Curriculum
At Glenlyon Primary we aim to provide a stimulating, challenging, broad curriculum, that meets the needs of all of our pupils, and maximises the use of our beautiful indoor and outdoor facilities. Please access the tabs to your left for information about specific subject areas.
Science
Through learning in the sciences, children will develop their interest in, and understanding of, the living, material and physical world. We aim to develop knowledge and understanding of key concepts, with an emphasis on active learning wherever possible, and to stimulate a real interest and curiosity about current scientific research and development. Science topics will be addressed in a progressive way, through a cyclical plan over a three year period, allowing pupils to build on their knowledge as they develop.
Further information on our Science curriculum can be found in our School Handbook.
Social Studies
Our learning and teaching in Social Studies aims to support children as they develop their awareness of the world around them. Topic work is developed over the course of a year, generally on a four block basis, with the emphasis in each block being historical, geographical, environmental or technology related. In all areas of topic work we aim to engage our pupils in the planning process, by regularly seeking their views as to inspiring/relevant areas of learning that they wish to explore, and encouraging them to think of the ‘big questions’ that they would like to be answered. Independent research and study skills are also developed through topic work, and our learning will always be complemented by educational visits when appropriate. These visits are only possible with the kind support of Meggernie Estate, who regularly offer the use of the Estate minibus, for which we are very grateful.
We also use Interdisciplinary learning (well planned and based on experiences and outcomes drawn from different curriculum areas or subjects within them) regularly to ensure that our pupils can make connections between different areas of learning, and have the opportunity to progress and transfer their skills. Recently we have very much enjoyed learning about Houses and Homes, The Vikings, La Francophonie and The Victorians.
Further information on our Social Studies curriculum can be found in our School Handbook.
Forest School
Outdoor Learning is very important to us, and we take full advantage of our beautiful rural setting. We have lovely woodlands on our doorstep, and use these every week for Forest School Activities. There is strong evidence that outdoor learning can have positive benefits for children in all of the four capacities, for example:
Successful Learners- developing greater knowledge and enthusiasm for learning.
Confident Individuals- with enhanced self esteem.
Responsible Citizens- with respect for others and the environment.
Effective Contributors- developing skills in communication and teamwork.
Our pupils are all hugely motivated by their outdoor learning experiences, and well used to going out, properly ‘suited and booted’ in all weathers. This session we have been developing this area of our curriculum further, incorporating use of our new ipads into these learning experiences, as a means of recording and sharing our learning.
Find out more about the Forest Schools Movement by clicking on the link below:
http://www.forestschoolassociation.org/
Health and Wellbeing
We are a Health Promoting School, having gained accreditation in 2011 and reaccreditation in 2014. As such we aim to ensure our learning in Health covers a broad range of areas.
Our last report highlighted our good practice: “All aspects of Health and Wellbeing are clearly embedded across the whole learning community. There is a very supportive yet assured confidence across the school and the pupils respond well to the challenging learning, high level of responsibility and shared opportunities they have throughout their school day.”
We are very lucky to currently be able to access our 2 hours per week of PE at Breadalbane Campus, where all children benefit hugely from the wonderful facilities and expert staff on hand. We are also very fortunate to work closely each year with Meggernie Outdoor Centre, where we develop our orienteering skills, and enjoy regular activity days.
Using the large apparatus, and parachute games, at Breadalbane Community Campus.
Weekly lessons cover the diverse areas of our health programme, but underpinning this is our work on Bounceback, and general social education. We aim to help children to be positive about themselves and their learning, and become active contributors to our school community. Recent work on the four capacities has helped to highlight what it means to be:
Successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
We are currently learning about Growth Mindsets, and the importance of attitude and effort in all that we do.
Annual Health Weeks are used as a special focus for this important area of our curriculum, with previous weeks including events such as First Aid Training, Litter Picks in our local community, garden tidies and visits to outdoor activity centres. We have also used these weeks to invite visitors into our school to teach us about dental hygiene, Tai Chi and cycle skills, to name but a few.
Further information on our Health and Wellbeing curriculum can be found in our School Handbook.
Numeracy
The ability to calculate quickly and accurately, and to understand the key concepts in mathematics are essential skills in everyday life. We seek to instil a positive, can do approach to all areas of maths, whilst always looking for opportunities to demonstrate how maths skills are used in everyday situations. In recent years weekly baking sessions have provided a great context for learning not only about healthy eating and snacks, but also how much maths is needed…weighing, estimating, timing, even multiplication tables, to calculate how many buns on that tray!
Learning about the importance of accuracy in large calculations, whilst counting the money raised during our week in the Aberfeldy ‘Thrift Shop’.
We also strive to take our maths learning, as indeed all our learning, outside, as much as we can: whether that be finding 3D shapes in the playground, measuring area, or practising counting skills through playing What’s the Time Mr Wolf ( in French, English or Gaelic…)
Further information on our Maths curriculum can be found in our School Handbook.
Literacy
The development of literacy skills to enable all children to access the whole curriculum is a major part of our curriculum. In the Early Years we use Jolly Phonics to teach recognition of sounds and blending skills, and the Oxford Reading Tree reading scheme. In later years, generally from P4 onwards, we read novels and non-fiction texts, poetry and play scripts to ensure a broad range of reading experiences. Fostering good reading habits and reading for enjoyment is very important to us, and every year we take part in the ‘Summer Reading Challenge’. In the last two years we are proud to have achieved 100% participation in this event, which encourages all children to read six books throughout the Summer holidays. Summer 2016 was a fantabulous opportunity to read some splendiferous Roald Dahl classics!
This session we are very much enjoying a new focus on reading for pleasure, as al P4-P7 pupils participate in the First Minister’s Reading Challenge.
As well as investigating recent fiction and the nonfiction titles, we also focus on Scots language, and regularly celebrate the diversity and beauty of this through our annual Burns Supper, where all present learn a Scots language poem of their choice, and recite it during the festivities.
Writing lessons focus on developing vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation (VCOP) through the ‘Write to the Top’ writing scheme, but we also use the breadth of our curriculum to provide interesting and inspiring contexts for writing.
Listening and Talking opportunities are maximised through a weekly lesson, where a variety of themes and ideas are explored, in keeping with our current learning. Particular excitement has been generated over the last few years with our Genius Hour projects, giving all children the opportunity to independently research their own topic, present their findings in front of their audience, whilst older pupils use this also as an opportunity to practise note taking skills.
Further information on our Language curriculum can be found in our School Handbook.
French
Bonjour, et comment ca va?
We teach French from P1, focusing primarily on oral/aural skills, with more emphasis on written language from P5 onwards. Learning and teaching is active, based on games and songs, and uses technology as a vital tool. We cover topics such as greetings, colours, classroom language and numbers, weather, hobbies, food and clothes. We also learn about the landscape and culture of France. This session we have enjoyed a huge focus on ‘La Francophonie’, investigating the many French speaking countries around the world, in an interdisciplinary, global citizenship topic. This culminated in a French Bistro Open Evening, under the Eiffel Tower (!) as pupils shared their learning in French songs and Samba drumming with parents, and we all sampled dishes from around La Francophonie: Egypt, Polynesia, Gabon and Madagascar.
Gaelic
Feasgar math!
We are very fortunate to enjoy weekly Gaelic lessons from our peripatetic Gaelic teacher, Miss Bridget McPhee. These lessons are based primarily on songs, conversations and language games, all delivered in a very active, stimulating way.
We also take part in the annual Aberfeldy and District Mod, in June. We learn and recite gaelic poems and songs, and produce posters for judging also. Traditionally we have been very successful in this competition, regularly having competitors in the finals of these events. For the last three years we have been delighted when pupils Katie, Hiba and Robert have won the Cup for recitation of the poem! This trophy has been proudly displayed in school since.
Technology
Technology is all around us and ever evolving! Through learning in technology we aim to give our pupils opportunities to develop life skills that are recognised as being important for success in the world of work, including activities involving research, problem solving and exploration of new concepts, skills and materials. Learning experiences will provide pupils with opportunities to create products which have real applications, and allow for creativity and entrepreneurial skills.
Currently in school we are making very good use of the iPads funded by our Parent Council, and learning about coding.
Further information on our Technology curriculum can be found in our School Handbook.
RME
Lessons in RME focus on knowledge and understanding of Christian and other world religions, and pupils are also encouraged to develop their own beliefs, attitudes, moral values and practices through a process of personal search, discovery and critical evaluation.
We have been fortunate to be visited regularly by our local minister, who also supports the school in lots of other ways, and is a regular contributor to our fundraising coffee mornings and school shows.
Aspects of religion are also investigated through observance of special Festivals and events throughout the year, such as Diwali, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Easter and Christmas.
Further information on our RME curriculum can be found in our School Handbook.
Expressive Arts
We take every opportunity available to provide a rich and exciting programme of expressive arts experiences for our pupils, and regularly access these both in school and through educational visits. In recent years we have invited many individuals and groups into our school to enhance our teaching in the arts.
