Curriculum

Curriculum Design

Our curriculum design is one that is unique to John Wheeldon Primary Academy. We have three topics over the course of the year, one per term. This acts as an overriding theme for some of our foundation subjects and links to our key texts that we study through reading and writing sessions, this enables our children to become fully immersed and confident with the subject matter. Throughout each term, we focus on two key values linking to our school PROUD motto. As a school community, we are proud of our wealth of local history and range of geographical features and aim to incorporate this within our topics as much as possible. Each topic is enriched by experiences that will strengthen understanding this may be through visits, wow days or visitors in school.

Each subject has an intent statement, topic overview, long term plan and a progression map detailing the end points of learning for each year group. These can be found on subject pages of our website.
We have chosen two key themes each term that are explored further through our topics. These themes link to our overall school motto of PROUD and covers each of our key values. Perseverance and Respect in Autumn, Outstanding and Unique in Spring and Dynamic in Summer. Our Summer 2 theme is ‘Reflection’ linked to one of our school rules. We encourage our children to build on their understanding of these key values and how they are demonstrated through significant figures and global events.
Our ‘key themes’ then link to BIG QUESTIONS – these are questions that will encourage our children to think about wider issues and impact of events on their lives today. We encourage thought about current and relevant issues that promote wider thinking and an application of our school values. Children will need to apply the knowledge they have acquired though each topic to give an informed answer, this can then be used as a form of assessment.
Retrieval and retention of key knowledge is an integral part of our curriculum focus, knowledge plans are developed to ensure we have a clear design showing specific knowledge we want children to acquire by the end of the topic.
To support children’s learning and retrieval of key learning within topics they are provided with a knowledge organiser, these contain key vocabulary, and images that are added to by each individual pupil as the topic progresses. These knowledge organsiers are designed as a ‘prompt tool’ for children to use to verbalise their understanding and retention of the topic.
Scaffolds and supports are used within all foundation subject to support children that need it. This may be through sentence stems, writing frames or visual stimulus.
Planned opportunities for development of vocabulary and oracy skills is part of each lesson. Supports, prompts and careful modelling by all adults are in place to ensure that children remember and recall key vocabulary and can use this within full spoken sentences.
Assessment – Children are assessed on their learning during each session using a must/should/could template. We also include opportunities for regular retrieval practice activities so that children have an opportunity to revisit their learning and apply their knowledge. Data is gathered and recorded after each unit of work. This is then tracked by subject leaders to inform subject development across school.

If you would like to find out more about our school curriculum and how we implement it, please contact office@johnwheeldon.staffs.sch.uk and your request will be sent directly to our curriculum lead, Miss Robertson.