Our Curriculum

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Phonics

At Ellington Infant School, we believe that every child should learn to read confidently and develop a lifelong love of reading. Early reading is a key priority and provides children with the foundations they need to access learning across the whole curriculum.

We follow Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a validated Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) programme. Phonics is taught daily through a carefully sequenced approach, beginning in Reception and building progressively throughout Key Stage 1. Children learn to recognise graphemes and their corresponding sounds, blend sounds to read words and segment words to support accurate spelling.

Alongside daily phonics teaching, children take part in regular reading practice sessions designed to develop decoding, prosody and comprehension. Children read carefully matched, fully decodable books that enable them to practise and apply the phonics knowledge they have been taught, building fluency, confidence and understanding.

Assessment is used regularly to identify children who are at risk of falling behind. Through targeted keep-up and catch-up support, we respond quickly to gaps in learning and provide additional practice so that children can make strong progress. Our inclusive approach maintains high expectations for all children, including those with SEND and those who may experience disadvantage, while providing the additional support they need to succeed.

Through consistent, high-quality phonics and early reading teaching, our aim is for every child to develop the knowledge, fluency and confidence to become a successful reader. Alongside learning the mechanics of reading, children are immersed in stories, rhymes and high-quality texts so that they develop both the ability and the desire to read.

Parents and carers can find further information and resources to support phonics and reading at home on the Little Wandle website.

English

We believe that strong communication, reading and writing skills enable every child to belong, achieve and thrive. English is fundamental to children’s learning and development, giving them the knowledge, skills and confidence to communicate effectively, express themselves creatively and access the wider curriculum.

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum. Our ambitious and inclusive English curriculum is text-based and built around carefully selected, high-quality books that inspire curiosity, develop vocabulary and foster a genuine love of reading and writing. Where appropriate, texts are linked to our overarching curriculum topics, helping children make meaningful connections and build knowledge across the curriculum.

In Reception and Year 1, children follow Drawing Club, an engaging approach that uses quality texts, storytelling, talk, drawing and writing to develop imagination, vocabulary and confidence. As children progress through Year 1 and become ready, English sessions provide increasing opportunities to write at greater length, applying their developing knowledge and skills with growing independence.

In Year 2, children follow a Talk for Writing approach. Through rich discussion, oral rehearsal and the exploration and internalisation of high-quality texts, children develop the language structures, vocabulary and ideas they need before applying these to their own writing. This supports children to become increasingly confident, purposeful and independent writers.

Our English teaching encompasses phonics, reading, writing, handwriting, and grammar, punctuation and spelling, with speaking and listening woven throughout. We recognise the crucial role of oracy in developing children’s language, vocabulary, confidence and ability to participate fully in their learning.

Inclusion is central to our approach. We have high expectations for every child, including children with SEND and those who may experience disadvantage. Through high-quality teaching, careful adaptation, scaffolding and responsive support, we seek to identify and remove barriers to learning while maintaining ambition for all.

By the time children leave Ellington at the end of Year 2, we want them to read and write with increasing confidence, fluency and understanding. Above all, we want children to see themselves as readers, writers and communicators: curious about words, excited by books and confident in using their voice. Our aim is for every child to leave us with strong foundations for the next stage of their education and the belief that they can learn without limits.

 

Mathematics

Mathematics is an essential life skill and that every child can become a confident and successful mathematician. Our ambitious and inclusive mathematics curriculum develops children’s fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills while fostering curiosity, resilience and a positive attitude towards mathematics.

In the Early Years, children develop strong foundations in number sense, pattern, shape, measure and spatial awareness through purposeful teaching, exploration and practical experiences. As children move into Key Stage 1, they build upon these foundations, developing increasingly secure mathematical knowledge and learning to apply this confidently across a range of contexts.

We follow the White Rose Maths planning and progression to provide a carefully sequenced curriculum in which learning builds upon what children already know. Our aim is for children to develop a deep, secure and adaptable understanding of mathematical concepts rather than simply learning procedures. Teaching moves between concrete resources, pictorial representations and abstract thinking, helping children to make connections and understand the mathematics behind their calculations.

Mathematical language and talk are central to our approach. Children are explicitly taught key vocabulary and given regular opportunities to explain their thinking, justify their ideas and learn from one another. Teachers use questioning, discussion and assessment to identify misconceptions, respond to gaps in understanding and deepen learning.

We want our classrooms to be places where children feel safe to explore, make mistakes and persevere. We maintain high expectations for every child, including those with SEND and those who may experience disadvantage. Through high-quality teaching, appropriate scaffolding, practical resources and responsive support, we work to remove barriers while ensuring that all children experience challenge and success.

By the time children leave Ellington at the end of Year 2, we want them to have secure mathematical foundations, the confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems and the ability to explain and reason about their thinking. Above all, we want children to see themselves as capable mathematicians who are ready to thrive in the next stage of their learning.

Foundation subjects

Every child is entitled to a broad, ambitious and inclusive curriculum that enables them to discover their interests, build knowledge and develop a rich understanding of the world around them. Alongside English and mathematics, children study Science, History, Geography, Art and Design, Design and Technology, Computing, Music, Physical Education (PE), Religious Education (RE) and Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE).

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced, with learning building progressively from the Early Years through to the end of Key Stage 1. For each subject, we identify the essential knowledge, vocabulary and skills we want children to know, remember and be able to use. Learning is revisited and connected over time so that children can build increasingly secure and meaningful understanding rather than experiencing subjects as a series of isolated activities.

Our Teaching and Learning Blueprint underpins how this curriculum is brought to life in the classroom. Teachers draw upon evidence-informed approaches including retrieval practice, explicit modelling, purposeful talk and questioning, high-quality interactions and carefully considered scaffolding. Children are encouraged to be curious, make connections, explain their thinking and apply what they have learned.

Inclusion is central to our curriculum. We maintain high expectations for all children, including those with SEND and those who may experience disadvantage. Teachers consider potential barriers to learning and adapt teaching, resources and support so that every child can participate meaningfully, experience success and thrive.

Science is a core National Curriculum subject and is taught regularly throughout the year. Children develop their scientific knowledge alongside the skills of enquiry through opportunities to question, observe, investigate, compare, classify and draw conclusions. Practical exploration and hands-on experiences help our youngest learners make sense of scientific ideas and develop their curiosity about the world.

Across all subjects, we want children to experience the joy of knowing more, remembering more and being able to do more. Through rich experiences, purposeful learning and opportunities to explore and create, we aim to broaden children’s horizons and give them the strong foundations they need for their next stage of education – enabling every child to belong, believe and become, and to experience Learning without Limits.

Parental Right to Withdraw from Religious Education

Religious Education (RE) is a statutory part of the curriculum for all pupils in maintained schools in England. Under Section 71(1) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, parents and carers have the legal right to withdraw their child from all or part of RE lessons. If you wish to do so, please inform the school in writing. While your child is withdrawn, the school will supervise them on site, but is not required to provide alternative teaching. This right applies only to RE and does not extend to other subjects where children may learn about religions or worldviews. We encourage parents to discuss any concerns with the Senior Leadership Team to understand how RE is taught at our school.