'' The curriculum is exciting because learning intentions are meaningful and relevant to pupils. It helps pupils to develop as well-rounded individuals who learn from their own experiences as well as the experiences of others.''

(Ofsted, October 2018)

Curriculum Intent

Bevois Town Primary is an inner-city school, located in Southampton on the South Coast of England. With over 30 different languages spoken by pupils*, our school represents a diverse ethnic, cultural and religious community. The curriculum is designed for our pupils and the Bevois Town community in mind. Our school values are at the ‘HEART’ of everything we do: Honesty, Equality, Achievement, Respect and Responsibility and Teamwork.

We believe that great learning opens doors and expands horizons, encouraging all children, regardless of their starting points, to reach for the stars – there is no ceiling to the sky. A love of learning is the greatest gift a school can bestow and should help  all children become the very best that they can be; developing a thirst for knowledge and building learning habits of mind that will last them a lifetime. As such, we strive to provide a curriculum that:

* May 2022

Curriculum Implementation

The design of our curriculum and the impact it has on our learners is a key tool in driving school improvement and raising standards. We therefore recognise the need to regularly review our curriculum to ensure it not only meets the legal requirements set out in the national curriculum but that, crucially, it is responsive to the needs and interests of all our current learners; preparing them for the opportunities and challenges of life in the 21st century. Consequently, we believe a curriculum is ever evolving; we are continually learning from our experiences and our curriculum will continue to develop to ensure our learners are constantly challenged and supported to achieve our shared vision… to believe, be brave and be brilliant…to be our best!

The curriculum at Bevois Town Primary School has been carefully planned “starting with the end in mind”. Learning journeys are sequenced from the pupils’ starting points and prior learning, and each component builds towards endpoints (composites). This enables the children to see where they are in their learning journey, what came before and where the learning is going next. Teachers understand what they want their children to achieve at each end point.

We provide our children with a broad, balanced and experiential curriculum that has been carefully crafted with knowledge planned sequentially to allow pupils to build upon what they already know; this helps them to know more and remember more. Learning is organised into cross-curricular themes or topics to utilise the natural links between different subjects and ensure a coherent experience for our children (see Whole School Curriculum Overview).  Where meaningful links cannot be made, learning is taught in subject-specific blocks. Depending on their age and stage of learning each theme or topic may extend from a few weeks (Year R) to spanning a half-term or more (Year 6).

All year groups produce an illustrated newsletter for parents outlining, for each topic, some of the key highlights and explaining the ‘big idea’ at the heart of the topic. This will be accompanied by suggestions of how parents/carers can support their child’s learning at home to deepen their understanding.

For each topic, Teachers produce a Medium Term Overview which maps out the ‘flow of learning’ through a series of key questions. These are designed to ignite children’s curiosity and promote enquiry-led learning. The Medium Term Overview indicates where and when learning in different subject areas will be addressed and the key learning outcomes that will be used to assess achievement and inform subsequent learning provision.

Assessment, both formative and summative, is used to inform teaching and learning and to ensure that all pupils are building on their prior learning and make progress appropriate to their ability. Feedback is provided in three ways: immediate feedback at the point of teaching, summary feedback at the end of a lesson and review feedback away from the point of teaching. Regular assessments are undertaken in core subjects to gauge pupils’ progress and to adjust the curriculum and teaching and learning. In non-core subjects, low stakes quizzes are used to inform progress.

The national curriculum sets out the programmes of study and attainment targets for all subjects. To access the national curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2, click on the link below:

National Curriculum: Primary

If you would like to find out more about Bevois Town Primary School's curriculum, please contact

Mrs Young (Deputy Headteacher) on 02380 221467 or info@bevoistown.co.uk