18th Jul 2025
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Curriculum
Curriculum Overview
In Early Years (Nursery and Reception) we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.
For those children in Key Stage 1 (Year One and Year Two) and Key Stage 2 (Years Three to Six) all content comes from the National Curriculum and this is detailed within all of our school overviews- we have overviews for each separate subject.
Each subject has progressions of knowledge and skills. This ensures a broad and balanced curriculum and that children have full opportunity to be ready for the next step in their learning.
In each unit and lesson there is defined key knowledge and vocabulary which teachers refer to.
Here is some information regarding each subject:
Nursery
Autumn 1 Medium Term Overview - All about me Autumn 2 Medium Term Overview - Through my eyesSpring 1 Medium Term Overview - Everyday Superheroes
Spring 2 Medium Term Overview -We're on the moveSummer 1 Medium Term Overview -Down at the bottom of the garden
Reception
Medium Term Overview - All about meMedium Term Overview - Down at the bottom of the gardenMedium Term Overview - Everyday Superhereos Spring 1Medium Term Overview - Through my eyesMedium Term Overview - Under the SeaMedium Term Overview - We're on the move
Art
Computing
Computing skills are taught as a discrete subject, however will also be applied across the other curriculum subjects as meaningful opportunities arise.
In Early Years opportunities to practise or develop skills will be integrated into the planning of the activities for the classes/ unit and children will be able to use/access class/school IT equipment, in the same way that they would access any learning resource in school.
In Reception we use the Rising Stars modules.
In Year 1 to Year 6, we use NCCE Teaching Computing.
Here is our overview:
Computing at Ranikhet
Here are the overviews from the NCCE:
KS2 TCC Curriculum map
Computing NCCE – Curriculum Journey
In school we have our ‘Literacies for Life‘. Digital Literacy is explicitly covered within our Computing Curriculum. We use objectives from the eight strands in ‘Education for a Connected World’:
Teachers select the objectives appropriate to the current progression of learning of to make a learning point as an online safety point arises for a child or the class of children.
Here is the online link to the whole document: Education for a Connected World
Post opening our school, this resource was updated to the Evolve Toolkit.
DT
Geography
History
Maths
Below is the link to our maths curriculum overview. This overview helps our teachers to plan the units of maths for your child in their respective year groups. If you would like to take a look at the units of maths your child will be learning and when, just click on the drop down box where it says "Year" and select your child's year group. For example, if your child is in Year 5, just choose "Maths Year 5 (v3 schemes)" and make sure the second tab in the drop down box says "All".
Our approach in maths is one which places emphasis on all mathematical areas of the National Curriculum, with an explicit focus on reasoning. Fluency is improved by reasoning about what is already known in in order to work out what it unknown. The ability to reason also supports the application of mathematics and an ability to solve problems set in unfamiliar contexts.
Our progression of knowledge and skills is guided by the NCETM and White Rose Maths scheme. Teachers use a range of resources to support learning in Maths, with a particular focus on the concrete through the use of ‘manipulatives’ (things children can move around and count- these might be cubes, fingers, toys or natural items like shells or pebbles) and the building of conceptual understanding through the use of images (pictures, diagrams and visual models- examples being a blank bar, a blank number line or Numicon).
If you need any help accessing the site overview or would like extra information, just ask your child's class teacher.
Music
Coming soon
PE
Phonics and Reading
At Ranikhet, we believe reading opens doors to knowledge, imagination and understanding of the world. From the very start, children learn to read through the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics programme, ensuring every child builds strong foundations in decoding and fluency. Alongside this, all pupils take home a “reading for pleasure” book to share and enjoy with their families, helping to develop a lifelong love of reading. In Key Stage 2, reading lessons focus on developing key skills in vocabulary, retrieval and inference to deepen understanding of texts. We use Accelerated Reader to ensure every child reads books that are carefully matched to their individual level, supporting confidence, progress and enjoyment. Our Reading Spine ensures all children experience a rich mix of classic and contemporary literature that reflects diverse voices, broadens vocabulary, and nurtures empathy, curiosity and joy in reading.
PSHE
RE
Religious Education or RE is a statutory subject. This means that:
RE should be taught to all pupils in full-time education in schools, except for those withdrawn at
the written request of their parents.
Parents/ carers have the right to withdraw: www.gov.uk/national-curriculum/other-compulsory-subjects
Please contact the Head Teacher should you wish to make this request.
We follow the Pan-Berkshire Agreed Syllabus, which can be found here.
The Pan Berkshire Agreed Syllabus 2018-2023
The syllabus awaiting approval.
During the Reception Year (ages 4-5), pupils MUST encounter Christianity PLUS at least one other
religion from Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.
It is expected that learning will be experiential and thematic during the EYFS and this aligns with our school's curriculum approach. We use Discovery RE to support with appropriate resources and this scheme aligns with the Pan Berkshire Syllabus for RE.
Science
At Ranikhet Academy, we believe that science provides children with strong foundations for understanding the world and thinking critically about it. Our science curriculum is designed to build curiosity, confidence and problem-solving, with pupils actively engaged in working scientifically. They learn to observe, question, investigate and draw conclusions, developing enquiry skills alongside the essential knowledge needed to make sense of key scientific ideas.
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to reflect our community and address common misconceptions, ensuring that all pupils secure the essential knowledge required for the big ideas of primary science. Key vocabulary is clearly defined and progresses year on year, enabling children to communicate their understanding accurately and confidently.
Learning is structured through a spiral approach, with units mapped to provide purposeful revisiting and spaced retrieval across the year. This ensures knowledge is remembered, applied and strengthened over time, preparing pupils exceptionally well for secondary science.
A strong focus on climate change, environmental awareness and sustainability runs throughout our curriculum, supported by the REAch2 sustainability framework. Pupils learn how scientific understanding links to real-life decisions, responsible citizenship and the future of our planet.
Our teaching and curriculum design are research-informed, rooted in approaches proven to support pupils’ learning. By the time children leave Ranikhet Academy, they have strong foundations in science, secure essential knowledge, well-developed enquiry skills and the confidence to engage with a rapidly changing world.
Spanish
We have chosen to learn how to read, speak and listen in Spanish as our school’s Modern Foreign Language or MFL.
To support us with the teaching of Spanish in an engaging and consistent manner, we use ‘Language Angels’.
This is how we teach Spanish in school, using Language Angels:
School leaders hold copies of all progression documents. Naturally, we don’t want to breach licensing of our subscription by posting in the public domain.
Find Out More
How can I find out more about the curriculum at Ranikhet Academy?
If you have any questions about the curriculum we follow at Ranikhet Academy, please contact the academy who will direct you to the relevant subject leader who will be able to answer your query.
11 Before 11
As a REAch2 school we offer 11 Before 11.
Why 11 Before 11?
Life is an adventure – and school should be too!
It is essential that our children can read, write and add up to the level that you would expect for their age, but at Ranikhet Academy, school always has been about so much more.
Think back – what do you remember about your primary school days? Was it phonics lessons or learning how to do long division? Or was it a brilliant school trip where you camped under the stars? Or built a raft and crossed a lake? Or built and launched rockets from the playground?
These types of great opportunity – the memorable experiences that cement themselves into your psyche – happen in every school. What’s different for us is that we consciously codify it into a set of promises so that it becomes something that EVERY child is entitled to.
And “11 Before 11” is the way we do this; it’s a set of promises that help our children to be in the driving seat in their own lives. We are ambitious for our children to have broad horizons in life and high aspirations for themselves. We want our children to be inspired and challenged so that each one can develop their unique potential to the full.
11 Before 11 takes our children beyond the usual, to open opportunities in life and inspire them to move forward in their own life’s adventure. We are incredibly proud of “11 Before 11”. We know the impact that it has had so far, and strongly believe that its importance has only grown because of COVID-19 and the impact that the pandemic has had on society, on our communities, and on our families. We will continue to invest in delivering it, so that every child’s experience of school with us is exceptional and memorable for all the right reasons.
11Before11 Information for Parents
11Before11 at Ranikhet Overview11Before11 at Ranikhet Details