Spiral curriculum
The curriculum is heavily focused on developing skills for future life. However, to ensure an enriching and far-reaching experience, learners and students work through themes in a cross-curricular approach. Ickburgh School’s thematic approach is based on a spiral curriculum model. This means that learners return to the same skills throughout their education, with each encounter building on what they learnt previously and applying their skills to a wider range of contexts. The topics are intended to build on their knowledge and understanding, from the local and personal towards community and global contexts.
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Curriculum themes |
Year A (2023-2024) |
Year B (2024-2025) |
Year C (2025-2026) |
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Autumn |
Primary: Me, my school, my home, and the community Secondary: Identity: culture and heritage, hobbies and interests
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Primary: Me, my school, my home, and the community Secondary: Identity: culture and heritage, hobbies and interests
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Primary: Me, my school, my home, and the community Secondary: Identity: culture and heritage, hobbies and interests |
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Spring |
Primary: Transport and London Secondary: Travel and Transport EQUALS: My travel training
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Primary: Plants and animals in Hackney Secondary: The environment EQUALS: The life cycles of Plants and Animals EQUALS: Recycling
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Primary: Different places Secondary: The Globe EQUALS: Explorer-World Studies |
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Summer |
Primary: The people that help me (jobs) Secondary: Jobs and careers EQUALS: People
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Primary: The things that help me (technology) Secondary: Technology and the changing world |
Primary: The past Secondary: World History (a timeline) EQUALS: The Seasons, Change and the Passing of Time EQUALS: Change, History and the Passing of Time |
The repeated autumn term theme is designed to ‘reorientate’ the pupil at the start of each year, and prepare them for taking on new contexts in the spring and summer terms. These themes are incorporated across the subject areas, and especially in the ‘Wider World’ suite of subject areas. So, for example, in Spring of Year B, Primary learners might be taking records through a weather chart in Maths, whilst writing a diary of the weather in Literacy, supporting their learning with a coherent approach across the subject areas.
