Curriculum

Primary School Curriculum Statement

Intent

At The Royal School, our curriculum is designed to foster a lifelong love of learning and to nurture pupils who are confident, knowledgeable, and empathetic. Grounded in our school values —Respect, Trust, Community, Initiative and Risk — our intent is to provide a high-quality education where every child knows more, remembers more, and applies their knowledge confidently. Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure concepts are introduced logically, with foundational knowledge underpinning more complex ideas. We prioritise knowledge and memory building through planned opportunities for retrieval, consolidation and progression. Pupils revisit key concepts frequently, supporting long-term retention and understanding.

We are committed to ensuring that all children immerse themselves in their learning. Through diverse representation and a focus on cultural capital, we encourage empathy, inclusion, and global citizenship. Every child, regardless of background or ability, is supported to meet ambitious expectations through adaptive teaching and inclusive strategies that promote challenge and achievement for all. Our curriculum is purposefully designed to engage, inspire and challenge, cultivating learners who are resilient, reflective, and equipped to thrive in modern society.

Implementation

We implement our curriculum through the following concepts:

Sequencing & Progression:

Curriculum content is thoughtfully ordered across and within year groups. Long and medium-term plans ensure coherence, while individual lessons and ‘The Royal Way’ framework scaffold learning effectively. Subject leaders oversee sequencing to ensure continuity and progression. Proper sequencing ensures that foundational concepts are mastered before introducing more complex ideas, thereby building upon prior knowledge. This structured approach supports cumulative learning and prevents cognitive overload.

Adaptive Teaching & Assessment:

Effective assessment strategies include both formative assessments (ongoing checks for understanding during instruction) and summative assessments (evaluations at the end of instructional units). Aligning assessments with learning objectives ensures that they accurately measure intended outcomes.  Pupil progress is regularly reviewed, with targeted interventions delivered as needed.   Adaptive teaching ensures that instruction is responsive to the varying needs, abilities, and learning styles of students. This approach involves ongoing assessment, flexible grouping, live feedback, questioning, informal checks, and formal reviews.  These are used to identify gaps and adapt teaching responsively to support and challenge. Effective adaptive teaching fosters inclusivity, helping all students to progress at their own pace while achieving high expectations.

Retrieval Practice & Interleaving:

We embed retrieval throughout lessons using ‘Think Backs’, ‘Do Now’ activities at the start of lessons, low-stakes quizzes and working walls. These strategies reinforce prior learning and strengthen memory pathways, promoting deep understanding and knowledge fluency. Interleaving is an instructional strategy that alternates between different topics or skills within a single learning session. Unlike traditional blocked practice, where one topic is practiced extensively before moving to the next, interleaving mixes multiple topics, enhancing discrimination between concepts and improving retention. This approach challenges learners to continually retrieve and apply different information, strengthening memory and understanding.

Engagement:

Engagement encompasses the strategies employed to capture and maintain students' attention, interest, and active participation in the learning process. High levels of engagement are associated with improved comprehension and retention. Techniques to enhance engagement include interactive activities, real-world applications, collaborative learning, and incorporating student interests into lessons.  We hook learners through exciting experience days, curriculum-linked enrichment, and content pitched to meet and build upon pupils’ current understanding. Strong relationships and positive learning behaviours ensure high levels of participation and enthusiasm.

Challenge & Aspiration:

Challenge involves designing tasks and questions that stretch students’ thinking and push them beyond their comfort zones. It is important to balance support and challenge to ensure all students are appropriately stimulated and motivated to progress. Tasks are designed to stretch thinking through resilience, modelling, scaffolding, and high expectations. Learners are encouraged to persevere, question deeply, and embrace productive struggle.  Aspiration in the curriculum encourages students to develop a growth mindset. It involves exposing students to ambitious goals, inspiring role models, and future pathways that foster motivation and ambition. A curriculum that promotes aspiration helps students understand the value of perseverance and lifelong learning.

Context:

Contextual learning connects curriculum content to real-world applications, making learning more meaningful and relevant for students. Providing context helps learners see the purpose behind what they are studying, whether through cross-curricular links, historical or cultural perspectives, or practical, real-world scenarios. This approach enhances engagement and retention.

Personal Development:

Personal development in the curriculum focuses on fostering students' social, emotional, and character growth alongside academic learning. It includes promoting resilience, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and a sense of responsibility. A well-rounded curriculum should encourage students to develop key life skills, confidence, and independence, preparing them for future challenges in education, work, and personal life.

Impact

The impact of our curriculum is measured not only in outcomes but in how pupils grow as learners and individuals. Pupils develop secure knowledge, transferable skills, and the confidence to apply their learning. They are engaged, resilient, and motivated, with the capacity to meet challenges and adapt to new contexts.

Progress is tracked over time through assessment data, lesson drop-ins, pupil voice, and work scrutiny.   By integrating these concepts into curriculum planning The Royal intend to create structured, dynamic, and effective learning experiences that cater to the varied needs of our pupils.   A well-designed curriculum ensures progression, engagement, and long-term success in learning.  Our ambition is that all children leave The Royal School with the knowledge, behaviours, and attitudes to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally — prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond.

Please see individual curriculum pages for relevant Long term plans.