Our Curriculum 

At John Bunyan Primary School and Nursery, our curriculum is driven by our vision: 

Kindness leads, resilience grows and every learner is inspired to achieve their full potential with purpose and pride. 

We believe every child deserves an education that is ambitious, inclusive, rich and memorable. Our curriculum is designed to give children the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to understand the world, make connections, think deeply and become confident, curious and capable learners. 

We want our children to leave John Bunyan with strong foundations for the future, a love of learning and the confidence to make a positive difference in the world around them. 

A curriculum with purpose 

Our curriculum has been carefully designed around what we believe our children need to know, understand and experience during their time with us. We reshape this regularly to meet the emerging needs of our pupils.  

We place strong emphasis on the foundations of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, recognising that these are essential to children's success across the curriculum and throughout their lives. Alongside these, children experience a broad and balanced curriculum including science, history, geography, art, music, computing, physical education, languages and religious education. 

We believe that a strong curriculum is more than a collection of subjects. It is about building knowledge over time, making meaningful connections and giving children opportunities to use what they know in increasingly sophisticated ways. 

Learning is carefully sequenced so that children can build on previous knowledge, deepen their understanding and revisit important ideas. We want children to recognise how their learning develops over time and to feel excited about what comes next. 

Learning that children remember 

We want learning at John Bunyan to be memorable for the right reasons. 

Our curriculum provides opportunities for children to explore important ideas, ask questions, solve problems, be creative and think critically. Where meaningful connections can be made between subjects, we use these to strengthen understanding while ensuring that each subject retains its own knowledge and disciplinary skills. 

Children are encouraged to apply their learning in different contexts and to make connections between what they learn in school and the wider world. 

We enrich our curriculum through educational visits, visitors, performances, sporting opportunities, creative experiences, clubs and wider opportunities. These experiences broaden children's horizons, develop confidence and introduce them to people, places and ideas beyond their immediate experiences. 

Knowledge, curiosity and independence 

We believe that children need knowledge in order to think, question, create and participate fully in the world around them. 

Our curriculum therefore places a strong emphasis on developing a rich body of knowledge alongside the skills needed to use it. Vocabulary is deliberately developed so that children can communicate their ideas clearly and engage confidently with increasingly complex concepts. 

As children progress through the school, we want them to become increasingly independent learners. We encourage them to ask questions, explain their thinking, make mistakes, learn from them and persevere when things become difficult. 

Our aim is not simply for children to complete learning, but for them to understand it, remember it and use it. 

A curriculum for every child 

Inclusion is at the heart of our curriculum. 

We recognise that children arrive at John Bunyan with different experiences, strengths, interests and needs. We have high expectations for every child and provide the support, adaptations and appropriate challenge needed to enable everyone to participate and succeed. 

We want every child to feel that they belong, are valued and can achieve. 

Our curriculum reflects the diversity of the world in which our children live. Through books, subjects, experiences and discussion, children encounter people, cultures, perspectives and experiences that may be both familiar and different from their own. 

We want children to understand themselves and their community while developing curiosity, respect and empathy for others. 

Growing through our PARK values 

Our curriculum contributes to the development of the whole child. Alongside academic knowledge and skills, we want children to develop the character, confidence and attitudes that will help them thrive. 

Our four PARK values — Pride, Achievement, Resilience and Kindness — are woven through everyday life at John Bunyan. 

Pride 

We encourage children to take pride in who they are, what they achieve and the contribution they make. We want them to recognise their strengths, celebrate their progress and always aim to do their best. 

Achievement 

We want every child to experience achievement and success. We set high expectations, celebrate progress and encourage children to recognise that achievement comes through learning, effort, commitment and perseverance. 

Resilience 

Learning is not always easy. We help children develop the resilience to face challenges, learn from mistakes and keep going when things become difficult. We want children to see challenge as an opportunity to grow rather than something to avoid. 

Kindness 

We want our children to be kind, respectful and considerate. Through our curriculum and wider experiences, children learn to listen to others, appreciate different perspectives, work collaboratively and understand how their actions affect those around them. 

Together, our PARK values help children develop the confidence and character to make positive choices and contribute to their school, community and wider world. 

Preparing children for what comes next 

Our curriculum is designed with the future in mind. 

We want our children to leave John Bunyan as confident communicators, thoughtful problem-solvers, enthusiastic readers, creative thinkers and resilient learners. 

They will have developed the knowledge and skills they need to access the next stage of their education, alongside the personal qualities needed to navigate an ever-changing world. 

We want them to be curious about what they do not yet know, confident enough to have a go, resilient enough to keep going and kind enough to recognise the needs of others. 

Most importantly, we want children to leave us believing: 

“I can learn. I can achieve. I can make a difference.” 

Opening doors 

Ultimately, our curriculum is about opening doors. 

It opens doors to knowledge, creativity, opportunity, aspiration and possibility. 

It gives children the foundations they need to succeed while ensuring that their primary school experience is filled with wonder, challenge, joy and a sense of belonging. 

We want every child to leave John Bunyan able to look back with pride at what they have achieved, look forward with resilience and optimism to what comes next, and understand the importance of achievement and kindness in shaping their lives and the lives of others. 

                           Our curriculum opens doors. Our PARK values help children walk through them.