We have two main types of projects included with Maestro and they are different in how they were created and how they are meant to be used. This article gives you an overview of them.
Thematic projects
Our thematic projects were previously referred to as an ILP (Imaginative Learning Project). They are designed to last approximately half a term (6 weeks) and provide you with the detail needed to create your medium-term planning.
We recommend beginning your planning by reading through the thematic project and identifying which activities you want to cover and using the 'Hide' function to remove activities you do not plan to cover. This will hide them for you and remove them as options in your timetable.
Each thematic project has a brief, child-friendly introduction that hints at some of the content included in the project. This can also be used as a stimulus to get the children thinking about what they might be about to learn.
The thematic project begins with a Memorable experience to stimulate the children's curiosity and enthusiasm for a new theme. Our suggested experiences usually involve an educational visit or inviting an expert into the classroom. As you become more confident with this approach, you may want to tailor a Memorable experience to your children's interests. You may also want to adapt them to make the most of local places, venues and resources.
Each stage (or sub-stage) has 5 English activities and 5 Curriculum enrichment activities.
- English activities should be taught in sequence over the course of a week. The English activities are planned to meet year group expectations and will need differentiating to meet the needs of children with different levels of ability. You can decide whether to use the English activities suggested in the thematic project or use your own provision.
- Curriculum enrichment activities cover other aspects of the curriculum such as science, history, geography, ICT, art and design, design and technology, PE, PSHE, RE, RHE and SMSC. Each curriculum enrichment activity has a subject focus and enables children to work towards a specific skill and knowledge statement. As your project develops you may want to simplify or extend the suggested activities depending on the needs, interests, abilities of your children and the time you have available. You are not expected to cover all of the curriculum enrichment activities suggested in the project.
The Innovate stage of a thematic project poses a thematic problem, challenge, provocation or scenario that requires children to think creatively whilst applying, reflecting and revisiting what they have learnt in previous stages, in a real-life or imaginary context. Each provocation has a learning pathway which is laid out in the style of a board game. Children should follow the squares to work their way around the board and complete tasks.
Sometimes, the Innovate stage introduces the children to a new skill or requires further research. You or your children may also want to include additional steps and activities to the board dependent upon individual or group needs, interests or ideas. It is up to you how best to organise the activities to best suit the resources, space and time you have available.
Sequenced projects
Our sequenced projects were previously referred to as KRPs (Knowledge Rich Projects). These projects are organised so that curriculum content, skills and knowledge are taught in a well-sequenced way that allows children to learn and do more as they progress throughout each year group. Each project is subject-driven and contains hundreds of lessons and thousands of high-quality teaching resources. We recommend that you follow the planned sequence of Cornerstones Curriculum. This ensures maximum impact on children’s learning and the connectivity of the curriculum overall.
Each sequenced project has a subject focus of either geography, history or science, and is accompanied by an art and design, or design and technology project. The projects begin with an Introductory Knowledge lesson and include a knowledge organiser that sets out the core information children need to know. Each knowledge organiser is rich in vocabulary and includes a project glossary. All EYFS projects contain an age-appropriate version of our knowledge organisers entitled ‘Did you know?’ The Innovate stage includes a journal, rather than a project board, giving children the space to record their research and findings in one place. The Express stage includes an informal quiz to review the children's knowledge from the project and, for KS2, a more formal test and full mark scheme to review their key knowledge.
Unlike the thematic projects that have a set sequence of English lessons, sequenced projects have a more flexible approach to the planning and delivery of English. This allows schools to design and deliver their own English curriculum in line with existing schemes already used in school. Each sequenced project has a series of four English Resource packs, one for the Engage stage, two for the Develop stage and one for the Express stage. Each resource pack is closely linked to the weekly subject focus and allows children to reinforce their subject knowledge through a series of reading and writing tasks. Packs include suggested themes for writing, model texts, genre checklists, and writing frames. There is also a book/novel study in a separate section that includes a book/novel organiser, and a comprehension test with a full mark scheme.
Useful links
- Blog post: How to sequence your primary curriculum
- Blog post: How to balance knowledge and skills in the primary curriculum
- Blog post: How connected is your curriculum?
- Blog post: What is a broad and balanced primary curriculum?