Upper Key Stage 2 Project Overview
Our Intent - what we want our curriculum to achieve
At North Featherstone J & I School, we want every child to be motivated to be the very best learner they can be. This means inspiring them with new and varied experiences every half-term. We want children to have age-appropriate knowledge and the skills to access the curriculum. Early reading, writing and number are essential for children in the Lower and Upper Foundation stages. As children progresses from Year 1 to Year 6, it is essential that children are able to access the curriculum with age expected skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Our curriculum is based on our four-stage philosophy: Engage, Develop, Innovate and Express.
Projects
Over a term children will have a memorable experience, the opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills, a week to demonstrate how they can use and apply the knowledge and skills they have been taught and an opportunity to express what they have learned to a range of audiences. This process forms the four-stage philosophy of Engage, Develop, Innovate and Express.
The four stages:
- Engage - Implementing the curriculum
- Develop - Implementing the curriculum
- Innovate - Evaluating the impact of the curriculum
- Express- Evaluating the impact of the curriculum
Engage – In this part of the curriculum children will engage in purposeful and contextualised learning experiences; in and outside the classroom. This may include visits out of school and visitors into school.
Develop – In the following weeks children develop knowledge, understanding and subject skills required to progress their learning through focussed learning tasks and experiences. Here the children will record their work in a variety of ways through art work, written work, dance, music or construction.
Innovate – Children are given the opportunity to innovate by applying their knowledge and skills and understanding through a challenging provocation using their own and negotiated ideas.
Express – Children express and evaluate their knowledge, understanding and skills, as outcomes of the learning in different memorable forms including using a variety of media and technology. Examples of activities the children may do here are: presenting cooked meals in the style of a Dragon’s Den, write stories and publish them as books, create photo albums or create a dance or presentation for an audience.
Cycle 1
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Autumn 1 |
Revolution |
Are you listening, boy? What is 27 plus 45? Come on – faster now; we haven’t got all day! Find out about super-strict schools by travelling back in time to a Victorian classroom. Make sure you’re on your best behaviour though, as punishments are unquestionably terrible! Discover a time when great minds thought new thoughts and ingenious inventors created so many things we take for granted today: the electric light bulb, the telephone and even the first flushing loo! Let’s forge ahead to research a time when Victoria was Queen and Albert was Prince Consort, and when some people lived in slums while others prospered. Take on the role of an important reformer and present your good causes to the Queen. Can you gain the support of a wealthy sponsor? Full steam ahead to the Victorian age! This project has a history focus.
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Autumn 2 |
Gallery Rebels
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Colours collide, melting together on the canvas: an impression of light, a rage of red, a lobster perched on a telephone. Come and find out about the bizarre and eccentric minds of the gallery rebels! Art can be an act of rebellion. Can you change the world with a paintbrush, a thought, or an idea? Dream the dream – or show us your nightmares! What do you see? Watches melting? Wheels spinning? A shark in a box? Can you express yourself without words? Well, a picture paints a thousand of them! Try your hand at a ‘Damien Hirst’ sculpture, exploring the weird and wonderful to create a curious treasure for the next generation. Take up your arms and fight for the cause. Paintbrushes and sketchbooks at the ready – let’s make art! This topic has an Art focus. |
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Spring 1 and 2 |
Stargazers |
Journey through space, the final frontier. Navigate beyond the Sun: the magnificent, blazing star at the centre of our Solar System! Investigate the eight planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Take a look at the Moon, a celestial body that orbits Earth. Programme a ‘rover’ to traverse a lunar landscape and work scientifically to investigate gravity, and what happens when there is none! Compare the time of day at different places on the Earth and use GPS satellite navigation systems to track hidden treasure! Get in a spin making simple models of the Solar System and listen to the haunting sounds of space-themed songs. Then it’s 3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF! Build and launch a rocket for an important test mission. Exploring space is probably the greatest adventure that humankind has ever undertaken. Are we alone or are there other life forms out there?
This topic has a science focus. |
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Summer 1 and 2 |
Hola Mexico
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Welcome to Mexico! Get ready to explore this unique country, from its towering temples and stunning geography to its pulsing rhythms and fun-packed festivals. Tummy rumbling? Concoct a traditional fruit cocktail or delicious Mexican meal. What’s on your shopping list? Go steady with the spices! Discover the mysterious world of the ancient Maya civilisation. Make their chocolate, learn their poetry, play their ball game and follow all their curious rituals. Just try to keep your head! Feel like celebrating? Design a flute, grab a drum, join a tribe and make some noise! Have you got what it takes to be chief? Let’s find out…
This topic has an Art and Design focus. |
Cycle 2
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Autumn 1 |
Heartbeat |
Crimson, scarlet, burgundy, cherry – blood flows through our bodies in all its vibrant shades of red. Let’s explore our circulation system! Now surgeons, don’t be squeamish as we dissect an animal heart and examine the veins, arteries and chambers up close. They all work hard to move blood around our bodies. William Harvey was fascinated with anatomy, and made ground-breaking discoveries about valves. I wonder what we might uncover? Why do people give blood? Find out how to keep your heart happy with cardiovascular exercise and healthy food. Kick-start a campaign to spread the word about the damage caused by smoking, to the lungs and heart. Hearts pound, flutter and maybe skip a beat. What makes your heart race? Is it a secret? Cross my heart, I won’t tell! This topic has a Science focus |
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Autumn 2 |
Frozen Kingdom
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Welcome to the planet’s coldest lands. Vast wilds and hostile territories – incredibly beautiful, yet often deadly. Take shelter from the elements or fall prey to icy winds and the deepest chill. Trek bravely and valiantly across treacherous terrain to the ends of the Earth, treading deep in snow or be pulled by a team of mighty sled dogs. Be alert, for magnificent mammals roam these lands, sometimes hungry or fresh for a fight. Perhaps a hungry polar bear or an Arctic fox is hunting rodents, as swift as the wind! Research facts and figures of climate, temperature, habitats and ecosystems, and compose evocative poems about the Northern Lights. Become part of an Antarctic rescue team, braving the elements to rescue terrified passengers from a ship struck by a deadly berg that hides deep beneath the Southern Ocean. So wrap up well everyone and settle by the fire. I’m just going outside and may be some time. This project has a geography focus. |
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Spring 1 |
Alchemy Island |
It’s time to suspend your disbelief and open your mind. We’re going on a magical journey to Alchemy Island! Can you find the gold hidden deep within the island’s mysterious landscape? The only way is to study the map, unravel the riddle and begin your adventure. On the way, you must do all you can to learn about gold and master the ancient art of alchemy. Be creative and try to impress the island’s team of ace alchemists! Will they praise your scientific expertise? What if there were a video game version of Alchemy Island? Could you compose a stunning soundtrack to bring this mysterious landscape to life? You’ve got your map, coordinates and everything else you need to make your way across Alchemy Island. Don’t forget to pack your imagination! Got your suitcase ready? Then let the journey begin...
This topic has a music driver |
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Summer 1 and 2 |
Pharoahs
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Let’s travel back 5000 years to the dusty realms of ancient Egypt. Cruise along the Nile, entering a world of mysteries and curses, mummies and kings. Find out about life on the river’s fertile banks, discovering Egypt and its fascinating culture. Unravel the secrets of ancient tombs, using historical sources and age-old artefacts. Find out about powerful pharaohs and grandiose gods! Make yourself a nemes and you’ll really look the part! Become an apprentice and work for Ramose – he’s the chief embalmer at the Beautiful House. Help him prepare a body for its journey into the afterlife. Now open the doorway to ancient Egypt – who knows what treasures you will find?
This topic has a history focus. |
