We aim to provide the children with a full, rich and vibrant curriculum. Much of the teaching is done through practical activities, as we find the children learn and remember more when they are actively doing something rather than reading about it.
The school broadly follows The National Curriculum in England (see their website >here<). This is a balanced and broad curriculum which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
This section of our website provides more information about the different areas of the curriculum; please contact the school for specific information about any aspect of study if you require more details.
The National Curriculum is organised in Key Stages. Key Stage One is for children in Years 1 and 2. These children are taught in a mixed age class, Ash Class. Key Stage Two is for children from Year 3 to Year 6. These children are taught in two mixed age classes, Oak and Beech Classes. We also have children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and accept children from the term after they turn 3 years old. Our EYFS classroom is Willow Class. In all the classes the curriculum is delivered using a variety of teaching methods: whole class, small group and individual. We are particularly fortunate to have the Lin Cooper Practical Skills building on site, and this is used by children in a wide range of ways as they enhance their learning through practical work.
Literacy
In our Early Years and Key Stage One, we teach phonics and early reading through a scheme called Read Write Inc. (RWI). For this, the children are taught in small groups by specially trained staff. The children are grouped by ability, and moved on rapidly in their learning, and this gives them the basic skills and teaches them how to read.
Our results for early literacy are consistently above national and local averages.
Writing is taught across the school using The Write Stuff .
The Write Stuff uses teaching sequences that slide between experience days and sentence stacking letters. With modelling at the heart of them, the sentence stacking lessons are broken into bite- sized chunks and taught under the structural framework of The Writing Rainbow.
Teachers prepare children for writing by modelling the ideas, grammar or techniques of writing.
We have a two year rolling programme from Years 1-6 that introduces a variety of texts from different genres of fiction and non-fiction. These texts provide strong examples of writing which inspire children to create their own independent pieces.
More information about Read Write Inc.
List of sounds to learn with your child
Mathematics
Our approach to mathematics is clear. We endeavour to equip all pupils with a life-long enthusiasm and curiosity for mathematics. By the time children leave our school we aim that they are confident problem solvers, that they have gained fluency in facts that they can use in a flexible and adaptable way, and that they can reason using understanding and logic. We believe that these tools will not only enable them to use mathematics specifically but are transferable skills that will increase their life chances and opportunities. We follow the White Rose Maths scheme, and have support from the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Maths Hub, including staff development and training. Children in the lower part of the school also benefit from maths mastery sessions which are designed to achieve fluency in basic skills.
Other subjects
Science is taught on a two-year rolling programme to ensure that all children acquire the essential investigative skills alongside the factual knowledge needed. There is a big focus on practical work, and outdoor learning is a key feature of that, including frequent visits to Forest School.
Sport is taught by the class teachers, our sports coach and by visiting specialists. We are fortunate to have visits from teachers from the North Oxfordshire School Sports Partnership (NOSSP). Swimming is taught to children from Year 3 upwards. NOSSP also gives us access to inter-school sport events and these are arranged throughout the year for different year groups.
Music is taught by a specialist teacher right from the start. Children sing frequently, both in music lessons and in collective worship. Each child takes part in a dramatic production (with songs) at least once each year, and different classes have the opportunity to lead services in the church.
Cookery is taught in small groups throughout the year. Each child from Year 1 upwards usually has fifteen lessons per year, delivered in weekly blocks.
Most other subjects are taught through topic work. We are careful to ensure that skills in each area are developed in an age-appropriate way, but the subjects are blended together. During 2024-25 we are using Year A of the two year cycle.
If you need more information about any aspect of what the children are learning, please contact the school office.
- Nursery and Reception progression of skills
- Year 1/2 long term curriculum map
- Year 3/4 long term curriculum map
- Year 5/6 long term curriculum map
For detailed plans, please click below.
For more information about individual subjects, including our approach to each subject, please click below:
- Science
- Geography
- History
- Art, Design and Technology
- Computing
- Music
- Religious Education
- Physical Education
- French
- Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education
- Forest School
We also provide a daily act of collective worship.
To find out more about the curriculum and how we teach it, please contact your child’s class teacher or the office staff.