Our Curriculum
What We Teach
At Growing Places Community School, our curriculum is shaped by both statutory requirements and our strong educational values. In Year R, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework, ensuring children develop the essential foundations for learning through play, exploration, and meaningful experiences. From Year 1 through to Year 6, teaching is guided by the National Curriculum, providing a broad, balanced, and progressive education that supports academic growth and personal development.
Our curriculum is broad, balanced, and holistic, supporting children’s development socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively.
While the curriculum defines what we teach, our pedagogy defines how we teach.
Our Pedagogy
How we teach
We understand learning through the metaphor of an artist’s palette. Every child’s palette is filled with colour: some shades are bold and vibrant, representing strengths and well-developed skills, while others are softer and more subtle, reflecting quieter but equally important qualities such as empathy, problem-solving, resilience, or patience.
Each child’s palette is unique. No two will ever look the same, nor should they. By recognising and valuing the beauty of each individual palette, we create a curriculum that is inclusive, responsive, and meaningful.
Learning experiences are carefully designed to support progression and depth, while remaining flexible enough to respond to children’s interests, strengths, and emerging ideas.
At the heart of the Reggio Emilia philosophy is the belief that children are competent, curious, and capable. This belief shapes how we design environments, plan learning experiences, and listen carefully to children’s ideas.
We view learning as a collaborative process between children, educators, families, and the environment. By creating spaces where children’s interests are valued and respected, we encourage them to take ownership of their learning — to explore, question, collaborate, and create with confidence.
Learning is supported through:
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Carefully designed environments that invite inquiry and exploration
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Skilled observation, listening, and reflection
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Responsive planning informed by children’s interests and ideas
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Meaningful documentation that makes learning visible
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Strong relationships built on trust, respect, and belonging
Adults act as guides, co-learners, and researchers, bringing the curriculum to life through thoughtful questioning, shared exploration, and intentional teaching.
How we assess
At our school, assessment is an ongoing and positive part of learning. Teachers use observation, discussion and practical activities to understand each child’s progress and plan next steps, without creating pressure or stress. Further information about how we assess learning can be found on our website.
Each week, the child’s palette is explored through various ways including...
Whole group learning
This is an effective method for fostering collaboration, communication, and critical thinking among young people. It shifts the focus from individual achievement to collective learning, where they work together to solve problems, share ideas, and learn from each other.
Individual learning
This focuses on the child’s personal journey of discovery, growth, and knowledge. It's centered around the idea that we all learn best at our own pace, in our own way, and with a personalised approach.
Possible Routes of Exploration (PROE)
PROE is used when introducing a child to a particular concept or event (Chinese New Year, Spring, All About Me). It presents, suggests and poses possible ways this concept can be explored - the how to learn is unique to the child.
Little Acorns Days
Each child will spend a day a week at Little Acorns. This is 2.5 acres of land in Wickham with a yurt, cabin, stables, sheep, goats, ducks and chickens. The time spent at Little Acorns is facilitated by experienced Growing Places staff. Little Acorns days include caring for and feeding the animals, understanding the seasons and wildlife (birds, insects, trees and plants), den building, bug hunting, bush craft, orienteering and team building.
Local Explorations
In additional to Little Acorns Days, time spent out in natural environments is an essential part of being at the school. All areas of the curriculum can be taught by visiting local areas including Portchester Castle, Langstone, Old Portsmouth, Butser Hill and so on - the opportunities are endless when we remove the classroom walls.
Self Directed Learning (SDL)
Self-directed learning (SDL) is a process where children take the initiative in their own learning journey, setting their own goals, determining the resources they need, and evaluating their progress. Unlike traditional teacher-led instruction, where the teacher dictates what, when, and how the child learns, self-directed learning places the learner in the driver’s seat. This approach encourages autonomy, personal responsibility and lifelong learning.
Projects Based Learning (PBL)
An engaging and dynamic approach to learning, PBL centers on children working on real-world problems or challenges over an extended period of time. It allows them to explore complex questions, apply their knowledge, and develop a wide range of skills while working collaboratively on a project that has meaning and purpose. For example, they might work on a project related to environmental sustainability, designing solutions to reduce waste in the school, or creating a community awareness campaign about local issues. These types of projects give children the chance to engage with real problems and think critically about how they can make a difference.
'Tools in my Back Pocket'
At Growing Places, we believe in helping our children to develop tools to keep in their back pocket for whatever life may bring. These tools include resilience, tolerance, strong sense of self, empathy, communication, problem solving and the art of accepting that making mistakes is part of learning & growing!
“We have created a place where learning happens through exploration, curiosity and play with the child’s voice at the heart of the curriculum.”