Key Stage 2

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English

During their years at our schools, children will be encouraged to develop their language abilities in the four key areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Children will be taught to develop their understanding and critical appreciation of the language and literature of daily life. Children’s exposure to a rage of texts will broaden their experiences which in turn will help to promote their social development and well-being.

Reading

At Meridian Trust, we want children to develop a love of literature which celebrates their literary heritage and the diverse world in which they live. We want children to be confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers who are able to engage with a wide range of texts. Our  aim is to enable children to make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn.

Phonics

All schools in our Trust teach a robust systematic synthetic phonics programme (SSP). These programmes are well structured with a clear route through Reception, Key Stage One and beyond. All schools follow Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised.

Why we follow Little Wandle:

• Little Wandle draws on the latest research into how children learn best, how to ensure learning stays in children’s long term memory and how best to enable children to apply their learning to become highly competent readers. Much of the early research around impact is showing that children are able to learn more, remember more and apply the phonics to their reading with more accuracy and fluency.

• Little Wandle provides a highly consistent and well developed programme which is taught whole class.  This enables ALL learners to have access to the sounds and skills which will develop effective and fluent readers at the same time in their learning pathway.  For those who need longer to embed the sounds, taught keep up sessions (which are very short and focused) allow children to keep up without gaps emerging.

• The decodable texts are engaging and fully matched to the programme.  The programme is enhanced by the reading sessions which bring the application of the phonics into the enjoyment of reading.  (Many of our trust schools who have run Little Wandle for a longer period of time have seen children blending and segmenting much earlier.)

• Little Wandle has ongoing, high quality CPD which is accessed on the portal; this means that schools can provide training for staff whenever they need it and regular coaching for all staff involved in the teaching of phonics and early reading.  Ongoing CPD ensures there is a high level of consistency in the teaching of phonics and all staff can develop the expertise to have an impact on all learners.  We also have a Champion School within the Trust which means we can provide ongoing support for school leaders, teachers and support staff, including a network of Little Wandle trained Early Reading and Phonics Leaders.

• Little Wandle supports children into fluency for reading across the school with a new approach in Year 2 which build on the phonics learning in Reception and Year 1 and builds a bridge between phonics and spelling. There is also an ongoing focus on increased fluency as children become more proficient readers. Rapid catch up supports children after Year 2 who need additional practice to become truly proficient readers.

• The Little Wandle team are determined to continue the development of the programme in collaboration with their partner schools so we are sure that we will see impact beyond reading.

It is important for us to have a Trust wide phonics programme to enable support, development and excellence across all Meridian Trust schools as we recognise that learning to read is the gateway to future success across the curriculum for all learners.

Our Reading Model

At Meridian, we instil a love of reading through exploration of texts linked to all curriculum areas. The teaching of systematic synthetic phonics allows the children to be supported in becoming independent decoders and ultimately readers. From Year Three to Year Six, children are taught additional reading skills through discrete reading sessions, English lessons and through cross curricular reading opportunities. Each reading session is linked to a reading skill (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, Summarising/Sequencing).

Reading sessions take on the principles of the structure, shown in the diagram above, which is based on research and guidance from James Durran and high quality texts are chosen  for the children to explore and enjoy. The structure allows children to be immersed within the taught texts.

• In addition to these taught reading sessions, reading is taught within each English unit of work linked to specific text types. These texts are carefully chosen to inspire and engage children. Reading skills are reinforced through English lessons.
• We have developed a high-quality reading spine that enriches our curriculum and offers a wide range of books that are diverse, globally relevant, and inspiring for our children. Our reading spine is a carefully curated collection of core texts that children explore together as a class throughout the year. These books are selected to foster a love of reading, build essential knowledge, and offer diverse perspectives, allowing children to engage with stories and ideas from around the world. Through this approach, we create meaningful opportunities for children to develop empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the global community.
• Children also have individual reading books and are encouraged   to read every night at home. They are heard read individually in school by teachers, teaching assistants and trained reading volunteers (including parents).
• At our Trust, a range of intervention strategies are used to move the children’s learning forward. These include programmes such as Boosting Reading Potential, CAMBUGS, ERT (Enhanced Rehearsal Technique) or Precision Teaching.
• Through their time at our Trust, children will experience additional reading experiences such as visits from authors, visits to the local libraries and themed book weeks. Schools provide opportunities for children to purchase books through book fairs or book savings clubs. All schools have inviting and well structured libraries and invest heavily in rich, varied texts. We encourage library lessons and opening at lunchtimes.

Writing

At Meridian, we aim for children to be able to express themselves effectively through both the spoken and written word; children should grow as proficient communicators, who are able to adapt their writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences. We want to  instill an enjoyment of language in young people, by enabling them to explore its patterns, structures and origins, allowing them to understand and make controlled writing choices to impact the reader.

The English curriculum is carefully mapped to ensure that at our Trust, all children will have the opportunity to write across a range of text types and a balance of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, which includes text types as broad as adventure narratives, to explanation texts, to formal speeches, to nonsense poems and much more. Units of work are based around high quality, engaging stimuli, and often link to the themed learning to allow children to make links in their learning and write across the curriculum. Prior to planning each unit of work, teachers follow a backward planning model, looking at the final intended outcome and working back, considering the grammatical teaching points which should be incorporated into the unit of work. Grammar coverage for each year group is made explicit to teachers and the teaching is interwoven throughout the writing units so that children can understand its purpose in a context and use it in a controlled and creative manner.

Within each unit of work, teachers follow the sequence demonstrated in the diagram above as a foundation for the learning process. Teachers use a range of writing strategies to support children’s learning, including modelled, shared and independent writing. Vocabulary development is a key feature of each unit and children are supported with this through the use of text-rich learning environments and other vocabulary enrichment (e.g. Word Warrior, Word of the Week). Children are given frequent opportunities to edit, proofread and redraft their writing. In addition to this, speaking and listening opportunities are provided throughout all units of work to allow children to develop their oracy skills.

We recognise that children of the same age are at different stages of their writing journey and we adapt our teaching accordingly to ensure that they make good progress. In order to scaffold and support the writing process for children who find writing more difficult, strategies used include:

• Use of scaffolds such as word banks and writing frames.
• Guided groups for shared writing.
• Use of IT, such as talk to text apps, Clicker and Talking Tins.
• Interventions such as Colourful Semantics.
• Personalised target cards.
• Exposure to high level vocabulary and strong modelled writing.

 In order to challenge other learners, strategies used include:

• Adapted writing tasks, including writing from different perspectives.
• More extended pieces of writing
• Writing in groups to share ideas and challenge each other
• Guided groups for shared writing and personalised target cards.
• Challenging the grammar and vocabulary used to ensure the highest standards.
• High level models of text with advance use of author’s techniques.

Our medium term planning documents are highly supportive to ensure that teachers’ planning is structured, rigorous and meets National Curriculum expectations, ensuring consistency across schools so that staff can share ideas and resources.

Handwriting

At our school, we teach handwriting through the Little Wandle programme, followed by a structured progression in cursive writing as children advance through the different letters and joins. In Reception to Year 3, children are encouraged to form letters individually before moving on to joining them. This approach ensures that children develop correct letter formation, making the transition to joined handwriting smoother. Teachers will advise children when they are ready to begin joining their handwriting.

At the start of the school year, we place significant emphasis on handwriting to set high expectations for presentation. Each year group has dedicated handwriting lessons built into the timetable, with a strong focus on promoting excellent handwriting across all areas of the curriculum.

Spelling

Spelling at our Trust is taught through discrete spelling sessions. Children will learn to spot patterns, explain rules and identify exceptions for a wide range of vocabulary (including words indicated by the national curriculum). Our pedagogical approach for spelling is guided by the principles of cognitive science: incorporating dual coding, spaced learning, retrieval practice and interleaving. This is to promote long-term learning and consistent application of accurate spelling across the curriculum; helping children continue to be successful throughout their primary and secondary education, and beyond.

Five Ways to Ensure Long-Term Retention of Spelling Words | Psychology Today United Kingdom

Cognitive science approaches in the classroom | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

In Key Stage One, teachers follow the Little Wandle spelling programme.

In Key Stage Two, there is a minimum of 1 spelling session (max. 20 minutes) per day, which are guided by the Assertive Mentoring spelling scheme. Teachers also interleave the learning of spellings across all areas of the curriculum, through high quality modelling and feedback, including spelling starters which refer to theme specific vocabulary in foundation lessons, as this also supports pupil application of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary.

In order to better understand the spelling rules which are being taught, it is important that pupils are confident in identifying and distinguishing between long and short vowel sounds, this starts in KS1 with the Little Wandle programme.

Each week, children practise 15 words relating to the rule or spelling tip, two ‘buzz’ words plus the half-term’s homophones, as well as revising previously taught spellings. As in all aspects of our English learning, opportunities for consolidation and extension are provided for children who are ready to move on at different rates.

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Mathematics

We will aim for children to see Mathematics as an enjoyable and exciting subject, one that can solve many problems and be relevant to the real world in which we live. We will aim for the children to leave the school as competent, independent and enthusiastic mathematicians. The children will be introduced to Mathematics in a practical way, using a variety of apparatus. The handling of mathematical apparatus and the structured use of the immediate school environment will help the children gain understanding of essential concepts. Practising, developing and applying the key skills will lead to a mastery of mathematical thinking and computation.

Our Mathematics teaching will be delivered through a daily Maths lesson to implement the requirements of the National Curriculum, which aims for the children to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, be able to reason mathematically and solve problems by applying their learning. The curriculum covers different aspects of number, measurement, geometry and statistics.

Our schools use a variety of teaching and learning styles in Mathematics lessons in line with Teaching for Mastery. Our principal aim is to develop children’s skills, understanding and application of Mathematics and to ensure a depth of understanding that goes beyond the procedure. This is achieved through the use of concrete models and images to secure children’s understanding of the concepts and structures being learnt, across all year groups from Reception to Year 6.

Wherever possible, we encourage the children to use and apply their learning to everyday situations. Elements of investigating, problem solving and reasoning are evident in every Maths lesson. In Reception there will be a daily input as well as independent Mathematics activities available at all times.

In all schools across all classes, we recognise children are at different stages of their mathematical achievement. We provide all children with the opportunity to achieve the same learning point during lessons. This is done through use of manipulatives, targeted adult support and peer interaction. Errors and misconceptions are used as a teaching point. Children understand that they learn from their mistakes.

Maths Non-Negotiables:

• All lessons must include opportunities for children to develop Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving skills.
• All lessons must offer Greater Depth opportunities for higher achievers.
• Children must be taught to understand Mathematical structures through the use of models and images.
• Children should be guided in their reasoning through the use of Stem Sentences
• and explicit use of accurate mathematical language by the teacher and children.

PSHE

Personal Social Health Education (PSHE) is central to our curriculum and is reflected in every area of teaching and learning.  All elements of school life centre around ensuring children are given ample opportunity to understand themselves, their communities and the wider world around them.  We believe that children need safe spaces to discuss their own values and principles and be guided in the way to live a safe and happy life with the confidence to make reasoned decisions about their own choices.  We recognise it is fundamental for children to understand about physical and mental wellbeing, exploring their emotions in a safe and non-judgemental environment. The values of PSHE underpin our curriculum and our Vision statement.

PSHE is at the heart of our curriculum and meaningfully threaded through all of our curriculum areas, as well as being taught as a subject of its own. PSHE is taught explicitly every week by the class teacher, who is the person with the greatest knowledge of the children, ensuring relationships are built and nurtured. Class teachers facilitate opportunities for children to work in different, collaborative groupings. A range of approaches are used in the teaching of PSHE and the use of high-quality texts is paramount, with time and space given for children to discuss and explore a range of potentially sensitive subject areas. The holistic nature of PSHE is embedded throughout the wider curriculum and school life as highlighted below.

Science

We believe that children are natural scientists, have inquisitive minds and an in-built desire to understand the why behind everything. Therefore, it is essential that our Science curriculum facilitates opportunities to inspires children’s curiosity further and provide them with the tools to lead the way in exploring their own scientific learning journey. Our Science curriculum is planned to build increasingly sophisticated knowledge of the products (substantive knowledge) and practices (disciplinary knowledge) of science. Substantive knowledge is derived from the ‘scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding’ components laid out in the National Curriculum (NC), whilst disciplinary knowledge is specified from the NC ‘working scientifically’ statements. The interplay between these two areas of knowledge is central to our curriculum with disciplinary knowledge embedded into the substantive units of work. Practical work forms an important part of our science education, where activities and investigations are set up to develop pupils’ disciplinary and/or substantive knowledge. Our curriculum is sequenced so that pupils carry out the full range of enquiry types across our two-year curricular cycle.

As a trust, we use the Association for Science Education (ASE) PLAN materials for planning guidance, which provides teachers with the key learning to be covered, as well as examples of task ideas for each knowledge statement from the National Curriculum. Medium Term Plans created by Science Subject Leaders, provide additional support to staff including ideas for supporting SEN children and challenging those demonstrating greater depth. Through a project with the Faculty of Education-University of Cambridge, we worked to define what is meant by ‘greater depth’ in science and formed a bank of resources to support staff in implementing challenges within lessons. We now define Greater Depth in science as moving beyond the basic recall of knowledge; pupils must apply their knowledge purposefully within new contexts and communicate the relationships between scientific ideas. By providing opportunities for pupils to build scientific connections within a variety of contexts, we not only offer challenge within lessons, but encourage all children’s intellectual curiosity. The use of high-quality, scientific vocabulary begins in the Early Years and is expected in pupils’ scientific communication both orally and in their written work. This ensures that pupils are well prepared for the demands of the KS3 science curriculum and beyond.

Physical Education (PE)

At Meridian Trust both staff and children are passionate about PE and the enthusiasm and love for PE and sport is evident across all our schools. The impact of this commitment means that our children are focused learners who benefit from regular activity throughout the day and week. Consequently, the impact of this commitment is that children report that they feel encouraged, supported and feel more focused and ready to learn when back in class.

Our PE curriculum includes- Games, Dance, Gym, Athletics, Health and Fitness, Fundamentals, Swimming and Outdoor Adventurous Activities. Children at our schools receive high-quality lessons from specialist games, dance and gymnastic teachers (and class teachers) from Reception to Year 6. We not only deliver the statutory provision of two hours per week of PE but consistently deliver over and above this offer on a consistent basis. On a daily basis, children throughout our Trust engage in active playtime breaks and regular dynamic brain breaks both indoors and outdoors, which all add to the daily total of exercise and link to national initiatives to increase sport and exercise.

Our PE curriculum is carefully mapped to ensure clear progression and skill development across all year groups. We use Complete PE and have worked collaboratively to create a comprehensive overview that integrates both Complete PE units and bespoke lessons tailored to the needs of our children. This approach ensures that children are consistently challenged and supported, allowing key skills to be effectively taught and embedded throughout their physical education journey.

Our vision is that all children leave our schools with a passion for PE and an understanding of the importance of physical activity on mental health and wellbeing. Our  children have opportunities to experience individual challenge, competition and leadership and are equipped with the skills to be successful in these areas. Through PE  and cross-curricular links, children have an understanding of why an active and healthy lifestyle is important and this is embedded as part of their life-long journey.

Geography

In Geography, the children are taught to recognise features and then encouraged to independently consider the differences between physical and human features. As geographers, our children, start their learning journey by exploring local geography and the physical and human features of the area in which we live. The units are then designed to build up the children’s knowledge and understanding over time, so that, as they progress through Key Stages and year groups, the comparisons they can make and conclusions they can draw are increasingly grounded in a growing awareness of our world and their impact on it. This enables them to draw comparisons between the units of learning, reflect back to previously taught units and so revisit and embed their learning. Year 5 or 6 discussions about rivers for example prompt discussion and recall of previous learning in relation to Mountains, Volcanoes and Earthquakes from Years 3 or 4.

Our Geography curriculum has been designed to ensure children are excited about their   Geography learning. The structure and progression of the taught units enables teachers to identify and address any misconceptions and enables children to consolidate previous learning and make connections both within and across subjects. From Reception through to Year 6, we aim to prepare our children for their future learning in Geography into KS3 and beyond.

Substantive and disciplinary knowledge is taught to support children’s geographical understanding. We plan our curriculum to ensure coverage of locational knowledge, place knowledge, environmental, physical and human geography processes and geographical skills and field work. Within our taught themes approach we explore local, regional, national and international geographical knowledge. Geography field work and map work is mapped out separately to ensure all key knowledge is taught and reviewed in line with current learning.

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History

In History, we embed the themes of Cultural Development, Technology and Science, Religion, Co-operation and Conflict, and Individuals in History in each unit of learning. This enables the children to gain an understanding of progress and change over time and to be able to talk confidently about chronology as they make comparisons between eras. Recognition of the same themes from different times and places further prompts and gives them the tools to be able to continuously revisit previous learning. Our History curriculum aims to equip our children with both a breadth and depth of knowledge and the skills required to be a successful historian. Building on work in Reception, Key Stage 1 develops their understanding of history as the study of peoples and cultures of the past. We do this by introducing them to the units such as Monarchs and Leaders of the U.K., Changes within living memory and London’s Burning. Throughout they are encouraged to use key historical vocabulary and ask historical questions. During Key Stage 2, we build on their chronological knowledge through a range of teaching: prehistory, ancient history and modern history. These units of learning are taught around a historical enquiry style question with the lessons leading the children to better understanding of how to answer this. Primary and secondary sources are paramount to the teaching and the children are expected to approach these with questions and consideration.

We want our children to become increasingly fluent with the fundamental skills as a historian as they progress through the school. These include identifying the five C’s of historical events: Cause, Consequence, Change/Continuity, Connection and Comparison. The final progression into Year 5/6 is to apply these skills to more extensive pieces of historical writing which focus on; answering an historical question, using primary and secondary sources to support their answer, making links to our key historical themes and comparing different viewpoints. Within our themes, we ensure that children are exposed to people or key individuals that have been overshadowed by history and aim to break down the stereotypes surrounding periods in history. Finally, our curriculum endeavours to teach children to respect the past so they can develop into just and open-minded historians.

Our curriculum exhibits a clear sense of change and continuity, reflecting a thoughtful design that develops cumulative knowledge over time. The breadth of historical topics covered and the golden thread of themes woven throughout all year groups ensure meaningful connections across their historical journey.

Computing

A high-quality computing education equips pupils to understand and change the world through logical thinking and creativity, including making links with mathematics, science and design technology. Through our Computing curriculum, we aim to give our children the necessary life-skills to enable them to use new technology in a socially responsible and safe way to operate in the 21st century workplace. As technologies advance, it is our responsibility to ensure our children are up-to-date and active participants in the digital world. Computing at our Trust comprises three main strands: Digital Literacy including e-safety, Information Technology and Computer Science.

During Digital Literacy, our children are taught to be effective and responsible computer users. E-safety is taught discretely as a part of this unit of work. It is also drip- fed in throughout the year as teachers respond to the needs of their class. There are also days throughout the year with an e-safety focus such as Safer Internet Day.

In our Information Technology unit of work, children from Reception to Year 6 will be exposed to a wide variety of creative mediums from photo editing to website design. Our curriculum enables children to create programs, systems and a range of media. It also ensures that children become digitally literate. Through using a range of software, children will learn to plan, design, create, share and evaluate their work.

In the Summer Term, children are taught to explore, reason with and apply a range of computational thinking skills in our Computer Science units. Children are introduced to a variety of software and hardware that enables them to develop their understanding of the underlying principles and concepts required in the digital world.

As well as teaching discrete Computing lessons, we understand the importance of a cross curricular approach to ensure skills are used in all areas of learning to best prepare our children for the future.

Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)

In our teaching of Languages, we want children to have an understanding of the importance of learning another language, the enjoyment this can bring and the access this brings to our wider world avoiding cultural insularity. Through our curriculum, we focus on teaching the three pillars of language learning (phonics, vocabulary and grammar) and aim to develop children who are confident to communicate in another language by the end of Key Stage Two.

Although the teaching of Languages is not statutory at Key Stage One, our younger children are introduced to the array of languages in our world. This is through celebrating languages spoken in school, exposure to key vocabulary in different languages and enjoying rhymes and songs in other languages.

In Key Stage Two, a sequenced and progressive curriculum focuses on enabling children to make substantial progress in the language of French or Spanish. All children have weekly language lessons with a specialist language teacher. In addition to the lessons,  children and staff are encouraged and expected to apply languages in everyday situations and use French or Spanish phrases as part of normal school life.

The curriculum is planned so children build up their knowledge and understanding of phonics, vocabulary and grammar in the French or Spanish language. The teaching incorporates the four modalities of language – speaking, listening, reading and writing. They develop confidence in speaking French or Spanish through rhythmic songs, deliberate actions, games, dialogue with the teacher and role play. Children in Years 5 and 6 develop their writing skills through consolidating oral work done in class. There is planned practice and purposeful repetition, allowing the children to frequently revisit prior learning and have secure building blocks of knowledge to add new learning.

Art and Design

Our Art curriculum is designed to engage, inspire and challenge our children. At our schools, we teach the appropriate knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create. They are provided with opportunities to gain an understanding of art and design and reflect on how it shapes our history and contributes to culture, creativity and wealth of the nation.

We have adopted numerous units from the AccessArt curriculum, alongside our own bespoke units, to create a cohesive and progressive approach to arts education. This dynamic and innovative framework aims to ignite creativity and encourage artistic exploration in children of all ages.

With a strong commitment to enhancing visual literacy and developing practical skills, our curriculum offers a rich array of resources that span various artistic disciplines, including drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and digital media. By integrating these resources with our curriculum, we ensure that children engage with diverse forms of artistic expression while building a solid foundation in the arts.

An Art unit includes:

• Units begin with children studying the work of a range of artists, craft makers and  designers
• Skills are taught and practised – skills progression documents and knowledge organisers set out clear expectations for the unit
• Key vocabulary identified in the skills progression document is explained in the    glossary
• Children experience and become proficient at drawing, painting, sculpting as well as printing, textiles and digital media
• Evaluate and analyse their own, their peers’ and artists’ works using artistic  language
• Celebrate work created through displays and by sharing with parents/carers using the gallery on the school website

Design Technology (DT)

The aim of our DT curriculum is to bring design technology alive for our children, to evoke the children’s curiosity and engage their minds to create, build and use technology to build new and inventive products. We have mapped our DT learning to have cross curricular links to add purpose and intrigue to the children’s experiences.

A DT unit includes:

• Investigation, exploration and research into existing products.
• Children generate initial ideas using design criteria thinking about target audience and purpose.
• Opportunities to create a mood board/design with ideas of materials needed and how the structure could be made.
• Build on previously taught technical skills – skills progression documents and  knowledge organisers set out clear expectations for the unit.
• Present a final design with annotations.
• Produce the product using the technical skills taught.
• Evaluate the product against the design criteria, using evidence from the final  product to back up what was successful and what could be improved.
• Units of work are linked to topics where possible.

At our schools we ensure a cross curricular approach to DT and make links throughout. For example, healthy eating week and linking DT to Science week.

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Music

Music plays an important part in the life of our schools. Children have the opportunity to listen, compose and perform, in an engaging, exciting and innovative way. Through listening, children learn to appreciate many different styles of music from other cultures and times. In composition work, the children learn to improvise, choose and control a range of sounds, blend and layer musical ideas and become more aware of musical elements such as rhythm, pitch, tempo and form. For performance, and especially with singing, the children progress from developing accuracy of melody, rhythm and diction to increasing control of breathing, articulation and awareness of phrasing.

We ensure music is brought alive for our children in discrete music lessons as well as many other areas of school life. Our curriculum supports specialist and non-specialist teachers and provides lesson plans, assessment, clear progression, and engaging and exciting whiteboard resources to support every lesson.

• The children learn to play tuned percussion.
• They are  introduced to musical notation through symbols and notes.
• All our children learn to play the recorder during their time at our schools.
• We have regular singing assemblies
• Children have opportunities to perform singing or playing an instrument to the class or school.
• We invite local choirs /music groups / secondary children to perform live music to  the children.
• Weekly school choir who perform regularly throughout the year.
• Prepare children for annual Young Voices competition.
• Children have a variety of private lessons with different peripatetic teachers.

World Views

In our innovative approach to teaching, we have transformed the traditional subject of Religious Studies into a more inclusive and dynamic exploration known as “World Views.” This evolution aligns with our commitment to instilling in children a profound understanding of diverse perspectives, beliefs, and cultural practices that span the globe. Our curriculum is thoughtfully crafted to not only impart knowledge but also to develop essential skills that empower children to navigate a world brimming with cultural diversity. By fostering a sense of curiosity, respect, and understanding, our “World Views” curriculum goes beyond the acquisition of facts. It is a journey that prepares children to embrace empathy and open-mindedness, essential qualities for navigating the interconnected and culturally diverse world they are growing up in. Through this educational experience, we aim to nurture global citizens who appreciate and celebrate the richness of our shared humanity.

Some examples of the types of units we explore within our curriculum:

Art as a Medium for Sharing Beliefs:

• Exploration of how people use art as a powerful medium to share their beliefs.
• Discovery of artistic expressions as a form of communication and reflection of diverse world views.

Seeing Difference or Embracing Diversity:

• Encouraging reflection on whether children perceive difference or embrace diversity.
• Fostering a mindset that values and celebrates cultural and religious pluralism.

Symbols of Faith in Britain Today:

• Children explore prevalent symbols of faith in Britain, gaining insights into the diverse religious landscape.
• Understanding the meaning these symbols hold for different communities.

Meridian Trust follows the RE Agreed Syllabus devised by Cambridgeshire. The aims are:

• To develop religious literacy.
• To acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other principal religions and world views represented in the United Kingdom.
• To develop an understanding of the influence of the beliefs, values and traditions on individuals, communities, societies and cultures.
• To develop attitudes of respect towards other people who hold views and beliefs different from their own.
• To develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious issues, with reference to the principal religions and world views represented locally and in the United Kingdom.
• By the end of KS2 all major religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism) and a secular world view (humanism) will have been  studied.

Children visit a church or other Christian place of worship during their time at our schools as well as visits to religious buildings of other faiths. Visitors from different faiths and world views also visit our schools to celebrate, acknowledge and honour all faiths and ideologies.

Relationships Education and Health Education

At our schools, we believe it is vitally important that we equip children to thrive and be successful in the modern world. We focus on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive and healthy relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and with adults. We teach children how to be responsible for their online presence and to ensure that technology is used positively, to enhance their lives and relationships.

Following consultation with all stakeholders, the Trust has agreed to include Sex Education as part of the curriculum offering in PSHE (and Science) as appropriate to the age and physical and emotional maturity of the children. Parents will have the right to withdraw their children from specific elements of the Sex Education teaching of the PSHE scheme of work if these are not part of the statutory content.

Our health education philosophy permeates throughout the curriculum with children having many opportunities to explore the ways in which they can keep their minds and bodies healthy and happy. Children are taught emotional literacy so they have the vocabulary to discuss how they feel and explain why this might be. We make every effort to improve and maintain the healthy development of all the children and staff, both. physically and emotionally. To that end, we aim to ensure that the schools’ environments are healthy and positive at all times and that children are aware of how to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.