Learning at Liberty School
Ambitious learning, delivered in a different way
At Liberty School, we believe children can achieve highly without every child being expected to learn in exactly the same way.
Our curriculum combines ambitious academic expectations with practical experiences, purposeful play, creativity, movement and real-life learning. Children develop strong foundations in reading, writing, mathematics and the wider curriculum, while also building the confidence, curiosity and independence they will need throughout their lives.
Our approach is progressive, but it is not unstructured. Learning is carefully planned, regularly assessed and
This is what we mean by Freedom to Learn a Different Way.
Our progressive approach
Liberty School has been created around a simple belief: children learn best when they are interested, involved and able to understand the purpose behind what they are doing.
Learning is not limited to sitting at a table, completing worksheets or remembering information for a test. Children learn through discussion, investigation, movement, play, projects, practical challenges and experiences in the wider world.
They may explore mathematics by measuring how far a paper aeroplane travels, develop writing by performing and adapting a story, or apply scientific knowledge through an outdoor investigation.
The learning objective remains clear, but the route towards achieving it may look different.
Our approach helps children to:
Make connections between different subjects.
Apply knowledge in practical and memorable ways.
Ask questions and explore their own ideas.
Build confidence when solving problems.
Communicate their thinking clearly.
Work both collaboratively and independently.
Understand that mistakes are an important part of learning.
Develop a genuine interest in the world around them.
Liberty School combines this child-centred approach with strong, focused teaching in reading, writing, mathematics and the wider curriculum.
Progressive does not mean less ambitious
Liberty School has an ambitious curriculum and high expectations for every pupil. Children are supported to develop secure knowledge and skills across English, mathematics, science and the wider curriculum, using established curriculum frameworks and clear progression documents to ensure learning is broad, balanced and carefully sequenced. Teachers understand what children should know and be able to do at each stage of their education, then present learning in ways that are engaging, accessible and relevant to the children in front of them. Our curriculum combines focused teaching in the core academic subjects with clear progression from Reception to Year 6, practical and cross-curricular application, regular assessment, personalised next steps and opportunities for deeper thinking and independent enquiry. Children are given different ways to access learning and demonstrate what they understand, but the ambition behind the
Learning at Liberty School
At Liberty School, our approach is built around three important foundations: giving children a voice, keeping learning active and age-appropriate, and building strong relationships so every child feels known, safe and ready to learn.
Democratic learning and pupil voice
Democratic learning means children have an active voice in their education, while teachers continue to carefully guide learning, progression and support.
Children are encouraged to share their ideas, interests and opinions.
Pupils make appropriate choices in their learning and help shape projects.
Children learn to listen to others, take responsibility and understand that their voice matters.
Extending the principles of Early Years
At Liberty School, the strongest parts of Early Years practice do not stop after Reception. Play, exploration and curiosity continue in age-appropriate ways through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
Children learn through play, investigation, movement and hands-on experiences.
Learning develops into projects, challenges, debates, performances and creative tasks.
This keeps learning active, meaningful and enjoyable throughout the primary journey.
The importance of relationships
Children learn best when they feel safe, respected and understood. As a small school, Liberty gives staff the time to truly know each child.
Staff understand each child’s strengths, interests and learning needs.
Small groups allow teaching to be adapted, supported and extended.
Strong relationships help children build confidence, ask for help and take positive risks in their learning.
A dyslexia-informed approach
Liberty School is not a specialist dyslexia school. However, dyslexia specialist knowledge has strongly shaped the way we think about teaching, learning and support. We believe that many children benefit from an approach that is clear, structured, practical and carefully sequenced. When learning is broken down, revisited, taught through more than one sense and connected to real understanding, children are more likely to build confidence and make secure progress.
Our dyslexia-informed approach is not only for children with a diagnosis of dyslexia. It is part of our whole-school teaching philosophy. We want to create classrooms where children can access learning in different ways, where barriers are noticed early, and where support is built into everyday teaching rather than added only when a child begins to struggle.
Our approach includes:
trong phonological awareness from the earliest stages.
Structured and systematic phonics teaching.
Opportunities to see, hear, say, discuss and practise new learning.
Clear instructions broken into manageable steps.
Regular revisiting and reinforcement to support memory.
Practical and multisensory activities across the curriculum.
Flexible ways for children to record and communicate their understanding.
Early identification of possible barriers to learning.
This approach helps us get teaching right from the beginning. By making learning clearer, more practical and more accessible, we support children to develop stronger language, literacy, memory, confidence and independence. At Liberty School, we believe that getting it right for dyslexic learners can help improve the quality of learning for every child.
The Liberty School curriculum
Knowledge, skills and purposeful experience
The Liberty School curriculum develops academic knowledge alongside creativity, communication, independence and social responsibility.
Children receive focused teaching in key subjects while also applying their learning through projects, outdoor experiences, enterprise, community involvement and practical life skills.
Curriculum planning ensures that subjects retain their own important knowledge and progression. Cross-curricular learning is then used purposefully to help children recognise connections and apply what they have learned.
The Elements Project
The Elements Project brings learning together through four powerful themes: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. These elements give children rich starting points for investigation, creativity, environmental understanding and real-life projects. Through each element, children make connections across science, English, geography, history, art, design, enterprise and outdoor learning.
Earth
Through Earth, children explore the natural world beneath and around them. They may investigate soil, plants, habitats, rocks, food growing, farming, local landscapes and the responsibility we have to care for the environment. Earth gives children opportunities to learn through Forest School, gardening, nature study, geography, science and practical outdoor experiences.
Air
Through Air, children explore movement, weather, sound, flight and the forces that shape the world around them. This may include investigating wind, clouds, seasons, kites, birds, aircraft, music, breathing and communication. Air encourages children to ask questions, test ideas and understand how invisible forces can have a visible impact.
Fire
Through Fire, children explore energy, change, light, heat and transformation. This may include learning about materials, cooking, safety, invention, electricity, the sun, historical discoveries and creative expression. Fire also gives children opportunities to think about risk, responsibility and how humans have used energy to shape communities and innovation.
Water
Through Water, children explore rivers, oceans, rain, the water cycle, floating and sinking, habitats, sustainability and the importance of water in everyday life. This element connects strongly with science, geography, environmental learning, storytelling and community projects, helping children understand both the beauty and importance of water in the world.
Together, Earth, Air, Fire and Water help children see that learning is connected rather than separated into isolated subjects. Teachers use clear curriculum planning alongside these projects to make sure essential knowledge and skills are covered, while still allowing children’s questions, interests and ideas to help guide the learning journey.
Our four pillars
The curriculum is guided by four pillars that shape how children approach their learning.
Explore
Children experience new places, ideas, materials and possibilities. They are encouraged to observe carefully, take appropriate risks and develop a sense of wonder about the world.
Enquire
Children learn to ask meaningful questions, investigate possibilities, gather information and think critically. They begin to recognise that strong learning often starts with curiosity.
Contribute
Children understand that their ideas and actions can make a difference. They learn to collaborate, listen, take responsibility and contribute positively to their school and wider community.
Create
Children use their knowledge, imagination and skills to produce something new. This may be a story, performance, product, solution, presentation, piece of art or community project.
Together, these pillars help children become active participants in their education rather than passive recipients of information.
Five platforms for meaningful learning
The four pillars are experienced across five important areas of school life.
Nature
Outdoor learning helps children develop curiosity, resilience, independence and respect for the natural world.
Community
Children connect with local people, organisations and places. They learn about belonging, responsibility and the value of contributing to the world around them.
Enterprise
Children develop ideas, solve problems and experience how learning can be used to create a product, service or event.
Life Skills
Practical experiences help children develop everyday confidence, organisation, responsibility and independence.
Enquiry and Curiosity
Children are encouraged to question, investigate, research and discover rather than simply wait to be given an answer.
Core Subjects at Liberty School
At Liberty School, English, mathematics and science are taught with clear academic purpose, strong progression and practical application. These core subjects help children build the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for future learning, while also showing them how learning connects to real life.
Across all core subjects, children are supported to:
Develop secure knowledge and understanding from Reception to Year 6.
Learning is carefully sequenced so children build strong foundations and continue to progress as they move through the school.
Apply learning through practical, hands-on and meaningful experiences.
Children are given opportunities to use what they learn in real situations, projects, investigations and creative tasks.
Build confidence through structured teaching, regular practice and personalised support.
Teachers make learning clear, revisit key skills and adapt support so every child can take their next step.
Make connections between subjects and the wider curriculum.
English, mathematics and science are linked to projects, Forest School, enterprise and community learning so children understand how knowledge works in the real world.
English at Liberty School
English is at the heart of learning at Liberty School. Through speaking, listening, reading and writing, children develop the skills to communicate clearly, think creatively and engage confidently with the world around them.
Our English curriculum combines structured literacy teaching with rich opportunities for storytelling, discussion, drama, reading for pleasure and purposeful writing. Children are supported through systematic phonics, high-quality texts, Talk for Writing, multisensory spelling and a strong focus on vocabulary and communication.
Children develop early reading through structured phonics, including Read Write Inc., alongside phonological awareness activities such as rhyme, rhythm, listening and sound recognition.
Reading is used to build fluency, imagination, knowledge and enjoyment, with carefully selected books inspiring wider learning across the curriculum.
Writing is taught with purpose, helping children plan, draft, improve and communicate their ideas through stories, information texts, poetry, projects and real-life contexts.
Mathematics at Liberty School
Mathematics at Liberty School is taught as both an academic subject and a practical language for understanding the world. Children develop fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills through focused teaching and meaningful application.
We use the White Rose Maths framework to support clear progression from Early Years through to Year 6. Learning is then brought to life through practical activities, outdoor learning, enterprise projects and real-life problem solving, helping children understand why mathematics matters.
Children build secure mathematical knowledge through structured teaching, practice and regular assessment.
Practical maths is used across the curriculum, including measuring, mapping, data handling, budgeting, cooking, enterprise and science investigations.
Children are supported to develop confidence, accuracy and flexible thinking when solving problems.
Science at Liberty School
Science at Liberty School is about curiosity, discovery and understanding the world. Children build knowledge across biology, chemistry and physics through carefully planned units that are revisited and deepened over time.
Science is taught through investigation, observation, questioning and practical exploration. The Elements Project, Forest School and outdoor learning give children meaningful opportunities to explore habitats, materials, energy, weather, forces, sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Children learn to ask questions, make predictions, investigate, observe, measure and draw conclusions.
Scientific learning is connected to real-life experiences through outdoor learning, practical experiments and environmental projects.
Science links naturally with mathematics, design and technology, computing, geography, English and communication.
Wider Learning at Liberty School
At Liberty School, learning extends beyond the core subjects so children experience a broad, balanced and meaningful education. The wider curriculum is carefully planned to build knowledge, skills, confidence and independence, while giving children opportunities to apply their learning through projects, outdoor experiences, community involvement, enterprise and life skills.
Across wider learning, children are supported to:
Experience a broad and balanced curriculum.
Children access a wide range of subjects, projects and enrichment opportunities that help them develop academically, socially, creatively and personally.
Make learning meaningful through real experiences.
Learning is strengthened through educational visits, outdoor learning, practical workshops, community links and purposeful projects.
Develop confidence, independence and responsibility.
Children are encouraged to take part, make decisions, solve problems and contribute to the world around them.
Connect knowledge across different areas of learning.
The wider curriculum helps children see how subjects link together through Forest School, Community Days, enterprise, creativity and practical life skills.
The wider curriculum
The wider curriculum at Liberty School is planned to provide breadth, balance and clear progression. Children experience a broad range of subjects, projects and enrichment opportunities that support their academic, creative, social and personal development. We use comprehensive curriculum resources, including Cornerstones, to support coverage and ensure that knowledge and skills build over time. Learning is enriched through creative projects, specialist teaching, educational visits, practical workshops, performances, exhibitions and topic-based learning, helping children make meaningful connections between subjects and understand how their learning applies to the wider world.
Forest School
Forest School is an important part of learning at Liberty School, giving children regular opportunities to learn in local woodland and outdoor spaces. Supported by trained Forest School leaders, children develop independence, confidence, resilience and respect for the natural world. Forest School is not separate from the curriculum; it is carefully linked to science, English, mathematics, art, environmental learning and the Elements Project.
- Children develop confidence, teamwork and practical problem-solving through outdoor learning.
- Forest School supports environmental understanding, safe risk-taking and resilience.
- Outdoor experiences help children show strengths that may not always be visible in the classroom.
Community Days
Community Days give children the opportunity to step beyond the school building and experience learning in real places, with real people and real purpose. These days may include visits to local heritage sites, natural environments, businesses, cultural venues, charities and community organisations. Community involvement is not treated as an occasional reward; it is a purposeful part of the Liberty curriculum.
- Children apply classroom learning in real-world settings.
- Community experiences help develop confidence, communication and social understanding.
- Pupils learn the value of belonging, contribution and responsibility.
Enterprise
Enterprise at Liberty School gives children the opportunity to turn ideas into action. Through age-appropriate projects, pupils learn how to design, plan, create, budget, communicate and present their ideas. Younger children may contribute to a shared class project, while older pupils may take more responsibility for developing products, services, events or small business ideas.
- Children develop creativity, teamwork, problem-solving and resilience.
- Enterprise builds financial awareness through budgeting, pricing and planning.
- Pupils use English, mathematics, art, design, computing and communication for a real purpose.
Life Skills
Life Skills at Liberty School prepare children for life beyond the classroom as well as future academic learning. Practical experiences such as cooking, gardening, sewing, basic first aid, organisation, time management and financial awareness help children become more confident, capable and independent. These skills are embedded across the curriculum so children can practise responsibility in meaningful ways.
- Children build practical skills that support independence and everyday confidence.
- Life Skills encourage responsibility, organisation and decision-making.
- Pupils learn to become resourceful, capable and ready for future challenges.
Understanding Progress at Liberty School
At Liberty School, progress is understood through the whole child, not through one task, test or moment in time. We use assessment to understand how children learn, what they already know, what they are ready for next and where they may need additional support. This helps teachers protect the creativity and freedom within the curriculum, while making sure every child continues to build knowledge, skills and confidence over time.
Assessment that informs teaching
Assessment at Liberty School is part of everyday learning. Teachers observe, question, review work, listen to pupils and look carefully at how children apply their knowledge in different situations. A child may show understanding through writing, discussion, practical work, problem-solving, a presentation or a completed project. This gives teachers a fuller picture of each child’s progress and helps identify what they can do independently, where misunderstandings may be developing and what the next step should be. Regular teacher assessment ensures that our flexible and creative curriculum remains ambitious, carefully sequenced and secure.
Personalised, but not isolated
Personalised learning at Liberty School does not mean every child follows a separate curriculum. Children remain part of a shared learning community, exploring common themes, working collaboratively and benefiting from carefully planned teaching. Personalisation means adapting how a child accesses learning, how much support they need, how they record their ideas or how a challenge is presented. This allows children to work towards shared curriculum goals in a way that recognises their individual learning profile, while still helping them feel included, connected and part of the wider school community.
Preparing children for the future
The purpose of the Liberty School curriculum is wider than simply remembering information. We want children to leave with strong academic foundations and the confidence to use what they know in real situations. By the end of Year 6, pupils should be developing as confident readers, writers and communicators, curious thinkers, creative problem-solvers and responsible members of their community. We carefully monitor curriculum expectations so children are prepared for the transition into secondary education. They may have experienced learning in a different way, but they will have built the knowledge, skills, independence and confidence needed to move forward.
Our Learning Promise
At Liberty School, our promise is that every child will be truly known, valued and understood as a unique learner. We believe that children should not have to fit into one fixed way of learning in order to succeed. Instead, we create the conditions where they can build strong academic foundations, develop confidence in themselves and discover the way they learn best.
Our approach brings together ambitious expectations, high-quality teaching, dyslexia-informed practice, practical learning, creativity, curiosity and meaningful experiences beyond the classroom. Children are supported to develop knowledge and skills through a curriculum that is carefully planned, but also alive with exploration, enquiry, pupil voice and real-world purpose.
We will continue to reflect on what is working, listen to children and families, and adapt where something can be made even better. Learning at Liberty School is not about lowering expectations or making education easier. It is about making learning clearer, richer, more purposeful and more accessible, so every child has the opportunity to grow.
Because getting education right is not about making every child fit one system.
It is about creating a school where children can learn with confidence, grow with purpose and shine as themselves.
Discover Learning at Liberty School
Find out more about our school, attend an open event or begin your enquiry with our admissions team.