Our Curriculum at Amotherby School

At Amotherby School, our curriculum is carefully designed to ensure that every child develops secure foundations for lifelong learning, curiosity and success. It is ambitious, inclusive and rooted in a deep understanding of how children learn best, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1, where the fundamentals of learning are established.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Our curriculum journey begins in the EYFS, where learning is built through play, exploration, first-hand experiences and high-quality interactions. We place a strong emphasis on developing the Prime Areas of Learning – communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development – recognising these as the building blocks for all future learning.

Children are immersed in a language-rich environment, where vocabulary is explicitly taught and modelled, and where stories, songs and talk are central to daily practice. Early reading and writing are prioritised through a structured and engaging approach, ensuring children develop confidence, enjoyment and independence as learners.

Our EYFS provision is carefully sequenced to prepare children for the transition into Key Stage 1, ensuring that essential skills, routines and learning behaviours are firmly embedded.

Reading, Writing and Phonics

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum. We use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised as our systematic phonics programme, ensuring a consistent, rigorous and highly effective approach to early reading. Phonics is taught daily, with regular assessment and timely intervention so that all children are supported to keep up and succeed.

Reading and Writing is taught through a clearly structured 10-day teaching and learning cycle (from years 2 to 6) , which allows children to:

• immerse themselves in high-quality texts

• develop vocabulary and language structures

• practise and refine skills

• plan, draft, edit and publish meaningful pieces of writing

This approach ensures that children understand the purpose of writing, develop stamina and confidence, and apply their phonics and spelling knowledge effectively. Full details of our agreed reading and writing teaching approaches can be found on the school website.

Key Stage 1: Securing the Fundamentals

In Key Stage 1, we continue to prioritise the fundamental skills of reading, writing and mathematics, ensuring children build fluency, accuracy and understanding. Learning is carefully sequenced and revisited so that knowledge is embedded securely and misconceptions are addressed promptly.

Our teaching approaches support children to become increasingly independent, reflective learners, while still providing the structure and support they need to thrive. High expectations are combined with nurturing relationships, enabling children to feel confident, motivated and proud of their achievements.

A Wide and Varied Curriculum

Alongside English and mathematics, our curriculum offers a broad and balanced range of subjects, including science, history, geography, art and design, design and technology, music, physical education, computing and religious education. Learning is enriched through whole-school topics that provide meaningful contexts and allow children to make connections across subjects.

We are proud to hold both the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) and the Primary Geography Quality Mark (PGQM), which reflect our commitment to high-quality teaching, learning and leadership in these areas.

Personal Development and Wellbeing

At Amotherby School, we recognise that children learn best when they feel safe, supported and valued. We are proud to have an accredited ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) who provides targeted nurture support for children who may need additional emotional or social support. This provision plays a vital role in helping children develop resilience, self-awareness and positive relationships.

Find Out More

We encourage parents and carers to explore our individual subject pages, where you will find more detailed information about curriculum intent, implementation and impact. Our Whole School Topic Plan and Year Group Long Term Plans are also available, providing a clear overview of what children will learn and when.

Together, these elements ensure that our curriculum at Amotherby School is coherent, inclusive and ambitious, giving every child the best possible start to their learning journey.