Curriculum Intent:

At Abbeys, we are deeply committed to providing every child with a dynamic and comprehensive curriculum that not only equips them with essential knowledge and skills but also nurtures their curiosity, resilience, and aspirations for the future. Our philosophy centres on the belief that education should empower students to understand the complexities of the world they live in, appreciate its evolution over time, and confidently navigate the challenges of tomorrow.

To achieve this vision, we enrich our curriculum with a multitude of purposeful opportunities, including immersive trips, engaging workshops, interactive sessions with experts, and hands-on learning activities. These experiences are meticulously designed to offer a diverse range of perspectives and foster holistic growth amongst our students.

At the heart of our curriculum lies our school motto: AIM, ASPIRE, ACHIEVE. This guiding principle permeates every aspect of our educational approach, inspiring students to set ambitious goals, strive for excellence, and celebrate their successes.

In addition to our motto, we uphold 11 key values that serve as pillars of character development throughout the academic year. These values, including aspiration, respect, resilience, kindness, independence, and perseverance, form the moral compass of our school community and inform all aspects of our curriculum and daily interactions.

Our curriculum is meticulously structured to be broad, balanced, and inclusive. It follows a topic-based approach across a two-year rolling program, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the National Curriculum objectives while allowing for flexibility and adaptation based on individual student needs and progress.

Reading and phonics instruction are prioritised from the Foundation Stage, with a focus on early intervention and personalised support. We utilise proven methodologies such as RWI and Masterreaders to foster strong literacy skills and a love for reading amongst our students.

In English and Maths, daily lessons are supplemented with dedicated sessions for spelling, punctuation, and grammar, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of core concepts. Our adoption of the Whiterose maths scheme and a move towards mastery-based learning further enhances mathematical proficiency and problem-solving abilities.

To complement our core curriculum, we integrate specialised programs and resources such as Language Angels for Spanish, Music Express, and MK Sport's partnership PE curriculum. These initiatives not only enrich the learning experience but also alleviate teacher workload, allowing for greater focus on individual student needs.

Personal development is woven into the fabric of our curriculum through a diverse array of sessions, including mental health and well-being workshops, PSHE lessons, circle times, and outdoor activities like forest school. Targeted interventions such as cookery sessions, and therapy reading dogs provide additional support for students requiring extra assistance.

At every level, our planning is carefully crafted to ensure coherence, relevance, and effectiveness. Subject leaders play a pivotal role in supporting colleagues and driving continuous improvement, while regular reviews and reflection ensures that our curriculum remains responsive to the evolving needs and interests of our students.

In our Foundation Stage, we focus on settling the children into school learning routines and helping them to become an important member of our Abbeys community. The children are provided with a curriculum that supports them to develop their Characteristics of Effective Learning (Playing & Exploring, Active Learning and Creative & Critical Thinking) as well as learning across the seven areas of learning in line with statutory requirements (EYFS Framework). These areas are separated into the three prime areas (Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Communication & Language) and four specific areas (Literacy, Maths, Understanding the World and Expressive Art and Design).  The children learn through a mixture of adult-led inputs and a continuous provision set up, inside and outside, which is enhanced with a range of play-based activities using engaging curriculum themes. Adults join children in their play to observe, model and , where appropriate, extend their play and language. Children's interests and developmental needs are also considered when enhancements are planned each week and provision is adapted throughout the year. 

Phonics- As part of Literacy, we use the Read Write Inc phonics scheme in Foundation Stage, and through to Key Stage 2 if required. All staff are trained to ensure the consistent delivery of phonics in small groups.

To find out more about our curriculum come along to one of our curriculum parent sessions- please ask at the office for more information.