• A coherent journey of learning: We carefully select and sequence knowledge and key concepts so that learning builds on what children already know. Knowledge is revisited, deepened and connected over time, enabling children to develop secure understanding and apply their learning in new contexts.
• The integrity of each subject: We recognise that every subject has its own knowledge, concepts, vocabulary and ways of thinking. We protect the distinctive character of individual subjects while making purposeful connections where these strengthen children's understanding.
• Ambitious, accessible and inclusive for all: We maintain high expectations for every child. Our curriculum is designed to be both challenging and accessible, with inclusion considered from the outset. Through adaptive teaching, appropriate support and appropriate challenge, we enable all children to engage with and succeed within an ambitious curriculum.
• Learning for life: PSHE and personal development are woven throughout our curriculum and wider school life, reinforced through assemblies, our school values, enrichment and everyday interactions. Children develop their understanding of relationships, wellbeing, equality, respect, diversity, rights and responsibilities, helping them to make informed choices and contribute positively to society.
• Reflecting our community and broadening horizons: We value the knowledge, histories, cultures, faiths and experiences that children and families bring to Southbury. We reflect these within our curriculum while deliberately introducing children to people, places, ideas, cultures and experiences beyond their immediate lives. Through rich curriculum experiences, encounters and opportunities, we broaden children's horizons, build their knowledge and confidence and help them participate fully in the wider world. British Values are woven through this wider curriculum offer.
• Our values in action: Our school values underpin the way we teach, learn and live together. Children encounter these values not only through explicit teaching, but through relationships, routines, expectations and opportunities to practise them in real situations.

Wider Currriculum. 

At Southbury, we believe that a rich education extends beyond the classroom and beyond the statutory curriculum. Our wider curriculum provides children with experiences, opportunities and encounters that enrich their learning, broaden their horizons and help them understand their place in the wider world.

Through trips and visits, visitors, the arts, sport, music, community opportunities, leadership, enrichment activities and celebrations, we give children opportunities to discover new interests, develop confidence and independence, experience different cultures and perspectives, and apply their learning in meaningful contexts.

We value the knowledge, experiences, cultures and backgrounds that our children and families bring to our community, while deliberately introducing children to people, places, ideas and experiences beyond their immediate lives.

Our wider curriculum supports children to KNOW, CONNECT, THINK, BELONG and THRIVE. It helps every child to discover what they are capable of, develop their aspirations and Dream Big, Fly High.

Assemblies are an important part of life at Southbury and provide opportunities for children to develop their understanding of our school values, reflect on the world around them and consider how they can contribute positively to our community.

Each week, our values-based assembly explores a real-world example, current local or world news, or a significant or commemorative occasion through the lens of one or more of our school values. Children are encouraged to reflect on these themes and consider how they can put our values into practice in their own lives.

Our half-termly value is also explored through a weekly Early Morning Work activity, giving children further opportunities to discuss and reflect on what the value means and how it can be demonstrated.

Each week, our whole-school Celebration Assemblies celebrate children's attitudes to learning and recognise children who have demonstrated our school values or made a positive contribution to the school community.

At Southbury Primary School, assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. Its purpose is to help teachers understand what children know, remember and can do, and to use this information to shape future teaching and learning. Assessment is therefore an ongoing process, not simply something that happens at the end of a unit or through formal testing.

Teachers use a range of approaches to assess learning, including questioning, observation, discussion, written work, practical activities, feedback and more formal assessments where appropriate. This enables teachers to identify what children have understood, address misconceptions, identify gaps in knowledge and plan appropriate next steps.

Our assessment is closely connected to our curriculum. Key knowledge, concepts and skills are revisited over time so that children have opportunities to strengthen their understanding, retrieve and apply what they have learned, and make connections across their learning. Teachers use assessment information to identify where children need further teaching, support or challenge, while maintaining high expectations for all.

Children receive regular feedback that helps them understand what they have done well and how they can improve. Teachers use assessment information alongside their professional knowledge of each child to make informed judgements about progress and attainment.

Assessment information is reviewed regularly at class, year-group and whole-school level. Termly assessment information is analysed to identify patterns, monitor progress and inform provision. Teachers also take part in moderation to develop shared understanding of expectations and ensure that judgements are accurate and consistent.

In this way, assessment at Southbury is not an end point. It is part of the learning journey — helping us to know where children are, understand what they need next and ensure that every child can make progress, achieve highly and thrive.

By the time children leave Southbury, they will:

• Know more – have a rich body of knowledge that helps them understand themselves, others and the wider world.
• Connect more – make meaningful connections between new learning and what they already know, across and within subjects.
• Think deeply – use their knowledge to question, reason, think critically and make informed judgements.
• Belong – understand and respect different people, cultures, histories and perspectives, while valuing their own identity and place within the Southbury community.
• Thrive – have the confidence, curiosity, character and values to build positive relationships, make informed choices, embrace opportunities and contribute positively to the world around them.

They will believe in their own potential, dream big, fly high and be ready to flourish.

If you have any more questions about our curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Wellbrook, Deputy Headteacher and Head of Curriculum via the school office.