There are some elements of the National Curriculum which we feel are best taught outside of the themed learning journeys.

Music

All our children enjoy music and from Reception upwards have the opportunity to sing and play musical instruments. Listening and appreciating music composed in the past and present from a variety of cultures is also part of the music curriculum.  This year, Year 3 will also take part in the Barnet Wider Opportunities project and will learn the African Drums.

From year 2 onwards children have an option to play an instrument. They can receive lessons from the borough’s Instrumental Teaching Service and there is a charge for these lessons. If the places available are oversubscribed then children’s names can go on the waiting list. More details of lessons are available on request.

Physical Education

Physical Education is so important in all our lives. On a daily basis at Monkfrith we try to use physical education and activity to help both children and adults develop healthy lifestyles and choices.

PE at Monkfrith aims to provide all children with a range of opportunities to learn, practise and use a wide variety of skills that challenge and extend children’s physical and mental development. Throughout the year all children have the opportunity to experience gymnastics, athletics, games, dance, drama and swimming(Year 4 only). On top of this, our school offers many lunch time and after school clubs that encourage physical activity and fun. Some of the clubs we are currently offering are: fit for fun, dance, gymnastics, football (KS1 & 2), netball, multi-sports, table tennis and cricket.

Physical education is not limited to PE lessons at monkfrith either. Through our creative curriculum that we follow at Monkfrith, our teachers are regularly incorporating healthy lifestyle learning into classroom lessons through topics such as: science, PSHE, maths, literacy and design and technology. Teachers are consistently promoting physical education and sport as a way of  helping to keep you fit through a balanced and healthy diet and regular exercise.

We aim to attend a number of inter and intra competitions, tournaments and festivals throughout the school year and have a strong link with the Barnet Partnership for School Sport.

PE Lessons

In line with the National Standards, all children are expected to participate in a minimum of 2 hours of Physical Education each week.

Currently our school employs and external coaching agent, Non-Stop Action, who deliver 1 hour of Games Based PE lessons, as well as some Gymnastics and Dance lessons. Class teachers teach the remaining one hour.

KS1

In KS1 it is expected that children should be developing fundamental movement skills and have opportunities to become increasingly more competent and confident within themselves. Tat Monkfrith they have access to a range of opportunities and experiences to help extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. In KS1 they will begin to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.

KS2 

In KS2 children continue to apply and develop a range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and begin to use their skills to create sequences of movement. They will continue to enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other and develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports. An important part of our PE lessons at Monkfrith concentrate on children learning how to reflect, evaluate and recognise their own success. Clear learning objectives and key vocabulary is given at the beginning of each lesson and referred to throughout.

It is expected that all children have a full PE kit of t-shirt/shorts, socks and plimsolls.

Please view the PE page of our website for further information, dates of trials and competitions and photographs of PE at Monkfrith.

For further information regarding the PE curriculum please follow the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/425601/PRIMARY_national_curriculum.pdf

Religious Education/Assembly

There is an assembly every day where children have an opportunity to reflect on many different moral issues concerning us all today. Tolerance and a caring attitude towards others are stressed and valued.

Festivals, celebrations, stories and customs from all religions are included in assemblies and also within class teaching. Parents are entitled to withdraw their children from RE and Collective Worship by prior arrangement with the Headteacher.

Health And Sex Education

The children learn about personal hygiene, nutrition and the human body through their usual studies. Sex Education is taught in Year 5 and 6. It is approached in a sensitive manner and the teaching materials used and the school’s policy is available for parents to see. A meeting is held in the spring term for parents of children in Year 5 and 6 to see the videos and books used and ask any questions they may have. The issues around drug and solvent abuse are also covered in their studies.

In PSHE, we teach children about relationships, and we encourage children to discuss the changes that happen as they grow up. We teach about the parts of the body, including the private parts, why males and females are different, and we explain to the children what will happen to their bodies during puberty. We encourage the children to ask for help if they need it. By the end of Key Stage 2, we ensure that both boys and girls know why children’s bodies change during puberty, how to manage puberty when it happens, and how babies are made and born in the context of an adult sexual relationship. We always teach this with due regard for the emotional development of the children. Under the science curriculum, teachers inform children about males and females and how a baby is born. In Key Stage 1, we teach children that animals, including humans, produce offspring, which grow into adults, and we also teach them about the main parts of the body. In Key Stage 2, we teach about life processes including reproduction and the main stages of the human life cycle, in greater depth.

Please see the Christopher Winter Project website for extra information.

Religious Education

RE is taught across the school on a regular basis, following the Barnet SACRE Scheme of Work.  Click here for an overview of the different aspects taught throughout Monkfrith.  Monkfrith RE Overview