Our curriculum is built on joy, curiosity, and purpose. Organised into four interconnected strands—STEM, Creative Communication, Humanities, and Personal & Physical Development—our learning approach blends structured progression with freedom to explore. We balance foundational knowledge and skills with conceptual thinking and creativity, empowering children to follow their curiosity and co-construct learning through COOL Time.
Science • Technology • Engineering • Mathematics
Our STEM curriculum is rooted in joy, curiosity, and purpose. It invites children to explore how the world works through enquiry, problem-solving and innovation. STEM subjects are not taught in isolation, they are integrated across the curriculum and brought to life through real-world challenges, outdoor learning, and creative investigation.
Our Intent
We want every child to see themselves as:
- a scientist,
- an engineer or
- a mathematician.
We want every child to see themselves as being:
- curious,
- creative, and
- capable of shaping the world.
Our STEM curriculum develops deep knowledge and skills, balanced with opportunities to ask questions, test ideas, and solve problems that matter to them.
How We Organise Learning
STEM learning is carefully sequenced so that foundational knowledge (e.g. number facts, scientific vocabulary) builds year on year, while conceptual understanding (e.g. cause and effect, systems thinking) grows through enquiry and application.
We use a blend of:
- Adult-led learning to ensure fluency in key processes and methods
- Co-constructed learning to explore scientific methods and engineering design
- Child-led enquiry through COOL Time, where children follow their own lines of investigation
Foundational vs Conceptual Learning in STEM
| Type | Example | Approach |
| Foundational Knowledge | Times tables, parts of a plant | Adult-led, structured rehearsal |
| Foundational Processes | Column method, fair testing | Modelled, repeated practice |
| Conceptual Knowledge | Understanding systems, sustainability | Built through real-world contexts |
| Conceptual Processes | Investigating, hypothesising, modelling | COOL Time, open-ended tasks |
The Role of COOL Time
COOL (Choose/Carry On Our Learning) Time is where STEM thinking comes alive. Children might:
- Extend a class investigation (e.g. explore how sound travels using homemade instruments)
- Pursue personal interests (e.g. design a solar-powered vehicle)
- Apply mathematical learning in real-life contexts (e.g. budgeting for a garden project)
These projects deepen autonomy, resilience, and problem-solving, supporting the development of our QI Skills:
- Why – asking deeper questions
- Wobble – learning from failed experiments
- What If – imagining creative solutions
- Will – sticking with challenging problems
Progression and Coherence
STEM progression follows a clear, spiral structure:
- Concepts introduced in Early Years (e.g. pattern, cause and effect)
- Built upon through KS1 and KS2 using cross-strand links
- Aligned with national curriculum milestones and beyond
Each unit includes retrieval of prior knowledge, new content, and space for conceptual extension—often through COOL Time and project-based learning.
Local and Global Connections
We begin with our place: Cornwall’s ecosystems, engineering heritage, and sustainable challenges and expand outward. Projects such as beach erosion studies, renewable energy prototypes, and community data surveys connect children with real-world STEM issues.
In Practice: A STEM Learning Journey
Y3/4 Electricity Unit: After learning to build circuits, pupils created lighthouses for a model coastline using switches and bulbs. During COOL Time, several children extended this by designing alarm systems for animal enclosures, combining DT, science, and maths.
Our curriculum blends structure and freedom, enabling every child to gain foundational skills while exploring and expressing their thinking deeply through joyful, purposeful learning.
Design & Technology Curriculum
