Curriculum overview

Please scroll down to the end of the page for further information about specific subjects.

Intent

At Brightwalton C.E. Primary School, our curriculum is designed to be ambitious, inclusive and rooted in our Christian vision of “Shining a Light.” We want every child to experience a rich education that stimulates curiosity, develops knowledge and skills progressively, and enables them to flourish academically, socially and spiritually.

Our curriculum ensures that pupils:

• Develop secure foundations in reading, writing and mathematics.

• Build cumulative knowledge across all subjects through carefully sequenced learning.

• Understand and appreciate their local community while developing awareness of the wider world.

• Gain respect for diversity, difference and the beliefs of others.

• Develop resilience, creativity and independence through problem-solving and reflective thinking.

• Learn how to stay safe and contribute positively to society.

We are ambitious for every pupil. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may be disadvantaged, are supported to access the full curriculum and achieve well. Our approach reflects the national ambition for inclusive mainstream education, ensuring that support is timely, adaptive and centred on high expectations.

Implementation

Teachers have secure subject knowledge and present new learning clearly and systematically. Lessons are structured to build on prior learning so that knowledge and skills are developed progressively over time.

Teachers:

• Anticipate and address misconceptions through effective questioning and discussion.

• Use assessment purposefully within lessons and over time to check understanding and inform next steps.

• Provide feedback that supports improvement and deepens learning.

• Model high standards of spoken and written English across the curriculum.

Early reading is prioritised. Phonics is taught systematically and consistently, alongside the development of language comprehension and communication skills. This ensures that pupils become confident and fluent readers.

Teaching is adaptive and inclusive. Staff use high-quality, evidence-informed strategies to make learning accessible for all pupils. Adjustments and scaffolds are provided where appropriate so that pupils with additional needs can access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Where further support is required, plans are developed in partnership with families and reviewed regularly to ensure provision is effective.

As a small school, we know our pupils well. This enables us to respond quickly to emerging needs while maintaining high expectations for all learners.

Impact

The impact of our curriculum is reflected in pupils’ outcomes, attitudes and readiness for the next stage of education.

As a result of our curriculum:

• Pupils demonstrate secure and connected knowledge across subjects.

• Reading is fluent and confident, enabling pupils to access the full curriculum.

• Pupils articulate their learning clearly and use subject-specific vocabulary accurately.

• Work in books shows progression over time.

• Pupils with SEND access learning successfully and make progress from their starting points.

• Behaviour for learning is positive and pupils show resilience when challenged.

• Pupils develop confidence, responsibility and respect for others.

Leaders evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum through:

• Regular review of pupils’ work over time.

• Structured pupil discussions about learning.

• Ongoing assessment and analysis of outcomes.

• Monitoring and support from governors.

These processes ensure that curriculum decisions remain focused on improving outcomes for pupils.