At Manor Drive Primary Academy we give our children the skills and knowledge that they need to succeed in later education and their wider lives. This, however, is not the sole purpose of our curriculum. We also aim to enrich our children’s understanding of the world and to broaden their horizons. We believe in teaching children a rich variety of knowledge across a broad range of subjects. Once the children have mastered their new understanding, our teachers support them to think creatively and critically about what they have learned.

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum because we know it to be the single most important skill with which we can equip our children. We aim not only to teach children how to read but to show them the joy of reading and to give them a love of books that will last them a lifetime. We have carefully evaluated different phonics programmes to find the best available teaching for our pupils and we have made reading a key part of other subject areas. Sharing stories and recommending books is an essential part of our reading curriculum.

We understand that all children are different and we offer opportunities for them to shine wherever their particular talents lie. As children progress through the school they will deepen their understanding of art, technology, science, history and geography. We are also proud to offer excellent PE and performing arts curricula, making use of our brand new facilities.

Our Early Years (Reception) provision involves a blend of whole-class learning, teacher-led group tasks and child-initiated activities. The teachers take advantage of the learning opportunities both inside the classroom and outside. We aim to ensure that the building blocks for future learning are in place such as a good grasp of phonics, the ability to focus and work hard, language skills and a positive attitude towards learning.