Thematic Curriculum
St Mary's Thematic Curriculum Policy St Mary's Long Term Plan 2025-2027
At St. Mary’s we encourage children to develop an enquiring mind and a love of learning. We aim to help them realise their full potential and become confident, happy members of our school community.
To find out more about the school curriculum, please speak to your child's class teacher.
Rationale
A Thematic Approach
We want pupils to feel confident to make links between the knowledge they are acquiring and to be able to use their skills to develop their understanding of key concepts and ideas. To this end we have designed a curriculum based around cross-curricular topics that change each half term.
The thematic curriculum promotes high quality learning through engaging topics and it is sequenced to provide a clear framework of progression in skills and knowledge to equip children for the next stage of their education.
We want pupils to feel confident to make links between the knowledge they are acquiring and to be able to use their skills to develop their understanding of key concepts and ideas. To this end we have designed a curriculum based around cross-curricular topics that change each half term.
The thematic curriculum promotes high quality learning through engaging topics and it is sequenced to provide a clear framework of progression in skills and knowledge to equip children for the next stage of their education.
There is good evidence that teaching subject knowledge and skills as part of a wider topic-based curriculum allows pupils to make useful links between subjects and different areas of learning and also consolidate skills.
Children are also likely to be more engaged in their learning if it has an exciting context. Topic links are also made to Literacy and Maths learning.
Children are also likely to be more engaged in their learning if it has an exciting context. Topic links are also made to Literacy and Maths learning.
The Thematic Curriculum topics include the National Curriculum programs of study for:
- Science
- History
- Geography
- Art
- Design Technology
A curriculum for OUR school
We have carefully designed the thematic curriculum to ensure there is appropriate coverage of the National curriculum subjects, in a way that reflects our school community and supports our values and ethos as well as covering the programs of study in the National Curriculum.
We have carefully designed the thematic curriculum to ensure there is appropriate coverage of the National curriculum subjects, in a way that reflects our school community and supports our values and ethos as well as covering the programs of study in the National Curriculum.
Review and development
We review and update the Curriculum Framework at the end of each school year, taking into account feedback from staff and pupils. This keeps our curriculum fresh and up to date, and allows us to link projects, outside initiatives and national developments etc into the learning.
We review and update the Curriculum Framework at the end of each school year, taking into account feedback from staff and pupils. This keeps our curriculum fresh and up to date, and allows us to link projects, outside initiatives and national developments etc into the learning.
Planning in Phases
We have chosen to share the same topic across each phase, Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and 2) Lower Keystage 2 (Year 3 and 4) and Upper Keystage 2 (Year 5 and 6).
This allows classes to make links with their learning, and allows staff to plan and share ideas as a team. Work in each shared topic is carefully planned and differentiated to ensure that each year group is working at the appropriate level of progression.
Two year topic cycle
The sharing of topics across two year groups means we have a two year topic cycle - Cycle A and Cycle B.
We have chosen to share the same topic across each phase, Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and 2) Lower Keystage 2 (Year 3 and 4) and Upper Keystage 2 (Year 5 and 6).
This allows classes to make links with their learning, and allows staff to plan and share ideas as a team. Work in each shared topic is carefully planned and differentiated to ensure that each year group is working at the appropriate level of progression.
Two year topic cycle
The sharing of topics across two year groups means we have a two year topic cycle - Cycle A and Cycle B.
- The academic school year 2025-2026 is Cycle A
- The academic school year 2026-2027 is Cycle B