What is the Bromham Curriculum?

Bromham Primary School Curriculum Vision

Aim

'Building For The Future on Firm Foundations'

(Matthew 7: 24-27)

We believe that we recognise the unique potential of every child, so they should be able to have a curriculum that allows every child to access a full range of learning. We strive to build strong foundations for children in the different subjects, and by providing them with opportunities, they can with confidence aim high, so that they flourish.

What is the Bromham Curriculum?

All children at Bromham CofE Primary School are taught a curriculum which prepares them for successful secondary achievements including the most ambitious academic outcomes. Our lessons are designed to give all our pupils the knowledge which will empower them to understand and interpret the world and grow in God's love into informed and interested citizens of both their own and the wider community.

We recognise that the national curriculum 2014 at primary level, demands knowledge of dozens of topics and that content knowledge is the most important factor related to teacher effectiveness. We teach a Knowledge Rich curriculum which is supported by research, and offering class teachers an opportunity to engage in rich subject matter with cohesive learning questions and in some cases prepared, challenging and appropriate resources. A subject lead, in conjunction with the senior leader that oversees the curriculum, plans the intended curriculum, the resources, some materials and learning questions. We want our teachers to spend their time engaging pupils, explaining difficult concepts and where necessary scaffolding or adapting their explanations with skill and professionalism. We want our teachers to focus in their working day on the enacted curriculum.

The teachers of Bromham engage with research based on Sweller’s Cognitive load theory and Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, which supports the theory behind the design of our curriculum. We block units to ensure we revisit and retrieve information throughout the years in order to move information taught from their working memory to their long term memory, through designing ways to build schema to support their retention of key knowledge across the curriculum. The curriculum links theory from Rosenshine, 2012, principles of instruction. The teachers model and sequence new learning, to be able to return weekly, monthly and then yearly. They scaffold and guide learning, before checking for understanding. Some subjects use the power of dual coding through knowledge organisers and learning strips to support children’s retention and recall of information. We also focus on essential vocabulary and concepts. Vocabulary is interleaved within the lesson so that there is an attention to Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary covered throughout the curriculum.

We recognise that the curriculum development is a state of constant refinement and improvement and as such we constantly adapt it to ensure we are teaching the children the most ambitious curriculum.

Role and Responsibilities

 

Staff Member	Role	Curriculum Responsibility
Claire Matthews	Headteacher	SLT Overview
Lyndsey Gould	Deputy Headteacher	SLT Overview; Curriculum Lead; Pupil Premium
Katie Mulkerrins	Assistant Headteacher	SLT Overview; EYFS and Key Stage 1 Phase Lead; to work with SLT to oversee the planning and development of the Early Years, Year 1 and 2 curriculum.
Charlotte Richards	Assistant Headteacher	SLT Overview; Key Stage 2 Phase Lead; to work with SLT to oversee the planning and development of the Year 3-6 curriculum; Oracy Lead.
Beckii Day	SENDco	SLT Overview; Inclusion and SENDCo
Lucy Hanlon	Class teacher; Middle leader	Writing Lead; Develop collaboration with Reading, Writing, Oracy and Phonics;
Wesley Bradley	Class teacher; Middle leader	Maths Lead; Develop maths from EYFS to Year 6.
Rebecca Harrison	Class teacher; Phonics Lead	Phonics Leads; Coordinate the teaching of phonics, including spellings, in EYs/KS1/KS2 to embed the SoundsWrite programme
Elliot Armitage	Class teacher; Reading Lead	Reading Lead; Coordinate teaching and learning of reading from EYFS to Year 6.
Jayne Taylor	Class teacher; RE Lead	RE lead; to work with foundation governors and St Alban’s Diocese to embed the RE curriculum as a church school.
Becky Gamblen Jessica Woodyatt Vicky Taylor Charlotte Cannon Claire Kirk Frankie Jenkins Sonia Sundar Coco Matthews Matt Kumar Kathryn Bradshaw Lisa Kaler	Class teachers / leaders	Science Geography   PSHE Music   ECO schools Computing History Art/D.T. P.E. Collective Worship   Modern Foreign Languages

Overview of Curriculum Planning

Entitlement - Attributes

All subject should have:

• A subject specific intent, impact and implementation statement
• A long term model of progression, which specifies content in each year group
• Intentional sequence of progression
• Lessons which explain and include the key aspects of cognitive science to ensure knowledge enters the long term memory. The development of teachers as experts explaining the lesson content.
• A range of texts used across the curriculum both fiction and non-fiction, which are appropriately matched to the year group.
• Specific vocabulary development which is introduced and developed through the course of the subject.
• Some subjects to have knowledge organisers and knowledge strips, which itemise and clarify the core content, through dual coding, which is expected to be learnt by the end of the unit of work.

At Bromham, we have designed a strategy to allow our curriculum to be developed, sequenced and delivered in a workable format, which allows teachers to design lessons to engage the children. We are working on subject development and subject leader responsibility with CPD to support, allowing for robust and careful sequencing of content which gives children multiple opportunities to revisit and embed important knowledge and concepts.

A subject intent, impact and implementation statement
Description	A series of paragraphs which outlines the intent, implementation and how you will monitor impact in your subject.
Support	Examples to share Alex Bedford’s Unity Trust Curriculum intent/pupil book studies

 

A long term model of progression, which specifies content in each year group
Description	A map which clearly identifies the key learning in each unit in each subject for each year group. ·        Where applicable, the learning questions which when answered, help the children progress in a subject. Or an overview of objectives/skills learnt in the subject. ·        The things we intend our children to learn are ambitious and content is not watered down.
Support	Examples to share SLT lead to support in creation of these CUSP Unity Trust Curriculum documents Long Term plans on KAPOW/SACRED etc

  

Intentional Sequencing of progression
Description	Key concepts are revisited and progression through a subject is coherent, challenging and age appropriate.
Support	Alex Bedford’s Unity Trust Curriculum documents (hist/geog/science/DT/Art) KAPOW – Computing/Music Petite Etoile – Lisa Kaler French Bedfordshire Agreed Syllabus RE Cambridgeshire Agreed Syllabus PSHE Get Set 4 PE   Alex Bedford – spaced retrieval practice CPD Ebbinghaus ‘forgetting curve’ Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory Beck, Mc Keown, Kucan, 2002 – vocabulary matters Rosenshine 2012 Principles of instruction

 

Lessons which explain and include the key aspects of cognitive science to ensure knowledge enters long term memory. The development of teachers as experts explaining the lesson content.
Description	If we are going to be successful in our ambitious intent then every explanation must be planned and then taught by teachers who have invested time and energy in becoming experts. At primary level, teachers having learned the lesson content and learnt the knowledge organisers optimises cognitive load effects on pupils.
Support	Alex Bedford planning documents and CPD Curriculum vision books KAPOW CPD opportunities via the videos before teaching.

 

Challenging texts both fiction and non-fiction which are appropriately matched to the year group.
Description	The reading and writing long term overviews for every year group identify the core texts and the subject overviews identify non-fiction texts or text extracts which are closely linked to the writing or learning taking place. The teachers follow the Sounds Write programme, and this is implemented to provide fast and effective teaching for children at all levels. Reading opportunities are embedded into the planning across other curriculum subjects.
Support	Sounds Write training and scheme Curriculum Visions (history, science, geography and RE) Pie Corbett reading spines; CUSP reading

 

 

Specific vocabulary development which is introduced and developed through the course of a subject.
Description	Vocabulary which children are deliberately exposed to, over a sequence of lessons or a cohesive key concept. Vocabulary pages and Knowledge Organisers make the vocabulary explicit. Opportunities for learning and using the tier 2 and 3 vocabulary are built into lessons as deliberate practice daily. Dual Coding especially for proper nouns improves understanding and absorption of new knowledge without increasing extraneous cognitive load.
Support	Beck, Mc Keown, Kucan, 2002 – vocabulary matters Alex Bedford’s Unity Trust Curriculum documents

 

Some subjects to have knowledge organisers and knowledge strips, which itemise and clarify the core content, through dual coding, which is expected to be learnt by the end of the unit of work.
Description	The beating heart of each unit or overarching knowledge which pupils should learn Opportunities to recap previous knowledge A set of fundamental facts at the heart of a topic which students must know in order to access the topic and further knowledge
Support	Alex Bedford’s Unity Trust Curriculum documents Spaced retrieval practice CPD and theories behind this.

 

Regular retrieval practice interleaved throughout the lessons.
Description	A range of different retrieval practice questions this could be through quizzing, multiple choice questions, flick back 4’s and so on.
Support	Alex Bedford’s Unity Trust Curriculum documents Kate Jones Retrieval book

 

Curriculum Subject Planning

Teachers at Bromham CofE Primary School work together to create coherent overall high level aims of a curriculum – once pupils have learned the subject within these lessons they will have made progress. Once the high level aims have been mapped and challenged for coherence and appropriateness or relevance (in this respect meaning its part in the coherent journey of a subject across the school) then the subject leads develop sequences of learning questions in blocks of around 5/10 lessons.

The subject lead provides knowledge organisers, learning strips, learning questions or sequence of lessons alongside an overview of the blocked units to enable teachers to focus on spending the vast majority of their time thinking about how to teach the lesson, ask questions and to ensure comprehension and retrieval of previously learned knowledge which links to this learning.

Specific CPD sessions are in place, so that we are continually reviewing the implementation of the curriculum and adapting where necessary as we go along.

 

The school is committed to continually improving the curriculum with an ambitious drive to create a coherent and academic curriculum for its pupils.

Timeline

Timeline

Implementation of the curriculum quality assured through learning walks, book looks, pupil book studies and a cycle of CPD and development opportunities. The following timeline runs alongside the Curriculum Development Action Plan.

The journey so far to develop the curriculum

Year 19/20

• SLT worked on researching different opportunities to develop our curriculum.
• The Deputy Head Teacher worked with Alex Bedford from Unity Trust Schools Partnership to develop a curriculum overview for all foundation subjects.
• The school received CPD and is continuously working with Alex Bedford from CUSP, Herts for Learning consultants in Maths, Talk for Writing consultants and other specialist advisors. Ongoing throughout the years.
• Training and Implementation of Accelerated reader, Sounds Write training for all Key Stage 1 staff and Reading Lead. Working with Pam Heath (LA) to develop reading. Ongoing throughout all years.
• External CPD for all staff on developing the curriculum and how the lead the curriculum as a subject lead.
• Working with Peter Pan Teaching Alliance to develop Early Years Provision.
• New Foundation curriculum CPD with Deputy Head (research principles) and Alex Bedford
• All teachers to implement the Unity Trust planning in Geography, History and Science. KAPOW for computing, DT and Art.
• Teachers to use Curriculum Visions to enhance reading in foundation subjects.

 

Year 20/21

• Ongoing training with Herts for Learning, Talk for Writing, Pam Heath and other advisors to embed this. (ongoing throughout the year).
• Refresher training with Alex Bedford – continue working with Alex and Unity Partnership to develop the curriculum across the year.
• Curriculum Leaders to work with the Deputy Head to go through their subjects and produce action plans.
• Review the Curriculum Coverage and delivery – continue to develop as necessary.
• Book Looks and Learning Walks.

 

Year 21/22

• Ongoing training with Herts for Learning, Talk for Writing, Pam Heath and other advisors to embed this. (ongoing throughout the year).
• Pupil Book Study Training for all staff with Alex Bedford - continue working with him and the Unity Partnership to develop the curriculum across the year. 
• Curriculum Leadership support offered to all staff and five sessions delivered to specifically support teachers new to subject leadership. Increased SLT monitoring of subject leaders. 
• Advantage schools training sessions on backward planning, to improve the quality of substantive and disciplinary knowledge and reducing cognitive overload of information. 
• Book Looks and Learning Walks.
• New Assessment for all foundation subjects in place. 
• Website curriculum pages developed. 

 

Year 22/23

• Ongoing training with Herts for Learning, Talk for Writing, Pam Heath and other advisors to embed this. (ongoing throughout the year).
• Curriculum Leadership support offered to all staff and five sessions delivered to specifically support teachers new to subject leadership. Increased SLT monitoring of subject leaders. 
• Training on Retrieval within lessons through reading Kate Jones Book, and an online session with her.
• Book Looks and Learning Walks.
• EYFS CUSP investigated to be implemented fully in 23/24

 

Year 23/24

 

• Ongoing CPD, including Borough PSGs, Herts Curriculum leader days, and CUSP subject leader training support.
• EYFS CUSP implemented
• Subject Leader time increased frequency and spaced across the year for more protected time to be invested in the curriculum
• Curriculum Leadership Support Programme implemented to support all subject leaders.
• Curriculum conversations and curriculum evaluations introduced to monitor impact.
• &iLearn resources implemented to support planning.

 

Year 24/25

• Ongoing CPD, including Borough PSGs, Herts Curriculum leader days, and CUSP subject leader training support.
• New Base Slide Decks introduced to support planning.
• SoundsWrite training online.
• Kinetic Letters training
• Oracy 21 development.

 

Autumn 25

 

• Ongoing CPD, including Borough PSGs, Herts Curriculum leader days, and CUSP subject leader training support.
• Curriculum Leadership time, support and monitoring in place across the year to develop subject leaders.
• Book Looks and Learning Walks completed. 
• Explore new ways to record and track assessment in foundation subjects.
• Read and review the curriculum and assessment review publication and make adaptations.
• Read and explore the new Ofsted framework and how this fits with our curriculum offer.
• Continue to explore new updates to CUSP and implement.

 

Spring 26

• Continue Subject Leadership Development training for all. 
• Book Looks and Learning Walks completed. 
• Curriculum conversations (updated with Mary Myatt resources)

 

Summer 26

 

• Pupil book studies, Book Looks and Learning walks to be completed in all subjects. 
• Next Year cycle of blocked units planned and revised.
• Agreed focus for 2026/27 academic year on curriculum developments.