Our Curriculum
At Eaves Primary School, we believe that the curriculum we provide is one of the most powerful gifts we can give our children.
It is far more than a collection of subjects. It is the knowledge, skills, experiences, values and aspirations that we equip children with as they prepare for life beyond our school.
Our curriculum reflects our community, our values and our unwavering ambition for every child. We want all pupils to leave Eaves as knowledgeable, articulate, resilient and compassionate young people who are equipped to thrive in an ever-changing world.
We recognise that education has the power to transform lives. Therefore, every decision we make about our curriculum is driven by a simple belief:
Every child deserves access to ambitious learning, exceptional teaching and the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Why this curriculum, for our children, at Eaves?
At Eaves Primary School, our curriculum is deliberately designed for our children, in our community, at this point in their lives, while ensuring that their future is not limited by their locality, background or starting point.
Eaves is rooted in the community of Marshalls Cross, St Helens, with the wider cultural, historical, industrial and geographical landscape of Merseyside and the North West providing an important starting point for learning. However, our curriculum is intentionally outward-looking. We want children to understand and value where they come from while progressively extending their knowledge beyond their immediate experience: from Eaves → St Helens → Merseyside and the North West → the United Kingdom → Europe → the wider world. This is particularly explicit in Geography, where the school's curriculum begins with the immediate environment before widening children's geographical horizons.
This matters because cultural capital is not about replacing the experiences children bring to school; it is about valuing those experiences and adding to them. Eaves explicitly recognises that children arrive with different knowledge, traditions, experiences and perspectives and that the school's responsibility is to build upon these so that every pupil can access the knowledge and experiences that open future opportunities.
Consequently, curriculum choices at Eaves have been made around four complementary purposes:
Roots – knowing where I come from. Children develop knowledge of their locality, community, heritage and place within Britain. Local history, fieldwork, community participation, local art, sporting opportunities and partnerships make learning tangible and relevant.
Windows – seeing beyond my own experience. Children encounter different countries, cultures, religions, historical periods, artists, scientists, musicians, authors and ways of living. This is particularly important in ensuring that children's understanding of the world is not constrained by what they encounter in their immediate environment.
Mirrors – seeing myself as someone who belongs and can succeed. Texts, artists, historical figures, scientists, careers and curriculum experiences are selected so that pupils encounter diverse role models and understand that achievement and opportunity are not determined by gender, ethnicity, disability, family structure or background. This complements our explicit commitment to challenging stereotypes and promoting equality.
Doors – opening possibilities for the future. Careers, visitors, trips, cultural experiences, leadership, performance, sport, debate and purposeful links between subjects and employment help pupils understand that what they learn now creates possibilities later. Our careers provision deliberately connects curriculum subjects with the world of work and seeks to raise aspirations from primary age.
Our Curriculum Vision
Our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and accessible to all.
It has been carefully designed to ensure that every child develops the knowledge, skills, vocabulary and character needed to flourish academically, socially and emotionally.
We aim to develop children who are:
⭐ Knowledgeable and well-informed
⭐ Fluent readers and confident communicators
⭐ Curious and reflective thinkers
⭐ Resilient and independent learners
⭐ Respectful and responsible citizens
⭐ Prepared for secondary education and beyond
⭐ Proud of who they are and respectful of others
⭐ Ready to contribute positively to modern Britain and the wider world
We provide an environment where the dignity, individuality and potential of every child is recognised, valued and nurtured.
Our curriculum promotes the fundamental British Values of democracy, individual liberty, mutual respect, tolerance and the rule of law whilst helping children develop a strong understanding of equality, diversity and belonging.
Strong Foundations for Lifelong Learners
At the heart of our curriculum is a commitment to developing strong foundational knowledge.
We know that children learn best when secure foundations are established early and strengthened over time.
Our curriculum prioritises four key foundations:
🧠 Executive Function
Developing attention, self-regulation, organisation, resilience, independence and problem-solving.
🗣 Communication and Language
Building vocabulary, oracy, listening and discussion skills across all areas of learning.
📖 Reading and Literacy
Developing fluent readers who can access, understand and enjoy increasingly complex texts.
🔢 Mathematics
Building number sense, fluency, reasoning and confidence in mathematical thinking.
These foundations provide the platform upon which all future learning is built.
How Learning Grows at Eaves
Exceptional curriculum design must be matched by exceptional curriculum delivery.
All subjects are carefully planned, structured and sequenced so that knowledge and skills build progressively over time and pupils work towards clearly defined end points.
Learning is deliberately designed to help children secure knowledge within their long-term memory and apply it fluently across the curriculum.
Teaching is underpinned by our GROWTH Lesson Framework and ROOTS Learning Principles, ensuring consistency, clarity and high expectations from Nursery to Year 6.
Our Growth Lesson Framework
🌱 G – Gather Prior Knowledge
Children activate prior learning, revisit important knowledge and prepare their brains for new learning.
🌱 R – Receive New Learning
Teachers introduce new concepts through explicit instruction, modelling and carefully sequenced explanations.
🌱 O – Over to the Class
Children discuss, practise and deepen understanding through collaboration and guided learning.
🌱 W – We Can Do This
Pupils apply learning independently, developing confidence, fluency and resilience.
🌱 T – Tell Me How It Went
Reflection and feedback help children evaluate understanding and identify next steps.
🌱 H – How Do We Connect Our Learning?
Children connect learning across lessons, subjects and experiences, strengthening long-term memory and understanding.
This framework helps children become increasingly independent learners who know more, remember more and can do more.
Our ROOTS Learning Principles
Alongside GROWTH, our ROOTS Principles ensure that learning is memorable, meaningful and inclusive.
🌳 Rich Speaking Opportunities
Developing vocabulary, communication and confidence through purposeful discussion.
🌳 Organised, Well-Sequenced Tasks
Ensuring learning builds progressively and reduces cognitive overload.
🌳 Opportunities to Develop Executive Function
Supporting independence, self-regulation, resilience and problem-solving.
🌳 Teaching Builds on Prior Learning
Making meaningful connections between new knowledge and what children already know.
🌳 Secured Outcomes
Providing opportunities to revisit, practise and apply learning so that knowledge is retained and transferable.
Together, GROWTH and ROOTS ensure that foundational knowledge is developed, strengthened and embedded over time.
Eaves Values as a Golden Thread
Exploration is visible when children investigate scientifically, enquire historically, conduct geographical fieldwork, experiment artistically, solve mathematical problems, explore texts, create compositions and learn about different cultures and beliefs.
Authenticity means learning has purpose. Children write for audiences, investigate real places, encounter genuine artefacts and sources, perform music, participate in sport, solve problems, engage with their community and understand how subject knowledge is used beyond school.
Vision connects curriculum learning with aspiration. Through careers education, inspirational individuals, STEM, arts, sport, leadership and encounters with different professions, children learn to imagine possibilities for their own futures.
Encouragement reflects the school's belief that ambitious learning belongs to every child. Adaptive teaching, strong relationships and high expectations mean pupils are supported to persevere, take intellectual risks and experience success.
Synergy recognises that learning is connected. Subjects retain their disciplinary integrity, but meaningful links are deliberately made between them and between curriculum, enrichment and Personal Development. It also reflects collaboration: learning with classmates, families, community organisations and wider partners.
Reading at the Heart of Our Curriculum
Reading is the gateway to learning.
From Nursery onwards, we prioritise the development of language, communication and literacy.
Through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, high-quality texts and a strong culture of reading, we ensure children develop the skills and confidence needed to become lifelong readers.
Reading is woven throughout every subject and discreetly taught through Ready Steady Read, enabling pupils to access increasingly sophisticated knowledge and ideas as they progress through school.
Alongside reading, vocabulary development is a key priority. Through rich language experiences, purposeful discussion and explicit vocabulary instruction, children develop the language required to access increasingly complex concepts across the curriculum.
Learning That Lasts
Our curriculum is deliberately designed to help children remember learning over time.
Teachers use evidence-informed approaches including:
✓ Retrieval Practice
✓ Explicit Instruction
✓ Modelling and Guided Practice
✓ Vocabulary Development
✓ Collaborative Learning
✓ Independent Application
✓ Responsive Assessment
Assessment is used purposefully to identify strengths, address misconceptions and inform next steps.
Through our assessment approach, including teacher assessment, NFER assessments, Little Wandle assessments, Accelerated Reader and Insight tracking, we carefully monitor attainment, progress and curriculum impact to ensure every child achieves success.
Inclusion, Belonging and Personal Development
We believe that every child should feel known, valued and included.
Our curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils can access ambitious learning regardless of need, background or starting point.
Through adaptive teaching, targeted support and strong relationships, we work to remove barriers and ensure every child experiences success.
We celebrate diversity, promote belonging and help children develop the confidence, character and emotional wellbeing needed to thrive.
Children are encouraged to demonstrate respect, tolerance, empathy and responsibility, enabling them to make positive contributions to their communities and society.
Beyond The Classroom
Learning extends beyond the classroom through a wide range of enrichment opportunities.
Educational visits, fieldwork, performances, visitors, sporting opportunities and wider curriculum experiences bring learning to life and deepen children's understanding of the world around them.
These experiences enhance enjoyment, broaden horizons and contribute to the development of cultural capital, aspiration and personal growth.
The Difference Our Curriculum Makes
We want every child to leave Eaves Primary School with the knowledge, skills, confidence and character needed to flourish.
Our pupils leave us as:
⭐ Fluent readers
⭐ Confident communicators
⭐ Curious learners
⭐ Critical thinkers
⭐ Independent problem-solvers
⭐ Respectful citizens
⭐ Resilient individuals
⭐ Ambitious young people
⭐ Lifelong learners
They embrace challenge, value diversity, contribute positively to their communities and are fully prepared for the next stage of their education.
Achievement and progress are carefully monitored through ongoing assessment, pupil voice, curriculum monitoring and professional dialogue. Senior leaders and subject leaders regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum, celebrating strengths and continually refining provision to ensure the highest possible outcomes for all pupils.
Success at Eaves is measured not only through academic achievement, but also through children's wellbeing, personal development, sense of belonging and readiness for life.
Above all, we want every child to leave Eaves believing in themselves, valuing others and understanding that they can make a positive contribution to the world around them.
