Our Curriculum Vision
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.“— William Butler Yeats
At Little Gaddesden Church of England Primary School, we believe that every child is entitled to a rich, inspiring, and broad spectrum of learning experiences spanning academic, practical, social, and spiritual dimensions.
Grounded in our Christian values of Kindness, Endeavour and Understanding, our curriculum balances rigorous mastery of essential skills with opportunities that spark natural curiosity, foster personal autonomy, and build lifelong resilience. We aim to nurture confident, caring, and inquisitive learners who are fully prepared for the next stage of their education and ready to make a positive contribution to the wider world.
The National Curriculum
The National Curriculum outlines what must be taught in Key Stages 1 and 2 (Years 1-6) in maintained state schools in England from September 2014. It provides details of children’s statutory curriculum entitlement in English, Mathematics and Science and across 10 further subject areas: Art and design, Computing, Design and technology, Geography, History, MFL (Modern Foreign Languages), Music, Physical Education, PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) and RE (Religious Education).
How Our Curriculum Works
Two-Year Rolling Programme
Because we are a close-knit village school, our pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 (Classes 2 to 4) are taught in combined two-year age groups:
- Class 1: Nursery & Reception (Early Years Foundation Stage)
- Class 2: Years 1 & 2 (Key Stage 1)
- Class 3: Years 3 & 4 (Lower Key Stage 2)
- Class 4: Years 5 & 6 (Upper Key Stage 2)
To guarantee full, high-quality coverage of the National Curriculum, most subjects follow a two-year rolling cycle (with Mathematics and Music in Key Stage 1 delivered as single year groups). This structure allows children to revisit key concepts, practice spaced retrieval, and deepen their understanding as they progress.
Explore Our Subject Areas
Select a subject below to view our specific vision, planning overviews, and learning road maps:
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)
Personal Development & Wellbeing
As a small school all our pupils have a plethora of opportunities in which to participate and personally develop. We are proud that throughout the school year we have events, such as our Christmas production and Shrove Tuesday pancake races that involve every pupil in our school.
In Class 4, our children develop their leadership skills through our Community Champions programme. Designed to foster personal development and a strong sense of belonging, the school’s Community Champions will take on leadership roles across the academic year. The roles include:
- Junior Leadership Team: Meeting regularly with Mr Young, leading on school-wide questionnaires and gathering pupil voice.
- Reading Champions: Promoting a school-wide love of reading, recommending favourite books and keeping our library areas tidy.
- Wellbeing Superheroes: Monitoring playtimes, encouraging kindness and supporting peers who might need a friendly check-in.
- Maths Masters: Helping peers with their maths knowledge and understanding.
- Sports Leaders: Planning and running active lunchtime games and managing PE equipment.
- Learning Environment Champions: Keeping shared spaces looking their best, looking after displays, helping with recycling and returning lost property to its rightful owners.
- Performing Arts Champions: Promoting music, drama and dance across the school.
- Art Champions: Promoting a school-wide love for art, helping manage art materials, and supporting younger pupils during their art lessons.
- Gaddesden Sparks: Help plan and lead Collective Worship, share reflective thoughts during assemblies and be the sparks that ignite our school values every day.
- Junior Journalists: Roving pupil reporters will be tasked with interviewing staff and peers, covering school events, and bringing fresh, pupil-led perspectives straight to the pages of the Little Gaddesden Gazette.