Science

Science is everywhere! Every aspect of our life is filled with science — from a rumbling stomach, to the flat-screen TV on the wall, the clouds in the sky, the trees turning sunlight into the oxygen we need to survive or the smartphone in our pockets.  

Through our science curriculum we develop children’s curiosity in how things work, grow their understanding and interest in wanting to learn more about the importance of science and scientists.

We ensure children start with hands-on exploration and discovery.

Our enquiry approach expects and encourages questions to be asked, to develop scientific thinking and for children to work scientifically.

Our curriculum has a high emphasis on the precise use of language and scientific vocabulary to help with accurate conceptual development and articulation of understanding.

We have a comprehensive curriculum covering and extending beyond the National Curriculum. We have developed exciting, contemporary science projects in all year groups allowing children to explore engaging, relevant themes and questions such as:

How might future technologies affect our lives? 

What is biomimicry and how is it used?   

How has medicine developed and what will it do next?

What are the current threats to biodiversity and the implications of these?

Linking with work in geography and REW in particular, our science curriculum seeks to nurture the awe and wonder found in the natural world, a sense of personal responsibility and an understanding of connections at personal, local and global level.

Download our Q1E science overview 

Download Q1E science curriculum progression

Download Q1E science personal development pathway

History

History shapes who we are. It is in every family story, every building, every painting, map or new archaeological discovery.  Understanding history give us a better understanding of the world, of ourselves, of different places and people.

Through the teaching of history, we develop children to think like historians: how to use evidence, develop their questioning, to make interpretations and connections and to understand context.  Above all to understand history is never simple, often controversial and that one view or perspective will never give the whole picture.

Our history curriculum covers a broad spectrum of local, national and worldwide topics within and beyond the National Curriculum. We develop knowledge and understanding (including chronology) alongside skills of enquiry and interpretation.  Our curriculum has been developed with subject specialists, the Historical Association and much research.

We build in exciting first-hand experiences ranging from exploring artefacts, pictures, documents and maps to interviewing local residents and interrogating school logbooks.  

We make the most of all the access we have in London to world-class institutions including The Museum of London, The British Museum, The Black Cultural Archives and royal parks and palaces.  We embrace the local and community history within our diverse communities.

Our curriculum ensures each school has strong local history elements focusing on events, places and people significant to local area and contexts so our children in different schools will cover bespoke local history topics such as: Crystal Palace, Richmond Park or Clapham South Deep Shelter.

Download Q1E history curriculum overview 

Download Q1E history progression

Download Q1E history personal development pathway

Geography

Earth is changing rapidly, faster than at any other time in recorded history, and people are more ‘connected’ than ever. Through engagement with global issues such as pollution, climate change and pandemics, children can make choices that can improve the world. 

Geography is about developing children’s knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the world's diverse people, places and environments. Our curriculum helps them understand how places are constantly changing, why they are important and how they are connected. We want children who will ask questions and be critical and creative thinkers who feel empowered to take care of our amazing planet.

Our curriculum progressively builds vocabulary and concepts over time, and we use first-hand experiences and technology as much as possible, to make learning engaging and relevant.  Themes and content are ambitious and have been developed with subject specialists, the Geographical Association and the Royal Geographical Society to go beyond the National Curriculum.

Geography fieldwork and mapping starts from Early Years moves from understanding of the very local.  The integral visits to different localities further take place both in person and also through virtual exploration.

We use enquiry approaches, research, discussion and presentation to get children working together to discuss and debate answers to many geographical big questions such as:

• What is climate?
• Will we always have extreme weather? 
• Will our food ever run out? 
• Can trade ever be fair? 

Download Q1E geography curriculum overview 

Download Q1E geography progression

Download Q1E geography personal development pathway

Religious Education and Worldviews (REW)

Our Religious Education and Worldviews (REW) curriculum enables pupils to learn both about and to learn from concepts of faith and values.  It embraces a wide range of sometimes conceptually challenging ideas and belief systems, including not just religious and spiritual ideas, but also cultural and moral areas of the human experience.  Accordingly, the curriculum is designed to ensure that pupils learn and develop their understanding in an age-appropriate way, through a mixture of faith-specific and themed units.  

Our EYFS pupils focus predominantly on their personal experiences of customs, traditions and beliefs, as well as developing their understanding of kindness, helping others and making good choices. This is expanded in KS1, where pupils reflect upon and further build their sense and understanding of Belonging and Rules, as well as learning about the key monotheistic religions. Christianity, Islam and Judaism are taught separately at this age.

Pupils reference and elaborate upon the knowledge they have acquired in KS1 in KS2, where they are also introduced to Sikhism, Hinduism and the concept of polytheism, and Buddhism and the concept of religion without a deity. The common themes of empathy, tolerance, kindness and respect are developed as pupils learn about each faith. In Lower KS2 abstract concepts, such as Right and Wrong, are taught with reference to pupils' increasing REW knowledge and in preparation for themes based on Life's Big Questions and what it means to be a human being in Upper KS2.    Humanism is taught alongside pupils' learning about the international human rights outcomes from the horrors of World War II. 

By the end of Year 6, and in conjunction with our PSHCE curriculum, our REW curriculum enables pupils to learn about and reflect upon issues of empathy, tolerance, respect and understanding of the worldviews of others, as well as supporting pupils to develop their own values and belief systems. 

Download Q1E religious education and worldviews curriculum overview

Download Q1E religious education and worldviews progression document

Download Q1E religious education and worldviews personal development pathway

Design Technology (DT)
 

Good design puts people first. It uses creativity to solve problems, challenge thinking and make lives better. Designers shape the built environment, the digital world and the products and services we use, creating better places, better products, better processes and better performance. 

Design and technology is a growing and integral part of our lives; our children will be the innovators and designers of the future so our DT curriculum requires children to show innovation, creativity and to develop specific skills.

In all our projects we ensure each stage of the design process is fully explored starting with understanding the ‘audience’ or ‘purpose’ of the product and involves:  exploring, planning, market research, communicating, making, modelling, reviewing and evaluating.

Children build their skills progressively in six strands so children have a wide experience of design fields including: textiles, structures, mechanisms, electrical systems, computing, cooking and nutrition. In many cases the projects will dovetail with other aspects of the curriculum deeper learning and relevance for example:

• Stop the intruder!  Using knowledge of electrical system to create a burglar alarm, consider adaptations for a deaf person (Science, English)
• Design, produce and market a pizza to reflect the seasonality for UK or the Mediterranean (Geography, Science. Maths, English)
• Creating a pop-up book to meet the interests and handling of Nursery children (English, maths)
• Sustainable clothing – giving new life to old garments (geography, science)

Download Q1E design technology curriculum overview

Download Q1E design technology progression

Personal, Social, Citizenship and Health Education (PSCHE)

PSCHE has a key place in our curriculum and is driven by our aims for all children to be safe, have excellent social and emotional skills, be excellent learners and achieve and succeed.   

The richness of texts woven into the PSCHE programme is exceptionally well thought-out to be inclusive, diverse and relevant.  They provide stimulus to address relevant themes, emotions and stereotypes. 

Our curriculum has three termly themes: 

• Understanding Feelings
• Keeping Ourselves Healthy and Safe
• Changing Me in a Changing World 

These themes are revisited and build progressively year to year with a curriculum designed to be stimulating and relevant to the age of the children. 

You can read the content for each year in our PSCHE Overview. 

Our PSCHE approach includes: 

• Thematic lessons each term with progression of skills, language and content
• Use of extensive range of picture books throughout to stimulate discussion, celebrate diversity and promote inclusion
• Core books revisited every year in all classes:  Once upon an ordinary School Day and Something Else
• Progression of  vocabulary for emotion throughout programme
• Assessment using draw and write as a summary of learning in all units
• Christopher Winters Project content and material followed for Relationships and Sex Education and Drugs Education (see RSE policy)
• Online Safety taught throughout the year (see separate overview) 
• Specific tools for talking and raising issues beyond PSCHE lessons