a strong understanding of the world around them whilst acquiring skills to help them think like a scientist and to gain an understanding of scientific processes. Each topic in science has enquiry skills embedded throughout and gives children an opportunity to take risks in safe environment and to learn from their mistakes, thinking critically about how they can improve their methods.

Science Week and Science Fair 2022

Investigating Rocket Mice

All classes throughout the school investigated Rocket Mice last week. They had to design, plan and conduct an experiment around the idea, thinking about the variables and equipment needed as well as how to make it as fair as possible. 

Fun was had by all and many scientific discoveries were made!

  

 

Science Visit - Mrs Whipps

We were fortunate to have Mrs Whipps come in and show us science from her life. The children were enthralled and she also spent time in each class showing some cool science artefacts as well as answering questions. 

A big thank you, Tanya. 

We know there are many scientists from different fields among our parents and many more among grandparents, friends and acquaintances. We are keen to inspire our children and make the links between science at school and the science opportunities and careers in the wider world.

If you or someone you know would be interested to come in and show the science/engineering from your life we would love to have you in (although not all at once)! Please do come and speak to Mr Clack. He can then organise a good time for you to come in and share.

  

Science Fair Winners 2022

First of all thank you so much for all the entries. We had even more videos than last year and the science on show was amazing. Please keep learning about science at home and conducting experiments. A big thank you to all parents/ guardians who supported their children or just held the camera! 

Below are this year's winners. Congratulations to them all. They will be going to see a very exciting Science show in a few weeks. There will be further prizes given out after half term and all participants will receive a prize for taking part.