Our Curriculum at Washingborough Academy

Our Intent

When designing a curriculum relevant to meet the needs of our children at Washingborough Academy, we started by asking these questions:

What experiences have our children had of the world?
How do world issues impact on their lives?
Do they understand how to be happy and healthy?
Is what we teach always put into the context of their lives and community?
Do we allow the children to explore real world issues in depth and feel that they are doing something about them?
Are the children being prepared for life in the wider world today?
How do they learn about the changes taking place in the world and the inequality and that exists and how they can make a difference?
Is learning really connected and does it lead to an end product that the children can invest in and so feel they are making a difference?
Is our curriculum diverse and challenging?

The answers to these questions are the drivers of our curriculum

We want our children to be prepared for the world they are growing up in, to understand it’s past, present and future the impact of world issues on them and their community, and to be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to become 21st century global citizens. We also want them to learn about their world, its past and current challenges it is facing.

Through developing a passion for a wide range of subjects and a well-planned curriculum using the key skills of oracy, reading and problem solving, we want our children to become successful, independent, reflective and creative learners and thinkers who are fully equipped to face their future.

Underpinning all areas of our curriculum and school life, lies our Values Based Education approach. This theme runs through all that we do in school academically and pastorally. Providing children with the knowledge and skill to identify and apply our 22 core values (such as friendship, tolerance and peace) prepares our children for the rapidly changing 21st Century and allows them to appreciate the importance of the world around them. It fosters positive relationships between all members of the school, allowing for the development of a safe and secure learning environment in which children can flourish.

Implementation

As a school we use the Read, Write, Inc (RWI) Phonics Scheme on a daily basis throughout EYFS and KS1 to enable children to develop a secure understanding and application of phonics, reading and writing. RWI is used to support children in KS2 who need consolidation of phonics and reading skills. Children take part in Reading Roundabout every day to encourage their love of reading, fluency and comprehension.

Maths lessons are taught daily in line with the White Rose Maths scheme. We want all children to receive the knowledge required to show continuity and progression as they transition through each key stage. Each lesson encourages the children to work towards maths mastery while building on prior learning. We also use Mastering Number in EYFS and KS1 to enable all children to have a secure foundation in number. All classes take part in ‘Numbots’ and ‘Times Tables Rock Stars’ throughout the rest of the school, with weekly class competitions to create a sense of challenge and excitement.

The children experience six learning themes each year. These were developed with the children to encourage the highest level of engagement and interest. They promote the development of purposeful cross curricular links to the world in which we live. Launch Days, high-quality texts and real-life experiences are just some of the ways we bring themes to life and engage children in their learning. Subject knowledge and skills are revisited in a spiral curriculum, ensuring that each subject has a clear progression. The end product of each theme

Through our internationally recognised Food Education curriculum, children are given the chance to understand and appreciate the importance of food, engage in sensory based food education lessons, discover first hand and through our Farmertime connections how it is grown, the sustainability issues around effective food education and the impact it has on our lives.

We have daily ten-minute Wellbeing sessions in every class, as well as a longer session once a week, to provide children with the chance to develop an understanding of their own mental health and strategies to support self-esteem and positivity. The learning journey is inspiring and motivating leading to a much deeper understanding of the global issues and the curriculum. The children are able to collaborate, research, present and evaluate their learning through an end product.

Impact

Across school there is regular reviewing of learning through learning walks, discussions with the staff and children, and the sharing of work and project outcomes. This is carried out by all stakeholders including senior leaders, staff, Governors, parents and children.

Through an exciting and motivating curriculum, the children will develop the skills, knowledge, values and attitudes needed to become true global citizens. Deep learning is developed and the children are able to demonstrate greater levels of resilience and ability to face challenge which will in turn impact on their outcomes.

Children will have opportunities to develop into involved and contributing members of the community by understanding our core values, which will provide them with skills and confidence to flourish as they grow.

Below you will also find the Medium-Term Plan (MTP) of each key stage for the academic year of 2022-2023