An ambitious curriculum for every child

At North Mead, our curriculum is designed to help every child know more, remember more and do more.

It combines high expectations, strong subject knowledge, rich vocabulary, high-quality texts, memorable experiences and carefully sequenced learning from Nursery to Year 6.

Our curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. We adapt teaching and provide additional support where needed so that every child can access, participate and succeed.

The North Mead curriculum in three words

  • Know

Children build secure subject knowledge, vocabulary and understanding.

  • Remember

Important knowledge is revisited through retrieval, discussion, practice and application so that learning becomes increasingly secure.

  • Do
  • Children use what they know through subject-specific thinking: reasoning mathematically, working scientifically, thinking historically, investigating geographically, creating artistically and communicating confidently.

Reading at the heart

Reading is central to the North Mead curriculum. Children are taught to become accurate, fluent and confident readers, while high-quality texts build vocabulary, background knowledge and understanding across subjects.

Learning that builds over time

In every subject, we identify the knowledge children need to learn, the vocabulary they need to understand and use, the concepts that must be revisited, the subject-specific ways of thinking and working, and the progression from one year group to the next.

Sticky knowledge

Each unit identifies the most important knowledge we want children to retain. This sticky knowledge is deliberately revisited so that pupils can connect previous learning to new ideas and use it with increasing confidence.

The Learning Loop

  • Retrieve — revisit prior learning and strengthen important knowledge.
  • Teach & Model — explain new learning clearly and model the thinking, language and processes pupils need.
  • Practise — rehearse new knowledge and skills with appropriate support and feedback.
  • Apply — use learning with increasing independence and in different contexts.
  • Reflect — explain understanding, evaluate learning and consider what to improve next.

An inclusive curriculum

We believe support should help pupils access the curriculum, not reduce its ambition. Teachers use clear modelling, visual support, practical resources, smaller steps, additional practice, pre-teaching, vocabulary support, scaffolds, alternative recording and reasonable adjustments. Where personalised provision is needed, it is planned so that children remain connected to the wider curriculum and school community wherever possible.

Experiences beyond the classroom

Our Fantastic Fifty gives every child a rich entitlement to memorable experiences, including visits, visitors, performances, cultural experiences, sport, music, arts, outdoor learning and curriculum-linked opportunities. Trips and enrichment are provided free of charge because opportunity should never depend on a family’s ability to pay.

Personal development

Our curriculum develops knowledge and character together. Through PSHCE, assemblies, DR TIMP, Team Tactics, enrichment and wider school life, children learn about relationships, health, democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, tolerance, protected characteristics, responsibility, citizenship, resilience and teamwork.

How we know children are learning

Assessment is used to identify what children know, what they can do and what they need to learn next.

Teachers use retrieval, questioning, observation, pupil discussion, work, quizzes and checks, standardised assessment where appropriate and statutory assessment. Subject leaders evaluate impact through learning visits, work scrutiny, pupil voice, teacher voice, curriculum coverage and assessment information.

What success looks like

By the time children leave North Mead, we want them to read confidently, communicate clearly, write effectively, reason mathematically, think scientifically and historically, understand people and places, create, perform, use technology safely and approach secondary school as curious, resilient and capable learners with ambitious futures.

Link to NM Whole School Curriculum Overview

Link to NM Curriculum Intent Statement