Infant & Junior Curriculum

From the word go, our pupils in Pre-School and Reception learn to be creative in the truest sense of the word; they try new things, adapt, take risks with their answers and learn to grow as a consequence.

Our outstanding Early Years teaching team comprises of highly experienced practitioners. They are hugely skilled, full of love and fun, enabling the very best first school experience for pupils at King’s. Specialist subject teachers also provide expert tutorage in the areas of Music, Modern Foreign Languages, Dance, Sport and Outdoor Learning.

Early Years pupils learn through a series of structured activities, both inside and outdoors. The curriculum is stimulating and learning is pitched at a level appropriate to each individual pupil. With a child-centred approach, pupils are encouraged to explore and discover, whilst receiving adult input and teaching in all areas. In this environment, the foundations of Reading, Writing and Mathematics are laid.

Forest School

Learning outside is key to Early Years education and pupils enjoy daily outdoor experiences, all intrinsic to their overall development, health and wellbeing. Pupils in Pre-School and Reception enjoy weekly Forest School Sessions delivered by specially trained staff.

The school campus provides the most beautiful learning canvas for young learners; from natural wooded spaces, to the dedicated gardening areas, outdoor classrooms, apiary and orchards, pupils have access to a vast array of environments.

Alongside daily opportunities to learn outside, Enrichment Weeks and Special Experience Days provide memorable learning experiences. These serve brilliantly to engage our youngest learners, igniting a love of exploration and an appreciation for the great outdoors.

We also offer a Breakfast Club, After-School Care and Holiday Club for those that require them.

Our aim is to create a stimulating and exciting environment where learning takes place through enjoyment. Children have their own indoor and outdoor classrooms and we offer a curriculum based on, but going beyond, the national requirements.

Enquiry-Based Learning:  Each half term, pupils explore a central ‘enquiry question’, integrating historical, geographical, and scientific knowledge. 

Cross-Curricular Approach: While each topic may have a primary focus (e.g. history or geography), it incorporates a wide range of subjects including art, design technology, science, IT, religion and world views, and music. 

Sustainability Focus: A ‘golden thread’ of sustainability runs throughout our curriculum. Each year group takes on a specific environmental responsibility, such as Water Monitors (Year 6) or Energy Monitors (Year 5). 

Real-World Connections: Enquiry questions may be adapted to align with major world events, ensuring relevance and timeliness in learning. 

Hands-On Learning: For instance, Year 1 pupils studying China engage in multifaceted activities like creating Chinese puppets, painting in Chinese styles, participating in Dragon dancing, and tasting Chinese cuisine. 

Skills-Focused: We emphasise developing skills and understanding the context and purpose of learning.

Enhancing the Learning Experience

‘Wow’ Moments: Each enquiry topic features a special event or trip to bring learning to life. These may include museum visits, historical re-enactments, or encounters with visiting experts and even unusual guests like dinosaurs or farm animals! ‘Great Work’ Showcases: Half-termly opportunities for pupils to present their learning through various formats, from poetry recitals to exhibitions for parents.

Wellbeing

Our holistic approach extends to personal, social and emotional development. The PSHE Curriculum is primarily delivered through Corum, with the Early Years Programme ‘Think Equal’ used in EYFS and Year 1. Think Equal is a holistic based on a commitment to social equality, gender, racial and religious equality, social and emotional health and well-being and global citizenship, based in social-emotional learning.

Personal Development

We focus on developing pupils’ emotional intelligence through a series of activities incorporated in the school Day. These include Paws B, Yoga, and elements from ‘My Happy Mind’ to build resilience, self-esteem, and understanding of emotional wellbeing.

Diversity and Inclusion

The ‘No Outsiders’ programme, delivered through assemblies, addresses important societal issues and promotes understanding of diverse communities. We are also proud of being a Rights Respecting School, in collaboration with UNICEF. Being a Rights Respecting School goes beyond the school gates, making a positive impact on the whole community.

Teaching focuses on equipping our pupils to be happier and healthier, safe, and secure in their relationships, active and involved in school life and the wider world. Our integrated approach to the curriculum leads to greater pupil engagement, improved information retention and a rich, diverse learning experience that prepares pupils for the modern world and its complexities.

All pupils at King’s take part in the King’s Compass Programme. This programme embraces the research-based belief that children grow, learn and thrive when they are connected with the natural world. Both physical and mental benefits are derived from spending time outdoors. Presenting exciting opportunities for all pupils, this curriculum programme unites the existing opportunities within King’s for adventure and extra-curricular learning, with more dedicated teaching of key skills within the core curriculum.

Teamwork, Leadership and Communication
The King’s Compass Programme is designed to help develop an attitude of ‘I can’ and ‘let’s try again’ amongst all King’s learners.

Curiosity, creativity and imagination blend perfectly as learners venture outside their classrooms and outside their comfort zones. Key skills of resilience and collaboration are prioritised, as pupils face challenges, failure, setbacks and adversity in their learning – all of these experiences are recognised for their value and necessity as part of the programme.

The King’s Compass Programme is designed to enable all pupils at King’s to develop different skills and experiences, leading to an extension of pupils’ self-awareness, confidence and self-esteem.

The Programme develops collaborative-working and communication skills, providing physical and mental health benefits. Longer-term benefits include improved academic achievement, personal and social development, greater employability, improved wellbeing and mental health.

Early Skill Development
King’s Compass lessons provide pupils with the opportunity to get to know their class mates through a selection of team-building challenges. Lesson activities test pupils’ trust, push the importance of listening to others and encourage pupils to be adaptable with their approaches to tasks.

Favourite activities amongst Junior pupils are the ‘The Circle of Trust’, where pupils stand in a circle as they hold a rope. They lean their body weight back, trusting the rest of their class to do the same! In order for this to work, everyone must trust and support each other.

Pupils also love the gutter challenges. The aim is to focus carefully, work as a team and slowly use balancing techniques as pupils collaborate to roll a ball at different speeds through the guttering.

Much co-operation is needed to ensure the ball does not end up on the floor and remains moving at a steady pace.

Measuring Development and Personal Growth
As units of work are completed, pupils are encouraged to reflect on what they have learnt, describing how they have benefitted and grown from the experiences they have had.

Skills are celebrated and recorded along the way in their King’s Compass Passport.

The Infant & Junior Division nurtures excellence in every pupil, inspiring a passion for knowledge and cultivating curiosity, self-assurance and autonomy within a supportive community. We pride ourselves on creating an environment where children feel secure, appreciated and respected.

Our pupils consistently achieve remarkable results, benefiting from our distinctive, comprehensive curriculum and favourable staff-to-pupil ratios. Specialist staff teams, along with rich extra-curricular provision, ensure all pupils receive a well-rounded, exciting, challenging curriculum that enables significant personal and academic development.

A child thrives when they feel content and safe. Beginning at age 3, when pupils embark on their exciting educational journey through the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, we provide a wealth of engaging and stimulating experiences. Our approach ensures each learning opportunity is meaningful and purposeful, laying a strong foundation for future academic success and personal growth.

We inspire our pupils to stretch their abilities and harness their innate inquisitiveness and eagerness to learn. Our goal is to make education not only enjoyable but a lifelong pursuit. By age 11, we aim to equip our pupils with the essential knowledge, abilities and comprehension needed to excel in our Senior Division. Superb personal progress and high academic outcomes were celebrated at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) in 2024:

• Reading: 97% pupils achieved or exceeded the Expected Standard, compared to 74% nationally. 45% of King’s pupils reached the highest ‘Exceeding’ grade, compared to 29% nationally.

• Writing: 90% pupils achieved or exceeded the Expected Standard, compared to 72% nationally. 27% of King’s pupils reached the highest ‘Exceeding’ grade. compared to 13% nationally.

• Maths: 100% pupils achieved or exceeded the Expected Standard, compared to 73% nationally. 72% of King’s pupils reached the highest ‘Exceeding’ grade, compared to 24% nationally.

• Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar (SPAG): 97% pupils achieved or exceeded the Expected Standard, compared to 72% nationally. 58% of King’s pupils reached the highest ‘Exceeding’ grade, compared to 30% nationally.

Reporting
Academic progress is reported at parents’ evenings and in reports.

At the end of Key Stage 2, it is expected that all children will meet King’s standards in English and Maths, which are above the national standards, in order to transfer to the Senior Division. 

Transfer to Seniors
Offers of places for Year 7 are made following internal assessments during Year 5 and Year 6. Pupils in Year 6 also take the 11+ assessments taken by external applicants for Year 7, in order to provide baseline data on the full cohort.

The full range of Academic Scholarships, Music Scholarships, and King’s Elite Athlete Awards (KEAP) in the Senior School are available to King’s Juniors.