"Nearly all of our most cherished ideals for education-from reading comprehension and problem solving to critical thinking and creativity-rest on a foundation of knowledge." - ED Hirsch

The foundation stones to a successful education lie in the acquisition of core knowledge and basic skills. Without these skills, children will not make the high educational progress that is expected of them. At Midfield Primary School, we place great emphasis on learning basic skills but also in the procurement of a rich bank of factual knowledge.

Built on the premise of 'cultural literacy' the core knowledge concept is grounded in cognitive science and research on effective school systems worldwide. It promotes academic excellence, greater fairness and higher literacy through teaching a body of specific, lasting knowledge in such a way that allows all children, regardless of background, to develop their knowledge of the world and use that understanding to make links, understand what they are facing and put things into context.

Our aim is that when pupils leave Year Six, they will be highly numerate and literate, with a real joy for learning and a good base of solid core knowledge. Here at Midfield we are dedicated to ensuring children have access to a clear progression of knowledge throughout their time with us. The core knowledge for each topic is mapped out carefully to ensure children are learning the key information needed to make their experiences meaningful.