CURRICULUM
The curriculum at Rickmansworth Park is underpinned by the three guiding principles of the school:
Teachers are passionate about teaching a curriculum which enables each and every child to achieve their full potential. The school has long recognised that in order to deliver a curriculum which meets the needs of all of the learners in our school, the content must be well rounded and inspiring. Our aim is to immerse our pupils in a full and rich curriculum so that our children can discover for themselves where their own interests and talents lie.
“Leaders have developed a team of expert teachers who deliver a highly ambitious and well-planned curriculum. Staff regularly reflect on and review how they can further develop their own knowledge and practice”- Ofsted June 2025
“The school has a very well-developed and ambitious curriculum. . . Pupils can confidently remember what they have learned and relate this to current issues in society.”- Ofsted, April 2024
“The curriculum at Rickmansworth Park JMI is extremely well planned and organised. It has been personalised to challenge the learners at this ambitious setting. Staff are aspirational for all learners and demonstrate skill in adapting the curriculum so that all children can achieve the ambitious endpoints.” – HCC Commissioned Visit Report, November 2023
“Governors explained that they learn about the impact of the curriculum from a variety of sources. This includes from their links relating to different areas of the curriculum, the clarity of information in the headteacher reports to the governing body and the information provided to them through the subject leader presentations to the governing body.” – Strategic Governance focused HCC Commissioned School Visit Report October 2022
As a Read Write Inc school since 2012, all adults in the school are fully committed to teaching children to read. The school believes that by empowering children to become confident readers, they are being given the tools to access learning for life.
“Reading is the one ability that, once set in motion, has the capacity to feed itself, to grow exponentially, producing a base from which the possibilities are infinite.” – Michael Morpurgo.
“Reading is a real strength across the school. Pupils are highly enthusiastic readers and enjoy regular author visits, book fairs and reading buddy sessions. . . In Reception and Year 1, pupils receive carefully targeted phonics teaching. Pupils who need extra help, including those new to speaking English, receive personalised support to help them catch up quickly.”- Ofsted June 2025
“The school’s commitment to continuous staff training ensures consistency in teaching practices, which was evident in the seamless delivery of phonics sessions” – DSEA Quality of Education Visit, February 2025
“The school prioritises reading. Pupils’ highly positive outcomes in reading reflect this . . . Staff are experts in teaching reading.”- Ofsted, April 2024
“The school’s choice of Read Write Inc as its chosen systematic, synthetic phonics programme has secured highly effective foundations to the early reading process, which is strongly reflected in the consistent track record of excellence in the outcomes for all elements of literacy from entry to exit at the school.”- HCC Commissioned Visit Report, November 2023
Following a day of external assessment on 11th November 2022, the school was incredibly proud to be reaccredited as a Rights Respecting Gold School. The school was first awarded this title in July 2019 and was the third school in Hertfordshire to ever receive this. The ongoing work on rights gives genuine meaning to the school’s values and links seamlessly with the school’s Guiding Principles. The school has another re-accreditation visit booked in for 18th November 2025.
“It was evident that children’s rights are embedded across the school and underpin every facet of school life.” – Gold Rights Respecting Re-Accreditation Report November 2022
Rights Respecting Gold School | Rickmansworth Park Junior Mixed and Infant School
“All pupils learn about children’s rights, which are central to the school’s values. They know and understand that it is important to champion their beliefs.” – Ofsted, April 2024
“The school is a UNICEF Rights Respecting School (gold standard) and the entire curriculum is carefully aligned to the underlying principles of this accreditation.” – HCC Commissioned Visit Report, November 2023
Children at the school benefit from a vast range of enrichment opportunities to enhance the curriculum. Wherever possible, staff make great use of visits and visitors to bring the curriculum to life.
Visit our Curriculum Enrichment page for more information.
Large numbers of children also take up the opportunity to learn through extra-curricular activities including sports, dance, tae-kwondo, art, textiles and phonics club.
Visit our Extra Curriculum Provision for more information
In July 2025, the school was re-awarded the Platinum Schools Games Mark. Rickmansworth Park JMI is frequently one of the highest ranking schools, for participation, of all the schools in the local Sports Partnership.
There is a very strong focus on Music in this school. Three year groups benefit from whole class, specialist music teaching for an hour each week (Y3 Recorder, Y5 Ukulele, Y6 Brass Band). Regular opportunities to perform are provided through termly Class Assemblies to parents, the annual school Music Concert and the Rickmansworth Music Gala (a joint collaboration with Rickmansworth School) and Ricky Park’s Got Talent. At the much loved ‘Proms in the Playground’ in the Summer Term, visiting adult brass bands are invited to perform providing aspiration for our children. Peripatetic lessons are offered in piano, guitar and trombone. In September 2023, the school was awarded the Music Mark by Hertfordshire Music Service.
Children have regular performance opportunities – taking part in annual nativity plays and school productions. Biennially, the Y5/6 children are invited perform an abridged Shakespeare play, at our local theatre, as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival. Each year we welcome professional companies to visit and perform including the Young Shakespeare Company, Saltmine Theatre Company and M&M Productions Pantomime Company.
