Our Curriculum

At Lyneham Primary School, we are proud to offer a carefully sequenced, knowledge-rich curriculum that is underpinned by high expectations and a commitment to equity for all pupils.

Following a thorough evaluation of our previous curriculum using pupil book studies, we recognised that although our intent was strong, our approach had not consistently secured the knowledge children needed. Too much time was spent deciding what to teach, rather than focusing on how to teach it effectively. In response, we adopted the CUSP curriculum (Curriculum with Unity Schools Partnership) across all foundation subjects, and Ark Maths Mastery for mathematics.

CUSP and Ark Maths both reflect our original ambition: to deliver an ambitious, coherent curriculum that enables every child to know more, remember more, and do more. Every lesson is expertly planned, appropriately scaffolded, and rooted in a shared pedagogy that ensures consistency across year groups and between classrooms. This reduces variability and guarantees a high-quality education for all children, regardless of their teacher.

CUSP and Ark Maths have high expectations for all learners. They support our mission to achieve the aspirations of the 2022 White Paper—abandoned but still important—which aimed for 90% of children to reach age-related expectations (ARE) by the end of Key Stage 2. We believe this is both ambitious and achievable through excellent teaching, a well-structured curriculum, and a strong culture of learning.

To learn more about our curriculum approach and how it is implemented, please explore the sections on our curriculum intent, implementation and impact below.

Intent

At Lyneham Primary School, our curriculum is designed to give all children—regardless of background, need, or life experience—the knowledge, vocabulary and skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

We are committed to delivering a curriculum that is ambitious, inclusive and coherent. That’s why we use the CUSP curriculum for all foundation subjects and Ark Maths Mastery for mathematics. These evidence-informed programmes support our belief that children need a secure understanding of core knowledge to access and enjoy deeper learning, make connections, and think critically.

The curriculum reflects our commitment to high expectations for all. Our goal is to support at least 90% of pupils to meet age-related expectations (ARE) by the end of Year 6, in line with the aims of the former government white paper. Through deliberate, carefully sequenced learning, we ensure that children leave Lyneham ready for the next stage of education—curious, confident and capable of contributing positively to the world around them.

We also recognise that over 70% of our pupils come from military families and often experience school transitions. Our curriculum is intentionally designed to provide stability, consistency and continuity for all learners, so that knowledge builds securely over time, even when school experiences vary.

Implementation

We implement our curriculum through high-quality teaching, consistent pedagogy and a culture of professional trust. Our teachers are supported by expertly designed planning sequences from CUSP and Ark Maths, which ensure that every lesson builds on prior learning and supports long-term memory retention.

We prioritise instructional consistency across the school. Shared pedagogical approaches mean that children encounter familiar routines, language, and learning structures from one year to the next. This reduces cognitive load and allows children to focus on new content with confidence. Scaffolds are built into lessons to ensure access for all pupils, including those with SEND or EAL, while challenge is embedded to stretch all learners.

Assessment is ongoing, responsive and tightly woven into daily teaching. Teachers use low-stakes quizzes, retrieval tasks and live feedback to adapt instruction and meet learners where they are. Collaborative planning, regular coaching, and ongoing professional development ensure that teachers are confident, well-prepared, and continuously improving.

At Lyneham, we value teacher professionalism. We trust our staff to use their knowledge of the curriculum and their pupils to teach effectively. We have removed unnecessary workload demands and prioritise time for reflection, refinement and growth.

Impact

Our curriculum is having a positive impact on both outcomes and attitudes to learning. Children at Lyneham talk confidently about their learning, show pride in their work, and demonstrate resilience when faced with challenge. They understand that knowledge builds over time and are motivated to learn more, knowing that effort leads to mastery.

We measure impact through a range of strategies: Pupil Book Study, ongoing formative assessment, and termly pupil progress meetings. We also engage in pupil conferencing to listen to children’s perspectives on their learning experiences and use this feedback to inform next steps.

We track pupil progress carefully, using both statutory data and internal assessments to ensure every child is making strong progress towards age-related expectations. But we also know that education is more than test results. We value the depth of understanding children demonstrate, the connections they make across subjects, and the confidence with which they apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.

Our aim is for children to leave Lyneham Primary School equipped with the knowledge, values and curiosity they need to flourish—at secondary school, in their communities, and throughout life.