Curriculum

Art

An Art student leaving Woodseats, will have the skills and confidence in a variety of media and techniques to be able to represent and communicate their experience. To have the skills, knowledge, vocabulary, confidence and critical thinking skills to interpret, respond and comment on ‘Art’ and artists.

Art is taught across the key stages at Woodseats Primary School as cross curricular and topic based. This means that it supports work in other subjects and allows children to have a broader view of the topic being studied. The Art curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced so children experience a wide range of experiences and a variety of opportunities to revisit and build on previously learnt skills. Through their experiences in art, they will develop concepts of colour, line, tone, shape, space, texture, pattern, intellectual response and artistic inquiry.

British Values

At Woodseats Primary School we are committed to British Values and equipping our pupils with the skills they will need to take their place in a multi-cultural, multi-faith community in today’s Britain. We are keen to promote equal opportunity for all regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status.

The four British Values as defined by the Government are:

• Democracy
• The Rule of Law
• Individual Liberty
• Mutual Respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Woodseats Primary School approach learning around theses values through our approach to Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural learning in school. Children will learn about these values from our PHSE curriculum, our RE curriculum, whole and class assemblies and community group time.

Computing

A user of technology leaving Woodseats will have knowledge and understanding of ICT (information & communication technology), data management, and computational thinking (in the contexts of basic programming systems both physical and digital). These three strands will be taught with a particular aim to prepare our pupils for an ever-changing digital climate as a participator and an innovator.

These will be taught across a range of software through dedicated Computing lessons and embedded further within all subject areas in order to encourage a confident application of these skills in various walks of life. Within this, they will have the basic competency skills and key vocabulary to allow them to access current and future technologies and understand technologies preceding these, as well as have the eSafety awareness necessary to protect themselves and others whilst engaging with various technological platforms.

Design & Technology

hrough a carefully planned and sequenced curriculum, children at Woodseats will have a range of opportunities to develop a variety of knowledge and skills within Design and Technology. Where possible, DT will be taught with links to theme learning, but skills, vocabulary and concepts will be subject specific. DT will also make many links with the wider Curriculum such as; art, science, computing and engineering.

Children will revisit the common process within the subject which is design, make and evaluate. In each teaching sequence, they will look at previous products, create designs, speak to and think about their target audience, before developing the knowledge and skills for the product they are making and then evaluating the final product they have made. Through carefully planned repetition of this process and links to prior learning, children will be able to articulate the process of ‘design, make and evaluate’ and develop their technical knowledge; investigating, analysing and solving problems to develop real life skills.

Early Reading and Phonics

At Woodseats Primary School we believe that for all our children to become fluent readers and writers, phonics must be taught through a systematic and structured phonics programme.

We use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised to plan and provide daily engaging phonics lessons. In Phonics, we teach children that the letters of the alphabet represent a different sound and that these can be used in a variety of combinations and are put together to make words. The children learn to recognise all of the different sounds and combinations that they might encounter when they are reading or writing.

The teaching of phonics follows a very specific sequence that allows our children to build on their previous phonic knowledge and master specific phonic strategies as they move through school. As a result, our children are able to tackle any unfamiliar words that they might come across.

Geography

A geographer leaving Woodseats will have a meaningful knowledge and understanding of the world that is relevant to them. Through our carefully planned and sequenced Curriculum, they will have opportunities to develop their understanding across a wide range of contexts, from local to world geography so they know more and remember more.

Children will revisit common themes and concepts within geography such as place, space and interconnections and develop their understanding of abstract terms such as trade, economy and migration. Children will also learn and apply a number of progressive geographical skills such as; atlases, sketch maps, digital maps, OS maps, keys ,symbols, compass directions and grid references.

Using maps, atlases and digital maps children will develop locational and place knowledge to name continents, countries, counties, cities, oceans, seas and mountains. We know that through carefully planned repetition and links to prior learning children should be able to recall and name many famous and well known landmarks and places across the world.

History

A historian leaving Woodseats Primary School will have developed a coherent, chronological knowledge and understanding of the past in our local area, Britain and across the wider world. Through our carefully planned and sequenced curriculum, the children will have had opportunities to develop their knowledge of the past and develop their historical skills such as using and creating timelines or interpreting and analysing sources. Links will be made to prior knowledge so children can embed skills and knowledge that they have studied previously so that they will know more and remember more.

Sequenced lessons and learning will help them develop an understanding of the key historical concepts of chronology, cause, consequence, continuity and change. Children will also develop their understanding of key abstract terms such as invasion, society and hierarchy amongst many more.

Maths

At Woodseats, children will have an enthusiasm to explore number and articulately verbalise their discoveries using mathematical vocabulary. They will be able to rapidly and accurately recall a variety of mental strategies and have an embedded understanding of processes.

Children will develop conceptual understanding and through fluency with mathematics, they will be able to reason and solve complex problems. They will be pattern spotters and problem solvers. They will leave our school as confident, resilient mathematicians able to apply their knowledge of mathematics to the world around them.

Music

A Musician leaving Woodseats will have an appreciation of music from different genres, performers, composers, periods of history and from different countries and cultures from around the world. They will be able to listen to and enjoy music, express their own opinions and respect other people’s opinions and tastes.

They will be able to sing a variety of songs as solo singers and as part of an ensemble and be confident in performing to others. They will be skilled in identifying and understanding how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: rhythm, pulse, pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations, through listening to a wide range of music. They will use this knowledge to create their own compositions vocally, with instruments and electronically, and be able to participate in and listen to performances. They will understand and follow musical notation and recognise and use the vocabulary and elements of music. Children will develop the skills to play a variety of instruments, using the equipment appropriately; enabling them to play for pleasure.

PE

Each child leaving Woodseats will have a meaningful knowledge and understanding of the importance of being fit and having a healthy body and mind. Through our carefully planned and sequenced Curriculum, they will have opportunities to develop their understanding across a wide range of units. They will develop a greater understanding of how our bodies work and help us to perform.

Children will revisit concepts that underpin physical education and school sport. They will learn more and remember more by making links to prior learning. Their learning will have a focus on key vocabulary such as coordination, agility, balance, strength, speed to ensure they can explain their techniques and evaluate their performances in PE. These concepts have been split into three categories; Head (concepts which involve thinking, knowledge and understanding), Heart (concepts which involve communication and collaboration) and Hands (concepts which include physical ability and problem solving).

Personal Development

Personal Development is our Woodseats offer that develops the whole child and offers a wide range of opportunity to all and experiences. This happens through planned opportunities as well as careful links made within the Curriculum such as opportunities to talk about current issues, such as the climate and diversity. We gather evidence through a range of methods including pupil voice, parent voice, class books and planning.

Personal Development includes RSHE lessons, Zones of Regulation as well as wider school events, trips celebrations and assemblies.

PSHE

At Woodseats, we aim to equip all pupils with the knowledge, understanding, attitudes, values and skills they need in order to reach their potential as individuals and within the community.

Pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of their school and communities. In doing so they learn to recognise their own worth, work well with others and become increasingly responsible for their own learning. They reflect on their experiences and understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.

They learn to understand and respect our common humanity and celebrate diversity and differences so that they can go on to form the effective, fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and learning.

RE

Our children will leave Woodseats Primary School with the ability to critically reflect and respond with tolerance and respect to key concepts of belonging, beliefs and practices, forms of expression, identity and diversity. Our children will have a well-developed knowledge and sound understanding of different religions and world views. They will be able to explain about local, national and global contexts within religion which will encourage them to raise questions to express their own views to material they learn about.

Children will be able to appreciate and have the vocabulary to articulate beliefs, concepts of the world, values and commitments clearly. They will then be able to explain the significance and impact of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning. Children will be able to recognise the diversity
which exists within and between communities. As a result children will have a sense of belonging to their school community and wider community, including their place in the world.

Reading

Reading is one of the most important subjects that children will learn at school. Our aim is for every child to be able to Learn to Read as well as being able to Read to Learn. This means they will be confident and fluent readers who have Learnt to Read by the end of KS1 and are starting to Read to Learn by gaining knowledge in other subjects through reading.

A reader leaving Woodseats will develop a love of books as well as have a knowledge and understanding of a range of authors, stories, poems and non-fiction. They will cultivate a life-long love of reading which will extend far beyond the classroom and will allow them to develop a thirst for knowledge and a love of reading for pleasure.

Science

At Woodseats Primary School, our science education aims to provide children with a strong understanding of the world through practical inquiry. Inspired by curiosity, children have time to explore ideas and ask scientific questions before planning and carrying out investigations. Our science curriculum intends to ensure that children are able to:

● Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.
● Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them.
● Become equipped with the scientific skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.

Children will learn key vocabulary and terminology through our carefully planned curriculum, and this will be developed upon and revisited throughout their time at school. It is important to us that our children feel confident about working scientifically and that this is embedded into every strand of our Science learning.

Spanish

Spanish lessons are taught by a Curriculum specialist, whose first language is Spanish. They teach progressive Spanish skills from Y1 to Y6. The lessons are based on the National Curriculum programme of study and are adapted to suit the individual needs of our classes and their experiences with languages. Spanish is taught through discrete skills based lessons, but links are also made to the topic or theme that the children are learning about. For example, we learn about parts of the body in Year 4 and make links to our Science topic.

A range of vocabulary and grammar is taught; children learn to build sentences orally and then in Years 5 and 6 children begin to write sentences in Spanish. Emphasis is placed on linking the language to Spanish culture across the world and building an understanding of the structure of the language. Our goal is to provide students with the opportunity to become proficient in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish. At the same time an international and multicultural dimension is added to the curriculum.

Writing

English is a key priority at Woodseats as it is our belief that literate children have access to a far wider range of opportunities. We want to support children with their literacy skills so that they learn to write for different purposes and for pleasure. We also believe that children become independent learners, thinkers and communicators through developing effective speaking and listening skills.

The Woodseats English curriculum is inspiring and knowledge and vocabulary rich as we want children to develop a flair for writing and become fluent and imaginative writers. They will begin this journey in the early years and their knowledge, understanding and skills will develop throughout their time at Woodseats. Our children will acquire the essential grammar, punctuation skills and spelling knowledge to enable them to write for different purposes and in a variety of styles and contexts. The curriculum is well planned and carefully sequenced which enables children to secure learning in their long term memory.

Children will be exposed to and immersed in a range of age appropriate and carefully chosen fiction and non-fiction topics. This will provide them with opportunities to develop a wide ambitious vocabulary and explore a variety of author techniques enabling them to articulate and communicate their own creative ideas for a reader.