The curriculum in these years follows but goes far beyond the National Curriculum. In small classes, the children are taught the core subjects as well as French, history, geography and religious education. There are also weekly sessions of music, art, design technology, PE, swimming, ICT and twice-weekly sessions of team games. Children in Year 6 also have the opportunity to study either Latin or Spanish. Children are placed into one of four sets according to their mathematics and English abilities. This allows the teachers to extend the more able and give those who need the support they require to ensure that the basics of numeracy and literacy are firmly established.

The School Day

We offer an optional Breakfast Club from 7.30 – 8.15am. At the end of Breakfast Club the children will go to their classrooms.

Children not using Breakfast Club can be brought to school between 8.00am and 8.20am every day, where a member of staff will welcome them on the drive as part of our kiss and drop system.  Registration takes place from 8.25am.

The end of the day is at 4.25 pm.   Parents can also book Extended Day, which runs until 6pm.

Curriculum

Each term, parents are given the curriculum plan. These will show parents any topics or themes that term and means that they can help reinforce learning at home.

In Upper School, pupils are taught English in ability sets, providing smaller groups with further opportunities to extend, enrich and support the child’s individual learning.  Typically, sets contain between 10 and 18 pupils.  Children can move between sets according to their level of progress, attainment and confidence. We also encourage children to become enthusiastic, independent and effective readers. They are introduced to a wide range of literature through independent and shared reading and given the opportunity to read for their own pleasure as well as to seek out information. Pupils are taught to develop, organise and express their ideas for a variety of purposes, including diaries, letters, reports, essays, stories, poems and reviews. The pupils are guided in their ability to organise and structure their writing, use paragraphs, punctuation and grammar correctly and develop their vocabulary and accurate spelling. Our teaching in Upper School also prepares pupils for their schooling beyond St Piran's through interviews and exam practice for secondary school examinations.

St Piran’s School Mathematics Department provides every pupil with an opportunity to benefit from mathematical experiences, helping them acquire the skills and understanding required for other subjects studied and everyday life. It reflects the essential role mathematics plays in education and encourages a positive attitude amongst pupils to foster self-confidence and a sense of achievement. In addition, the St Piran’s Mathematics Department acknowledges each child's individual learning strengths and needs, promoting an appreciation of mathematics both for itself and for its usefulness, giving pupils the confidence to communicate in mathematical terms.

Science is taught through cross-curricular topics to ensure engagement and an appreciation of how all the subjects connect. Years 5 and 6 are taught by a specialist science teacher in purpose-built labs.

Tutor Point

At St Piran's, all teachers strive to cater to the unique needs of each child. However, it's natural that children may require extra assistance at some point during their academic journey, be it educational, social, or emotional.

Educational Scaffolding

Learning support at St Piran's, known as Tutor Point, is the scaffolding with which we support students who need help to understand new ideas and concepts, giving them a deeper understanding of a subject or topic. This scaffolding is provided by an experienced, fully qualified team who work with our teachers to devise strategies for use in the classroom. Should a child require more specific intervention, we offer individual or group lessons in literacy, numeracy and study skills. A trained school's Pastoral Team member works with children with emotional or behavioural problems.