The Brookmead Experience  

Inspire, Challenge, Achieve

The Brookmead Experience builds on the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and Statutory Framework to provide a diverse, rich and distinctive learning experience for our children. Whilst our curriculum covers the National Curriculum statutory requirements, it is unique to our school. Our curriculum has been designed by each subject lead to meet the needs of our children and to ensure clear progression in skills in every subject that we teach.   

Our Intent, Implementation and Impact document is currently being updated by the staff team  - watch this space as this will be published in the next few weeks.

We seek to provide our children with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and understanding to help them prepare for life and work in the twenty-first century. This means that we need a curriculum that will also enable our children to be effective communicators, possess practical life skills, be reflective, thoughtful and open to new ideas, show empathy and understanding of others, celebrate diversity and be part of the community.  Diversity is a golden thread which runs through our curriculum design.

We are ambitious for all our pupils and are committed to ensuring that all children achieve high standards in reading, writing, and mathematics and aim to inspire them through an exciting and rich curriculum experience that embraces outdoor learning, sport, music, technology and the arts. We enable children to develop confidence, independence, and an enthusiasm for learning that will stay with them throughout their lives. 

Please click on the tabs to find out more about each indvidual curriculum area at Brookmead School. Our whole school curriculum overview can be found to the right of this page.

The National Curriculum

The National Curriculum outlines what must be taught in Key Stages 1 and 2 (Years 1-6) in maintained state schools in England.  It provides details of children's statutory curriculum entitlement in English, Mathematics and Science and across 10 further subject areas: Art and design, Computing (formerly ICT, or Information Communication Technology), Design and technology, Geography, History, Languages, Music, Physical Education, PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) and RE (Religious Education).  

Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage 

The statutory framework sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five and is mandatory for all providers of Early Years.  It  sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to give children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.

Early Reading and phonics skills – we currently use Read Write Inc and have regular training on this from a Read Write Inc consultant to ensure our staff are as skilled and up to date as they can be.

Reading across the school

We have a passion for reading at Brookmead and prioritise this across the school. We continue to support children who require over learning of their phonics skills from year 1. We ensure that any children who do not pass the phonics test receive additional support to make continued progress to the expected standard.

Children in key stage 2 have a layered approach to reading, through a book banded system of real books to ensure children remain enthused and engaged in reading. We have a fantastic library which our children visit weekly.

Each year group shared area has year group ‘core texts’ displayed on special shelves to highlight high quality reading resources that the children will use each term. The shared areas serve as areas where there are high quality age appropriate reading materials available.

Further information about reading can be found on our English Curriculum page.

Curriculum Overview

Overview of writing genres foci and themes