PRIMARY CURRICULUM | THE ARBOR SCHOOL

The transition from the Foundation Stage (FS) to Key Stage 1 (KS1) at The Arbor School is carefully designed to support students as they move from play-based learning to a more structured environment while maintaining a sense of curiosity and exploration. Learning in Key Stage 1 (KS1) is centred on foundational skill-building with a strong emphasis on phonics, early numeracy and inquiry-based learning. The curriculum fosters a love for learning through hands-on activities, outdoor exploration and creative play, ensuring that students not only master key concepts but also develop a sense of curiosity and independence. Nurturing classroom environments ensure that each child’s individual needs are met, encouraging them to ask questions, explore new ideas and engage in collaborative projects.

English in KS1 focuses on building strong foundations in phonics, early reading, writing and spoken language. Using a book-based curriculum, students develop decoding skills, fluency, and comprehension through engaging stories and texts. The RWI Phonics programme is central to this process, providing a structured approach to phonics that helps children decode words confidently and build strong reading habits. Talk for Writing further supports literacy development, allowing students to explore stories and narratives through oral storytelling and creative writing strengthening both their vocabulary and communication skills. With a focus on both the technical aspects of language and the joy of storytelling, English in KS1 fosters well-rounded, confident and enthusiastic readers and writers.

Maths in KS1 emphasises foundational concepts, such as place value, addition, subtraction, shape and measurement. The ‘Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract’ approach ensures students develop mathematical fluency through hands-on activities and visual learning, making abstract concepts more accessible and engaging. The White Rose Maths programme provides a structured progression, guiding students through key topics, such as number bonds, multiplication, division and fractions, with a focus on problem-solving and reasoning. By applying these skills to real-life scenarios, students gain a deeper understanding of how maths connects to the world around them. Lessons are designed to encourage exploration and discussion, allowing students to think critically about numbers and develop a confident, positive attitude toward maths.

Science in KS1 encourages experiential learning through hands-on, sensory-rich activities that spark curiosity and wonder. Students explore basic scientific concepts in biology and chemistry through direct interaction with nature, experiments and outdoor learning experiences. In biology, students investigate living things, their habitats and basic human biology, observing plants and animals in the school’s gardens and biodomes. Chemistry activities introduce students to simple materials, their properties, and how they change, with opportunities for safe experiments that engage their senses. Through these immersive experiences, students not only develop scientific knowledge but also cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving and observation skills.

As students move into Key Stage 2 (KS2), they build upon the strong foundations laid in KS1, developing greater independence and analytical thinking. The KS2 curriculum continues to follow the English National Curriculum with a transition from concrete exploration to abstract reasoning as students move from guided learning to independent inquiry.  There is a greater emphasis on analysis and structured problem-solving, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the challenges of secondary education.

In KS2, the focus shifts towards refining and expanding the literacy skills developed in KS1, with an emphasis on deepening comprehension, vocabulary development and writing for different purposes. Students continue to build on their reading fluency, exploring more complex texts that challenge their understanding and analytical skills. The focus in reading moves from decoding and fluency to interpreting, evaluating and discussing a wide range of texts, including novels, non-fiction and poetry. The VIPERS strategy (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, and Summarising) helps students develop strong comprehension skills by focusing on key areas, such as understanding vocabulary in context, making inferences, predicting outcomes and summarising key points. Writing in KS2 becomes more sophisticated as students are encouraged to express themselves clearly and creatively, writing for a range of audiences and in various genres. They learn to develop structure, coherence and style in their work, using increasingly complex vocabulary and sentence structures.

In KS2, the progression from the ‘Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract’ approach used in KS1 continues, but with a greater emphasis on abstract thinking and applying maths concepts in more complex ways. In KS2, the concrete and pictorial stages are still used as needed, but students increasingly focus on abstract representations, where they are expected to manipulate numbers and solve problems without relying on physical objects or visual aids. This transition helps students to think more deeply about the relationships between numbers and concepts, allowing them to tackle more complex problems involving fractions, decimals, and algebraic expressions. The White Rose Maths programme continues to support this shift by gradually encouraging students to make connections between the concrete, pictorial and abstract stages, reinforcing their understanding of how mathematical concepts are applied and enabling them to reason and solve problems with greater independence and confidence.

In KS2, science builds on the foundational scientific concepts introduced in KS1, offering students more in-depth exploration and a greater focus on developing investigative and analytical skills. Science in KS2 encourages students to take a more methodical approach to experiments and scientific inquiry. In biology, students study a broader range of living organisms, including plants, animals and the human body, with a focus on more complex systems such as the digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems. They continue to observe nature, but with a deeper understanding of classification and adaptation, building on their earlier experiences with habitats and living things. In chemistry, students explore materials in greater detail, learning about the properties of different substances, reversible and irreversible changes and the concept of mixtures and solutions. A focus on physics covers topics, such as light, sound, electricity and forces, where students engage in experiments that demonstrate concepts, such as gravity, friction and the transfer of energy. KS2 students are encouraged to plan, conduct and evaluate their own experiments, developing a deeper understanding of scientific methods and reasoning.

Aligned with UAE Vision 2021, the Moral, Social, and Cultural (MSC) curriculum officially begins in Year 2 and helps students understand the country’s cultural values, community standards and moral principles. It focuses on developing responsible, respectful citizens who are aware of their cultural heritage and the importance of making principled decisions. Students explore concepts, such as honesty, integrity, fairness and respect for others, while learning to resolve conflicts peacefully and consider their personal and collective responsibility. Culturally, the curriculum highlights the UAE’s history and traditions. Year 1 students focus on Positive Education, emphasising foundational values, such as kindness, responsibility and respect in their daily interactions.

In KS1 and KS2, Arabic is taught to all students, with differentiated lessons for native and non-native speakers. Islamic education, mandatory for Muslim students, follows UAE Ministry of Education guidelines, instilling an understanding of Islamic values while promoting cultural appreciation and critical thinking.

In Primary, inclusivity is embedded into classroom practice. Our Thrive Department and English Language Learner (ELL) provision ensure all students feel supported and empowered. The Thrive Department collaborates with teachers to provide personalised learning pathways for students with additional needs. ELL support helps non-native English speakers develop their language skills through targeted interventions and personalised strategies, ensuring they can fully access the curriculum and thrive both academically and socially.