At St Mark’s, we believe every child deserves a rich, engaging, and well-rounded education that nurtures curiosity and inspires a lifelong love of learning. Our curriculum is carefully designed to give pupils the knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to thrive both academically and personally.

Rooted in the National Curriculum, our approach goes beyond individual subjects. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes creativity, critical thinking, and a strong sense of social responsibility. Through high-quality teaching and a wide range of meaningful learning opportunities, we support the development of the whole child academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

What We Offer

Our curriculum includes core subjects such as English, Mathematics, and Science, alongside a rich and varied wider curriculum. Children also enjoy learning in subjects such as History, Geography, Art & Design, Music, Physical Education, Computing, French, and Religious Education. Personal development is supported through RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education), and learning is further enhanced through trips, special events, and enrichment activities.

We are proud to offer Forest School as part of our curriculum. These sessions give children the chance to explore the natural world, develop practical outdoor skills, and build confidence, independence, and resilience. Forest School supports mental health, wellbeing, teamwork, and problem-solving, and offers a unique and inspiring learning experience outside the classroom.

To bring learning to life and create meaningful cross-curricular connections, we use termly project cycles. Each project is built around a central theme or question, encouraging children to explore big ideas, make links across subjects, and apply their learning in purposeful and engaging ways.

Phonics and Reading

At the heart of our English curriculum is a strong commitment to developing confident, fluent, and enthusiastic readers. In the early years and Key Stage 1, we follow a systematic, synthetic phonics programme to ensure that all children build secure foundations in early reading. Daily phonics sessions help children to decode words, develop blending skills, and grow in reading confidence.

As children progress through the school, we continue to nurture a love of reading through high-quality texts, regular reading opportunities, and exposure to a wide range of genres and authors. We believe that reading opens doors to all areas of learning and plays a vital role in building vocabulary, imagination, and knowledge of the wider world.

Learning with Purpose

We aim for our children to leave primary school not only well prepared for the next stage of their education, but also equipped with the confidence, empathy, and values they need to make a positive difference in the world. Our curriculum encourages curiosity, thoughtful questioning, and a strong sense of community and global awareness.

Assessment and Progress

We use a combination of informal and formal assessment methods to track each child’s progress. This includes classroom observation, pupil discussion, quizzes, and occasional tests. These approaches help us make sure learning is secure and identify how best to support every child. We work closely with families to share progress and celebrate achievements.