At Melbury our curriculum is designed around four principles

Relevance, Coherence, Challenge and Ambition

We have used the national curriculum as the basis for our own school curriculum but have then taken the opportunity to range beyond the specifications in order to provide a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum which excites, inspires and meets the needs and interests of our children.

We have designed a topic-based curriculum, which is enhanced by quality texts in English and exposing our children to a broad and rich vocabulary. We believe every child is entitled to be literate and be numerate. We believe it is our duty for all children to be able to read by the time they leave our school, and therefore, we put a huge emphasis on early reading and daily phonics in the foundation stage and Key Stage One. Through our golden threads (British Values and SMSC) pupils will learn an awareness of others and the world around them, developing tolerance, respect for others and an understanding of democracy and a sense of right and wrong. 

How we Teach the Curriculum

At Melbury we believe in Quality First Teaching and practice a teaching model which in cooperates the principles of the ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’, Rosenshine’s ‘Principles of Instruction and the Education Endowment Foundations ‘Characteristics of Quality First Teaching. At Melbury we believe that modelling is the cornerstone of effective teaching and ‘My Turn, Our Turn, Your Turn’ model is used throughout the curriculum.  Our individual lessons and teaching sequences are designed to build up the children's knowledge to point in which they are able to independently grasp the concept and/or skill. the The teacher models this clearly during the ‘My Turn’ element of the sequence. Opportunities for children to practise what they have been shown using partially worked examples are planned for during the ‘Our Turn’ section before the children complete the work independently or with the support identified as necessary during the ‘Your Turn’ phase.