Religious Education & Collective Worship
The school is affiliated to Quaker traditions and this plays an important part in the Religious Education of the children.The R.E. curriculum aims to:-

1. develop the children’s knowledge and awareness of themselves and of their place in society
2. encourage the exploration of how significant events are celebrated and observed
3. begin to develop their understanding about different
   religions as well as the Christian faith

Latin, French and German
Children undertake a programme of Latin in year 5, German in year 6 and French from nursery onwards.  We provide a range of activities which develop their language and communication skills.

Sex Education
The school presents a programme of sex education teaching, appropriate to the age of the children.  The approach we use is as follows:-           
Years 3, 4 & 5 Children’s questions relating to reproduction and sexual development will be answered sensitively according to the context in which the questions arise.
Year 6 There will be more direct teaching by Bootham School nursing staff to discuss reproduction and the sexual changes that lead to maturity in makes and females.  Children will be reassured about the changes that occur at puberty.  At all times, nurses and teachers will strive to share only that amount of information which is appropriate to the majority of the children.

Homework
We encourage children to undertake additional work and activities which will support their school work.  More regular, formally set homework, begins when children reach the end of the Infant stage (year 2).

Special Needs
We aim to meet the needs of all of our children in school and have rigorous procedures to identify and meet the needs of children with special educational needs.
Parents will be consulted whenever there are any concerns about their children’s academic or personal progress.  In the same way, if parents have any worries about the development of their child, please discuss your concerns with us – sometimes a little intervention at an early stage can prevent problems form escalating.
Support is given to the children by the dedicated Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), Teaching Staff, and Learning Support Assistants.

The more able child
The school has developed a system to identify and nurture the more able child.  Children who are very able will have a variety of provision made for them.  This could include extension work in relevant subjects, working on projects or activities which will develop their skills further.  There is a bank of resources in school to help teachers plan individual programmes of work to support and develop the abilities of more able children.

Finally …
This information has been produced to provide you with some essential information.  Please do not hesitate to visit us, if you have further questions.  We will always be very happy to help you.

The school’s aim is to provide an interesting, exciting and rich environment in which the children are stimulated and motivated to learn.

English
As children develop their language skills, they increase their ability to communicate.  A high priority is given to the development of speaking and listening and extending reading, writing, spelling, handwriting, grammar and punctuation.  The development of these skills is vital and forms the basis of communication across all areas of the curriculum.

Mathematics
The extension of skills involved in mental agility, computation and an increasing knowledge of multiplication tables are important aspects of Mathematics.  In all of our classes, we differentiate lessons to meet the needs of each child.

Science
Skills in observation, prediction, investigation and research, form the basis of our Science programme of study.  Through the range of topics we cover, children are encouraged to use logic, pose questions, form theories and draw conclusions from their findings.

Information Communication Technology
As well as having a computer suite and computers in every classroom, there are interactive whiteboards throughout the school.  Our network of PCs which run a wide variety of programs include word-processing, graphics, presentations and data handling.Working with computers gives children the opportunity to learn skills which can further enhance their ICT capability and learning across the curriculum.

History
Through History, children will learn about the development of their own community, of Britain and the world, by the study of historical events.  We organise visits both into York and further afield on a regular basis.  Children are encouraged to develop a sense of identity and an understanding of various interpretations of the past.

Geography
Children will be helped to develop an understanding and awareness of their local environment and that of the world.  Through personal experience, field study and the use of maps, photographs and pictures, the children will begin to understand and appreciate the world in which they live.  We visit a variety of locations with different year groups throughout the school year, to enrich the Geography curriculum.

Design Technology
Work in this area involves identifying and solving problems.  Children design and make a variety of objects linked to their topic work.  They make plans to design and improve their models and have experience of using a wide variety of tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner.

Music
Our musical tradition is a particular strength of the school and one which we highly value.  The Music curriculum offers a balanced programme of activities with an emphasis upon listening and performance.Children learn about pitch and rhythm and will learn to read music in Year 2 when they are taught to play the recorder.We have a number of visiting peripatetic music teachers and musicians teaching a range of orchestral instruments.  Many children learn a musical instrument and work towards graded examinations.The choir and orchestra are well established ensembles that give a number of performances during the year.

Art
Bootham Junior School encourages artistic expression by using different projects to enable the children to develop their individual, creative abilities.We teach different artistic techniques and styles and help children to appreciate and understand the work of famous artists in different periods of history.A wide range of materials are available for their work, to create both 2D pictures and 3D models, collages and friezes.  We always display our children’s work of which they are quite rightly, very proud.

Physical Education
A broad and balanced programme of activities incorporating elements of games, gymnastics, dance, swimming, athletics, and outdoor and adventurous activities are provided throughout the Infant and Junior years.Our school provides numerous sporting experiences for children both within the curriculum and as an extra curricular activities.  Children can participate in a variety of sporting fixtures throughout the year.  Our many sporting extra curricular activities include:  netball, football, judo, short tennis, basketball, ballet, running and swimming.Our aim is to develop the full potential of each individual and to encourage their knowledge, skills and understanding of personal fitness and in sport out of school.
Children in yrs 2 – 6 have weekly swimming lessons throughout the academic year.