About
Welcome to the Natural Curriculum!
This site provides grammar and maths lessons based on captivating clips from the BBC’s natural history archives. Developed by primary school teacher David Millington and the Educational Recording Agency (ERA), the resources are aimed at pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. With an ERA Licence, your school can access all of the site’s resources free of charge. The vast majority of schools in the UK have an ERA Licence, but if you need to check, click here.
Author’s Note
“Children have an innate fascination for the weird and wondrous plants and animals that inhabit our planet. When a tiny pebble toad cartwheels its way to freedom down a cliff face, or when two fearsome Komodo dragons become locked in combat, children’s jaws drop. As educators, we all understand the importance of firing the imaginations of the children we teach. Whenever I use a natural history clip to inspire writing, I am always impressed and excited by the quality of the children’s written work that follows. With such a rich stimulus, this is no real surprise! I really hope you enjoy exploring the lessons on this site with your class as much as I have.”
David Millington – primary school teacher and creator of the Natural Curriculum
Testimonials
“I’ve found the site to be really useful and ideal for me to use with my class (Y5) during lockdown. The films are a fantastic hook that really engage the children and I know they have enjoyed working on the very relevant linked activities.”
Paul Bastin, English Martyrs, Urmston
“I found your website during lockdown and have been using it to help teach grammar to my class of Year 5s. I just wanted to say thank you. The pupils are actually really enjoying their SPaG lessons now and they love the link to the various natural world video clips.”
Tamsen Leslie, South Tawton Primary School
“I really like the look of this site – especially as it’s so different to anything else. I’ve shared it with the other KS2 teachers for their year groups.”
Janine Pennistone, Great Barton Church of England Primary Academy
We are proud to have featured in:
- The March 2021 edition of Teach Primary magazine
- The Department for Education’s list of online education resources for home education during COVID-19 school closures.