Primary Curriculum

The majority of primary pupils referred to FreshSteps often arrive with gaps in their literacy knowledge. To address this, we place a significant focus on improving literacy skills, including reading, writing, handwriting, comprehension, and phonics.

Our primary curriculum is hands-on, engaging, and designed to ensure all pupils transition into the secondary phase equipped with the key skills needed to progress and succeed to the best of their ability.

In Key Stage 1 (KS1), the focus is on phonics as the foundation of literacy. The aim is to significantly improve reading and spelling abilities, enabling pupils to access the wider curriculum. Simply put, if children cannot confidently read the material in front of them, they will struggle to engage fully with other subjects.

In Key Stage 2 (KS2), we follow a comprehensive literacy programme designed to enhance reading, writing, spelling, punctuation, and grammar skills. The programme is adaptable for a range of abilities, catering to both those who struggle with literacy and those who excel in it.

We use national curriculum objectives for both English and Mathematics to monitor progress. This approach helps us identify and address any learning gaps, while also pushing more able students forward. We remain flexible in our approach, understanding that some pupils may require objectives from different year groups to receive the support they need.

In Science, our pupils explore topics such as plants, the human body, materials, and habitats. Lessons are interactive, encouraging hands-on learning through experiments.

At FreshSteps, primary pupils participate in a variety of extracurricular activities, including horse-riding lessons with the Lee Valley Riding School, boxing classes with Joes’s Boxing Academy based in Ponders End, Football at on off-site Astro turf, Swimming, and multi-sports sessions in a Sports Arena. We also have in-house PE coaches who enhance our PE curriculum, with pupils benefitting from the use of our indoor sports arena.

Personal, Social, and Emotional (PSE) lessons, alongside topic studies, cover important areas such as family and friendships, stranger danger, British values, and the local community.

Pupils also have opportunities to develop practical skills in our cookery classes, learning to prepare simple recipes, and express their creativity through art and creative activities.

Finally, homework and reading books are distributed and collected weekly to ensure ongoing learning and practice at home.