Teaching and Learning at Pirbright Village Primary School

At Pirbright Village Primary School, we provide a broad, ambitious and engaging curriculum that enables every child to flourish academically, socially and personally. We believe that every child is unique and should be known, valued and supported to achieve their full potential. Inclusion is at the heart of our approach. We have high expectations for all our pupils and carefully adapt teaching to ensure that every child, including those with special educational needs and disabilities and those who may face additional barriers to learning, can access the curriculum, participate fully and achieve highly.

Early Years

When children join our Reception class, they build on their experiences from preschool through high-quality play-based learning rooted in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. Through purposeful play, carefully planned interactions and explicit teaching, children develop the knowledge, language and skills that provide strong foundations for future learning. Ongoing observation and assessment help our staff to understand each child as an individual, respond to their needs and address misconceptions. We nurture curiosity, independence, resilience and a lifelong love of learning, ensuring that children are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

As children progress through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, they experience a carefully sequenced, knowledge-rich curriculum that inspires, challenges and supports every learner to succeed. Reading, writing, communication and mathematics are at the heart of our curriculum. These are taught explicitly so that children develop secure knowledge, understanding and fluency. Across the wider curriculum, learning is brought to life through meaningful contexts that help children make connections, deepen their understanding and remember what they have learnt. Essential knowledge and vocabulary are introduced, revisited and built upon over time. Children are given regular opportunities to retrieve and apply their prior learning, helping them to develop strong foundations and make connections between new and previously learnt concepts.

Alongside knowledge, we develop the skills and expertise specific to each subject, enabling children to think deeply, solve problems, communicate their ideas and apply their learning confidently in new situations.

How We Teach

Our teaching is informed by research into how children learn most effectively. We use Teaching WalkThrus and our BIG 6 to support consistent, high-quality classroom practice across the school.

Our approach places particular emphasis on:

• creating calm, purposeful classrooms where children feel safe and ready to learn;

• carefully sequencing learning so that knowledge builds progressively;

• clear explanations and live modelling;

• developing children's vocabulary and language;

• regularly checking understanding and addressing misconceptions;

• purposeful questioning and responsive feedback;

• regular retrieval and practice to strengthen long-term memory;

• opportunities for discussion, collaboration, problem-solving and deeper thinking.

We believe that high-quality universal teaching is at the heart of inclusion. Rather than relying solely on additional interventions, we aim to remove barriers to learning through effective classroom practice from the outset. Teaching is adapted to meet the needs of individual pupils while maintaining high expectations for all.

Developing the Whole Child

We believe that education should prepare children not only for academic success, but also for life beyond the classroom. Through our curriculum and our five Core Values – Respect, Pride, Nurture, Trust and Resilience – we help children to become confident, compassionate and responsible learners. We encourage children to communicate effectively, work collaboratively, think independently, persevere when learning is challenging and celebrate both their own achievements and those of others. We celebrate diversity and help children to develop an understanding and appreciation of different cultures, identities and perspectives. Ultimately, we want our children to leave Pirbright as resilient, reflective, articulate and compassionate learners, equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for the next stage of their education and for their lives beyond school.