Our Curriculum
Two key elements of our curriculum are the “stunning starters”, which take place at the beginning of each topic. Teachers plan activities that spark curiosity and excitement from the very beginning, and the “fantastic finish” that each topic builds toward at the end. Topics are designed to be flexible, allowing them to take unexpected directions if children’s interests lead the way. Throughout every topic — and across the year — teachers ensure that essential skills in reading, writing, and maths remain a top priority.
Each topic is carefully planned using road maps, which outline the skills and key questions children will answer and develop during the half-term or term. Every lesson includes differentiated learning outcomes to meet the needs of all learners, ensuring that every child is supported and challenged appropriately. Progression across the school is closely monitored to ensure that each year group provides the right level of challenge for its pupils.
Although the content of the curriculum is set by the government and statutory assessments will continue to be prescribed, schools have the freedom to assess the skills acquired in each subject, at each stage of learning, in ways they feel are most appropriate.
At Larwood School, we place a strong emphasis on ensuring essential coverage, clear learning objectives, and high standards across all subjects. We also monitor progress carefully, including personal development, to support every child’s growth.
A key principle of our approach is the importance of developing depth in children’s learning. This means providing greater cognitive challenge and encouraging pupils to apply the skills they have learned independently in a variety of contexts. Rather than moving on to the next skill too quickly, we focus on ensuring a deeper understanding first.
At Larwood School, we aim to challenge our children to become independent, well-rounded individuals who take ownership of their learning and develop as deep thinkers. We want them to have the skills and confidence to explore, discover, and seek out knowledge. Many of our pupils have had negative experiences of education in the past, so our approach is intentionally designed to re-engage them and foster a love of learning. Ultimately, we want our children to be able to apply their knowledge and skills in a wide range of contexts, both in school and in real-life situations.
How will our children be assessed?
At Larwood School, we use our own in-house assessment tools that are fully aligned with the National Curriculum. These tools allow us to track pupils’ progress accurately across all subjects, ensuring that learning objectives are met and that every child is supported and challenged appropriately. Our approach provides flexibility for teachers to assess both knowledge and skills in a meaningful way, while maintaining consistency with national expectations.
How will I know If My Child is making Progress?
We believe that clear communication with parents is essential. At Larwood School, your child’s progress is monitored regularly through a combination of ongoing classroom assessments and more formal checks to ensure that each child is developing the knowledge, skills, and understanding expected for their age. You will receive regular updates through reports and parent meetings, where we share your child’s achievements, areas for development, and next steps. Our goal is to provide a complete picture of progress, so you can feel confident that your child is being supported and challenged appropriately.
All learning will be grouped into three milestones:
- Throughout Y1 and Y2, children will be assessed on the concepts contained in milestone 1.
- During Y3 and Y4, children will be assessed on the concepts contained in milestone 2.
- Finally, in Y5 and Y6 children will be assessed on milestone 3.
The Essentials Curriculum
All children begin each milestone at the ‘Basic’ level. At this level they are acquiring new skills and are dependent upon the support of adults in order to learn new concepts. A child at the ‘Basic’ level will be able to: name, describe, follow instructions, use, match, recognise, label and recall concepts and skills, essential in a specific milestone. This is compared with the analogy of “Paddling”, which we share with the children.
Once children are able to demonstrate this ability on multiple occasions, they move to the ‘Advancing’ stage. They are now more independent learners, capable of making some degree of decision whilst applying some of their skills with guidance. Typically, they are able to: explain, classify, infer meaning, make predictions, interpret, summarise and apply their skills to solve problems. We compare this with “Snorkelling”.
Finally, some children may reach the ‘Deep’ level of thinking. This involves a high level of cognitive challenge, where children are expected to apply their skills in a range of complex contexts without the guidance of adults. At this stage, children are able to: solve non-routine problems, appraise, explain concepts, hypothesise, investigate, design and prove. This is compared with “Diving”.