Curriculum Intent

Curriculum Rationale

At Giles Brook, learning is at the heart of our community. Our curriculum is designed to nurture knowledgeable, curious and confident learners who flourish academically, socially and personally.

Our curriculum is the rich body of knowledge, skills and values that pupils learn and experience during their time with us. It has been carefully designed to inspire a love of learning, ignite curiosity and ensure ambition and inclusion for every child.

Our curriculum is best understood through three key questions:

Intent – What do we want our children to know and be able to do by the time they leave Giles Brook?
Implementation – How do we teach and bring our curriculum to life?
Impact – How do we know our pupils have learned and remembered the curriculum?

This page, together with our subject curriculum pages, explains how learning is planned, taught and enriched across the school.

Curriculum Intent

Our Curriculum Drivers

Community

We place relationships, belonging and community at the heart of our curriculum.

Through local partnerships, educational visits, family engagement and community projects, pupils develop respect, empathy and an understanding of how they can positively contribute to society.

Aspiration and Enrichment

We inspire pupils to become ambitious learners by providing a wide range of experiences beyond the classroom.

Educational visits, residentials, music, sport, STEM, clubs and the arts help children broaden their horizons, develop resilience and discover their talents.

Wellbeing and Personal Development

Children's wellbeing is central to everything we do.

Through our learning behaviours, personal development curriculum and wider opportunities, we develop confidence, resilience, independence and respect, preparing pupils to become responsible citizens who are ready for life beyond primary school

Our Vision at Giles Brook

At Giles Brook we aim to:

Enable every child to thrive academically, socially and personally.
Provide high-quality teaching and a rich, knowledge-based curriculum.
Inspire ambitious, confident and independent learners.
Celebrate diversity and create an inclusive school community.
Develop pupils who think critically, solve problems and enjoy learning.
Equip children with the knowledge, skills and values needed for future success.
Develop strong digital literacy and an age-appropriate understanding of artificial intelligence.

Curriculum Implementation

Our Teaching

At Giles Brook, our teaching is informed by educational research into how children learn best. Drawing on evidence about effective teaching, cognitive development and long-term memory, we create learning experiences that are engaging, purposeful and enable every child to succeed.

Our teachers:

build learning sequentially so pupils connect new knowledge to what they already know
explicitly teach and revisit ambitious vocabulary across the curriculum
use retrieval practice to strengthen long-term memory and secure learning
model new learning using the "I do, We do, You do" approach
use effective questioning and discussion to deepen thinking and check understanding
adapt teaching through ongoing assessment and timely feedback to meet the needs of all learners
maintain high expectations so every pupil is challenged and supported to achieve their full potential
build strong partnerships with parents and carers to promote positive attitudes to learning at home and at school
create calm, purposeful classrooms where pupils feel safe, confident and ready to learn.

Our Approach to Teaching

At Giles Brook, we believe every child can succeed. Our teaching is carefully planned so that learning is meaningful, builds on prior knowledge and enables every pupil to flourish.

In our classrooms, we:

make learning purposeful by helping children understand what they are learning, why it matters and how they can apply it
provide clear explanations and carefully scaffold learning before pupils practise and apply their knowledge independently
encourage pupils to Think, Talk and Do through our Magenta Principles, promoting curiosity, discussion and active participation in every lesson
provide regular opportunities for pupils to explain their thinking, solve problems and collaborate with others
continually assess understanding through questioning, observation and feedback, adapting teaching to maximise progress
celebrate learning through our half-termly Fab Finishes, giving pupils meaningful opportunities to share and showcase their achievements with families.

This approach helps children to know more, remember more and apply their learning with confidence. By developing secure knowledge, strong learning behaviours and a love of learning, we prepare our pupils for the next stage of their education and for life beyond Giles Brook.

How Our Curriculum is Organised

Our curriculum is carefully planned to ensure every child receives a broad, balanced and enriching education. Learning is sequenced so that knowledge and skills build progressively over time, helping children make connections and develop confidence in every subject.

Our curriculum includes:

A strong focus on English and Mathematics, taught every day to develop the essential skills children need for lifelong learning.
A broad and balanced range of subjects, ensuring pupils gain knowledge, skills and experiences across the whole curriculum.
Carefully sequenced learning, so children build on prior knowledge and deepen their understanding as they progress through school.
Reading at the heart of learning, enabling children to access, enjoy and succeed across the curriculum.
Ambitious vocabulary, which is explicitly taught, revisited and applied across all subjects to develop confident communicators and successful learners.
Knowledge organisers, shared with children and families to support learning both in school and at home.
Meaningful enrichment opportunities, including educational visits, visitors, performances, sporting events and community experiences that bring learning to life.

Together, these elements ensure our curriculum is engaging, ambitious and inclusive, preparing every child with the knowledge, skills and confidence to succeed both in school and beyond.

Wider Curriculum

Alongside our academic curriculum, pupils benefit from a wide range of enriching experiences including:

Educational visits and residential trips
Music tuition and performances
Sporting competitions and festivals
STEM experiences
Theatre visits
Leadership opportunities
Charity and community projects
Visitors and workshops
After-school clubs

These experiences broaden pupils' horizons and help develop confident, well-rounded individuals.

Curriculum Impact

Our school curriculum has high expectations and ambitions for all pupils. It supports all learners to shine and reach their full potential, whatever their background or starting point.

This is shown in three key areas:

Impact 1: High Standards and Progress

Pupils make strong progress from their starting points and are well supported to achieve highly. Overall, progress is above national expectations.
Learning is carefully planned so that knowledge and skills build over time. This helps pupils remember what they learn and achieve strong outcomes across the curriculum.

Impact 2: Success for All

Pupils are motivated, confident learners who consistently achieve well.
Our curriculum is designed so all pupils have the same opportunities and knowledge they need to reach their full potential, whatever their background, so they achieve as well as their peers.
Pupils with SEND are well supported and achieve strong outcomes.

Impact 3: Personal Development

Pupils are curious, engaged in their learning, and make positive choices. They consistently show our school values and positive learning behaviours in and out of the classroom.
Pupils take part in a wide range of activities, including sport, arts and music. They represent the school with confidence and show teamwork, kindness, resilience and pride in their achievements and community.
Pupils learn to make safe, responsible choices that have a positive impact on the school and the wider community.