Curriculum

 

Curriculum intent

 

At Welholme Academy we aim to create a curriculum that compels all pupils to achieve. We believe in a curriculum where all subjects are valued. However, we must never forget the importance of English and Mathematics which underpin attainment and progress in every subject and are essential tools for a successful life.

 

Our Curriculum will give our children opportunities to become lifelong learners by enabling them to develop their social, emotional and mental well-being. As a result of our curriculum they will

• become resilient learners with a desire to achieve and learn new things
• be aspirational and be the very best they can be
• develop a pride in the outcomes they produce
• develop stamina to maintain quality
• become curious, confident and enthusiastic learners
• work collaboratively in a range of settings as well as having the confidence to work independently
• reflect and think about their learning and support others to do the same
• ask questions to clarify and deepen their understanding
• make choices about things that are important to them
• build nurturing and respectful relationships
• build emotional and social resilience
• understand and value opportunities to make a positive contribution to their school, local and wider community
• be prepared for the next stage in their education
• We believe in a broad and balanced curriculum. This will be founded on The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and The National Curriculum. Through our relevant and contextualised curriculum our children will have the opportunity to
• learn within a coherent and progressive framework
• explore the depth and breadth of the wider curriculum
• develop a deep and rich subject knowledge
• see clear links between different aspects of their learning
• apply knowledge and skills to novel situations
• develop new skills through memorable engagement including first hand experiences, visits and visitors
• build cultural capital by broadening their awareness, knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live
• become confident communicators, able to express their opinions in a variety of settings
• become literate and numerate
• develop and demonstrate creativity.

 

We have chosen to deliver our curriculum through a whole school themed approach. All children from the Early Years through to Y6 study the same theme, but the knowledge being taught is appropriate to their age group. Each year group has their own focus within each whole school theme, as outlined below.

 

Term	Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
Whole school theme	What made Grimsby great?	How do we celebrate?	Who is that?	What on Earth . . . ?	Life on Earth	Where in the world?
N	All about me: My family I live in Grimsby	Light & dark Night & day Nocturnal animals	Mr Chamberlain	Garden animals	Plants Life cycle - caterpillar	Cleethorpes
R	All about me: My family I live in Grimsby	Colours Light & dark Night & day Nocturnal animals	The Queen	Animals Farm Animals & babies (Life cycle – chicks)	Plants Farming – Farm to fork and Farm in a box	UK & London
1	Victorian schools Map work	Bonfire food Materials DT: mechanisms	Samuel Pepys (Great Fire of London) DT: structures	Animals – including humans	Plants (Identifying & labelling)	Brazil DT: food
2	Victorian seaside (Cleethorpes) Map work	The story of Guy Fawkes (GF) Materials DT: textiles	Florence Nightingale Mary Seacole	Animals – including humans	Plants (Conditions for growth)	Australia DT: mechanisms
3	Fishing: Cod war	Should fireworks be banned? Soldiers through time. DT: mechanisms	Henry VIII (The Tudors)	Animals including humans, skeletons, muscles, nutrition and food groups	Plants and pollination	Iceland (volcanoes & earthquakes) DT: structures
4	Vikings Map work	Debate: Guy Fawkes - good guy or bad? Electricity DT: make a light	Tutankhamun (The Egyptians)	The digestive system & teeth	Habitats, food chains & life cycles. DT: Textiles	Egypt (rivers) DT: food
5	Romans	GF – was the punishment fair? Materials DT: food	Marconi Titanic DT: mechanisms	Earth and Space   Forces	Living things  Animals including humans	USA (space race) Bolivia (mountains) DT: structures
6	Grimsby in WWII	GF & Nelson Mandela: terrorist or activist? Light & electricity	Ancient Greeks DT: food	Living things and their habitats  Evolution and Inheritance	Ancient Greeks  DT: food	Antarctica (biomes) DT: textiles

 

Where possible, work in all subjects is linked to the main whole school theme. However, this is not forced and many subjects are taught entirely as stand-alone subjects each term. The declarative and procedural knowledge that is found in each subject overview document was decided upon by staff using the 2014 National Curriculum as a foundation. Planning is designed to be engaging, creative and inspiring, whilst still being rooted in the requirements for each curriculum subject and the basic skills of literacy and mathematics. In the Early Years, the theme focus is intertwined through all subjects on an ongoing basis throughout the term. To enrich the learning experiences for our children, as well as covering objectives linked to the National Curriculum through classroom-based learning, Welholme Academy has developed a Cultural Passport which outlines the experiences that we aim to provide for each child over the course of their time at Welholme.

 

Schemes to support learning

 

Welholme has purchased a range of schemes to support delivery of the curriculum. Some of these are followed as the main means of delivery, whilst others are available to support teachers as they choose to use them.

 

Read, Write, Inc. (RWInc.) is used for the delivery of our phonics programme. This is implemented as a scheme from Early Years and in to Y2. We have regular training from RWInc. trainers to support staff with this and ensure consistency of delivery.

 

White Rose Maths is used across the school for the delivery of maths. In order to support and extend learning in this subject the school also uses Number Stacks and Deepening & Understanding.

 

In music staff can use Music Express to support their delivery of the curriculum. In addition, we employ the services of music experts from the Local Authority to facilitate the teaching of singing, recorders and of the cello.

 

For Religious Education we use Discovery RE and for Modern Foreign Language we use Salut! In Physical Education staff are able to access Primary Steps in PE to support their delivery of the curriculum. In Computing we follow the scheme that has been drafted by the Trust.

 

In Personal, Social and Health Education we follow the Jigsaw scheme. Every year group, from Early Years through to Y6, follows the ‘Jigsaw’ scheme of work. This is taught on a weekly basis and, over the course of each year, covers the following units:

• New beginnings
• Getting on and falling out
• Going for goals
• Good to be me
• Relationships
• Changes

 

If you would like more information regarding the school's curriculum, please talk to your child's class teacher or look under the Curriculum Subjects tab at the top of this page.