At Lower Farm Academy, we believe that every child deserves a curriculum that inspires curiosity, develops confidence and creates a lifelong love of learning. Our curriculum has been carefully designed around the needs, experiences and aspirations of our pupils, ensuring that learning is meaningful, engaging and relevant to the world around them.

Whilst our curriculum fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum (linked below), it is not simply a collection of published schemes. We have taken time to understand our school community, our local context and the interests and needs of our children. This enables us to provide a curriculum that is personalised, ambitious and rooted in real-life experiences.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-primary-curriculum

Our aim is simple: we want children to enjoy learning, achieve highly and take part in experiences that broaden their horizons and prepare them for life beyond Lower Farm Academy.

Our Curriculum Intent

Our curriculum is designed to:

• Raise aspirations and inspire children to believe in their potential.
• Develop confident, independent and resilient learners.
• Provide rich experiences that extend beyond the classroom.
• Build secure knowledge and understanding across all subjects.
• Develop a love of reading and a rich vocabulary.
• Equip children with the skills, knowledge and character needed for the next stage of their education.
• Enable all pupils, regardless of their starting points, to succeed.
• Promote curiosity, creativity and critical thinking.
• Foster respect, responsibility and positive citizenship through our REAch2 values, SMSC development and British Values.
• Ensure children become active participants in their local, national and global communities.

Through our curriculum, we aim for children to leave Lower Farm Academy not only secondary ready, but ready to make a positive difference in the world around them.

Our Curriculum Implementation

A Carefully Planned and Personalised Curriculum

We use high-quality curriculum resources and schemes as the foundation of our curriculum design, adapting and enhancing them to meet the needs of our pupils.

Across our foundation subjects, we use and customise Kapow Primary schemes to ensure clear progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary. However, these are not delivered as published. Leaders carefully review, adapt and enrich learning to reflect our children, our community and the opportunities we want every child to experience.

In mathematics, we use White Rose Maths to provide a coherent and progressive curriculum that develops fluency, reasoning and problem-solving.

Our reading and writing curriculum has been designed specifically for Lower Farm Academy. We carefully select high-quality texts and rich literature that reflect the needs, interests and experiences of our pupils while exposing them to diverse authors, cultures, viewpoints and genres. This ensures children develop as confident readers, writers and communicators.

Reading at the Heart of Learning

Reading underpins our entire curriculum.

We believe that access to high-quality literature opens doors to knowledge, develops language and expands children’s understanding of the wider world. Across school, pupils are immersed in carefully chosen texts that provide both windows into other experiences and mirrors that reflect their own.

Children engage with a broad reading diet including:

• Fiction and non-fiction texts
• Classic and contemporary literature
• Poetry, rhymes and stories
• Diverse authors and perspectives
• Subject-specific texts linked to wider curriculum learning

Through this approach, children develop both a love of reading and the background knowledge needed to become successful learners across all subjects.

Vocabulary and Oracy

Strong communication skills are essential for success in school and beyond.

Vocabulary development is woven throughout our curriculum. Key vocabulary is explicitly taught, revisited and applied across subjects to help children articulate their thinking and deepen their understanding.

Alongside vocabulary, we place significant emphasis on oracy. Children are encouraged to discuss, explain, debate, question and reflect on their learning. Through purposeful talk, collaborative learning and opportunities to present their ideas, pupils become increasingly confident communicators.

We recognise that speech and language development underpins learning. Early identification and targeted support ensure all children are given the opportunity to thrive as communicators.

Adaptive Teaching and Inclusion

At Lower Farm Academy, we believe that every child can achieve.

Our classrooms are inclusive environments where teaching is adapted to meet the needs of all learners. Teachers use ongoing assessment to identify barriers to learning and provide appropriate support and challenge.

Adaptive teaching may include:

• Pre-teaching and overlearning of key concepts
• Carefully planned scaffolding
• Visual supports and models
• Flexible grouping
• Targeted questioning
• Practical and concrete experiences
• Additional challenge for those ready to deepen their understanding

This approach ensures that all children, including those with SEND, can access the curriculum, experience success and make strong progress.

We are committed to removing barriers to learning while maintaining high expectations for every pupil.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

We believe some of the most powerful learning experiences happen beyond the classroom.

Our curriculum is enriched through educational visits, visitors, practical experiences, performances, sporting opportunities and community partnerships. Through REAch2’s 11 Before 11 experiences and our wider enrichment offer, pupils are encouraged to explore new interests, develop confidence and create lasting memories.

These opportunities help children make connections between their learning and the wider world, raising aspirations and broadening horizons.

Our Curriculum Impact

The impact of our curriculum is seen through children who:

• Enjoy learning and demonstrate high levels of engagement.
• Read widely and confidently.
• Use ambitious vocabulary effectively.
• Develop secure knowledge across subjects.
• Communicate their ideas clearly and confidently.
• Show resilience and independence when faced with challenges.
• Understand the relevance of their learning in the wider world.
• Demonstrate respect, kindness and responsibility.
• Participate fully in school life and enrichment opportunities.
• Leave Lower Farm Academy prepared for the next stage of their education.

Most importantly, we want our pupils to look back on their time at Lower Farm Academy with pride, remembering a wealth of experiences, opportunities and achievements that helped shape who they become.

Our curriculum is not simply about covering content. It is about developing knowledgeable, confident and compassionate young people who are equipped to flourish both in school and beyond.