Curriculum Statement

At Earlham Primary School, ‘Kindness’ is the thread that runs through everything we do. We nurture a love of learning in which every child feels safe, known and inspired to achieve highly—academically, socially and personally. Our curriculum is ambitious, outward-looking and designed around the needs, interests and aspirations of our children and community.

We aim to provide children with:

A rich, coherent and connected curriculum that enables meaningful links across subjects and experiences, reflecting our local context and the wider world.
A creative approach that sparks curiosity and challenge, encouraging children to ask questions, think deeply and express themselves with confidence.
Full and ambitious coverage of the National Curriculum and EYFS—in knowledge, skills and understanding—extended through purposeful enrichment.
Carefully sequenced knowledge within and across subjects so that learning is revisited, deepened and secured over time.
Strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, transferable across the curriculum and applicable to real-life contexts, with a deliberate focus on vocabulary and oracy.
Motivation to learn through varied pedagogies and rich experiences—making full use of indoor and outdoor environments, local places of interest and cultural opportunities.
Stretch and support through challenges that build collaboration, independence and resilience, underpinned by ‘Perseverance’ and ‘Kindness’ in the way we encourage and celebrate effort.
Personal development and well-being, enabling children to understand and manage their emotions, communicate clearly and develop healthy relationships—rooted in ‘Respect’.
Active citizenship, developing the skills, attitudes and values to contribute positively to our community and the wider world, showing ‘Tolerance’ and inclusion in words and action.

Implementation

Our curriculum balances breadth with depth, prioritising secure understanding and mastery before moving on. Subject-specific knowledge and ways of thinking are taught explicitly, while well-planned links help children build powerful, connected knowledge over time.

Subjects taught: All children study the core subjects (English, Mathematics, Science) and foundation subjects (Computing, Design & Technology, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, Physical Education, Art & Design, History, Geography).
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): The curriculum covers all 7 areas of learning through a language-rich, play-based approach, with continuous provision and targeted adult interactions that build early knowledge, skills and independence.
PSHE and RSHE: Children receive a bespoke, age-appropriate statutory provision that promotes well-being, healthy relationships, inclusion and safeguarding.
Homework: Set regularly and purposefully across the year to reinforce core skills, promote reading for pleasure and involve families in learning projects.

Inclusive planning and teaching principles—we hold our children in mind by ensuring:

Every learner’s uniqueness, needs and interests are valued, with equitable, adaptive teaching that removes barriers to learning.
Coherent long- and medium-term planning with clear knowledge progression, opportunities to revisit prior learning and build schema.
Subject-specific pedagogies and modelled sequences (explanation, modelling, guided practice, independent application) with explicit vocabulary and oracy development.
A range of approaches (e.g. direct instruction, inquiry, practical exploration, outdoor learning, collaborative tasks), chosen for purpose and adapted for access.
Consolidation through experiences such as educational visits, workshops, visitors, artefacts, high-quality texts and a range of clubs.
Ongoing assessment that informs teaching, with feedback that is ‘kind’, specific and actionable.
Calm, nurturing routines and restorative approaches that reflect ‘Kindness’ and ‘Respect’, ensuring every child feels safe and ready to learn.

We continuously evaluate and refine our curriculum to ensure it remains challenging, creative and responsive to our community.

Impact

By the end of Key Stage 2, children will leave Earlham Primary School with secure foundations across the curriculum and the character to thrive in the next stage of their education and life. They will:

Kindness: Act with compassion and care, making positive choices that help others and strengthen our community.
Respect: Communicate clearly—listening and speaking with courtesy—and value different perspectives, identities and beliefs.
Responsibility: Take ownership of their learning, behaviour and well-being; set goals; act safely and ethically (including online).
Perseverance: Show resilience and optimism—embracing challenge, learning from mistakes and striving for excellence.
Tolerance: Demonstrate inclusion and global awareness, understanding their role in shaping a fairer, sustainable world.

Academically, children will:

Achieve well against the expectations of the National Curriculum by the end of KS1 and KS2.
Read widely and with understanding, write with clarity and purpose, and apply mathematical knowledge confidently in a range of contexts.
Build secure disciplinary knowledge—thinking like a historian, scientist, artist, geographer, technologist and musician.
Take pride in their work, present it with care and recognise the progress they have made.

Above all, they will be confident, curious and independent learners—ready for secondary school and ready to contribute positively to the world.