Orchard Primary School logo

Curriculum Overview

We offer a curriculum which is broad and balanced to ensure every child reaches their full potential and has access to a range of educational experiences whatever their starting points or circumstance. The curriculum incorporates all statutory requirements of the National Curriculum 2014.

Pupils are provided with a rich progression of opportunities to be part of a rich, varied and comprehensive curriculum that reflects the interests of the school, its staff, pupils, parents and the wider national and global communities. Although literacy and mathematics are planned for discreetly in weekly plans, many other topic areas are relevant in these lessons, particularly through the choice of texts and writing outcomes in literacy. Whole school approaches to reading ensure that our pupils are confident readers who enjoy reading.

Specialist teachers support the teaching of Music, Spanish and Physical Education. Regular themed weeks, trips and workshops within and outside of school enrich and develop the children’s learning. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils and their understanding of the core values of our society are woven through our curriculum.

We set high expectations for every pupil. We aim to stretch the most able pupils by planning suitable and relevant learning challenges but also plan carefully for the needs of pupils who belong to vulnerable groups including ensuring that the needs of pupils with special educational needs are fully met.

Developing independent, resilient, inspired and motivated life-long learners with a sense of responsibility as future citizens is at the heart of all of our teaching and learning.

To find out what we teach, click on the subject to open the curriculum leaflet.

The core subjects are:

Literacy Leaflet (Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening)

Numeracy

Science

The Foundation Subjects are:

Information Communication Technology (ICT – including coding)

Humanities (History and Geography)

Art, Design and Technology

Personal Social Health Education (PSHE) and Religious Education (RE)

Music

Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) – Spanish

Physical Education (PE)

Year Group Curriculum Maps

Visit your year group to see the Year Group Curriculum Map and Half Termly Newsletters.

Inclusion

Our school serves a highly diverse community and our children present a wide range of needs and backgrounds.

We believe that every child can make progress and achieve and that it is our job to make sure that this happens. We ensure that teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all of our pupils.

We ensure that appropriate provision and challenge is in place for all pupils irrespective of their starting points to enable progress across the primary years.

If you would like to make an appointment to discuss your child’s learning, please contact the school office who will arrange a meeting time with the teacher or a member of the inclusion team.

  • 3 April 2025

    Create Easter Baskets with EYFS

    Create Easter Baskets with EYFS

    EYFS had a great time making Easter baskets with their parents and friends for DT Day! They put their cutting, folding and decorating skills to the test, creating fantastic designs.

    3 April 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 1 April 2025

    EYFS Spring Walk

    EYFS Spring Walk

    EYFS took a local walk to Well Street Common, where they learned about St. Patrick's Day and the arrival of Spring. They even used green grass to colour in a…

    1 April 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 28 March 2025

    Day 5 – Turing Tenerife Trip March 2025

    Day 5 – Turing Tenerife Trip March 2025

    Today, pupils rounded off their Tenerife adventure with a well-deserved beach day at Playa El Médano. As we travelled south by coach, a surprise rain shower gave pupils the perfect…

    28 March 2025
    anguyen

  • 27 March 2025

    Day 4 – Turing Tenerife Trip March 2025

    Day 4 – Turing Tenerife Trip March 2025

    Today, pupils explored the breathtaking El Teide National Park and saw Tenerife’s iconic volcano up close—and it didn’t disappoint! Our first stop was a dramatic mountain viewpoint. Despite cloudy weather,…

    27 March 2025
    anguyen

  • 26 March 2025

    Day 3 – Turing Tenerife Trip March 2025

    Day 3 – Turing Tenerife Trip March 2025

    Today we returned to our partner school for another memorable day of collaboration. Excitement was high as pupils reunited with their new Spanish friends. The highlight of the day was…

    26 March 2025
    anguyen

  • 25 March 2025

    Day 2 – Turing Tenerife Trip March 2025

    Day 2 – Turing Tenerife Trip March 2025

    Hola from Tenerife! Our pupils had a fantastic first full day on the island, diving straight into life at our partner school. After a hearty breakfast, excitement was high as…

    25 March 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 24 March 2025

    Day 1 – Turing Tenerife Trip March 2025

    Day 1 – Turing Tenerife Trip March 2025

    Today pupils embarked on their Turing scheme study visit to Tenerife to take part in a project in collaboration with our partner school on the island's volcanoes. Pupils were excited…

    24 March 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 21 March 2025

    Year 2 Explores Easter Traditions at the Church

    Year 2 Explores Easter Traditions at the Church

    Year 2 visited the church where they discovered why Easter is such a significant celebration for Christians. Father Patrick gave them a warm welcome and guided them as they explored…

    21 March 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 20 March 2025

    Year 3 Compose Their Own Waltz

    Year 3 Compose Their Own Waltz

    Year 3 have been exploring 'The Carnival of the Animals' by Saint-Saëns in Music. This week, they focused on 'The Elephant,' a waltz. After listening to the piece, they composed…

    20 March 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 14 March 2025

    World Book Day 2025

    World Book Day 2025

    World Book Day was an adventure-filled celebration at Orchard! They kicked off with parent reading, showcased fantastic costumes in assembly and wrapped up with peer reading. A wonderful day of…

    14 March 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 13 March 2025

    Rideout Team Cycles to the Olympic Park

    Rideout Team Cycles to the Olympic Park

    Our Rideout Team cycled all the way to Olympic Park and loved every moment of the refreshing ride. Smiles all around as they enjoyed the fresh air and fun challenge!…

    13 March 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 11 March 2025

    Speak Spanish with Year 4

    Speak Spanish with Year 4

    Year 4 have been learning how to discuss their families in Spanish, focusing on masculine and feminine nouns. This links to their PSHCE topic on #relationships, exploring the importance of…

    11 March 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 7 March 2025

    Year 2 Inspired Art Masterpieces

    Year 2 Inspired Art Masterpieces

    Year 2 have drawn inspiration from Vincent Van Gogh to create their own sunflower #paintings in Art. They explored proportion, impressionism, and post-impressionism techniques for their final pieces.

    7 March 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 4 March 2025

    EYFS Celebrates St David’s Day

    EYFS Celebrates St David’s Day

    EYFS got creative making St David’s Day cards! They honed their fine motor skills by cutting egg boxes into flowers, carefully painting the leaves and bringing their beautiful designs to…

    4 March 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 28 February 2025

    Year 1’s Clay Creations

    Year 1’s Clay Creations

    Year 1 have been getting creative with clay! They have been honing their sculpting skills, learning different modelling techniques to shape and craft their very own animal sculptures.

    28 February 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 27 February 2025

    Count To Five With EYFS

    Count To Five With EYFS

    EYFS focused on consolidating their understanding of numbers up to 5 in Maths. They practised identifying the numbers and representing them in different ways. They showed great progress in their…

    27 February 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 26 February 2025

    KS2 Cycle on Main Roads

    KS2 Cycle on Main Roads

    Our KS2 pupils have been taking part in thrilling cycle training sessions every week, building essential skills and confidence. Split into small groups, each 1-hour session gives pupils plenty of…

    26 February 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 24 February 2025

    World Book Day 6th March 2025

    World Book Day 6th March 2025

    Count down to World Book Day 2025 begins! We will be celebrating World Book Day on Thursday 6th March. Children are encouraged to dress up as their favourite book character…

    24 February 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 14 February 2025

    Dr Bike Fixes Your Bike

    Dr Bike Fixes Your Bike

    Our mechanics oversaw a Dr Bike check at each of the Viridis schools this term, checking 35 bikes in here at Orchard! They conducted thorough checks including brake tests, tyre pressure,…

    14 February 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 12 February 2025

    EYFS Learn All About Transport

    EYFS Learn All About Transport

    Our EYFS explorers took a local walk to learn all about transport. They spotted various vehicles and discussed different ways people travel. They also spotted some parakeets, adding a fun…

    12 February 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 11 February 2025

    Join Us for our Weekly Bike Bus Every Tuesdays

    Join Us for our Weekly Bike Bus Every Tuesdays

    We had a brilliant turnout for last week's bike bus of 31 pupils and 4 parents. Join us every Tuesday at 8:30am for a fun, healthy ride to school! See…

    11 February 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 7 February 2025

    Dr Bike Fixes Your Bike – 11th February 2025

    Dr Bike Fixes Your Bike – 11th February 2025

    If you would like a free bike check and repair, Dr Bike will be coming to Orchard next week on Tuesday, 11th February! Please provide larger items (pedals, brakes or…

    7 February 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 6 February 2025

    Year 4 Travel Back to the Anglo-Saxons Period

    Year 4 Travel Back to the Anglo-Saxons Period

    Year 4 visited the British Museum as part of their History topic on the Anglo-Saxons. Using tablets, they explored the Sutton Hoo gallery on an interactive tour, discovering new vocabulary…

    6 February 2025
    Fabiha Sultana

  • 6 February 2025

    Year 6 Become Music Producers

    Year 6 Become Music Producers

    Year 6 have been exploring GarageBand to compose music. They created tracks in the styles of electronic and hip-hop and even recorded their own voices. They are now working on…

    6 February 2025
    Fabiha Sultana