At St James, our vision - Ignite, Explore, Believe… Together - shapes everything we do. We ignite curiosity, explore learning deeply, and believe in every child’s worth and potential. Rooted in our Christian ethos, we aim to give children strong foundations so that they can grow academically, personally and spiritually.

This commitment is central to our approach to early learning. We believe that when children are given firm foundations in the earliest stages of school, they flourish - not just in Reception and Key Stage 1, but throughout their entire education and beyond.

What We Mean by Strong Foundations

“Strong Foundations” draws on the guidance published by the Department for Education and Ofsted, highlighting the importance of ensuring children secure essential early knowledge and skills so they are well prepared for future learning.

At the heart of this approach is:

Securing the Basics Early

In order to ignite learning, children need secure, confident understanding of early reading and phonics, early writing, early number, communication, and social and physical development. These fundamentals act as the building blocks for later, more complex understanding.

At St James, we teach early reading, phonics, handwriting and spelling through the Ruth Miskin (Read Write Inc.) approach. This ensures consistency, clarity and strong progression for every child.

For pupils who need extra support, we believe in giving them the very best chance to succeed. We use Lexia and Fresh Start to accelerate progress, ensuring no child is left behind.

A Clear and Coherent Curriculum

Our curriculum is designed to help children explore learning in carefully sequenced steps. Each new skill builds securely on what children already know, helping them to remember more for longer.

In Maths, we use Mastering Number to ensure that children develop fluency, number sense and confidence.
In English, we enhance our curriculum with Let’s Think in English from King’s College London, supporting high‑quality reasoning, oracy and comprehension.

Focus on Fluency and Mastery

We aim for children not simply to complete tasks, but to become fluent, confident learners.
This means:

• Embedding deep understanding rather than rushing ahead;
• Practising skills repeatedly so they become automatic;
• Helping children build long-term confidence and enjoyment in learning.

This aligns closely with our Christian foundation: we build on rock, not sand, ensuring strong roots that support children throughout life.

Helping All Children Succeed

We learn together.
Our early years and Key Stage 1 provision is designed to ensure that every child - including those who join us with limited early learning experiences - is supported to thrive.

Our staff team closely monitors progress and adapts teaching to meet children’s needs, ensuring equity, opportunity and genuine inclusion.

What Strong Foundations Look Like at St James

When we speak about “Strong Foundations,” we mean:

• Teaching and reinforcing the basics in a way that makes sense to young learners;
• Giving children many opportunities to practise so they become secure and confident;
• Ensuring children feel successful and ready for each next step;
• Planning learning so that every new skill builds on what came before;
• Weaving together our vision and faith to create a nurturing, purposeful environment.

This is not about teaching to a test.
It is about forming children who are confident, curious and capable, rooted in strong early learning and surrounded by adults who believe in them.