Primary
Welcome to our Primary Department
Mr Flanagan
Deputy Headteacher (Quality of Education) & Head of Primary
At West Kirby School we have three Primary classes Pathfinders, Adventurers and Navigators. The Primary journey starts in Pathfinders, following a path through Adventurers, up to Navigators.
We have a very vibrant and nurturing department, comprising of Teachers, HLTAs and Teaching Assistants, who are all very highly experienced and specialised. We aim to give the pupils the best possible start in their journey through education; supporting their emotional needs and wellbeing with a nurturing approach alongside our dynamic innovative curriculum.
Each classroom area is well-equipped for learning, play and life skills. This includes a light and dark sensory room, Lego therapy area, continuous provision environment, reading room, phonics hub, intervention rooms and kitchen areas. Pupils also have access to our adventure playground and access to outdoor provision.
Pathfinders - find a way
Our key skills to learn as a Pathfinder:
Innovative
Decisive
Creative
Independent
Adventurers - make it happen
Our key skills to learn as an Adventurer:
Brave
Risk takers
Resilient
Prepared
Navigators - leading the way
Our key skills to learn as a Navigator:
Leaders
Able to apply skills
Overcomes
Focused
Primary Curriculum
At West Kirby School and College, our classes follow their own bespoke curriculum. These are based on learning pathways which reflect the aims and values we want our curriculum to possess.
Curriculum intent
At West Kirby School and College, we believe that English is the foundation for communication, learning and lifelong success. Our intent is to develop confident, capable and enthusiastic readers, writers and communicators by providing a broad, inclusive and ambitious English curriculum that meets the needs of every pupil.
Through high-quality reading, writing and oracy experiences, we aim to foster a love of literature, language and storytelling while equipping pupils with the literacy skills needed to access the wider curriculum and the world beyond school. We recognise that many of our pupils face additional barriers to literacy and therefore provide personalised support, targeted interventions and meaningful opportunities to succeed.
Reading is at the heart of our curriculum. Through systematic phonics teaching, shared reading, independent reading, rich literary experiences and a strong culture of Reading for Pleasure, pupils develop fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and confidence as readers. Our carefully curated Reading Spine exposes pupils to diverse authors, cultures, experiences and perspectives, helping them develop empathy, curiosity and an understanding of the world around them.
Writing is inspired by high-quality texts and supported through explicit teaching, purposeful talk and opportunities for creativity. As a Voice 21 school, we recognise the vital role of spoken language in literacy development and provide regular opportunities for pupils to discuss, explain, perform and refine their ideas before transferring them into writing.
We are committed to ensuring that all pupils experience the richness of literature beyond the classroom. Through author and poet visits, theatre trips, visits to libraries and bookshops, Literacy Week, our annual Literacy Festival and community reading projects, pupils engage with language and literature in authentic and memorable ways.
Our aim is for every pupil to leave West Kirby School and College as a confident communicator, a motivated reader, a successful writer, and a lifelong learner with a positive relationship with literacy.
Curriculum rationale
We want our curriculum to reflect our school values:-
- Be nurturing - Communication
- Be understanding - Culture
- Be aspirational - Communication
- Be enterprising – Conservation, Communication
- Be respectful – Conflict, Culture, Conservation
- Be proactive – Conservation, Conflict
English, Maths & Science
English
At West Kirby School and College, for Primary English we use the 'Read Write Inc Phonics & Freshstart, spelling & handwriting programmes', alongside 'Literacy Counts Ready Steady Read Together & Ready Steady Write programmes. Pupils who have secure handwriting an progress to cursive follow the Nelson Handwriting Scheme.
See our Primary English page for more information.
Maths
At West Kirby School we are well resourced in enabling learning inside and outside the classroom. Our intent is for children to develop the fluency, knowledge and understanding to use mathematics as a tool for everyday life. Practical experiences and a growth mindset will ensure a solid understanding is gained which will foster a life-long love of maths. As a school we believe that all students can succeed in Mathematics.
In Mathematics we use 'White Rose Maths' . Visit our Primary Maths page .
Science
In Science at West Kirby, we aim to enthuse the children’s love and curiosity about natural world and events around them.
ICT, RE, PE & MFL
ICT
In ICT we follow the Hi-Impact programme, which pupils use to develop their computing skills and knowledge.
RE and PE
For RE and PE we use the Wirral Agreed Syllabus which is part of our weekly timetable.
Modern Foreign language (MFL) - Mandarin Chinese
In Mandarin children enjoy learning the Chinese language and culture. They play games, sing songs and take part in role play.
Learning means the world (LMTW) curriculum
Our Primary curriculum, 'Learning Means the World'' blends a thematic approach with subject-specific teaching, it provides structure, without limiting creativity, and helps us engage every pupil with their learning.
This curriculum is innovative, forward thinking and highly relevant to our pupils' needs and thoroughly engages them as they tackle challenging topics and issues. As a school which is majority white British, we wanted our pupils to fully embrace cultural diversity, learning about, experiencing and celebrating a range of cultural and faith heritages.
Curriculum map cycles
Our LMTW curriculum is taught on a two year cycle in both of our Primary classes, which encompasses all topics covered in the thematic units.
LMTW curriculum themes
The 'Learning Means the World' (LMTW) curriculum is theme based and has been written with world issues in mind and is centred around 4 c's : Communication, Culture, Conflict & Conservation.
At West Kirby School and College, we believe that communication is the key to accessing learning and securing pupils' future success. With one of its four areas being communication, this curriculum provides lots of opportunities for pupils to develop expressing themselves in discussion, debate and presentation, as well as enabling them to collaborate and exchange ideas.
As the future generation our pupils need a greater awareness and appreciation of local, national and global conservation issues and initiatives, they need to learn that they have an important role to play in sustainability. This curriculum gives our pupils opportunities to grow and develop, spiritually, emotionally, physically and socially in the natural world around them.
Communication
Culture
Conflict
Conservation
LMTW Communication
We believe that communication is vital to learning, as the key to success, and a focus on communication underpins every aspect of school life. Our pupils struggle to express their emotions and find maintaining positive relationships a challenge. We want our pupils to develop language skills that mean they are articulate, able to socially interact well, and can select and use appropriate vocabulary.
LMTW Culture
As a school that represents a white British demographic, with little personal experience of other people groups, we want our pupils to fully appreciate and embrace cultural diversity, learning about and experiencing a range of different cultural and faith heritages.
We strive to embed learning about culture as a whole, enabling our pupils with an understanding of the roots and importance of cultural heritage, teaching pupils to behave in a respectful and tolerant way towards others, regardless of faith, ethnicity or background. We actively promote cross-cultural friendship, respect, tolerance and understanding through ‘Learning Means the World’.
Conflict
We believe that life skills should be taught throughout the curriculum and an understanding of responsible, respectful behaviour is an important aspect of learning. Having a developed understanding of sources of conflict and its consequences, we believe, will make a difference to their own choices as they learn about cause and consequence.
We want our pupils to have a real awareness of how their behaviour affects others and how important positive relationships are throughout life. We also want them to be able to resolve conflicts in a constructive manner.
Conservation
We feel that a curriculum that employs a structured approach to developing environmental awareness and appreciation, not just at local, but also national and global levels, will actively engage our pupils and tap into their love of nature and the outdoors.
We want our pupils to be good stewards by developing their knowledge about conservation issues and nurturing a caring attitude towards the world they live in.
Wellbeing and PSHE curriculum
We use myHappymind, science-backed wellbeing programme, to help prepare our pupils for tomorrow’s world by building resilient, balanced and happy minds at home and school. MyHappymind is taught across five modules and each introduces a new set of content and habits to help children build resilience, self-esteem and confidence. Their five key philosophies ensure the learning is proactive, stigma reversing, systematic, fun and accessible to all.
To support our pupils' health, wellbeing and life skills we utilise our local area including visits to the local park, beach, marine lake, Wirral Way, and encourage our children to develop a sense of local community. Our Primary Department also takes part in Primary Wellbeing and Life Skills Adventures every Friday afternoon, with a choice of activities on and off site.
Reading, Phonics, Library and reading areas
Reading
At West Kirby School and College, we are committed to developing confident, capable and enthusiastic readers. Reading lies at the heart of our curriculum and is carefully planned to ensure every pupil can access high-quality texts, develop essential literacy skills, and foster a lifelong love of reading. Our reading provision combines targeted interventions, shared literary experiences, independent practice, and rich opportunities for reading for pleasure.
Phonics
At West Kirby School, we deliver synthetic phonics through the Read Write Inc (RWI) programmes, as recommended by the Department for Education. This evidence-based approach supports pupils in developing secure decoding, word recognition, spelling, and early writing skills, while also strengthening speaking and listening.
We use RWI Phonics and RWI Fresh Start, depending on pupils’ age:
Years 1–4: Pupils who don’t have secure phonics receive RWI Phonics.
From Year 5 onwards, pupils who don’t have secure phonics transition to RWI Fresh Start.
Lessons are delivered on a 1:1 basis, enabling highly personalised teaching tailored to each pupil’s individual needs and learning profile. Session lengths are adapted as needed, recognising that some pupils benefit from short breaks to support self-regulation and sustained engagement.
To ensure progress is carefully monitored, pupils are formally assessed every six weeks, allowing trained staff to identify strengths, address gaps, and tailor support effectively. This includes consistently feeding back to teachers, parents and carers on individuals' progress and providing pupils with opportunities to reinforce their learning at home.
Primary Library
We have a dedicated library for our Primary pupils, which contains books on the Primary Reading Spine, read to the children during story time. To develop a culture of reading for pleasure we have developed a variety of designated welcoming reading spaces for pupils to read independently. For example the outdoor literacy garden, Harry Potter train and small quiet spaces within the main library.
Homework
Each half-term the Primary class has homework which is sent home, linked to learning from the class. We also have books available online for parents and pupils to read at home.
Curriculum maps
Our Primary class Curriculum maps are below: