Our Curriculum Intent
At Primrose Hill Primary School we aim to provide a holistic and creative curriculum which maximises opportunities for meaningful cross-curricular links and purposeful learning experiences. We introduce our children to a breadth and wealth of subject specific knowledge and support them to develop the cognitive skills and expertise required to map out, manipulate and extend that knowledge in an ever-changing world. Our teachers are responsive to their individual children’s needs and interests, whilst working within a detailed progression framework of knowledge and skills that meets the scope and breadth of the National Curriculum.
Our key foci are Care, Challenge and Community.
You can find subject-specific information here (including our approach to early reading) if you scroll down further.
More Detailed Curriculum Information
Science and our Foundation Subjects
Knowledge & Skills Progression maps in English and for our Approach to Early Reading
Maths Progression Maps
For information about the stages and ages across the school and how the learning is organised, see the below. Our classes are named after British woodland creatures
Early Years Foundation Stage
In the EYFS we follow the new 2021 ‘Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum’ document. The children’s learning experiences are planned to enable them to develop and achieve through play and investigative learning experiences in the early learning areas. The EYFS curriculum is planned for the inside, and outside classrooms and equal importance is given to learning in both areas. The curriculum is planned in a cross-curricular way to enable all aspects of the children’s development.
All EYFS classes, Tadpoles, Froglets and Ladybirds, follow a 2-year rolling cycle of topics as the basis for learning experiences.
Class groups can, however, follow topics more suitable to their cohorts or that the children themselves show enthusiasm and fascination in. Teachers ensure that there is an equal balance across the areas of learning when they do this during their PPA time. The EYFS teaching staff share a weekly PPA session where learning pathways can be discussed and modified as required. The characteristics of effective learning are viewed as an integral part of all areas of learning and are reflected in our observations of children. The half-termly topics are also enriched through the following of whole school initiatives such as ‘Everybody Writes’ events and Anti-Bullying Week during the academic year. EYFS’s Physical Development experiences are enriched through weekly specialist sessions led by the PE team. EYFS children also receive specialist Music provision weekly and Nursery & Reception have weekly Italian lessons with our specialist MfL teacher.
Phonics and the Reading Process
We use a mixture of ‘real’ and ‘levelled’ books to teach reading and phonics from the outset. The whole class Phonics is taught systematically across Nursery, Reception and Key Stage 1 every day following the government-recommended programme of Little Wandle. This promotes a fun, pacey, multi-sensory, rigorous, systematic approach to teaching phonics, regular guided reading, and carefully levelled books.
Guided reading is prioritised across YR – Y6, including whole class and elements of reciprocal reading in Upper Key Stage 2. From Y4 onwards, we have introduced the Reading Challenge, where children work through a range of high-quality texts, which will consolidate the many reading skills needed to achieve well and be a confident and successful reader. Investing in high-quality and rich texts to teach the English Curriculum across the school continues to be a priority.
Key Stage 1
This consists of Year 1 and Year 2. From Year 1 we, as all schools, follow the National Curriculum. This comprises eleven subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, Computing, History, Geography, Art and Design, Music, Design and Technology, Physical Education and Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education.
We aim to ensure that children have a gradual and supportive transition into Key Stage 1, building on the mix of self-directed and adult-initiated learning in EYFS.
Our Key Stage 1 topics include – Space, Who am I and who are you?, The Wonders of Water, Superhero Changemakers, London Now & Then, India, Puppetry and Explorers! Subjects are woven into these topics to make meaningful links.
Phonics and the Reading Process
Whole class Phonics is taught systematically across Nursery, Reception and Key Stage 1 every day following the government validated programme of Little Wandle. This promotes a fun, pacey, multi sensory, rigorous and systematic approach to teaching phonics along with regular guided reading and carefully chosen books.
Guided reading is prioritised across YR – Y6, including elements of reciprocal reading in Upper Key Stage 2. From Y4 onwards, we have introduced the Reading Challenge, where children work their way through a range of high quality texts which will consolidate the many reading skills needed to achieve well and to be a confident and successful reader.
The investment of high quality and rich texts to teach the English Curriculum across the school. In addition, the promotion of grammar and technical accuracy through our ‘List of Magic’ and and a focus on drama, oracy and presentation.
Key Stage 2
We continue to follow a topic based approach in Key Stage 2, making links between subjects, continuing to be creative with topic choices, following children’s interests or events which are happening locally, nationally and globally; and further developing work on oracy and speaking and listening.
In Key Stage 2, we introduce Reading Challenges to enrich children’s reading range and vocabulary, Maths challenges to accelerate children’s mathematical fluency.
