The Monkwick Vision

At Monkwick Infant and Nursery School, we believe that learning is a change in the working memory. Our curriculum is designed to provide children with a rich and engaging breadth of study, ensuring that by the end of each key stage, they have built a deep, long-term memory of an ambitious body of procedural and semantic knowledge.

Our Curriculum Drivers

Our curriculum is shaped by key drivers that reflect the backgrounds and needs of our children, our commitment to high-quality education, and our core values. These drivers ensure we offer our children ambitious and meaningful learning opportunities that prepare them for the future.

We place a strong emphasis on cultural capital, equipping our children with the essential knowledge and experiences they need to become informed, thoughtful, and active members of society.

The Power of Reading and Oracy

Reading and oracy are at the heart of our curriculum. We believe that a strong foundation in spoken language and literacy underpins all areas of learning and is essential for academic success and future opportunities. Our curriculum prioritises language-rich experiences, high-quality texts, and structured opportunities for discussion, debate, and storytelling.

Through explicit teaching of vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, we ensure that all children develop a lifelong love of reading. Oracy skills are embedded across the curriculum to build confident communicators who can express themselves clearly, listen actively, and engage thoughtfully with others. By fostering a culture of reading and effective communication, we empower our children to access ambitious learning and reach their full potential.

Through Ambitious Learning... 

We believe that every child has the right to achieve their full potential, regardless of background, ability, or circumstance. Our curriculum is designed to be ambitious and inclusive, ensuring all children can access high-quality learning and thrive.

We provide tailored support, challenges, and opportunities for all learners, removing barriers to success and fostering an environment where every child feels valued and empowered. Through rich, meaningful experiences, we develop confident, curious, and resilient learners who are well-prepared for their next stage of education and life beyond school.

Curriculum Structure

Our curriculum distinguishes between subject topics and threshold concepts. Subject topics cover specific areas of learning, while threshold concepts tie learning together into meaningful schema. By revisiting these key concepts across a broad range of topics, children develop a deeper and more connected understanding over time.

We use a structured approach to retrieval practice, allowing children to relate new learning to previously studied topics. This strengthens memory, deepens understanding, and helps build strong cognitive connections.

A Cognitive Science Approach to Learning

We recognise that working memory is limited. To avoid cognitive overload, our curriculum is designed to allow children the time and space needed to absorb and consolidate learning. Research in cognitive science shows that mastery of foundational knowledge is essential before children can think creatively, apply reasoning, and develop deeper understanding.

Progression Through Key Stage 1

During Key Stage 1, our children develop their knowledge and understanding through three cognitive domains: remembering, knowing, and reasoning.

By the end of KS1, we aim for all children to achieve sustained mastery, meaning they not only secure key knowledge, facts, and concepts but also can apply, analyse, evaluate, and prove their understanding. 

We are committed to ensuring every child leaves our school as a confident, curious, and capable learner, ready for the next stage of their education.