Primary Curriculum
In the Primary School, we follow the New National Curriculum. The national curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens and helps engender an appreciation of creativity and achievement.
Our curriculum is designed to challenge and develop the students, encouraging every child to reach his or her full potential. Within a broad and balanced range of teaching, we place great emphasis on the core subjects, with Maths, English and science taught three times weekly in addition to Reading, Grammar, Punctuation and Spellings as part of the English curriculum taught on separate periods.
Each class has its own form room, where most academic lessons take place. Physical Education is taught by specialist coaches in a Local Sports Hall, which is less than a 5-minute walk from the school premises.
All students study English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Music, Art, French, Information Technology, Physical Education and PSHE.
Music
Music is another area of the curriculum, which is taught by specialist teachers. Music Practical is taught to all Primary children and Music Theory is taught from Year 4 up. All children From Year Two to Year Six are either taught a stringed, brass, woodwind or percussion instrument. These lessons give the children the opportunity to work collaboratively as part of an orchestra, while gaining confidence, developing physical, academic and social skills and being introduce to other cultures. The children also have the opportunity to take part in whole school performances and community events.
Drama
Drama in the curriculum enables students to participate in a range of confidence building activities. This stems from role-play to character development exercises that will give each student a foundation for practical skills in drama. Practical skills include expressions, movement, gestures and vocal exercises. Students are taught basic drama terminologies and evaluated at the end of each term to track their progress within the subject. Drama is taught with the belief that confidence will give students the boost they need for their life ahead; so we make it paramount that each student is taught firstly, how to be comfortable within themselves before being comfortable acting as someone else.
Swimmimg
Swimming is essential part of our curriculum at Tabernacle School. Once a week, all students receive half hour swimming lessons, which take place at the Kensington Leisure Centre. The children are in swimming classes based on their swimming ability and confidence in the water. During their swimming lessons, the students learn a number of skills, which aids in improving strength, flexibility balance and posture, as well as increasing stamina. In addition to physical health benefits, swimming allows the students to gain valuable experiences in the water, which enables them to become stronger swimmers and helps to improve general emotional health. The primary students at Tabernacle School thoroughly enjoy their swimming lessons.
Cooking
The students have cooking lessons with a specialist cooking teacher, which is based in our school's kitchen. In the cooking lessons, the students are exposed to a variety of cooking techniques and recipes from different cultures. Cooking lessons also let the students practice basic maths skills like counting, weighing, measuring and estimating with every recipe. Keeping track of cooking times requires children to put their time-reading abilities to the test in a practical way and helps them better understand sequencing, the idea that events occur in a logical order. Communication is also an important part of cooking with their peers. Students have to be able to read, understand and explain recipe steps, but they must also take turns, work together and be ready to problem-solve. Cooking lessons give the students the confidence and curiosity to get creative in the kitchen, building a lifelong habit of healthier eating. Learning how to safely use the kitchen equipment, cleaning up messes as they happen, washing and putting away kitchen apparatus when their cooking projects are completed, fosters responsibility and boosts confidence.