Our Curriculum

Curriculum Intent

The school’s policy is to provide academic excellence and enrichment through an evidence informed curriculum. The curriculum provides depth and breadth in knowledge and understanding and ensures that equal opportunities are given to all children.

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English 

Our daily English curriculum provides all learners with multiple opportunities to develop the phonetic skills necessary for reading; immerse themselves in a wide range of vocabulary to support comprehension; continually develop speaking and listening skills; master the many interlinked skills needed to become a fluent writer.

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Please see our writing strategy

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At Ecton Brook we pride ourselves in providing a rich diet of age-appropriate reading texts which immerse all pupils in an inspiring reading journey from Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to Year 6. We aim to ensure that reading texts provide all pupils with opportunities to access information and learning that is engaging and memorable and will embed a long-term love of reading.

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Please see our reading strategy

The school uses a combination of reading schemes with the most established being Oxford Reading Tree. We use this and other series of books because they have been carefully written to support the process of learning to read and to help children make progress as readers.

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Please see our Parent Guide to Reading

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Phonics 

As soon as pupils enter the school in EYFS they are introduced to phonics. Ecton Brook follows the Sounds Write programme recommended by the Department for Education and Skills which “aims to build children's speaking and listening skills in their own right as well as to prepare children for learning to read by developing their phonic knowledge and skills.”

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Sign up for a free Sounds-Write phonics course to help you support your child at home.

Phonics is systematically taught from EYFS to Year 2, with statutory Phonics Screening checks being taken by the majority of pupils at the end of Year 1. The check provides teachers with information about the pupils’ ability to use phonic knowledge to decode words in their reading and assess whether pupils are at the ‘expected level’. If children do not pass the check they are provided with additional small group or one-to-one support and may re-sit the phonic check in Year 2.

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You can read more about 'Learning to Read Through Phonics' and 'Key Stage 1 and 2 National Curriculum Tests'.

Maths  

At Ecton Brook Primary School, the maths curriculum empowers pupils to develop key mathematical concepts; master an understanding and love of maths; use reasoning to problem solve and make links to the wider curriculum and the world around them. The school follows a mastery approach to maths in both KS1 and KS2. This is supported by the Power Maths Scheme of Work which works in partnership with White Rose Maths; recommended by the DfE.  

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Science and Foundation Subjects 

The curriculum has been carefully constructed to ensure children obtain a solid understanding of key concepts, knowledge and skills. The aim is to empower our children and carefully build their understanding of subjects. The content is specified in detail and is taught to be remembered, not just encountered. Children are taught to make horizontal, vertical and cross-curricular links, building on previous knowledge and understanding over time.   

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