PRIMARY CURRICULUM | THE ARBOR SCHOOL

Core subjects

• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Arabic
• Islamic Education for Muslim students
• Moral, Social and Cultural Education

Foundation and specialist subjects

• Ecoliteracy
• Art
• Computing
• Music
• Physical Education
• Modern Foreign Languages in Key Stage 2

Specialist teachers contribute across many areas of the curriculum, giving students access to subject expertise as they progress through Primary.

Arbor’s ecoliteracy curriculum is structured around six themes studied from the Foundation Stage through to Year 6.

Climate science

Students develop an age-appropriate understanding of climate systems, the causes of environmental change and their effects on people and the planet.

Ecosystems and biodiversity

Students investigate living systems, habitats, interdependence and the importance of biological diversity.

Climate justice

Students consider fairness, responsibility and the different ways environmental change affects people and communities.

Resilience building

Students examine how individuals, communities and natural systems respond and adapt to challenge.

Post-carbon economies

Students encounter ideas relating to sustainable innovation, technology, resources and changing economic systems.

Sustainable lifestyles

Students consider how everyday choices can support personal, community and environmental wellbeing.

These themes do not sit separately from the academic curriculum. They provide contexts through which students can develop and apply subject knowledge.

Project-based learning is central to Arbor’s Primary curriculum. Students complete three whole-term projects each year, exploring significant questions through inquiry, collaboration and action.

Project launch

Each project begins with an experience that introduces the subject and establishes a central inquiry question.

Inquiry process

Students develop relevant knowledge and skills through explicit teaching, research, discussion, practical investigation and first-hand experiences.

Guiding questions help them examine the topic in greater depth and make connections across different areas of the curriculum.

Project landing

Each project concludes with a meaningful outcome through which students apply and communicate their learning.

This might include a presentation, exhibition, performance, designed product, shared experience or form of action.

Project objectives may draw upon science, history, geography and other subjects. This allows students to understand how different disciplines can contribute to the examination of a shared issue.

Key Stage 1 provides a carefully managed transition from the Foundation Stage into increasingly structured subject learning.

Teachers continue to use practical activities, purposeful play, discussion and direct experience while establishing secure foundations in reading, writing, mathematics and scientific understanding.

Students learn to follow routines, communicate their ideas, work with others and take increasing responsibility for their learning. Outdoor environments and specialist spaces provide additional contexts in which they can investigate ideas and apply new knowledge.

English in Key Stage 1

English teaching develops early reading, writing, vocabulary and spoken language.

Systematic phonics instruction helps students recognise letter and sound relationships, decode unfamiliar words and develop increasingly fluent reading. Shared and guided reading enable them to discuss texts, build comprehension and encounter a widening range of vocabulary.

In writing, students learn to compose sentences, organise ideas and communicate for different purposes. Oral rehearsal, discussion and engagement with high-quality texts help them develop both the content and technical accuracy of their work.

Mathematics in Key Stage 1

Students develop secure foundations in number, calculation, shape, measurement and mathematical reasoning.

The concrete-pictorial-abstract approach allows students to encounter new ideas first through objects and practical experiences, then through visual representations and finally through mathematical symbols.

Discussion, practical application and problem-solving help students understand the relationships between numbers rather than relying only on memorised procedures.

Science in Key Stage 1

Science introduces students to systematic observation, investigation and the use of evidence.

Students explore living things, habitats, the human body, everyday materials and physical processes through practical activities and direct experiences. Arbor’s biodomes, gardens and outdoor spaces allow them to observe plants, animals and environmental systems first-hand.

They learn to ask relevant questions, make predictions, describe observations and use their findings to develop explanations.

During Key Stage 2, students build upon the foundations established in Years 1 and 2. Subject knowledge becomes more detailed, texts and concepts become more complex, and students are expected to work with increasing independence.

Teaching continues to include practical and visual approaches where these support understanding, while gradually requiring students to reason abstractly, evaluate information and communicate more developed conclusions.

By Year 6, students are accustomed to working across a range of subjects, managing longer pieces of work and applying their learning with greater independence in preparation for Secondary School.

English in Key Stage 2

Students develop greater fluency, comprehension and precision in reading and writing.

They read an increasingly broad range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, examining vocabulary, making inferences, retrieving information and evaluating how writers communicate meaning.

The VIPERS framework supports the development of six key reading processes:

• Vocabulary
• Inference
• Prediction
• Explanation
• Retrieval
• Summarising

Writing becomes more sustained and sophisticated. Students learn to adapt their vocabulary, structure and style for different purposes and audiences while developing greater control of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Mathematics in Key Stage 2

The concrete-pictorial-abstract approach continues in Key Stage 2, with students moving increasingly towards abstract representation and independent reasoning.

They develop their understanding of number, calculation, fractions, decimals, percentages, geometry, measurement and statistics. As they progress, students encounter more complex, multi-step problems and explain the reasoning behind their methods.

Practical resources and visual models remain available where helpful, but students are increasingly expected to recognise relationships, select efficient strategies and apply knowledge in unfamiliar contexts.

Science in Key Stage 2

Students extend their knowledge across biology, chemistry and physics while developing a more systematic approach to scientific inquiry.

They investigate topics including living organisms, the human body, classification, adaptation, materials, forces, light, sound and electricity.

Students learn to plan investigations, identify and control variables, take measurements, record results and evaluate evidence. They are increasingly expected to use scientific vocabulary precisely and explain whether their findings support their predictions.

Reading underpins learning across the Primary curriculum.

Reading in Key Stage 1

Students develop early reading through:

• Systematic phonics instruction
• Shared and guided reading
• Vocabulary development
• Reading comprehension
• Regular opportunities to read for pleasure

Reading in Key Stage 2

Students continue to develop fluency and comprehension through high-quality texts, structured reading instruction and the Accelerated Reader programme.

Regular library visits, reading events, recommendations and access to a broad range of texts help students develop their individual reading interests.

Families are encouraged to read with their children, discuss books and model regular reading at home. The school recommends reading at home at least four times each week.

Moral, Social and Cultural Education helps students understand the history, culture and values of the UAE alongside wider questions of identity, community and responsibility.

Students examine moral principles, cultural heritage, civic life and the responsibilities people hold towards one another. They learn to discuss different perspectives, consider the consequences of decisions and engage respectfully with the communities around them.

In Year 1, Positive Education supports the development of values and behaviours including respect, responsibility and consideration for others. The formal Moral, Social and Cultural Education curriculum begins in Year 2.

Arabic is taught to all Primary students, with provision differentiated for native and non-native speakers.

Islamic Education is provided for Muslim students in accordance with UAE Ministry of Education requirements.

Through these subjects, students develop their language knowledge while learning about the culture, history and traditions of the UAE.

Arbor’s seven learning skills provide students and teachers with a shared language for discussing how learning takes place.

Self-management

Taking responsibility for learning, behaviour and wellbeing through organisation, independence, perseverance and reflection.

Collaboration

Working effectively with others towards a shared goal by listening, contributing and accepting shared responsibility.

Communication

Expressing ideas clearly through speaking, listening, discussion and presentation.

Explorative play

Learning through discovery, experimentation, investigation and hands-on experience.

Creativity

Generating ideas, making connections and approaching tasks in different ways.

Critical thinking

Analysing information, considering evidence and making informed judgements.

Research and inquiry

Investigating questions, evaluating information and developing supported conclusions.

These skills are embedded across subject lessons, projects, enrichment, leadership experiences and reflection activities.

All students access a broad and ambitious curriculum, with teaching adapted to provide the appropriate balance of support and challenge.

Arbor’s Seeds of Growth model describes four increasing levels of cognitive demand:

1. Knowledge and recall: Developing core knowledge, vocabulary, facts and procedures.
2. Skills and concepts: Applying knowledge, explaining ideas, making predictions and solving familiar problems.
3. Strategic thinking: Comparing, justifying, evaluating and drawing evidence-based conclusions.
4. Extended thinking: Analysing, synthesising, designing and connecting learning across subjects and contexts.

The model helps teachers plan learning that develops greater independence and depth of understanding rather than simply assigning more work.

Assessment is an ongoing part of teaching. Teachers establish what students already know, monitor their understanding and respond throughout the learning process.

Evidence may include:

• Classroom observations
• Questioning and discussion
• Independent work
• Project outcomes
• Standardised assessments
• Teachers’ professional judgement

This information is used to address misconceptions, adapt explanations, provide additional support and introduce further challenge.

Standardised assessment in Primary includes:

• CAT4 assessments in Years 4 to 6
• GL PASS
• National Group Reading Test in Years 2 to 6
• Arabic Benchmark Tests
• Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
• GL Progress Tests in Years 3 to 6
• Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check

Families receive digital reports through Zenda at the end of each term and are invited to a Parent-Teacher Conference each term.

Some students benefit from provision beyond the adaptations made within everyday classroom teaching.

The Thrive Team works with teachers and families to create personalised pathways for:

• Students of Determination
• Accomplished Learners
• English Language Learners
• Students requiring targeted academic, developmental or wellbeing support

Provision may include classroom strategies, targeted intervention, language support, curriculum extension or an individual learning plan. Plans are developed collaboratively and reviewed regularly.

The Arbor Enrichment Experience gives students access to activities across seven strands:

• Arbor Competes
• Arbor Explores
• Arbor Inquires
• Arbor Inspires
• Arbor Performs
• Arbor Creates
• Arbor Extends

Opportunities may include sport, performing arts, academic extension, outdoor education, design, leadership, community service and competition.

Primary learning is also extended through curriculum-linked visits, fieldwork and residential experiences. Year 2 students take part in an on-site overnight experience, followed by progressive off-site residential opportunities from Years 3 to 6.