Art and Design is such an inclusive subject, allowing the children to be creative and imaginative. Children learn about the techniques of the most amazing artists, create their own interpretations and learn to appreciate and understand the meanings behind the picture.  Children regularly have the opportunity to take inspiration from their surroundings and will often have art lessons outdoors.  Their learning will be supported by visiting artists, trips and art and design focus days throughout the school year.  The children take part every year in the Lympstone Village Art Show and children often win prizes for their masterpieces.

Art Policy

Lympstone C of E Primary School believes that Computing is an integral part of the teaching and learning across the entire curriculum. We are resourced with chromebooks, iPads, recording devices, programmable toys and Promethean panels available to support the delivery of high quality computing lessons. All children have access to Google G suite, a suite of education programmes that helps to deliver many parts of the computing curriculum in an easily accessible and safe environment.  We believe in giving our children the resources and opportunities to learn and set them up for the 21^st century.

Children have access to G Suite, a set of Digital Learning tools that we use for our teaching and learning platform. G Suite is a service by Google that allows us to deliver great electronic resources to help you learn, and is a great place to work together with other pupils.

We can share work, videos and audio with you, and you can share it with us, and each other. We can create pupil discussion forums, set up quizzes and tests and give you access to some of the best web-based software available.

Computing Policy

Online Safety Programme

Design Technology allows the children to be creative and imaginative. Design Technology follows a pattern of design, make and evaluate. Children get the opportunities to look at a range of objects from vehicles, to purses, food items and structures. They unpick how they are put together, make design choices, create their own from their own materials and then evaluate to discover what went well, design flaws and think about ways to improve.

Design & Technology Policy

'I have led English for a number of years now and love it. I realised early on that being able to read and write was the key to enabling a young person to develop choices and success in every aspect of their life. During my teaching career, I have relished seeing a child experience those ‘break-through’ moments where all of their learning comes together to enable them to read their chosen book or to express themselves clearly in a piece of writing or spoken presentation.'     Mrs Day, English Coordinator.

At Lympstone Primary School, we are passionate that every pupil will learn to read, write, express themselves verbally and listen thoughtfully to others with confidence and enjoyment. To enable a strong foundation in reading and writing, we start children's learning in Oak class using letters and sounds as our phonics scheme and our coloured banded books all match the correct phonics phase.  We endeavour to enrich the children’s language exposure through high quality texts and themes which act as a springboard for learning whilst supporting our curriculum. We use a range of textual and visual resources and real-life contexts to engage our pupils to explore deeper understanding of ideas whilst learning how to convey their ideas clearly and effectively.

Ultimately, our aspiration for every child is that they can communicate in a range of ways to follow their dream.

English Policy

English Writing Assessment YR 1

English Writing Assessment YR 2

English Writing Assessment YR 3

English Writing Assessment YR 4

English Writing Assessment YR 5

English Writing Assessment YR 6

Geography sessions are active and fun and support children’s learning in a variety of ways that stimulate and engage.

Our principal aim is to develop the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding of the world around them, and we use a variety of teaching and learning styles in these sessions to help children truly understand the world, expanding on their knowledge and developing a curiosity surrounding the subject.

We believe children learn best when:

• Children have first-hand experience by having access to the environment both locally and further afield to bring the subject to life.
• They have access to secondary sources such as books and photographs
• We invite people who have expertise in the subject to allow the children to question and consolidate their understanding.
• They are shown, or use independently, resources from the internet to discover places around the world.
• They are able to use non-fiction books for research.
• They are provided with opportunities to work independently or collaboratively to question and debate.
• Children are invited to express their feelings and ideas when discussing the environment and how to take care of our planet.

Geography Policy

The school uses a variety of teaching and learning styles in history lessons. Our principal aim is to develop the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding of history, and we use a variety of teaching and learning styles in our history lessons. We believe in whole-class teaching methods and combine these with enquiry-based research activities. We believe children learn best when:

• They have access to, and are able to handle artefacts.
• They go on visits to museums and places of interest.
• They have access to secondary sources such as books and photographs.
• Visitors talk about personal experiences of the past.
• They listen to and interact with stories from the past.
• They undertake fieldwork by interviewing family and older friends about changes in their own and other people’s lives.
• They use drama and dance to act out historical events.
• They are shown, or use independently, resources from the internet and videos.
• They are able to use non-fiction books for research.
• They are provided with opportunities to work independently or collaboratively, to ask as well as answer historical questions.

History Policy

'I recall being asked to lead maths in our school by our old head teacher 12 years ago.  The prospect of it filled me with fear because it had been the subject I had always struggled with at school as a child.  I'd grown up believing that I was no good at maths and couldn't enjoy it.  I decided there and then that this was my motivation for ensuring that in our school no child should ever feel that they can't do maths or enjoy it.'  Mrs Clarke, maths coordinator.

At Lympstone we have a very strong ethos for maths; how it should be taught and how it can be enjoyed by all.  The main focus is on ensuring understanding through modelling, using tactile equipment and embedding maths in real life contexts.  We encourage children to talk about their ideas, work collaboratively to support and challenge each other, get involved and try out their ideas.  Most of all, we strive to get those magical "Oh yeah!" moments.

The main elements of our maths curriculum are developing fundamental number knowledge through calculations and developing reasoning skills through the use of greater depth activities and APED (Answer it, Prove it, Explain it, Draw it).  Please find links to the calculation policies and some guidance on reasoning questions below.

Maths Policy

Addition and Subtraction Calculation Policy

Multiplication and Division Calculation Policy

Reasoning questions for multiplication

Reasoning questions for number bonds 

We love language learning, primarily because the active and engaging way that we teach languages means learning is accessible to every child. We teach through games, songs, role play and stories, moving on to reading and writing in upper Key Stage 2. Our lessons are a chance to learn in a fun way where everyone can have success. A typical lesson might include learning new vocabulary by playing a throwing and catching game, practising it in a song or rhyme, moving round the classroom to find a partner with a matching phrase, then finishing off with a role play with puppets. It’s practical, fast-paced and opens our children’s eyes to a wonderful wide world. No wonder many of our children say it’s one of their favourite foundation subjects and look forward to taking one or more languages on to a higher level at their secondary school.

MFL Policy

Music uses a creative approach to learning; our curriculum is designed to ensure that a love of music lies at the heart. Lessons include times to sing, speak chants and rhymes, listen to high quality music and create music using tuned and untuned instruments. This may be individually, in groups or as a whole class. A range of teaching strategies are used to ensure learning is challenging and relevant, including the use of technology, a range of voice styles, a variety of instruments, recorded music, teaching about musical vocabulary and musical notations, hands-on experiences with music from other cultures and traditions, learning about the history of music.

We want our pupils to have plenty of musical enrichment opportunities. These might include experiences in our local community such as visiting The Marine Commando Band; taking part in national opportunities such as singing with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at Exeter University; taking part in local inter-school opportunities such as performing at Exmouth Festival and enjoy listening to fellow pupils learning to become musicians in our school.

Music Development Plan

Music Policy

Children in Chestnut, Maple and Beech class have swimming lessons each year.  Our children in Year 6 who are competent swimmers, have the opportunity to have life-saving lessons.

In addition to PE lessons taught in school, we participate in a wide range of inter-school competitions and events such as: 

Cross-country running, Football and Tag Rugby tournaments, Triathlons, Quick Sticks Hockey, Athletics, Swimming, Cycling, Quad kids, Gymnastics, Netball festivals and SEND sports competitions.

The purpose of PSHE in our school is to promote emotional literacy and citizenship. By this, we mean that pupils are able to hold balanced and well-informed conversations about themselves and others and make informed choices that will affect their health and personal/social wellbeing.

PSHE uses an enquiry-based approach to learning. Lessons include times to discuss real life situations and personal experiences, share ideas and strategies learnt and may involve ‘circle time’ games to develop trusting relationships amongst the group. This approach enables pupils to focus on issues that are relevant to them and learn from the experiences of others. A range of teaching strategies are used to ensure learning is challenging and relevant, including the use of picture posters, circle time games, role play and drama.

Where possible, we want our pupils to have opportunities to develop a broader understanding of the social, emotional and health issues that may affect them in their lives through facilitating open and honest discussions. We welcome local experts or visitors to support the delivery of this curriculum.            

PSHE Policy

RE teaching at Lympstone C of E Primary School is demonstrated in action by our vision statement ‘Let all that you do be done in love’. Our school community lives by our Christian values on a daily basis. 

Our RE teaching informs children about religious and non-religious ways of life worldwide. We teach using the Devon and Torquay Agreed Syllabus 2010-2024 and use a lesson structure named ‘windows, mirrors, doors’ to facilitate new learning, reflection and response time. As children progress through school, they learn about an increasing range of faiths and cultures. Visitors and school visits enable children to ask questions, to listen with empathy and thoughtfulness and to have dialogue with a diverse range of speakers. 

RE Policy

At Lympstone Primary School, we are committed to creating a culture where reading is valued and enjoyed by all children and the wider school community. We intend that children are exposed to a range of high quality ‘Blue Print’ texts through a variety of contexts that are rich in language, structure, theme and diversity. We are committed to providing the opportunity for children to read, handle and enjoy a breadth of carefully selected texts in a range of formats to immerse themselves in being able to learn to read for pleasure and, in turn, read to learn. We want children to develop their own preferences and be able to recognise authors and styles of reading. Overall, we intend that our children leave school able to read fluently with understanding and having been fed a rich, varied ‘diet’ of literature that both enlightens and inspires whilst enabling them to interact with their peers using a lifelong skill.  To ensure that reading skills are taught and learnt progressively, we use a book band colour system throughout the school from Reception to Year 6 whilst also encouraging children to choose and enjoy their own books of interest.

Reading Assessment Sheet YR1

Reading Assessment Sheet YR2

Reading Assessment Sheet YR3 & YR4

Reading Assessment Sheet YR5 & YR6

Development of age appropriate knowledge

Reading progression

Poetry curriculum

Reading Spine

Science is such a brilliant subject because many children learn by doing it and science provides so many opportunities for this.  Investigations and experiments to learn about the world around them are always exciting and children always enjoy using equipment. It’s great for cross-curricular links too, with children often not even realising they’re doing some Maths and English in their science lesson!  

Science Policy