Click here for our Curriculum Policy
Our Curriculum Intent
At Dean Field, our ultimate aim is to provide opportunities for every child to develop as an independent, confident and successful lifelong learner, with high aspirations and a strong understanding of how they can make a positive contribution to their community and wider society. We have high expectations for all pupils and ensure that children are appropriately challenged, supported
We take a thematic, creative and ambitious approach to our curriculum, developing knowledge and skills through scientific investigation, creative arts, historical and geographical enquiry, alongside a relentless focus on the essential skills of Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Our curriculum provides pupils with memorable experiences and rich, diverse opportunities which enable them to make connections in their learning and develop skills that can be transferred across subjects and into later life.
Our curriculum is organised into half-termly topics within each year group, with a strong focus on History and Geography to ensure clear progression of knowledge and skills throughout school. The core skills of Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Computing underpin the wider curriculum, with children given meaningful opportunities to apply and strengthen these skills across different subjects and contexts.
We recognise that some of the most powerful learning happens through first-hand experiences and beyond the classroom. Our Forest School provision provides children with regular opportunities to learn in the natural environment, explore the changing seasons and develop curiosity about the world around them. Through practical, child-centred experiences, pupils develop resilience, independence, teamwork, problem-solving, confidence and managed risk-taking, while strengthening their connection with nature and the local environment. These experiences complement classroom learning and contribute to our commitment to developing the whole child.
Planned throughout the curriculum are our Excellence and Enjoyment Days, including educational visits, visitors and in-school workshops. These experiences are carefully chosen to extend and inspire learning, immerse children in their topics and broaden their experiences. They provide children with valuable first-hand knowledge, vocabulary and experiences which they can draw upon across the curriculum, particularly within their writing.
We have a whole-school writing overview to ensure clear coverage and progression from Years 1–6. Carefully selected schemes and resources support teaching in key curriculum areas, including Computing, PSHE, PE, French and Phonics through Read Write Inc. Other subjects, including Science, Art and Design, Music, Design and Technology, Religious Education and Mathematics, are mapped through long-term plans from Nursery to Year 6, ensuring that knowledge and skills are built upon progressively.
We firmly believe that our curriculum should enable children to understand and celebrate their own heritage, while developing knowledge, understanding and respect for other cultures, faiths and communities. Carefully selected ‘Must Knows’ identify the essential knowledge we want children to remember and help ensure learning is progressive and securely embedded over time. Our role at Dean Field is to spark curiosity and create a world of opportunity, awe and wonder, equipping our children with the knowledge, skills and values they need to lead productive, healthy and inspired lives in modern Britain.
Our curriculum is inclusive and designed to ensure that the needs of individuals and groups of pupils are met through high-quality teaching and ambitious expectations for all. We believe there should be no unnecessary ceiling placed on a child’s learning. Appropriate scaffolding and support enable pupils to access an ambitious curriculum, develop independence and maximise their potential.
Enjoyment, engagement and aspiration sit at the heart of our curriculum. Children are encouraged to feel confident in trying new things, learning from mistakes and challenging themselves. Through classroom learning, Forest School, enrichment and wider opportunities, our curriculum recognises children’s prior learning, provides meaningful first-hand experiences and develops communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and resilience.
We recognise that strong partnerships between home and school are vital in enabling children to thrive. Half-termly curriculum information is shared with families through Seesaw and our school website, helping parents and carers understand and engage with their child’s learning. Children are also offered a wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities, including after-school clubs and experiences designed to broaden horizons and develop new interests and talents.
We believe childhood should be a happy, investigative and enquiring time, where curiosity is encouraged and children develop a genuine thirst for new experiences and knowledge. Cultural capital is woven throughout our curriculum so that every child, regardless of background or starting point, is exposed to a rich range of experiences, knowledge and opportunities.
When children leave Dean Field at the end of Year 6, we strive for them to be well-rounded, resilient and confident individuals. We want them to have the literacy and numeracy skills, knowledge, experiences and personal qualities they need for the next stage of their education and beyond. Above all, we want our children to leave Dean Field curious, ambitious and inspired, believing in themselves and the opportunities available to them.
