Learning at Bloxham

At Bloxham, we want children to leave each day with something new to talk about: a book they cannot wait to finish, a question about the past, a new way to solve a problem or a discovery they want to share at home. Our curriculum gives them the knowledge and confidence to keep asking questions and make sense of the world around them.

A journey that builds

Learning in each subject is carefully planned from one year to the next. Children return to important ideas, add new knowledge and discover connections. At the start of a topic, teachers help them remember what they have learned before, sometimes reaching back to a previous year group. Within lessons, children revisit ideas through talk, questions, short tasks and other retrieval opportunities. In
History and Geography, our unit routes identify the foundational knowledge and vocabulary children will need later. Blue Reviews help us see what has stayed with them over time.

We want children to do more than complete an activity. A young historian might examine an object and ask what it tells us about the past; a geographer might use a map to explain why a place is changing; a scientist might use observations to test an idea. Teachers model these ways of thinking, listen to children’s explanations and choose the next steps that help them understand the subject more deeply.

We also look close to home to make learning relevant and interesting. When Year 4 studies the Saxons, children can discover that the name Bloxham is thought to come from ‘Blocc’s ham’ – the home of Blocc – and that our village has roots in a Saxon settlement here. The past is suddenly part of the place they know today.

A school full of readers

Reading has a special place in our school. Children in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 learn phonics every day through Read Write Inc. Older children who need to secure their phonics continue to receive teaching and catch-up sessions in Key Stage 2. Children also read individually and together. Class books often connect with the topics being explored, our library offers more to discover, and pupil reading ambassadors help share the joy of books.

Reading opens doors in every subject. In a science lesson, for example, a teacher may introduce unfamiliar words before the class reads a text. Children use those words in conversation, in writing and again in later lessons, so that new vocabulary becomes something they can understand and use for themselves.

Teaching that responds to your child

Our teachers get to know children’s starting points and use clear explanation, modelling and practice to move learning forward. They check understanding as lessons unfold. If a class shares a misconception in maths, the teacher can pause, explain it another way, use a different model and check again before moving on. We pay particular attention to the foundations of communication and language, reading, spelling, handwriting and mathematics, because gaps in these areas can make later learning harder.

Children sometimes need a different route into the same ambitious learning. A vocabulary prompt might help a child explain a scientific conclusion aloud before writing it. A short session before a maths lesson might give another child the confidence to join in. Teachers consider each child’s needs, including any education, health and care plan, and look for growing understanding and independence, not simply a finished page.

Working together and noticing what matters

Families are part of this journey. Our fluency homework helps children revisit vocabulary and foundational knowledge and gives families a chance to talk about learning at home. In school, key staff meet regularly to discuss progress and whether interventions and other opportunities are making a difference.

Each term, we share a curriculum overview with families. It gives a brief account of the learning journey across each area of the curriculum, so parents can see what their child will explore and how the pieces fit together. We also share knowledge organisers that set out key concepts and vocabulary. Together, these give families useful starting points for conversations about learning at home.

For instance, when a particular group is finding maths difficult, leaders and the class teacher discuss the children individually: what each child already knows, what is getting in the way and whether an adapted explanation, more practice or pre-teaching would help. They return to the children’s work and progress to see whether the support worked, then change it if needed.

Leaders also visit lessons, talk with pupils, look at work and review learning across subjects. What they find shapes curriculum improvements, staff development and how experienced adults are deployed across the school. Development meetings, subject support and our programme for early career teachers help effective practice grow across year groups. Our pastoral lead supports teaching assistants with pupil profiles and interventions so that support is thoughtful and joined up.

Come and see learning for yourself

Come and visit Bloxham. Talk with our children about their reading, recent discoveries and what they remember from last year. You will hear their curiosity, see their growing confidence and picture your child learning here.

For more information about the National Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, including details of what children are taught at each stage of their primary education, please follow the links below.

National Curriculum Key Stages 1 & 2

Early Years Foundation Stage Framework