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Acton Gardens Primary School’s Art curriculum is built upon the CUSP (Curriculum with Unity Schools Partnership) scheme of learning, offering a well-rounded and progressive approach that nurtures creativity and artistic expression among pupils. The CUSP framework ensures a structured development of skills, allowing pupils to explore various artistic techniques, materials, and styles throughout their primary years.
In the Art curriculum, pupils engage with diverse media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, and digital art. Each unit encourages exploration and experimentation, allowing pupils to develop their unique artistic voice while learning about the work of renowned artists and art movements. This contextual understanding enriches their creative processes and fosters an appreciation for art in its many forms.
The CUSP scheme also emphasises the importance of critical thinking and reflection, enabling pupils to evaluate their own work and that of their peers constructively. Through collaborative projects and individual assignments, pupils learn to express their ideas and emotions visually, enhancing their communication skills.
By integrating art into the wider curriculum, Acton Gardens promotes cross-curricular connections that enrich learning experiences. Overall, the Art curriculum at Acton Gardens inspires pupils to think creatively, embrace challenges, and appreciate the role of art in culture and society.
Please use the links below to the progression maps for all year groups.
Acton Gardens Primary School’s Design and Technology (D&T) curriculum, aligned with the CUSP (Curriculum with Unity Schools Partnership) scheme of learning, provides a structured and engaging approach to developing students’ practical and creative skills. CUSP’s framework emphasizes building foundational knowledge and skills progressively, allowing students to explore, create, and evaluate in a systematic and enjoyable manner.
The curriculum at Acton Gardens focuses on hands-on experiences where students actively engage with materials, tools, and design processes. Through the CUSP scheme, the school aims to foster innovation and problem-solving abilities in students, encouraging them to think critically about the world around them. Lessons are designed to inspire curiosity and creativity, covering key areas such as mechanisms, structures, textiles, food, and electronics. Each topic is broken down into specific objectives that align with the National Curriculum, ensuring that students are building skills that will be valuable in the future.
An important element of the CUSP approach is its emphasis on reflection and improvement, allowing students to evaluate their work and consider how their designs could be refined. Acton Gardens Primary School’s implementation of CUSP ensures a well-rounded D&T education, equipping students with skills for modern, tech-savvy, and innovative learning. Click on the year group below to see their progression of learning.
Acton Gardens Primary School’s Geography curriculum is uniquely designed to reflect the vibrant community and local environment of the school, providing students with a highly relevant and engaging learning experience. Rather than using a generic program, the curriculum has been tailored to connect with the students’ surroundings and cultural backgrounds, allowing them to relate more personally to the material. This approach ensures that geographical concepts are not only taught but also lived and observed within their own community.
The curriculum covers core geographical skills and knowledge, such as map reading, understanding physical and human geography, and environmental awareness, but does so through a local lens. For example, students explore topics like urban development, green spaces, and sustainability in the context of their own neighborhood, learning how global issues affect their local environment. Field trips to nearby parks, rivers, and urban areas further enhance their learning by allowing students to see and experience geographical concepts firsthand.
By focusing on real-world issues and their impact on the local community, the Geography curriculum at Acton Gardens helps students appreciate the importance of place and their role within it. This context-driven approach encourages curiosity, environmental stewardship, and a stronger sense of connection to both their community and the wider world. Use the link below to see our progression map.
Acton Gardens Primary School’s History curriculum is designed with a tailored approach to reflect the unique context and diverse community of the school. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all program, the curriculum has been thoughtfully developed to include local history and themes that resonate with the backgrounds and experiences of our pupils. This approach not only meets National Curriculum requirements but also provides a more engaging, meaningful educational experience.
The curriculum encourages students to explore both British and global history, emphasizing stories and contributions from a wide array of cultures and perspectives. Local historical sites, events, and influential figures are woven into the curriculum, helping students develop a sense of connection to their surroundings and fostering pride in their community’s heritage. By integrating the local area’s rich history, students gain a deeper understanding of how historical events and figures have shaped the place they live.
Additionally, the curriculum focuses on developing key historical skills, such as critical thinking, analysis, and evidence evaluation. By learning through a context-specific lens, Acton Gardens’ pupils gain not only historical knowledge but also an appreciation for diversity and the impact of history on contemporary society, building well-rounded, culturally aware learners. Use the link below to access our progression map.
Acton Gardens Primary School uses the Big Cat reading scheme as the foundation of its reading curriculum, aiming to instill a love of reading and a strong literacy foundation in its students. The Big Cat books are carefully leveled, offering a rich variety of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that caters to diverse interests and reading abilities.
This approach ensures that every student is challenged appropriately, developing their decoding, comprehension, and critical thinking skills as they progress through the levels. Each year group also engages with a termly class reader, a carefully chosen book that provides a rich foundation for literacy development. This shared text becomes a central piece of the term’s literacy focus, guiding both reading comprehension and writing activities.
By immersing students in a captivating story or theme, the class reader inspires two major writing projects each term: a narrative piece and a non-narrative piece. For the narrative, students draw on the characters, setting, and plot elements they’ve explored in the class reader, learning to craft their own stories with creativity and depth. For the non-narrative piece, students might create reports, explanations, or persuasive texts that link to themes, ideas, or informational aspects found in the class reader. This dual approach not only reinforces understanding of the text but also helps students to apply their learning in varied writing contexts, developing both storytelling and factual writing skills in meaningful ways.
In grammar, Acton Gardens emphasizes key skills that are woven into both reading and writing lessons. Core skills like sentence structure, punctuation, and parts of speech are explicitly taught and practiced, giving students the tools to express their ideas clearly. By focusing on these grammar skills within meaningful contexts, the school ensures students develop as effective communicators.
Acton Gardens Primary School has adopted the White Rose Maths scheme as its main approach for teaching mathematics, a decision rooted in the program’s focus on mastery and progressive understanding of mathematical concepts. White Rose Maths is a widely respected scheme that aligns with the UK National Curriculum and emphasizes developing a deep, long-lasting understanding of maths in students from early years through to Key Stage 2.
By choosing White Rose, Acton Gardens Primary School aims to cultivate a strong mathematical foundation in its students, enabling them to approach problems with confidence and resilience. The scheme breaks down maths concepts into small, manageable steps, which allows students to explore topics in depth rather than merely covering content quickly. This methodology not only aids those who may struggle with mathematics but also challenges advanced learners through problem-solving tasks and reasoning activities that foster critical thinking.
Teachers at Acton Gardens benefit from White Rose’s extensive resources, including lesson plans, assessments, and engaging visuals, which support consistency across year groups. The school’s commitment to White Rose Maths reflects its dedication to high standards and ensuring that every student achieves a solid grasp of mathematical principles, preparing them well for their future education.
At Acton Gardens Primary School, the French curriculum for Key Stage 2 pupils (Years 3 to 6) is based on the Twinkl French Scheme, a comprehensive programme that encourages both linguistic and cultural learning. Through Twinkl’s engaging and well-structured resources, children are gradually introduced to the French language in a way that builds their confidence, vocabulary, and understanding over time.
Starting in Year 3, pupils focus on the basics of French, such as greetings, numbers, colours, and everyday phrases. Lessons incorporate interactive activities, songs, and games, making language learning enjoyable and accessible for young learners. As they progress into Years 4 and 5, children expand their vocabulary and begin constructing simple sentences about familiar topics like family, food, and hobbies. Twinkl’s scheme places an emphasis on spoken French, helping pupils practise pronunciation and conversational skills from an early stage.
By Year 6, students are exploring more complex aspects of the language, including reading short texts, writing simple sentences, and discussing topics related to French culture and traditions. This curriculum not only aims to build language proficiency but also fosters an appreciation for cultural diversity. Acton Gardens’ use of Twinkl ensures a supportive and progressive learning journey, enabling pupils to approach secondary language studies with enthusiasm and a strong foundation.
Use the link below to access the progression map for skills and knowledge.
At Acton Gardens Primary School, the music curriculum is enriched by the Charanga Music Scheme, providing a structured, engaging approach to music education from Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through to Year 6. The scheme is designed to foster musical development at each stage, offering a well-rounded experience that nurtures children’s enjoyment of music alongside their technical skills and musical understanding.
In EYFS, pupils begin by exploring sounds, rhythm, and movement, using playful activities to build confidence and introduce fundamental musical concepts. As they progress into Key Stage 1, they start to engage with singing, listening, and simple percussion instruments, focusing on timing, pitch, and expression. Lessons incorporate a range of musical genres, helping children appreciate diversity in music.
In Key Stage 2, pupils delve deeper into musical theory, reading basic notation, and exploring various instruments, including keyboards and recorders. The Charanga Scheme provides a strong foundation in both performance and composition, with interactive resources that support individual and group work. By Year 6, pupils are confident in performing, evaluating music critically, and creating their own compositions.
Through Charanga’s creative and child-centred approach, Acton Gardens ensures that every child experiences music as a dynamic, expressive form of learning, preparing them with skills that go beyond the classroom.
Use the links below to see our progression of knowledge and skills from EYFS to Y6 as well as a specific document relation to EYFS.
Acton Gardens Primary School’s Physical Education (PE) curriculum is enhanced by the PE Passport scheme of work, providing a comprehensive framework that promotes physical literacy, health, and well-being. This curriculum not only focuses on developing essential motor skills and fitness but also places a strong emphasis on competitive sports and external tournaments. Through partnerships with local schools and Featherstone High School, students are given numerous opportunities to participate in a variety of inter-school competitions, fostering teamwork and sportsmanship.
The curriculum is designed to cater to all students, encouraging them to engage in diverse physical activities, from traditional team sports to individual pursuits. Regular participation in competitions allows students to showcase their skills, build confidence, and experience the thrill of teamwork and rivalry.
Acton Gardens Primary School’s commitment to excellence in physical education is recognized by its attainment of the Platinum Award from the School Sports Partnership (SSP). This prestigious accolade reflects the school’s dedication to providing high-quality PE experiences and promoting an active lifestyle among its pupils. Overall, the PE curriculum at Acton Gardens not only prioritizes physical development but also cultivates resilience, cooperation, and a lifelong appreciation for physical activity and healthy living. See below to see our PE curriculum map.
At Acton Gardens Primary School, we are committed to delivering a high-quality Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) education that equips our pupils with the skills, knowledge, and values they need to thrive. Our PSHE curriculum follows the Ealing Grid for Learning (EGFL) Scheme of Work, ensuring a comprehensive, well-structured approach that aligns with national guidelines and supports the diverse needs of our school community.
The EGFL Scheme provides a robust framework, covering key themes such as health and well-being, relationships, and living in the wider world. Each topic is tailored to be age-appropriate and inclusive, addressing critical areas like mental health, online safety, financial literacy, and respect for diversity. Through interactive lessons, children are encouraged to reflect, discuss, and build confidence in managing real-life situations.
Our approach prioritizes developing essential life skills, such as resilience, empathy, and decision-making, which are integrated across all year groups. By embedding the principles of equality and mutual respect, we aim to create a supportive environment where every child feels valued.
At Acton Gardens, PSHE is more than just a subject—it is central to fostering well-rounded, responsible, and socially aware individuals who are prepared for the challenges of the modern world.
Please use the link below to access the progression map
What is Phonics?
Phonics is the systematic teaching of the sounds, or ‘phonemes’, that accompany the written letters ‘graphemes’ in English. It is designed to teach children to become confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2.
At Acton Garden Primary we use the “Little Wandle Letters and Sounds” programme to teach phonics in daily structured lessons throughout Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.
Some children require support with learning phonics for longer and we use the Little Wandle intervention or catch up groups with selected children up to Year 6.
How to Help at Home
The Little Wandle website has lots of videos to explain the programme and offers you effective techniques to practice with your child/ren at home.
Phonics Health Check
All children in Year 1 will undertake a statutory phonics screening check. This is a short assessment to make sure that children have learnt phonics to an appropriate standard.
The phonics check consists of 40 words, 20 real words and 20 pseudo or nonsense words. The children will use their phonic knowledge to blend and read the words.
If the words are not real words, they will have a picture of an alien next to them to show the children they are nonsense words.
This curriculum map shows what is being taught in each year group. If you would like a paper copy of this, please ask at the office and we can provide one for you.
At Acton Gardens Primary School, the Religious Education (RE) curriculum follows the Jigsaw RE Scheme from Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through to Year 6.This curriculum aims to foster understanding, respect, and empathy by exploring a diverse range of religions, beliefs, and moral values.
Beginning in EYFS, children are introduced to concepts such as belonging, family, and celebrations. They learn about different religious festivals and traditions through storytelling, art, and music, providing an engaging, sensory approach to early religious education. As they progress through Key Stage 1, pupils explore basic beliefs, rituals, and symbols from major world religions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism, encouraging curiosity and open-mindedness.
In Key Stage 2, pupils deepen their understanding by studying additional faiths, such as Buddhism and Sikhism, and by examining ethical questions. They consider moral and philosophical issues, learning to express their own beliefs while respecting those of others. Lessons are interactive and discussion-based, allowing pupils to reflect and engage thoughtfully.
You can access more information by accessing the link below to see the agreed syllabus for Religious Education in 2025/26:
BAHA OVERVIEW
BUDDHISM OVERVIEW
CHRISTIANITY OVERVIEW
HUMANISM OVERVIEW
ISLAM OVERVIEW
JUDAISM OVERVIEW
SANATANA OVERVIEW
SIKHI OVERVIEW
Acton Gardens Primary School has selected White Rose as its main scheme of learning for science, a choice that aligns with its commitment to fostering curiosity and strong scientific understanding in students from early years to Key Stage 2. Known for its structured, knowledge-based approach, White Rose Science provides a clear framework that supports both foundational and advanced concepts, making science accessible and engaging for all students.
The White Rose scheme emphasizes a step-by-step approach to scientific learning, breaking down complex ideas into manageable, interconnected lessons. This method ensures that students build a solid grasp of each concept before moving on, creating a cohesive progression through topics like biology, chemistry, and physics. Each unit incorporates hands-on experiments, real-world examples, and inquiry-based activities that allow students to actively participate in the scientific process, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Teachers at Acton Gardens benefit from White Rose’s extensive resources, including detailed lesson plans, visuals, and assessment tools that help maintain consistency and high standards across all classrooms. By choosing White Rose for science, Acton Gardens Primary School demonstrates its dedication to a comprehensive science education that not only equips students with essential knowledge but also encourages a lifelong passion for discovery and exploration.