Curriculum & Learning

INSPIRE Curriculum 2025

At Shaftesbury Primary School, our curriculum is designed to ensure every child feels safe, loved, inspired and ready for the next step in their educational journey. Rooted in our belief that all pupils—particularly those who are disadvantaged—deserve the highest quality of education and the strongest foundations for future success, our curriculum brings together the Cornerstones Curriculum, its Big Ideas, and our evidence-informed Shaftesbury Primary Teaching and Learning Principles, grounded in the EEF guidance for raising attainment.

Ambitious, Connected and Knowledge-Rich

We provide an ambitious, coherent and knowledge-rich curriculum built around the Cornerstones Big Ideas such as Humankind, Nature, Conflict & Resolution, Community & Culture, and Processes. These concepts allow pupils to build deep understanding, make meaningful connections across subjects, and develop secure knowledge that they can recall, apply and build upon. Learning sequences are carefully planned to ensure progression, enabling pupils to revisit and deepen key concepts over time.

Cornerstone’s Big Ideas

We also use a range of other resources to support the wider curriculum:

Phonics – Read, Write Inc
Maths and Science – White Rose
Writing – The Write Stuff
Handwriting – Teach Handwriting
RE – Emmanuel Project
PSHE/Sex and Relationships Education – SCARF
Music – Charanga
MFL – Language Angels
Computing – Project Evolve, Teach Computing

Evidence-Informed Teaching Designed to Secure Strong Outcomes

Our teaching is shaped by the EEF’s most effective principles, including high-quality instruction, scaffolding, explicit vocabulary teaching, structured practice, and purposeful feedback. Through our Shaftesbury Primary Teaching and Learning Principles, teachers prioritise:

· Retrieval practice to strengthen long-term memory

· Modelling and explicit instruction to make learning clear and accessible

· Adaptive teaching so all pupils, including those disadvantaged or with SEND, achieve success

· Deliberate vocabulary development to close language gaps

· Assessment for learning to inform responsive teaching

These are our Shaftesbury Primary Teaching and Learning Principles: SHP Teaching and Learning

Inclusive and Aspirational for All

Equity is central to our intent. We commit to identifying and diminishing barriers for disadvantaged pupils by providing targeted support, timely intervention, and high expectations for all. Our curriculum empowers all children to see themselves as capable learners with bright futures, fostering the belief that we all have the potential to succeed in whatever we choose.

Inspiring Experiences That Build Character and Curiosity

Children learn best when they are inspired. Through Cornerstones’ rich projects, immersive experiences and creative approaches, pupils develop curiosity, creativity and confidence. We enrich learning with visits, visitors, cultural experiences and community engagement so that every child develops the knowledge, skills and personal qualities they need to thrive academically, socially and emotionally throughout their learning journey.

Take a look at some of the enrichment activities the children have enjoyed: Inspiring Experiences

Phonics and Early Reading

At Shaftesbury CE Primary School we use Read Write Inc. to teach phonics all through EYFS and KS1. Each class is assessed and split into small groups so that children are taught within the appropriate phase. Assessment is continuous and children will be moved between the groups as they are ready. Children are taught how to break down words into their individual sounds in order to read and how to put sounds together for writing. Some children in LKS2 will continue to be taught within these phonics groups (stage appropriate). UKS2 children requiring extended phonics input receive Fresh Start phonics intervention.

Further information for parents:

Introduction to Read Write Inc.

Year 1 Phonics Screening Check

Curriculum Overviews – Year R to Year 6

Shaftesbury Primary Curriculum Overview