Curriculum

Our Butleigh Curriculum Intent

It is our intention to build the foundations of lifelong learners by developing children’s curiosity, creativity and strive for them to be active participants in their learning.

We have created a four year whole school curriculum which is based on a lead learning question which is different in each class. We teach the skills and knowledge throughout the half term to ensure that the children are able to answer the key question. This includes teaching children the discipline knowledge (how to be a historian) and the substantive knowledge (key facts about a specific area e.g. The Egyptian’s built the pyramids in Egypt) that children should learn within each discrete subject area.

Our curriculum is progressive so children will learn more complex skills and knowledge as they move through the key stages. Our school vision and values are threaded through our curriculum enabling children to aspire to be their best self in all areas

How we Implement our Intent

We enrich our curriculum with real experiences which allow children to develop their learning behaviours to become successful learners and focus on promoting our core values-respect, cooperation, courage, perseverance, kindness, truth & honesty. Within our 4 year cycle, we use a range of engaging topics which cover the National Curriculum objectives and demonstrate examples of our core values.

Respect – We support all children to develop their own ideas, and we listen carefully to every voice. We model and promote respect so that everyone feels valued and heard.
Cooperation – We help children learn to work together—discussing, exploring, and investigating all areas of the curriculum as a team. Through collaborative learning, they discover the power of shared ideas.
Courage – We encourage children to take risks in their learning and challenge themselves. Our well‑planned curriculum supports them to be brave, try new things, and grow in confidence.
Perseverance – We provide a wide range of engaging and stimulating experiences that motivate children to keep trying, even when learning feels challenging. We celebrate effort and progress.
Kindness – We promote kindness across the curriculum by helping children recognise and celebrate acts of kindness, both in the classroom and beyond. We encourage them to show empathy and care towards others.
Truth and Honesty – We model and teach the importance of honesty by sharing experiences, stories, and learning opportunities that help children understand why truthfulness builds trust and strong relationships.

We are very fortunate to have wonderful grounds including a playing field, a pond, two playgrounds and forest school area and experienced staff which enhance our curriculum.

All children will have at least one-half term of forest school coordinated by our Forest School leader, Mrs Higdon.