The Learning Orchard Curriculum
A curriculum designed to prepare every child for the future.
The Learning Orchard has been developed to work alongside our exceptional teaching, to ensure our students are able to continue onto some of the best day and boarding schools in the UK.
Rooted within four guiding principles – Holistic Learning, Leadership, Powerful Knowledge, and World Readiness – the curriculum is designed to help children adapt to any terrain, preparing them not only for exams, but for all that comes next.
Teaching inspires pupils to care about real-world issues.
Download a Copy of The Learning Orchard
Inspiring a love of readingReading Explorer & Scholar Programmes
Our Reading Explorer and Reading Scholar programmes, designed for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 respectively, reflect Orchard House School’s view that reading sits at the centre of children’s academic progress and supports their wellbeing. Regular time with books builds confidence, calm focus, vocabulary and comprehension. It also strengthens writing because pupils meet rich language and clear sentence patterns.
National data shows a sharp decline in children reading for pleasure, so we want to counter this trend. These programmes introduce pupils to high quality children’s literature, support positive reading habits and help children develop a genuine enjoyment of books.
How does it work?
Reading Explorer (KS1)
Before each holiday the children receive a list of books to choose from, offering a range of difficulty levels including modern titles, classics, chapter books and picture books of high literary quality.
Pupils select a book to read during the break, or across the term if they need more time. They can read independently, have an adult read it to them or enjoy shared reading. This flexibility supports the programme’s purpose: to give children access to good literature and help them build a positive relationship with books.
When a child finishes a book they complete an explorer’s task linked to the text and after showing their completed activity to their class teacher, they receive a book exploration point. Ten points earn a Reading Explorer badge.
Reading Scholar (KS2)
Pupils are challenged to read for at least 20 minutes each day, record the pages in their diary and complete a reflective sentence or two. Pupils are awarded 1-3 points for each book completed, depending on literary complexity, richness of vocabulary and the depth of its themes.
Pupils then complete an exit ticket for every book completed with 30 points earning a prestigious Reading Scholar badge, presented by our Head of School.
Since launching this year, the Reading Scholar programme has been so successful that we are now extending the initiative to include the Reading Critic, Ambassador and Laureate awards.
An ambitious and cohesive curriculum that focuses on pupils acquiring and applying new knowledge to real-world situations.
