Whole School Curriculum Statement

Key Stage One and Two Curriculum Statement

Our Vision

At Watling Meadows Primary School, our curriculum is designed to nurture, grow and aspire. Rooted in our core aim of inclusion, we believe that every child, regardless of background, need or starting point, is entitled to a rich, ambitious and engaging curriculum that enables them to flourish academically, socially and emotionally.

Our curriculum is underpinned by the Trust values of Collaboration, Equity, Aspiration and Trust. Through these values, we ensure that learning is meaningful, coherent and empowering, preparing all pupils confidently for their next educational steps and for life beyond school.

Intent

Our intent is to provide an inclusive, knowledge-rich and skills-based curriculum that excites curiosity, fosters a love of learning and raises aspirations for all children. This is underpinned by our curriculum ex-factor: Excite, Experience, Expertise, Extend and Excel, which ensures learning is engaging, purposeful and progressively ambitious for every pupil.

We aim to:

  • Place inclusion at the heart of everything we do, ensuring high expectations and appropriate support so that all pupils can access, participate in and succeed within the curriculum.
  • Deliver a curriculum that is ambitious and aspirational, enabling pupils to build strong foundations in core knowledge while developing transferable skills such as critical thinking, resilience and creativity.
  • Promote equity by recognising and responding to individual needs, reducing barriers to learning and ensuring fairness of opportunity for every child.
  • Support pupils to become confident, reflective learners who are well prepared for the next stage of their education, whatever their age or starting point.

‘Ex Factor’ Curriculum Drivers - Summary

Excite

Experience

Expertise

Extend

Excel

Inspired and enthusiastic to learn through engaging sequences of lessons, each of which builds on prior knowledge, promoting high aspirations

High quality experiential opportunities and support that develop children’s cultural capital and further build and embed their schemas, ensuring equity for all

Focus on teaching the basic skills such as phonics, reading, oracy and maths, ensuring children become ‘experts’

Build on prior knowledge. 

Focus on core knowledge.

Revisit and embed in long term memory with quizzes, books etc.

Understand what is needed and produce high quality pieces of work in order to feel successful and proud and achieve to their full potential.

 

Our curriculum is informed by research-based pedagogy, including:

  • The importance of sequenced knowledge and cumulative learning, enabling pupils to make connections and deepen understanding over time.
  • The role of oracy, vocabulary development and reading as gateways to learning across all subjects.
  • The impact of metacognition, retrieval practice and feedback in supporting long-term learning and independence.

Through this, we aim for children to leave Watling Meadows as enthusiastic learners who aspire to achieve their best and believe in their own potential.

Implementation

Our curriculum is implemented through collaborative, inclusive and carefully structured teaching, ensuring consistency, progression and high-quality learning experiences across the school.

Key features of our implementation include:

  • A well-sequenced curriculum that clearly identifies essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary, building progressively from Early Years through to Year 6.
  • Teaching approaches that are adaptive and responsive, ensuring that learning is accessible for all pupils, including those with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those who require additional challenge.
  • A strong emphasis on collaboration: teachers work together to plan, review and refine the curriculum, drawing on professional dialogue and shared expertise.
  • High-quality classroom practice that values modelling, scaffolding, purposeful talk and questioning, enabling pupils to deepen understanding and articulate their thinking.
  • Opportunities for enrichment and real-life experiences that bring learning to life, spark curiosity and broaden horizons.

Our school values of Nurture, Grow and Aspire are embedded through:

  • A nurturing environment where pupils feel safe, respected and trusted.
  • Learning experiences that promote personal growth, confidence and independence.
  • High expectations and encouragement that inspire pupils to aim high and take pride in their achievements.

Our Commitment

At Watling Meadows Primary School, we are committed to a curriculum that puts children first, values inclusion and equity, and inspires aspiration. Through trust, collaboration and high-quality teaching, we ensure that every child is supported to nurture their potential, grow in confidence and aspire to achieve their very best.