Skills and Knowledge in the Bonneygrove and Millbrook Primary Federation Curriculum

Within the National Curriculum, knowledge refers to the essential facts, concepts, vocabulary and subject content that pupils are expected to learn, while skills describe how pupils apply that knowledge, including explaining, analysing, evaluating, creating and communicating. Both are intrinsically linked: knowledge provides the foundation for learning, and skills enable pupils to use that knowledge confidently and independently.

At the Bonneygrove and Millbrook Primary Federation, a shared curriculum has been designed and implemented across both schools, ensuring a consistent and equitable educational experience for all pupils. The federation follows the National Curriculum for England (2014) and has developed a carefully structured curriculum in which knowledge and skills are clearly identified, mapped and sequenced across all subjects and year groups.

The curriculum sets out the key knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils need in each subject, with clear progression from the Early Years through to the end of Key Stage 2. Learning is deliberately sequenced so that pupils build on prior knowledge over time, enabling them to know more, remember more and apply their learning effectively. This ensures that knowledge is not taught in isolation, but is revisited, embedded and connected across the curriculum.

Skills are explicitly taught alongside knowledge, allowing pupils to think critically, solve problems, and communicate their understanding with increasing confidence and independence. Through this approach, pupils develop a deeper understanding of each subject and are able to apply their learning in a range of contexts.

The federation’s curriculum promotes consistency, progression and high expectations for all pupils. By ensuring that all children access the same carefully planned curriculum, it supports equality of opportunity and enables every pupil to achieve success. The structured development of knowledge and skills also strengthens long-term memory and supports pupils in making meaningful connections between different areas of learning.

Ultimately, the Bonneygrove and Millbrook Primary Federation curriculum is designed to equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need for lifelong learning. It prepares them not only for the next stage of their education, but also to become confident, capable and independent individuals.