Curriculum
Teaching and Learning
OLOG has a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum that is coherently planned and sequenced to ensure progression of knowledge, skills and understanding across the school. The OLOG curriculum is subject based and has been developed to deliver the expectations and coverage of the 2014 National Curriculum. Our curriculum challenges and motivates our children by providing them with a variety of experiences including cross- curricular links when applicable. Our curriculum is designed so that our children can be active agents in their own learning. Through high but realistic expectations, positive relationships and the instilling of Gospel Values we ensure that every OLOG child can achieve their full potential and become well rounded individuals ready for the next stage of their education. Our vision for each subject is outlined below.
English (reading)
At OLOG we encourage children to become enthusiastic and critical readers of all forms of the printed word, both fiction and non-fiction; to interact with the text analytically and thereby establish a lifelong interest in reading, writing and speaking and listening. We use Little Wandle’s Letters and Sounds Revised, a complete systematic, synthetic phonics programme which gives our children an excellent foundation in reading and writing.
English (writing)
At OLOG, we enable our children to express themselves creatively, imaginatively and accurately through a range of genres in order that they can communicate effectively with others.
Mathematics
At OLOG children master the mathematical skills of fluency, reasoning and problem solving to gain skills to be systematic and resilient thinkers and to be equipped with valuable life skills.
Religious Education
At OLOG, we prepare children to be part of a community in which they can develop their faith and the living out of Gospel values with understanding, dignity and freedom. We focus upon the whole person who is created in the image and likeness of God and the core values of: love, courage, perseverance and co-operation. Through living these out together, the children understand if we do our best God will do the rest.
Science
At OLOG, we develop children to think, act and grow as scientists and be led by their own curiosity. We provide them with opportunities to understand and question the everchanging world in which we live.
Art and Design
At OLOG, we develop children’s artistic skills and encourage them to express their creativity and individuality inspired by various artists and cultures.
Computing
At OLOG, our Computing Curriculum aims to support the growth of independent, confident learners, who can safely and effectively engage with a wide range of technology. The computing curriculum helps children to recognise and appreciate the relevance and benefits of technology in our school environment.
Design and Technology
At OLOG, our Design and Technology Curriculum prepares our children to take part in the development of tomorrow’s changing world. It encourages the children to think creatively, learn practical skills, use a range of simple classroom tools effectively and evaluate both their own work and the work of others.
Early Years
At OLOG, our Early Years setting provides the foundation blocks of lifelong learning through exploration, learning and play which builds character and develops emotional resilience and independence.
Geography
OLOG is an ethnically diverse community in which we want our children to develop understanding and respect of all cultures as well as learn key physical and human geographical features of the world.
History
At OLOG, our History Curriculum aims to explore and offer our children a sense of chronology; through this they can develop an individual sense of identity and a cultural understanding based on their historical heritage. Opportunities are provided so that they can value their own culture and the cultures of other in a modern Britain. By considering how people lived in the past, children are empowered to make choices in their own lives today.
French (Modern Foreign Language)
At OLOG, children develop basic language learning skills, knowledge and vocabulary for global communication
Music
At OLOG, we encourage children to grow in creativity and express themselves musically.
PE
At OLOG, we aim for children to develop their physical skills through the practice and building of sporting values to foster a lifelong love for physical activity and a healthty lifestyle
Curriculum Events
Classes go out on their own individual trips which you can read about under their class heading. We also put on events for the whole school to enjoy. These are detailed below:
ACADEMIC YEAR 2023-24
Music Junk Workshop - Friday 7th June
Today, we had the pleasure of having Emily Gunton come into school to teach our Year 5 and 6 children using junk music instruments. We used junk music instruments to link in with Environment Day, looking at the importance of recycling and caring for our environment. Here are some quotes from our different classes on how they enjoyed today!
St Teresa's class thoroughly enjoyed our workshop with Ms Gunton. Our children have an understanding that we have a responsibility to care for the environment and not to be wasteful with the resources God gave us. Today children learnt about junk musical instruments but also they were encouraged to think about creating a more sustainable world.
Daniel: "We learnt to play instruments with recycled things"
Zelma “ We learnt that we can make music with everything"
Rylee: "I learnt that we can be creative and make music with everything"
British Science Week 2024 KS2
To celebrate British Science Week this year, we performed a number of fascinating experiments and games that enabled us to explore several scientific concepts in details.
We started off with Year 6 taking a closer look at the human circulatory system through games and a heart dissection with Townley Grammar School. David Hall – Mr “Michael Faraday” was also in the school to deliver an exciting Key stage 2 workshop on The Journey of Electricity through Time.
With the help of the school’s Science Club members, EYFS and Key Stage 1 children experimented with chromatography, series circuits surface tension and many more.
World Book Day March 2024
The school's World Book Day festivities on March 7th and 8th were a hit. Students engaged in canvas painting of favourite characters, attended an inspiring poetry assembly by Emma M. Gordon, and embarked on a lively treasure hunt with teachers in character. They also entered illustration, poetry, and short story competitions, fostering creativity. Additionally, students had the chance to read with peers from various year groups, enhancing their love for literature and camaraderie.
To enrich the experience, we organised an engaging line up of activities to foster a love for literature amongst our students.
Firstly, we partnered with Arty Party to conduct a special art session where Year 2 pupils collaborated to create a canvas featuring their favourite storybook characters.
To add to the festivities, our dedicated staff dressed up as beloved traditional characters. Students embarked on an exciting treasure hunt, with each teacher guiding them through clues to discover various characters.
In addition, we hosted a series of competitions including a poetry competition, book cover competition, and short story competition, with enticing prizes for the winners. These initiatives were designed to celebrate and encourage the joy of reading while showcasing our students' creativity and literary talents.
Boys and Girls Football Tournament - St Paul's Academy
The boys' football team took part in the St Paul's Academy tournament in February. The squad of 6 boys were outstanding from start to finish, conceding only 2 goals throughout the tournament and going unbeaten. The final was a tense affair with St Patrick's ending in a draw, but the boys came out on top in a penalty shoot-out to see them take home the trophy. They should be extremely proud of their efforts.
The girls' football team performed with great credit at the St Paul's Academy tournament in early March. They improved with every game, winning one group game, draw another and 2 narrow defeats which unfortunately meant they were knocked out after the group stages. They visibly grew in confidence in each game and represented the school with pride.
St Patrick's Day - March 2024
To celebrate and honour St. Patrick's Day, the Irish dance group showcased their talent during the school assembly. Their performance brought the spirit of Irish culture to life and was enjoyed by all!
ACADEMIC YEAR 2022-23
School Council Reading Event
To promote reading and build friendships, School Council members read with their peers across the school. During quiet reading time the School Council members visited each class and read with a variety of pupils, they discussed the books and helped younger pupils decode any difficult words.
Image Theatre
The pupils of Our Lady of Grace School had the amazing opportunity to watch the production of 'Wind in the Willows' performed by the Image Theatre Company. The pupils were thoroughly engaged throughout and it was lovely to see the children being involved and enjoying the experience of live theatre in school.
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Animal Workshop
Paul Newham from Ivydale Science and Technology Services visited both Year 4
classes on Wednesday 3rd May. He brought with him a range of animals to show
the children and talked about their habitats and how to classify them into
groups and subgroups. Some children showed such confidence and maturity when
handling the animals. We learnt lots of interesting scientific facts and new
vocabulary like the word Arthropod.
WORLD BOOK DAY - April 25th 2023
This year, children at OLOG celebrated World Book Day with the poet- Zohab Zee Khan who delivered inspiring assemblies throughout the day to each Key Stage. This included performances from the poet himself and children writing their own poems during their session.
British Science Week 2023
Great fun was had as OLOG immersed itself in British Science Week. We welcomed in Rosie from ‘As Creatives’ who kickstarted our learning with an interesting assembly introducing the concept of connections within Science, engineering and the world around us.
Each year group participated in a workshop tailored around a different scientist, looking at their connections to their work and everyday life. Below are the scientists the children learnt about through quizzes, role play and classroom study:
EYFS: Elijah McCoy, who changed the railways for ever, making possible the long journeys that make the world today a little smaller!
Year 1: Lyda Newman, who patented the first modern-day hairbrush by moving away from animal fibres and towards purpose-centred approaches.
Year 2: Charles Henry Turner, and his work on ways in which termite colonies respond individually and collectively to changes in their environments.
Year 3: Sarah Goode, whose understanding of the ways in which different forces act was behind her invention of the world’s first fold-up bed!
Year 4: Marie Curie, the double-Nobel winner whose work with radioactivity expanded our knowledge and understanding of the structure of the human body.
Year 5: Katherine Johnson, whose ground-breaking work leading a team of NASA computer programmers allowed the Apollo missions to land humans on the moon.
Year 6: Charles Richard Drew, whose early attempts to study at medical school were thwarted by racist authorities – but who went on to save millions of loves by revolutionising how we collect, store, transport and use blood products.
I would also like to extend my thanks for the clear support so many children received in the creation of their entries for the Science Poster Competition.
It was such a challenge to choose winners because of the sheer number of outstanding entries! I hope that you enjoyed learning with or from your child as they produced such wonderful outcomes. Miss Pearce.
The winners were: EYFS: River; Year 1/2: Teddy; Year 3/4: Luna; Year 5/6: Sonia
ACADEMIC YEAR 2021-22
WORLD BOOK DAY
On 3rd March, children celebrated World Book Day’s 25 anniversary by dressing up in their pyjamas! The fun packed day was kickstarted with an investigation. Children witnessed evidence of an ongoing investigation in the assembly hall which led to them writing their own stories around it. In the afternoon, classes were paired up for children to buddy up and read with another pupil from a different class.
Following on from the World Book Day celebrations, on the 8th of March, KS2 had the privilege of meeting award winning British author Abiola Bello. We learned many things about her journey into the writing world and discovered the many challenges she faced including being told “NO” by many publishing houses before she was finally published. As part of this exciting workshop, KS2 created their own exciting stories following on from their brainstorming session with Abiola.
SCIENCE DAY: GROWING FOR GOLD
On Friday 11th March, we were fortunate enough to welcome Rosie from ‘As Creative’s Educational Workshops to lead our Science Day. Rosie started the day with a thought provoking assembly introducing the children to the concept of ‘Growing Gold’ ideas in response to combatting global warming. This introduction was followed with a workshop tailored to each year group; Year 6 began the day by debating action needed by government bodies to address climate change in both the UK and affected countries globally. Across the school our approach to climate change was explored; and through a mix of drama, quizzes and debates the children were challenged to consider how they can play an active role in making positive changes.
I learnt a lot of new things from Rosie. My favourite part was acting out the different types of transport that we should take instead of using the car, as they are not good for the environment. – Wilhelmina, St Gerard
My favourite part of the workshop was acting out the different scenes to show how a can is recycled. – Isaac, St Elizabeth
We found our session fun and interactive. We learnt that it is better to support our local shops, where we can buy local produce. – Dave and Peggy, St Francis of Assisi
I found my workshop informative and it got me thinking about changing my shopping habits. We should buy things that last longer, for example: Rather than buying plastic toys, we should buy wooden ones as plastic has one use. – Chukwubuoyim, St Peter
I was shocked to learn that every 3 seconds a tree is cut down. In Year 6 we agreed that humans need to do more to keep our planet healthy and safe for future generations. – Jerry, Oscar Romero
Supporting maths learning at home
White Rose Maths has created a new 1-Minute Maths app that helps pupils to build greater number confidence and fluency. It’s all about targeted practice in engaging, one-minute chunks. This app will enable you to support your children with subitising, addition and subtraction at home.
Please search 'White Rose 1 minute maths' in your app store to download, or visit this link: https://whiterosemaths.com/resources/1-minute-maths
Maths Week
We combined out Maths and Art Lessons this week for Maths Week! We used geometry skills to create these optical illusions! The main maths skill that we used was measuring. We had to be very accurate with our rulers! It was great fun and we feel proud of our creations!
