All the classes at Gamlingay Village Primary are named after birds to celebrate our proximity to the RSPB headquarters at nearby Sandy.
Due to the class structure of the school our curriculum is organised as a two-year cycle.
Art at Gamlingay Village Primary is taught through a skills‑based curriculum that builds progressively each year. We value art for its ability to inspire creativity and deepen cultural, spiritual and moral understanding. Children learn to reflect on their own work, respect the work of others and take inspiration from a range of artists and artistic styles.
Lessons are structured around research, skill development and creation, using a variety of media. Sketchbooks support reflection and refinement. To celebrate creativity, children have opportunities to display their work in a school gallery, allowing families to see progression and achievement across the year groups.
Years 1 and 2 (KS1)
Years 3 and 4 (Lower KS2)
Years 5 and 6 (Upper KS2)
At Gamlingay Village Primary, pupils are immersed in rich literature to develop a love of reading and a strong command of spoken and written language. High‑quality texts are chosen for their literary value, exposing children to ambitious vocabulary, strong grammatical structures and opportunities to engage empathetically and creatively. Reading is taught through key skills including vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval and sequencing or summarising. Texts also inspire oracy and writing through activities such as role‑play, freeze‑frames, hot‑seating, discussion and debate. ‘Talk for Writing’ approaches, including story mapping, boxing‑up and model texts, ensure consistency and progression in writing across the school, with a focus on narrative, non‑narrative and poetry.
Children also receive discrete teaching in spelling, phonics, reading, grammar and handwriting where appropriate. We follow Spelling Shed for weekly spelling practice and Letter‑Join for handwriting from EYFS to Year 6. Writing displays around the school promote pride and purpose. Phonics teaching is systematic and rigorous, supported by matched decodable books, and follows the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds programme.
Our aim is for all children to become confident, capable mathematicians who enjoy the subject and work to the best of their ability. We use the Power Maths scheme, a mastery approach aligned with the National Curriculum and grounded in educational research. This approach emphasises that all children can succeed in maths, using concrete resources, pictorial representations and abstract methods. Lessons are inclusive, with opportunities for all pupils to access core learning while deepening understanding through reasoning, problem solving and fluency.
Maths at GVP follows a spiral curriculum, revisiting and building on concepts each year. The autumn term includes a strong arithmetic focus, which is then applied across other mathematical areas throughout the primary years. Children develop relational understanding, enabling them to make connections across mathematical ideas and apply their knowledge in varied contexts.
Science at GVP aims to develop confident, curious and caring learners who understand the world around them. Children study biology, physics and chemistry through a curriculum that highlights environmental awareness and modern‑day issues, including caring for their community. Each year group follows a clear progression of knowledge and skills, including working scientifically and developing scientific literacy.
Pupils learn to use a range of resources to test hypotheses, measure accurately and carry out practical investigations that nurture curiosity. Through these experiences, children build a secure scientific knowledge base and develop resilience, critical thinking and a questioning approach that supports them throughout their education and beyond.
Years 1 and 2 (KS1)
KS1 Animals including humans 2
KS1 Living things and their habitats
KS1 Living things and their habitats B
KS1 Plants and Seasonal Changes_
Years 3 and 4 (Lower KS2)
LKS2 Living things and their habitats
Years 5 and 6 (Upper KS2)
UKS2-Animals including humans-heart
UKS2 Earth and Space Solar System, day and night (1)
UKS2 Evolution and inheritance
UKS2 Living things and their habitats
UKS2 Properties and changes of materials
Our computing curriculum aims to develop confident, safe and respectful users of technology. We follow the Teach Computing scheme designed by the National Centre for Computing Education, ensuring a progressive, research‑informed curriculum from KS1 to KS2. Children explore a wide range of computing areas, including systems, networks, programming, data and digital media, preparing them for secondary education and a technology‑rich world.
We teach pupils to use technology positively, responsibly and creatively, encouraging independence and informed choices about digital tools. Computing is embedded across the wider curriculum, and pupils also use platforms such as Seesaw to showcase learning and collaborate digitally. Regular access to iPads supports learning across subjects. The curriculum includes six units per year group, taught in a structured sequence, with adaptations made to meet learners’ needs.
In Design & Technology, children learn to use the full cycle of research, design, make and evaluate, working with sustainably sourced materials. Projects are organised into five strands: woodwork, prototyping, sewing, mechanisms and cookery, all designed to support, serve and enhance the local community and environment.
Through these projects, pupils develop practical skills such as sewing, baking and construction, which will benefit them throughout life. Skills are revisited and refined each year, ensuring children build on prior learning while developing new techniques and producing purposeful outcomes for themselves and the wider community.
Years 1 and 2 (KS1)
KS1 -Mechanisms- Moving pictures
KS1- Prototypes- Playground Equipment
KS1- Structures- Plant Pot Mark 3
Years 3 and 4 (Lower KS2)
LKS2- Mechanisms- Pop Up Books
LKS2 -Sewing- Money Containers
Years 5 and 6 (Upper KS2)
UKS2- Cookery- British Banquet
UKS2- Mechanisms- Mechanical Toys
Year 5 6 design and technology knowledge organiser Fairground rides Aut 2 cycle B
Geography at GVP begins with children exploring their immediate environment and developing a strong sense of place. We aim to inspire curiosity about people, places and environments, teaching key skills such as enquiry, critical thinking, fieldwork and geographical vocabulary. A spiral curriculum allows children to revisit and deepen their understanding over time.
Our goal is for pupils to leave with strong geographical knowledge and the ability to think like geographers, making informed decisions about the world around them. We want children to understand environmental issues and develop a lifelong interest in the world they inhabit.
Years 1 and 2 (KS1)
Years 3 and 4 (Lower KS2)
LKS2 The World Countries and their landmarks
Years 5 and 6 (Upper KS2)
Our History curriculum develops pupils’ understanding of Britain’s past and the wider world, enabling them to ask perceptive questions, weigh evidence, think critically and understand how the past shapes their lives today. We aim to ignite curiosity and help children understand change, diversity and identity. The curriculum follows the National Curriculum and is taught on a two‑year cycle.
In KS1, children learn about changes within living memory, significant events beyond living memory and influential individuals. Topics combine history and geography and include knowledge organisers for both subjects. In KS2, British history is taught chronologically in Cycle A, while Cycle B covers Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. Local history is woven throughout. Pupils develop chronological thinking, historical comprehension and analysis, including evaluating sources. Themes such as governance, power, beliefs and religion recur across KS2 to support comparison and deeper understanding.
Music at GVP aims to inspire a lifelong appreciation of music. Children explore a wide range of genres, historical periods and global traditions, engaging as listeners, performers and creators. Lessons focus on three strands: listening, composing and performing, giving pupils a broad understanding of musical elements.
To enrich the curriculum, children can access additional singing, guitar and piano lessons from specialist teachers. We also offer RockSteady band sessions, a UKS2 choir and opportunities to perform in assemblies, helping pupils build confidence and enjoy music in varied ways.
Physical Education at GVP is built around the principles of freedom to move, choose and improve. In the Foundation Stage, children develop fundamental movement skills through exploration and play. Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils experience dance, gymnastics, athletics, team games, outdoor and adventurous activities and swimming, gradually applying and refining their skills in increasingly challenging contexts.
Children take part in competitive and non‑competitive activities, building resilience, teamwork and an understanding of health and fitness. Opportunities for intra‑school and trust‑wide competitions ensure all pupils can participate. By Year 6, children leave confident, competent and motivated to lead healthy, active lives.
PSHE at GVP supports children to become confident, respectful, healthy and resilient individuals who understand their role in the lives of others. We celebrate each child’s uniqueness and promote the school values of respect, aspire and grow. The curriculum helps pupils develop critical thinking, emotional literacy and positive attitudes towards diversity, sustainability and wellbeing. PSHE is taught from Reception to Year 6, with Early Years learning embedded through the Characteristics of Effective Learning.
PSHE is not limited to standalone lessons; its values are reflected across the curriculum. The programme follows a two‑year cycle and allows teachers to explore topics in depth when needed. British values are actively promoted through school council, class votes, behaviour expectations, visits from community services and learning about diversity and equality. Children are encouraged to express their views, understand personal freedoms and show mutual respect and tolerance.
In RE, children learn about the principal religions in the UK, developing respect and understanding for beliefs different from their own. They explore how values, traditions and beliefs influence individuals and communities locally and globally. Through this, pupils learn to make informed judgements about religious and moral issues and develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally.
The right to withdraw from RE
In England, parents and carers have the right to withdraw their children from RE. We would hope that you would contact us in the first instance so that we can discuss concerns and together put alternative arrangements in place to support your child.
You will find more information on the right to withdraw and how to handle an application at https://www.natre.org.uk/
Our Spanish curriculum aims to foster enthusiasm for language learning and curiosity about Spanish‑speaking cultures. Children develop skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing while building cultural capital and understanding similarities and differences between languages. We follow the Rachel Hawkes scheme, taught on a two‑year cycle to support strong progression and transition to secondary school.