Knowledge-Rich, Diversity-Led Curriculum 

Our Curriculum

"The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you." - BB King, singer-songwriter

At Stoneydown, we are determined that all our children will make excellent progress in developing the skills, knowledge, understanding and attitudes needed for high quality learning. 

Intent

We prioritise both substantive and disciplinary knowledge, ensuring depth and rigour across all subjects. A mastery approach underpins learning, with content broken into small steps and revisited regularly to secure long-term understanding.

Reading is central to our curriculum, supported by high-quality, diverse texts that develop vocabulary, comprehension and a love of reading. Oracy and language are equally prioritised, enabling pupils to think critically and communicate confidently.

Our curriculum is diversity-led and community-informed. It celebrates the backgrounds, cultures and experiences of our pupils and ensures representation of all. We aim for every child to feel a strong sense of belonging and to understand their role in contributing positively to society. 

Implementation

Our curriculum is delivered through quality first teaching, informed by evidence-based practice and a consistent approach across the school.

Teaching is structured to:

• Activate prior knowledge and revisit learning
• Deliver clear, explicit instruction in small steps
• Model thinking and processes
• Provide guided and independent practice
• Use assessment to adapt teaching responsively

Lessons are engaging and purposeful, incorporating reading, talk and practical experiences. High-quality texts and structured oracy are embedded across all subjects.

We maintain high expectations for all pupils through strong relationships, consistent routines and a calm learning environment. Teaching is inclusive, with adaptations and scaffolds to support all learners, including those with SEND.

In EYFS, learning is shaped through high-quality interactions and play-based provision, balancing child-initiated learning with clear progression.

Staff are reflective practitioners who continually develop through collaboration, research and professional development.

Impact

Our curriculum leads to pupils who:

• Achieve well and apply knowledge confidently
• Read widely and fluently, with a love of reading
• Communicate effectively and think critically
• Retain knowledge over time
• Show resilience, independence and pride in their learning
• Demonstrate respect, empathy and a strong sense of belonging

Pupils leave Stoneydown Park as well-rounded, confident and knowledgeable individuals, ready for the next stage of education and life.

We evaluate impact through assessment, pupil voice, work scrutiny and reflection, ensuring continuous improvement.

End-of-School Outcomes

By the time pupils leave Stoneydown Park, they:

• Are knowledgeable, articulate and reflective learners
• Have a strong sense of identity, belonging and community
• Possess the skills, attitudes and cultural capital to thrive regardless of background

Ambitious, inclusive and evidence-driven: a curriculum that ensures all pupils succeed.

Promoting inclusion

When implementing the planned curriculum, we:

• Present positive images of different religions, cultures and languages, particularly those within our local community

• Seek to address the needs of all our pupils, including those with special needs, English as an additional language and gifted and talented pupils (see inclusion policy)

• Use available resources effectively to meet the individual needs of all pupils

• Actively promote community cohesion 

• Promote positive behaviour and kindness to others

• Assess the needs of individual learners to ensure appropriate provision in class and additional support where necessary

Enriching the curriculum

Stoneydown Park Character & Enrichment Curriculum

The Stoneydown Park Character Journey & The Golden Thread

The Golden Thread

Every assembly, lesson, educational visit and enrichment opportunity helps pupils revisit these three questions. Children gradually move from Knowing → Understanding → Applying → Leading:

Why This Framework Is Powerful

What makes this framework distinctive is that it balances being, thinking and growing:

• Community focuses on who we are with others — our relationships, empathy and responsibility.
• Creativity focuses on how we engage with learning — our curiosity, imagination and willingness to explore.
• Challenge focuses on who we are becoming — our resilience, courage and ambition as we strive to improve.

This progression reflects the whole purpose of primary education: helping children to become thoughtful, compassionate and capable individuals who are ready not only for secondary school, but for life. It also provides a strong foundation for a spiral assembly curriculum, where each week's assembly can be explicitly linked back to one of the three overarching questions and one of the eight virtues, creating a coherent and memorable character journey for every pupil.