Westonzoyland Primary School ‘Embrace Opportunities, Choose Kindness, Value Everyone’
Curriculum
Information about our curriculum:
Curriculum Statement: Westonzoyland Community Primary School
At Westonzoyland Community Primary School, the curriculum is central to all that we do. Our curriculum is purposeful, ambitious and relevant to our children and their lives. We aim to engage children in enjoyable learning experiences which enable them to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. We seek to instil a lifelong love of learning that motivates every child to flourish academically, socially and personally.
The curriculum at Westonzoyland Community Primary School provides a broad, balanced and enriched education, placing a high importance on English, including reading, grammar and oracy, mathematics and an understanding of the wider world and our local community. We value creativity and are proud to provide opportunities through our wider curriculum for children to experience specialist music and art teaching, as well as participation in our year-round Forest School programme. These opportunities enable children to learn new skills, develop resilience, work collaboratively and discover their own talents and interests.
In line with the Education Inspection Framework (Ofsted, 2025a), our approach is organised around three key elements:
Curriculum
What is taught.
Teaching
How the curriculum is taught.
Achievement
The outcomes pupils attain and the progress they make.
Inclusion underpins all aspects of our work. We strive to ensure that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and those who face barriers to learning, have full access to an ambitious curriculum that enables them to achieve well and prepare successfully for the next stage of their education.
Curriculum: What is taught
Ofsted's Curriculum Expectations
School leaders and staff design, adopt and adapt a high-quality, ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils, paying particular regard to disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND and pupils who may face additional barriers to their learning or wellbeing.
At Westonzoyland Community Primary School, we intend to provide an ambitious, broad, balanced and creative curriculum that enables all groups of pupils to achieve as well as they can in both their academic and personal development.
Aims
Our curriculum aims:
- To ensure that children leave Westonzoyland Community Primary School with a secure knowledge base drawn from the National Curriculum.
- To provide a broad range of exciting learning experiences that are coherently planned and sequenced towards the acquisition of knowledge and skills for future learning and employment.
- To teach subject-specific knowledge and skills, enabling children to think and work as historians, geographers, scientists, artists, musicians and designers.
- To support all pupils in achieving their full potential by recognising and responding to different strengths, needs and interests.
- To ensure that pupils enjoy reading and become confident, fluent readers.
- To provide meaningful links between areas of learning where these strengthen understanding and curriculum coherence.
- To provide an attractive, stimulating and safe environment where all pupils can learn and flourish.
- To foster attitudes, learning behaviours and values that promote success in learning and personal development.
- To promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
- To encourage healthy lifestyles and positive physical development.
- To establish productive partnerships with families and the wider community.
We place particular emphasis on English, Mathematics, Computing, Science, Sport and the Performing Arts. Music, PE and Art benefit from specialist teaching.
Using the National Curriculum as our starting point, our curriculum is carefully planned and logically sequenced to ensure progression in knowledge and skills. We have developed clear progression maps to support teaching in our mixed-age classes and ensure consistency across year groups.
The curriculum at Westonzoyland offers a traditional, creative and inspiring educational experience that reflects our local community while preparing children to participate confidently in the wider world. Learning is designed to be meaningful, engaging and relevant, with appropriate connections made across subjects.
Different Types of Knowledge
Our curriculum planning incorporates different forms of knowledge:
Substantive knowledge – established facts and information.
Disciplinary knowledge – the methods and ways of thinking used within individual subjects.
Conceptual knowledge – important ideas and concepts pupils need to understand.
Procedural knowledge – the skills and techniques pupils need to apply.
Early Years
The planning of the Early Years curriculum takes full account of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and Development Matters guidance. The curriculum covers all seven areas of learning and development and provides a strong foundation for future success.
Reading is Essential to Learning
Reading is a high priority throughout the school.
We use Twinkl Phonics, a DfE-validated phonics programme, to provide a structured and systematic approach to early reading and writing. Reading books are carefully matched to children's phonic knowledge, ensuring fluency, accuracy and confidence develop progressively.
"Reading is at the heart of our curriculum."
Andy Clark, Headteacher
Mathematics
Hamilton Brookes forms the basis of our mathematics curriculum planning. The scheme meets National Curriculum requirements and is well suited to our mixed-age classes. It supports the development of fluency, reasoning and problem-solving whilst maintaining a strong focus on arithmetic and mathematical confidence.
Pupils are provided with regular opportunities to apply literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum.
Religious Education
The school follows Somerset's agreed RE syllabus, Awareness, Mystery and Value, which provides comprehensive long-term planning, progression and assessment opportunities from EYFS to Year 6.
Wider Curriculum
The wider curriculum is informed by the Kapow curriculum framework. Subject-specific knowledge and skills are carefully planned to ensure progression and depth of understanding. Children learn not only knowledge but also how knowledge is generated and applied within each discipline.
Curriculum Enrichment
Our curriculum is enriched through educational visits, visitors, Forest School experiences, residential opportunities, clubs, performances and participation in community events.
Levels of Curriculum Planning
Our curriculum is organised through:
- Long-term curriculum maps.
- Subject progression documents.
- Medium-term plans.
- Knowledge and vocabulary progression.
- Assessment opportunities embedded within planning.
Attitudes, Learning Behaviours and Values
Through our curriculum and ethos, we actively promote:
Fundamental British Values
- Democracy
- Rule of Law
- Individual Liberty
- Mutual Respect
- Tolerance
Core School Values
- Embrace Opportunities
- Choose Kindness
- Value Everyone
Learning Behaviours
- Aspiration
- Curiosity
- Creativity
- Determination
- Independence
- Perseverance
- Reflection
- Resilience
- Resourcefulness
- Teamwork
- Pride in Achievement
Cultural Capital
We seek to provide pupils with the experiences, knowledge and understanding needed to become successful and responsible citizens in modern Britain and the wider world.
We use the Kapow PSHE programme alongside our "No Outsiders" approach to foster wellbeing, inclusion, diversity and positive relationships.
Teaching: How Our Curriculum is Taught
High-quality teaching is the key to successful curriculum delivery and achievement.
At Westonzoyland Community Primary School, teachers have secure subject knowledge and high expectations for all learners. Professional development ensures staff remain informed about educational research, curriculum developments and effective practice.
Teachers:
- Present subject content clearly and accurately.
- Use effective explanation, modelling and demonstration.
- Check pupils' understanding systematically.
- Adapt teaching appropriately to meet pupils' needs.
- Use questioning skilfully to deepen thinking and understanding.
- Promote rich discussion and purposeful talk.
- Develop pupils' vocabulary across all subjects.
- Foster independence, resilience and confidence in learning.
Reading continues to be prioritised so that all pupils can access the full curriculum.
Teaching assistants are well trained and make valuable contributions to learning by supporting pupils effectively whilst promoting independence.
Assessment is used effectively to:
- Identify strengths and gaps in learning.
- Inform future teaching.
- Support curriculum progression.
- Enable pupils to know more, remember more and do more over time.
Learning environments are attractive, stimulating and purposeful. Displays celebrate achievement and support learning through the use of key vocabulary, knowledge and examples of high-quality work.
Achievement: The Outcomes for Pupils
Achievement encompasses both attainment and progress.
Through our ambitious curriculum and strong teaching, pupils develop secure knowledge, understanding and skills across the curriculum. Successful learning is reflected in the quality of work produced, classroom discussions, assessment outcomes and pupils' readiness for their next stage of education.
We want all pupils to:
- Make strong progress from their starting points.
- Develop secure knowledge across all curriculum areas.
- Remember and apply important learning over time.
- Read confidently and fluently.
- Communicate effectively and articulate their thinking.
- Demonstrate resilience, independence and positive learning behaviours.
- Achieve well academically and personally.
Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life. Through high-quality teaching, carefully considered adaptations and targeted support, pupils receive the help they need to achieve success.
We are confident that our pupils leave Westonzoyland Community Primary School equipped with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to thrive in secondary education and beyond.
Ofsted's Expectations for Achievement
Schools should provide a high-quality education so that all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and those who face barriers to learning, achieve well and gain the knowledge and skills needed for future success.
At Westonzoyland Community Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that all pupils know more, remember more and are able to do more as a result of the education they receive. This achievement prepares them well for lifelong learning and active participation in modern society.
Our Characteristics of Effective Learners:
Our Subject Leaders:
For more information about any areas of our curriculum, please speak to your child's class teacher or the below subject leaders for subject specific information.
British Values:
At Westonzoyland we want British values to be incorporated through our curriculum, so we have taken these themes and incorporated them through or RSHE curriculum. They are also present in our assembly themes.
