Intent

Challenge Partners

“The quality of provision at Leighton Middle School is exceptional. Students benefit from learning from highly skilled teachers in an atmosphere that is unquestionably conducive to their development.”

Curriculum Intent

Leighton Middle School strives to prepare pupils for the next stage of their educational journey, whether that be the next lesson, the next topic, or the next year.

Our intent focuses on four main areas:

Ensuring children learn and remember the desired knowledge and skills as set out by each Head of Department
Encouraging pupils to strive for Personal Excellence
Providing regular enrichment opportunities outside of the classroom environment to offer a wide set of memorable learning experiences
Creating independent learners within the classroom and across the school environment encompassing our desire for pupils to achieve Personal Excellence and develop leadership skills

Provision

From Year 5, pupils have the benefit of being taught in a secondary setting which offers a broad curriculum, specialist teachers, resources and rooms.

The curriculum is planned by specialists who take in to account the National Curriculum, pupils’ starting points as well as the context of the school. Each subject has a curriculum map which clarifies the learning journey from years 5 - 8.

A range of extra-curricular clubs are offered such as music and P.E as well as enrichment opportunities provided by every department. Pupils are happy and encouraged to strive for personal excellence; they are prepared for the next learning journey as well as future careers. Disadvantaged pupils make accelerated progress across their time at LMS and are positively discriminated to experience a range of opportunities to support their personal development and future career opportunities.
Whole School Timetable 2026 - 2027 Subjects taught on a weekly basis and the number of lessons per week:

	Hours per week
	Year 5	Year 6	Year 7	Year 8
Mathematics	6	6	4	4
English	7	7	5	4
Science	2	2	3	3
French	1	1	2	2
Geography	1	1	1	1
History	1	1	1	2
P.E.	2	2	2	2
PSHCE			1	1
RaW*			1	1
PSR	1	1
Art	1	1	1	1
DT/FFT	1	1	2	2
Music	1	1	1	1
Computer Studies	1	1	1	1

Religion and Worldviews.

Learning Partners and Star Challenge

All lessons use Learning Partners to provide instant support and feedback. Learning Partners are selected carefully to ensure all pupils can learn to their best potential. Lessons regularly include Star Challenges: these are elements in the lesson in which pupils are encouraged to challenge themselves to complete additional tasks for example, including a particular grammatical feature in a piece of writing.

Support Strategies

Small English and Mathematics classes in KS2

Learning Support Assistants

Pastoral Support Workers

Pastoral Interventions

Accelerated Reader

Circle Time

One-to-One reading twice a week in afternoon registration

Year 8 afternoon readers

Reading Aloud

Academic Interventions

123maths

IDL for KS3

Assemblies

Assemblies take place on at least a weekly basis and in a variety of formats over the school year including by: year group; key stage, house and whole school. All assemblies link to British Values, well-being and/or SMSC development.

Example assembly themes:

Year 5

Remembrance

(British Values)

Respect

(Social, British Values)

St George’s Day/Shakespeare Day

(British Values, Culture)

Year 6

School Council Elections. Student Voice, Democracy (British Values)

St David’s Day (British Values)

World Refugee Day (British Values, Moral, Cultural)

Year 7

Change

(Spiritual, British Values)

Generosity

(British Values, Spiritual, Moral)

Disability Awareness

(British Values)

Year 8

Mental Health Awareness

(Health and Wellbeing)

Relationships

(British Values, Social)

The coming year

(Health and Wellbeing)

Leadership Opportunities/Personal Development

Throughout their time at Leighton Middle, pupils are encouraged to be leaders of learning.

Examples of leadership opportunities:

Student Council	Play Buddy	Sports Leader	123 Maths Coach	Digital Leader
Year 8 Reader	Peer Supporter	Learning Partner	Music Leaders	Year 8 Receptionist

Impact

Please find our outcomes for Year 6 and 8 here: Data & Assessment

Disadvantaged Pupils

On average, pupils in receipt of the Pupil Premium Grant join us in Year 5 working below national age-related expectations in Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Historically, GL assessment data has shown attainment in Mathematics to be lower than in English, while wider baseline information highlights the importance of strengthening early reading, comprehension and foundational writing skills. Through targeted academic intervention alongside strong pastoral support, we prioritise the needs of disadvantaged pupils and support them to make accelerated progress, with the aim of diminishing the difference between their outcomes and those of their non-disadvantaged peers.

Students with Special Educational Needs.

On average, pupils with SEN join us in Year 5 working significantly below age-related expectations in Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Over their four years at Leighton Middle School, these pupils make accelerated progress, with cumulative progress consistently exceeding expected rates. While some pupils may not yet have reached age-related expectations by the end of Year 8, gaps are significantly reduced, with some pupils finishing only one or two terms behind in Writing. Through flexible grouping, targeted academic support and a strong community of pastoral care, we work to strengthen pupils’ sense of belonging and self-belief, building the confidence and tenacity they need to continue to succeed.

Please go to our Policies page to find our school policies relating to Curriculum. If you would like a hard copy of any of our policies please contact the School Office.