Designing a curriculum is never simply about deciding what children will learn. The real challenge is shaping how they learn, how they think, and who they become as a result.
At Leicester High School for Girls, this challenge is taken seriously right from the beginning of a child’s learning journey in EYFS. As a 3–18 independent school, the senior leadership team has a rare vantage point as they see pupils not just as young learners, but as future graduates stepping into the world. For Sarah Davies, Head of the Junior Department, this perspective fundamentally shapes the way the school approaches learning.
‘I think about what our school was like before implementing Cornerstones, and we didn’t have a cohesive curriculum structure. We didn’t have the learning journey mapped out for the children and their families. But now, we can clearly see the children who’ve been brought up with Cornerstones. They have buckets of knowledge; they know the kind of language, you know, hearing them talk about their experiences and hearing the parents come in and use the same language as part of their learning process. It’s so embedded and loved by all.’
Sarah Davies
Head of the Junior Department
Leicester High School for Girls
Since 2017, the school has worked with Cornerstones Education and its digital curriculum platform, Maestro, to build a structured yet flexible curriculum designed to develop not only academic knowledge but also confidence, creativity and collaboration. Today, in the junior department, the school’s curriculum reflects a deliberate blend of structure, autonomy and innovation.
Seeing the bigger picture: A curriculum designed for the future
Unlike many primary settings focused heavily on SATs outcomes, Leicester High School for Girls approaches curriculum design with a broader, long-term view.
Because the school educates pupils from age 3 through to 18, teachers witness the full trajectory of development from early curiosity to mature academic and personal capability.
For Sarah and her team, this perspective shifts their focus from simply covering content to developing lifelong learning behaviours. They achieve this by building positive attitudes to learning, encouraging creative thinking, focusing on communication and collaboration skills and by ensuring pupils apply their knowledge in meaningful contexts.
While academic content remains important, it becomes more of a vehicle for deeper learning, not the final destination.
Why they chose to adopt the Cornerstones Curriculum
Sarah was tasked with designing a new curriculum for their junior department. Something coherent, skills-based and knowledge-rich, and capable of delivering high-quality outcomes for their pupils. Their girls needed a curriculum framework that combined structure with creativity. Designing a curriculum of this standard can take months, and time was a luxury they didn’t have while continuing to run full-time classrooms.
That’s when they discovered the Cornerstones Curriculum. By drawing on our philosophy and integrating our ideas into their school’s ethos and pedagogy, they achieved in a single week what might otherwise have taken months. The projects were so clear and easy to implement that they were able to begin delivering the new curriculum within the same term.
‘It’s something I’m incredibly proud our team accomplished.’
Sarah Davies
Head of the Junior Department
Leicester High School for Girls
One platform for the whole department
‘The beautiful thing about implementing Cornerstones is that our curriculum management is now on one central platform. Over time, Maestro has evolved into the whole hub for almost every aspect of our learning. This structure has also proved invaluable operationally. If teachers change roles or cover lessons unexpectedly, the curriculum remains easy to access and deliver. It’s where we go for everyday planning, we organise our English curriculum, develop our own projects, deliver Latin lessons, and plan across multiple subjects, while also supporting assessment and tracking progress. Our goal is to make the platform a complete learning ecosystem; we want it to be a one-stop shop for absolutely everything.’
Sarah Davies
Head of the Junior Department
Leicester High School for Girls
Building ownership through curriculum design
One of the school’s priorities has always been ensuring its teachers feel ownership of what they teach. Over time, the school has explored both types of curriculum projects offered by Cornerstones Education. Their knowledge-rich projects, which are structured and content-focused and their cross-curricular projects, which are more creative, flexible and highly teacher led. Rather than choosing just one approach exclusively, the school now combines both. This blended strategy allows the school to balance curriculum coverage, creative teaching, teacher autonomy and pupil engagement. This approach ensures that all curriculum objectives are covered, while preserving teachers’ enthusiasm for the topics they love.
The Cornerstones Curriculum’s impact on children
After several years of Leicester High School for Girls using the Cornerstones Curriculum, its influence is clearly visible in how their children talk about their learning. Pupils now understand the language and structure of the learning process. They know to expect an Engage trip at the beginning of every term, and that their learning will be used in an Innovate challenge near the end of a project. Even the parents have become part of the learning journey when pupils present their learning within the Express stage. They often invite their children’s families into school to showcase what they’ve learnt. This has strengthened the relationship between home and school as parents are getting involved more. Perhaps most importantly, the predictable structure creates confidence and excitement, allowing their children to flourish.
For Sarah and her team, success is measured not only through academic attainment but also through the enthusiasm and skills children develop. The school’s pupils are already high-achieving academically, but the curriculum ensures learning remains meaningful and engaging. This approach reflects Leicester High School for Girls’ vision that every girl should be known, valued and inspired to be her best, with the curriculum designed to nurture both academic excellence and personal confidence.
A partnership which continues to evolve
Beyond the curriculum itself, the partnership with Cornerstones Education has become an ongoing collaboration. From support calls to professional development training and national events, the school feels closely connected to us behind the curriculum. 1:1 bespoke support is something which we are hugely passionate about as a curriculum provider.
‘It’s always been a two-way conversation, and our ideas have always been listened to. I know you can’t deliver everything without a magic wand, but your support has been very beneficial to us. And not just for the small problems, you know? It’s available when planning together and responding to the needs out there. It’s always been incredible. That’s why we’re with Cornerstones.’
Sarah Davies
Head of the Junior Department
Leicester High School for Girls
Summary
The experience of Leicester High School for Girls demonstrates how an adopted curriculum can successfully inspire confident, curious learners when it combines structure with flexibility. Through their partnership with us and use of our digital curriculum platform, Maestro, the school has developed a coherent and engaging curriculum that supports both academic achievement and the development of essential lifelong learning skills.
By blending knowledge-rich and cross-curricular projects, teachers retain ownership of their teaching while ensuring consistent curriculum coverage. The clear learning structure also enables pupils to understand their learning journey, building confidence, curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. Additionally, the curriculum’s predictable stages encourage meaningful engagement from both pupils and parents, strengthening the connection between school and home.
Ultimately, the curriculum has helped them move beyond simply delivering content. Instead, it supports the development of knowledgeable, articulate and motivated learners who are well prepared for future academic challenges and personal growth. The school’s ongoing collaboration with us ensures their curriculum continues to evolve, reflecting both the needs of teachers and the ambitions they hold for their girls.
Thinking about adopting a new curriculum? Get in touch with one of our Curriculum Advisers for a free consultation. We’re here to support primary schools with expert guidance and would love to explore how the Cornerstones Curriculum can inspire confident, curious learners in your school.