Foundation Subjects
Foundation Subjects
Our curriculum maps encompass the core; English, Maths, Science, and foundation subjects; History, Geography, Music, Art & Design, Computing & IT, Design & Technology and languages. All children have access to weekly PE lessons, and we are lucky to have a dedicated sports coach at school to develop the children’s sporting skills. PSHE including RSE, is taught throughout the school.
Art
At St Matthew’s we use the AccessArt Split Primary Art Curriculum, which means we alternate between DT and Art each half term. Our aim is to inspire the next generation of creative individuals, by delivering an exciting, rich and forward-thinking visual arts education. By the time every child leaves our school we want them to feel as if they have found an area of the visual arts that is relevant and engaging to them.
Computing
St. Matthew’s computing curriculum is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and utilise digital technology effectively in our rapidly evolving world.
It aims to develop computational thinking, problem-solving abilities, creativity and a broad understanding of the impacts of technology in various aspects of modern life.
Through the study and exploration of a range of concepts and skills – including programming, working online safely and responsibly, content creation and data collection and analysis – students are supported to become confident users of technology, gaining a stronger awareness of its use in the world around them.
St. Matthew’s uses ‘Teach Computing’ – from the National Centre for Computing Education – as the primary scheme of work. This framework ensures an appropriate progression of skills across Key Stages 1 and 2 as well as full coverage of the national expectations set out in the National Curriculum, 2016.
https://teachcomputing.org/curriculum
Design & Technology
St Matthew’s DT curriculum is based on ‘DT on a page’, developed by the D&T Association. Design and Technology in primary schools develops young children’s skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. Design and Technology encourages children’s creativity and encourages them to think about important issues.
https://www.designtechnology.org.uk/for-education/primary/
Geography
At St Matthew’s we use the Kapow scheme to inspire curiosity about the world around us. Our aim is for children to develop a deep understanding of the world’s landscapes, cultures, and environments, while fostering respect for the complex connections between people and the places they live.
Our Geography curriculum provides children with the opportunity to explore both human and physical geography, and to understand how different environments shape and are shaped by human activity. Through the Kapow scheme, we ensure that the learning is engaging, inclusive, and relevant, so that every child can make meaningful connections between their geographical knowledge and their everyday lives. We want our pupils to feel empowered to think critically about global issues, such as climate change and sustainability, and to appreciate how geographical knowledge can help us solve real-world challenges.
Our curriculum encourages:
- A strong focus on developing geographical knowledge alongside key skills in fieldwork, map reading, and data analysis.
- Curiosity and excitement about the world, encouraging children to ask questions and explore new places, both near and far.
- Challenging misconceptions and encouraging children to develop a more nuanced understanding of the world, from local communities to global systems.
- Continuous progression in geographical skills, building on knowledge year after year and ensuring pupils are equipped to explore more complex geographical concepts.
- Critical thinking through analysis of human-environment interactions, fostering an ability to ask perceptive questions and make informed conclusions about geographical issues.
- Development of geographical literacy, using a wide range of geographical terms and concepts to explain the world around them.
Through our curriculum, we aim to make geography both exciting and accessible for all pupils, ensuring that they leave us with a broad understanding of the world and the confidence to engage with it thoughtfully and responsibly.
History
At St Matthew’s, the history curriculum is designed to inspire curiosity and help children explore the lives, cultures, and achievements of people across time, both locally and globally. Our history teaching aims to give children the knowledge and skills to ask questions, evaluate evidence, and understand how historical events have shaped the world we live in today.
Through our history curriculum, children learn to respect a range of different perspectives, cultures, and traditions, recognising that history is made up of many voices. They also develop a sense of responsibility, understanding the importance of remembering the complexities of the past to inform the present and future.
Sections of our curriculum are rooted in the local High Brooms and Tunbridge Wells area. By exploring our rich heritage — from the Victorian development of the spa town to local wartime stories — children develop a deeper connection to their community and build a sense of identity. These local studies are integrated with national and global history to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.
Finally, our curriculum ensures children are given consistent access to the eight key historical concepts:
- Chronology– to help children understand when events happened and how they fit together over time.
- Change and continuity– to explore what has stayed the same and what has changed across different periods.
- Cause and consequence– to encourage children to think about why events happened and what effects they had.
- Similarity and difference – to allow comparisons between people, places, and cultures across time.
- Significance– to support children in recognising why certain events, people, or developments were important.
- Interpretation– to teach children that history can be understood and told in different ways.
- Sources and evidence– to show how we find out about the past and how evidence is used to build understanding.
- Empathy and perspective– to help children consider how people in the past may have thought, felt, and experienced the world around them.
Music
At St Matthew’s we use the specialism of music teachers and the scheme Music Express to teach the curriculum. Music Express is an award-winning, cross-curricular primary music programme.
Modern Foreign Language MFL
At St Matthew’s, the children in KS2 learn French through the scheme Language Angels.
Language Angels supports children to learn a new language, through oracy, diversity, creativity and independence.
PSHE
St Matthew’s use the Kapow scheme of work for PSHE. The scheme aims to give children the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they need to effectively navigate the complexities of life in the 21st Century. The curriculum covers key areas which will support children to make informed choices now and in the future around their health, safety, wellbeing, relationships, and financial matters and will support them in becoming confident individuals and active members of society.