Curriculum

Farfield Primary & Nursery School Curriculum

Welcome to our Curriculum Page! 

Here at Farfield, our team are constantly developing and reviewing the curriculum we offer our children. Our leaders meet with the children to find out what they think about what and how they are learning and from here our curriculum evolves to provide the best experience and learning for the children at Farfield. We know Farfield Children Can and we provide the opportunities for them to do so!

Below you will find out about each of our leaders and information about some of our subjects - more will follow throughout 2025!

English

Subject Leader: Ruth Carver

Hello! I am Ruth Carver and I am Upper Key Stage 2 Leader, English Lead and Year 6 teacher. I have taught at Farfield for 13 years and have led English for the last 5 years. I have a degree in Linguistics and I love words and imparting this joy on the children! It deepens understanding of our amazing vocabulary and enriches the writing which the children produce. I love leading English and seeing the progression in skills as children journey through their primary years. My greatest wish is to inspire as many budding young writers as possible and hopefully one day see the names of children I have taught on the front of book covers, signing off as journalists at the end of a newspaper column or editing those amazing novels we become engrossed in (as well as much more). My aim is to ensure that every child who walks through my classroom door leaves at the end of the year with enough knowledge, confidence and understanding in the English language to make their way in the big, wide world. Words can take us so many places and I hope our children leave with this notion. 

Reading

Subject Leader: Marianne Brannan

I am Marianne Brannan. I have been at Farfield for 12 years, originally as a member of Support Staff before I began my Teaching career. I have lead reading at for 4 years, starting as Reading For Pleasure and Library Lead followed by KS Reading Lead and now Reading Lead. 

As the Reading Lead, I am deeply passionate about sharing my love for books with our pupils. To me, reading is more than just a skill - it’s a gateway to new worlds, sparking imagination and encouraging deeper thinking. I believe that a strong foundation in reading is essential for success in every area of life and I strive to inspire a love for stories and diverse perspectives in every student. Watching them grow as confident, curious readers is one of the most rewarding parts of my job and I’m committed to helping them on their journey toward lifelong learning and a passion for stories.

Reading at home with your child

The Importance of Reading

The importance of reading cannot be underestimated. Reading for pleasure can benefit a child’s education, social and cognitive development, their wellbeing, and their mental health.

Reading with your child will help them to develop a love of reading for life. Multiple studies have found a link between reading for pleasure and higher academic achievement in every subject, not just English.

Ten Key Reasons to Encourage your Child to Read at Home

1-To build vocabulary

2-To perform better academically.

3-To let their imagination run wild.

4-To help develop their creativity skills.

5-To develop empathy and understanding.

6-To gain a deeper understanding of their world.

7-To improve their concentration levels.

8-To exercise their brain.

9-It is a great way to spend some quality time together.

10- Reading together is fun.

Phonics

Subject Leader: Claire Partington

I’m Claire Partington. I teach in Year One and I am Phonics Lead and KS1 Lead. I have been at Farfield for over eight years, I have been Phonics Lead for 2 years now and have led Farfield on our Little Wandle journey. I have a passion for phonics because I feel children need to be able to read fluently in order to access every other area of learning. Seeing the children’s reading develop from Nursery through KS1 is something I take great pride in, thanks to the commitment from the team we have teaching the children.

Maths

Subject Leader: Rebecca McCarthy

I am Rebecca McCarthy. I have taught at Farfield for 10 years. I recently became Maths Lead and I am really enjoy this because I am learning so many new things. I have been able to visit other schools and see how maths works there and use this knowledge to adapt maths at Farfield. I am excited to see where the journey leads us.

Maths at Farfield

The National Curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils have conceptual understanding and are able to recall and apply their knowledge rapidly and accurately to problems
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

At Farfield Primary & Nursery School, we follow White Rose Maths. We chose this for our children, because as well as meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum, it is designed to support children in a fun and inclusive way, and encourages mathematical exploration to deepen understanding. 

Our progression of skills in the four operations and methods of calculations can be found below:

Curriculum

Subject Leader: Giselle Gale

I am Giselle Gale and I have taught at Farfield since 2018. I joined as Writing Leader before becoming History Lead in 2019. I am now Lower KS2 Leader, Curriculum Leader and I teach in year 3. I have enjoyed developing the Farfield Curriculum with the staff, children, governors and our families.

I have a keen interest in developing a curriculum that allows all children to feel empowered. I believe that everybody holds a special talent and it is our job to provide opportunities to help pupils realise what that is, so they can go on to feel inspired to succeed. 

I really enjoy leading curriculum because I love to hear what the children think. I like looking at how we can develop our curriculum further so that we provide the best experiences and opportunities for our children. That way all Farfield children can!

Early Years

Subject Leader: Aimee Garrick

I am Aimee Garrick and I have taken over as Early Years Foundation Stage Lead this year. I have taught at Farfield for the last year and a half. I have a passion for learning through play and strive to create a purposeful and engaging environment for children in EYFS. I am also interested in how we can best support the development of communication and language skills in an effective and impactful way as these skills underpin those needed for all other areas of development. 

Art

Subject Leader: Mumtaz Hussain

I am Mumtaz Hussain. This is my 10th year teaching at Farfield and I have let Art for five years. I enjoy leading Art as I get to see the children developing key skills and knowledge. Through Art, the children are able to process their feelings, tell stories and explore the world around them. I have been able to organise themes art activities across school and develop community links with Bradford Council and Visual Arts. I love to share what the children's creativity with our Farfield families via Class Dojo.

Computing

Subject Leader: Veronica Duthie

I am Veronica Duthie. I joined Farfield last year and took on leading computing across school. I am passionate about computing because our world is becoming increasingly digital. I know a strong computing curriculum will help children develop invaluable skills for their education and future careers. It’s also pretty fun! 

Design Technology

Subject Leader: James Yardley

I am James Yardley. I have taught at Farfield for just over 2 years now and during this time I have led Design Technology. I have a genuine interest in this subject as my background is in Graphic Design and both subjects share many aspects that are closely linked. I enjoy leading DT because it is a creative, engaging and an inspiring subject which for many children is the first time they may have thought about a career in a trade such as joinery or mechanics.

Geography

Subject Leader: Jessica Whaites

I am Jessica Whaites. I have taught at Farfield Primary and Nursery school for 5 years and I have led Geography for 2 years. I have a keen interest in Geography because I think it is important for children to learn about their local area initially and then discover more about the world around us as they progress through school.

I really enjoy leading Geography because it gives me so much joy to see our children enjoying the natural world around them while learning geographical skills at the same time.

History

Subject Leader: Angela Dyson

I am Angela Dyson and I have taught at Farfield for two years. I have led History during this time and I enjoy listening to children who are enthused by finding out about the past. I have a keen interest in making History come alive; through the use of first-hand experiences, examining artefacts, old photographs etc. Children at Farfield have enjoyed going on educational visits to local places such as Saltaire and Bolling Hall and developing their knowledge of local history.

Music

Subject Leader: Bethany Griffin

I am Bethany Griffin. This is my fourth-year teaching at Farfield and I have led Music for three years. I enjoy leading music as I get to see children express themselves creatively. As part of my subject, I run a singing club after school where each week the children get to sing the songs they enjoy! We also work closely with a local music school who provide our music tuition in year 3 and work across the whole school for our September Launch Events.

Outdoor Learning

Subject Leader: Emma Green

I have taught at Farfield for sixteen years, currently in our Provision Class, and have led Outdoor learning at Farfield for the last two years. I have a keen interest in using the outdoors to enhance and support learning because many children are kinaesthetic learners and need time, space and the opportunity to learn practically. Also, being outside supports Mental Health and gives staff and children time to breathe, be mindful and slow down. We are working on developing our grounds to provide greater opportunities for outdoor learning.

PE

Subject Leader: Hannah Roberts- Harland

I am Hannah Roberts- Harland and I have taught at Farfield for 6 years. I began as co-lead of PE and am now PE Leader. During my time leading PE I have developed my own skills in leading this area and worked with specialists to develop our offer to the children. Least year we introduced the ‘Beyond the Physical’ program at Farfield which has helped the children to develop their skills more effectively. We know the link between being active and good mental health and promote this across school.

PSHE

Subject Leader: Chelsey Greenwood

I’m Chelsey Greenwood and have worked at Farfield for over ten years. I undertook my teaching qualification here and have taught now in Reception for four years. For the past two years I have led PSHE. I am extremely passionate about this subject as it is crucial in creating a healthy school culture. It is my aim to ensure that our children stay healthy, safe, and prepared for all opportunities, challenges, life decisions and responsibilities they’ll face not just at Farfield but in their lives. 

RE

Subject Leader: Rebecca McCarthy

I am Rebecca McCarthy. I have taught at Farfield for 10 years and have led RE at for 6 years now. I have a keen interest in RE because I grew up as a Catholic attending Catholic schools. The role of RE lead has given me a broader understanding of RE and what this looks like in England.

Science

Subject Leader: Heather Sykes

I am Heather Sykes. I have taught at Farfield for 6 years and I this is my second year leading Science. 

I have a keen interest in children learning by key experiences and understanding how things work through science because it is important for the children to understand the world and the opportunities science provides for their future endeavours. I really enjoy leading science because it opens up a wide range of possibilities for future careers and opportunities for the children to explore and understand the world.