Our Curriculum

Our curriculum is integral to fulfilling our school vision: that all members of St Stephen’s CE Primary School are born to make a difference in God's world. This is captured by our motto, ‘Aspire to Greatness’, and is embedded throughout our curriculum and school values. Children at St Stephen's understand that living a life of 'greatness' means living a life of 'goodness'—serving others through good deeds and transforming society with love. We want children who leave St Stephen's to be passionate about serving one another, serving God, and making a positive impact in their communities.

The learning experiences we provide are designed to offer a broad, balanced, and ambitious education that equips children with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to succeed in life. It nurtures academic excellence while fostering creativity, resilience, and a love for learning. Through high-quality teaching and meaningful experiences, we aim to develop confident, reflective, and responsible individuals who are prepared for the next stage of their education and their future role in society.

As a school rooted in a diverse and inclusive community, we celebrate and promote understanding between different faiths and cultures. We have strong links with local faith groups; this ensures our children develop a deep appreciation of different beliefs and perspectives, preparing them to be compassionate and informed global citizens.

We are committed to ensuring that every child thrives, regardless of background or ability. Our curriculum is designed to be inclusive and accessible to all, with high expectations for every learner. Through a carefully planned and sequenced curriculum, we ensure that all children, including those with SEND and EAL, receive the support and challenge they need to reach their full potential.

Curriculum Objectives

Our curriculum is designed to provide all children with a rich and varied education, enabling them to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. We are committed to developing essential skills and fostering a love of learning, preparing pupils for their futures as confident and responsible citizens.

We aim to:

instil values that empower children to lead lives of greatness, marked by integrity and responsibility.
ensure that every child becomes a fluent reader, engaging with books regularly to foster a love for reading, expand their vocabulary, and build a foundation for accessing the broader curriculum.
nurture children’s understanding of number and mathematical concepts, empowering them to solve problems and reason effectively.
develop oracy skills, enabling pupils to communicate confidently and clearly in a range of contexts.
cultivate strong problem-solving abilities, encouraging pupils to approach challenges with creativity and perseverance.
inspire creative thinkers who can approach tasks and ideas with innovation and originality.
build comprehensive knowledge and skills across all subjects, ensuring a well-rounded education.
equip children with the knowledge and strategies to stay safe and healthy, both physically and emotionally.
nurture young leaders who are empowered to contribute positively to their communities, fostering a sense of social responsibility and leadership.
develop confidence, support risk taking and self-esteem through learner-inspired, hands-on experiences in nature.
offer excellent opportunities for high-quality play that contributes to physical and emotional health, well-being, and enjoyment of school.

Curriculum Structure

At St Stephen’s, we are a 1.5-form entry school, meaning we have 45 children per year group. As our class sizes are typically around 30 pupils, we have a mixed-year class in each key stage. For example, in Key Stage 1, we have a Year 1 class, a Year 1/2 class (which includes both Year 1 and Year 2 pupils), and a Year 2 class. This structure is mirrored in Lower Key Stage 2 (Year 3, Year 3/4, and Year 4) and Upper Key Stage 2 (Year 5, Year 5/6, and Year 6). In Reception, we have an intake of 45 children which is split between two classes. These classes both follow the same curriculum and this remains the same each year. The following information relates to Year 1 to Year 6.

To ensure all pupils receive a consistent and equitable curriculum experience, regardless of their class, the entire key stage follows the same units of learning in most subjects. This approach supports continuity, collaboration, and high-quality provision across year groups.

Due to our mixed-age structure, our curriculum is organised into a two-year cycle. This means that each key stage follows a structured sequence of learning over two academic years, referred to as Cycle A and Cycle B. All classes within the key stage follow the same cycle at the same time to ensure coverage and progression.

To demonstrate how our curriculum structure operates in practice, we have used two example pupils: Rosie and Jim. These imaginary children help to show how a child's learning journey progresses through the two-year curriculum cycle in History, regardless of whether they begin their education in a Cycle A or Cycle B year. Reception follows a single-year curriculum, so the two-year cycle begins from Year 1. Rosie’s learning journey sees her start each phase with Cycle A, while Jim begins each phase with Cycle B. Despite starting on different cycles, both Rosie and Jim experience the full curriculum offer by the end of each key stage, ensuring equality of provision for all pupils.

2 Year Cycles