Teaching of foundation subjects at Anstey has been carefully designed so that our ethos and school values can be applied across the curriculum. Outside our core curriculum, we use a consistently high-quality approach where pupils are given as many opportunities as possible to learn new skills, build on their existing knowledge and develop a deep understanding of the core concepts for each subject. 

Our intention is to develop curious, creative, and confident learners who possess a deep understanding of the world around them. 

Essential characteristics 

We want children to develop expertise. In order to do that, we have identified a set of characteristics for each subject – the essential attitudes and behaviours that we want pupils to practise when they study. Anstey pupils do not ‘do art or history or dance’, instead, they ‘are artists, historians and dancers’. 

Key curriculum themes 

Across every curriculum subject, teaching is focused on developing children’s skills around our eight themes. Each learning sequence will build these areas by revisiting prior learning, and developing pupils’ understanding thematically. 

Sequenced and structured learning 

We use planning taken from a range of sources. We have found that these materials suit our pupils and enable us to develop the knowledge and skills that we have prioritised. Lesson sequences are carefully chosen so that learning is sequential and builds in logical steps from EYFS to Key Stage Two. 

We have a flexible approach to planning: the schemes of work we choose serve our needs, and we adapt them as necessary to meet the needs of our pupils. All plans and sequences are tailored and adapted by our skilled teachers to ensure that they deliver our intended outcomes. 

Inclusion within foundation subjects 

We work hard to make sure that all pupils can access our curriculum and make progress, irrespective of their background, starting points or barriers to learning. 

The path to achieving this starts with understanding barriers to learning and finding ways to lower or remove these entirely. Teaching is adapted to suit all learners and pupil activities are designed to ensure to stimulate curiosity, practise new skills and develop knowledge of the world around us. 

As well as developing pupils’ skills and knowledge within the curriculum, we strive to provide children with an enriched curriculum that gives our pupils the cultural capital they need to engage meaningfully in the world as curious citizens. We do this through visits and trips as well as ensuring that pupils see inspiring role models from a range of cultural and societal backgrounds. 

Vocabulary, skills and knowledge 

As children progress through our curriculum, they are exposed to, use and learn new vocabulary, new skills and gain new knowledge about the world around them. This is all carefully planned by our teachers.  

Each subject has its own vocabulary progression, that builds as pupils move through the school. Teachers use these words in their teaching and identify specific key words and phrases that we expect children to use when talking about their learning. 

Subject mapping includes not only the sequences and units of work, but also the substantive and disciplinary knowledge that we want children to use. This ensures that our curriculum is intentional and purposeful. The skills and knowledge we have outlined forms the ‘essentials’ of the subject, and is also the basis for our ‘Big Questions’ and ‘Big Ideas’. 

Big Questions and Big Ideas 

When a new topic is introduced, it is done so in the form of a Big Question. Pupils begin the topic by discussing the question in detail – what they think it means, and how they might answer it. This provides teachers with the opportunity to assess prior learning. Pupils are given the opportunity to show what they already know that might help them answer the Big Question.  

Each session or part of the learning sequence introduces a new Big Idea. These Big Ideas are linked to key vocabulary, along with substantive and disciplinary knowledge.  

Example: