The Woodpecker Hall Curriculum

Our children lie at the heart of our curriculum. It is designed with them in mind and is reflective of our diverse community and our commitment to inclusion and equality of opportunity.
    - Headteacher, Nicky Ross

The school curriculum consists of the National Curriculum and our school drivers. Together these create a unique Woodpecker Curriculum that develops children’s curiosity about the world around them. It prioritises opportunities across the curriculum to become literate and numerate whilst also developing personal qualities and skills that prepare them for their next stage of learning.  

Our curriculum drivers are:

• Reading 

• A Force for Positive Change

These drivers are directly linked to the needs of our children and our community. They have been selected so that we can improve children’s outcomes across the curriculum and improve their life chances. 

The drivers are weaved throughout the curriculum and are used as a tool to help children make meaningful connections within and across subject areas. Helping children know more, remember more and do more.

Teaching and Learning Principles

Our curriculum is underpinned by a clear teaching and learning approach which encourages children to think, problem solve and learn. We believe that children learn best by working collaboratively and through a process of enquiry; where we develop curiosity, confidence and good learning behaviours. 

Through our teaching and learning philosophy we value the lessons we learn through failure as much as those learned through our successes. We help our children understand that learning is a process and everyone can become a better learner. 

Curriculum Design

We see the National Curriculum statements as providing the outcomes for children. They do not set programmes of study for each curriculum area. We have carefully considered and developed knowledge and skill progression documents for all areas of learning, starting in Nursery and progressing to year six.

The progression documents show how teaching links to prior knowledge and skills and each year group builds on previous learning. 

We know that learning only takes place when there is a change in long term memory and that new knowledge is added to existing knowledge to create and extend schemata. The key to developing long term connections is vocabulary, experience and collaboration.  All of our curriculum drivers, teaching and learning philosophy and progression documents are designed to ensure children enjoy, learn, and achieve at Woodpecker and beyond.

Learning Journeys 

In each year group, the curriculum is chunked together into Learning Journeys. Each Learning Journey usually lasts for half a term and subjects are grouped together making clear cross curricular links; making learning meaningful and purposeful for children. However, all subjects are taught discretely within each Learning Journey.

Each curriculum subject is carefully mapped out across the school, from Nursery to Y6, showing the key knowledge and skills to be learned and built-on over time. 

Each half term, year group teams pace out the knowledge and skills to be delivered through the Learning Journey, ensuring the curriculum drivers are evident throughout. However, there is enough flexibility within the plan to allow children the opportunity to develop their own lines of enquiry, thus ensuring children have ownership over their learning.

Each Learning Journey will start with a ‘Big Bang’ to initially engage children and make them curious and excited about their new learning. Within the Learning Journey, moments of ‘awe and wonder’ are planned in and the use of educational visits and specialist will enhance their educational experience and deepen their knowledge and skills. Every Learning Journey ends with a ‘Celebration of Learning’ where children can review what has been learned and the experiences they have had. Parents, carers and children across the school are encouraged to attend the celebrations where appropriate.

Inclusion

We are an inclusive school and welcome all children with a range of needs, aptitudes and disabilities. Every teacher is responsible for the progress, attainment and well-being of all students including those with SEND, Pupil Premium and EAL and have high expectations to ensure that all children have full access to the curriculum. This is achieved by removing barriers to learning, providing an inclusive curriculum and adapting the curriculum where necessary for identified children.

It is important that we recognise children’s potential and do not put a ceiling on what we believe they can achieve due to external influences, background or need. It is one of our key priorities to close the gap between pupils, ensuring that all children are offered the best possible life chances through education and learning. It is our duty to support, challenge and nurture all children to reach their full potential and prepare them fully for the next stage of their life.

Please refer to our Equality Policy and our SEND Information Report to see how our approach to the curriculum complies with our duties in the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities regulations 2014.