Curriculum Drivers

Our bespoke curriculum is designed around a number of themes which embody the key skills, knowledge, understanding and values that we strive to develop in our pupils.

 

They drive the intent, planning and implementation of our curriculum so that the children’s success is at the heart of all that we do.

 

They are the “golden threads” which weave throughout the Woodlands curriculum, and three are also School Values: Aspiration; Community; Resilience.

 

We have identified and prioritised 5 key Curriculum Drivers which have been selected after careful consultation, mindful reflection and is backed by robust evidence-based research and set within a meaningful pedagogical framework.

 

This key question underpins all that we do:

“What will benefit our pupils the most, and make the most impact on their learning success?”

 

Our curriculum drivers are designed to meet and exceed the specific and unique needs of our children at Woodlands Primary School, and match and cater for our local socio-economic context.

 

We have identified the following barriers and difficulties that our pupils may face, and which we strive to overcome:

• Widely differing aspirations regarding education amongst our families
• Underdeveloped oral language skills and vocabulary gaps for pupils
• A lack of diversity in pupils and staff (reflective of our local community)
• A disparity in terms of pupils’ wider cultural experiences
• Low self-esteem and confidence issues
• Increasing levels of parental and pupil anxiety

 

Communication

We aspire for our children to become emotionally mature with a depth of language that enables them to share ideas effectively.

 

We will furnish our pupils with fundamental skills which enable them to listen carefully and actively, to speak confidently and articulately, and to have the means to challenge opposing viewpoints respectfully.

 

We aspire for all of our children to become eloquent orators demonstrating a wide and rich vocabulary, to possess high level of literacy and to be confident readers and writers.

 

Children should be able to communicate in a variety of ways to get the message across powerfully and politely.

 

Aspiration

We aspire for our children to aspire towards greatness and to feel success.

 

We will work to broaden our pupils’ horizons, expanding their knowledge of the world by nurturing their interests as well as encouraging fearlessness of what is new or unknown by creating exciting, inspiring opportunities.

 

Community

We aspire for our children to value and respect all members of our community and to be a catalyst for positive change.

 

We aspire for our children to become emotionally literate, tolerant, and appreciative of an ever-changing global environment, with an emphasis on respecting and celebrating diversity while sharing our commonalities.

 

 

Children at Woodlands are taught the skills for life to enable them to be good citizens and to contribute to the wider community.

 

• Being proud to belong to the Woodlands community
• Looking for ways to make a positive difference every day
• Bringing happiness and showing care to people in our wider community
• Working together to achieve greater things for everyone
• Knowing how to look after our world/ caring for the environment

 

Creativity

We aspire for our children to turn new and imaginative ideas into reality through self-expression and incorporating a meta-cognitive approach to learning.

 

Our pupils are encouraged to think creatively in all that they do:

 

• Finding different ways to express thoughts and feelings
• Exploring new ways to solve problems and answer questions
• Having the confidence to be original
• Enjoying and seeking opportunities to try new things

 

We aspire for our children to develop a healthy sense of adventure.

 

We want our pupils to lift their eyes from the screens and experience the real world where they can take manageable risks, follow a healthy lifestyle and never forget that the impossible is possible. Therefore we aim to build up their:

 

Resilience

We aspire for our children to embrace challenge with a growth mindset and to show curiosity, independence and resilience in all that they do.

 

• Finding the courage to persevere when things are tricky
• Understanding that making mistakes is part of learning
• Working through ups and downs in our relationships, as well as our learning
• Managing setbacks/perceived failures, including how to re-frame
  unhelpful thinking