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Our Curriculum

At Merry Hill, we have developed a broad curriculum driven by the learning elements our children require to be successful life-long learners.   Our curriculum is knowledge rich and delivered through adaptable child centred topics which provide a meaningful and engaging context for their learning.

** This section is under development and not all the documentation is available**

Phonics and Reading

How we teach phonics and reading at Merry Hill What is Phonics? Phonics is a method of teaching beginners to read and pronounce words by learning to associate letters or letter groups with the sounds they represent. There are 44 main sounds in the English language. Each sound is represented by a grapheme (the written …

Maths

At Merry Hill, our maths curriculum is carefully sequenced into a number of small learning steps so that children achieve and build on success within and across lessons. We believe that all children can succeed and our aim is to develop a whole school culture of deep understanding, confidence and competence in maths, creating critical …

Science

Science at Merry Hill intends to give all children a strong foundation for understanding of the world around them. We believe it is essential to develop and secure scientific knowledge and understanding, as well as embedding the skills of scientific enquiry. We want all children to develop their communication skills and use of scientific vocabulary …

Computing

Our goal is for all pupils to leave Merry Hill as confident, creative and independent users of technology. At Merry Hill we recognise that computing is a significant part of everyone’s daily lives and therefore it is our intention to provide a strong foundation of the basic skills in order to equip all children with …

PSHE

At Merry Hill we want all of our children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. We believe that PSHE is vital in helping our pupils to develop their understanding of themselves and others, self-esteem and how to make healthy choices.   Our aim is for all our children to gain a sense of self …

Music

Our Merry Hill Young Musicians learn from a music curriculum that is topic based, cross-curricular, musically diverse and accessible to non-music readers. As with all skills, with practice, our children can develop and progress, and giving children regular opportunities to participate in a progressive series of musical activities can really help to embed knowledge, skills, …

Geography

At Merry Hill,  we develop our children into ‘Curious Learners’ who ask questions about where they live, the people in their community and their place in the world. Our goal is for all pupils to leave Merry Hill with geographical knowledge of our local area, the UK and the ability to name and locate the …

History

Our goal is for all pupils to leave Merry Hill with a natural curiosity to find out about the past and how it has shaped the world around us. History at Merry Hill is carefully designed to meet the needs of young children by first learning about their own history and developing an understanding of …

PE

At Merry Hill, we are proud to offer a broad and balanced Physical Education curriculum.   The physical development of pupils can have a massive impact on a child’s life, opportunities and activities. We place a huge emphasis on being a ‘healthy learner’ at Merry Hill and we spend time working with children in identifying what …

Art/DT

At Merry Hill we aim to provide a high-quality art education that will engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. Art and design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a way …

RE

At Merry Hill we encourage our Curious Learners to ask challenging questions and deepen their understanding of religion. We enable our Collaborative Learners to further develop their understanding of and respect for religious diversity and to promote a sense of connection amongst our community. At Merry Hill, we teach Religious Education in a varied and …

Mini Forest Explorers

Our goal is for all pupils to leave Merry Hill with a natural curiosity about the world around us, a love of and respect for our planet and an understanding of their role in developing a sustainable world. At Merry Hill our Mini Forest Explorers regularly explore our extensive outdoor space. Our carefully planned Outdoor …