Curriculum
At Wold Academy we aim to offer a curriculum which is broad and balanced, building on foundational knowledge and the understanding and skills of all children whatever their starting points, whilst also considering the children's well being . We want the children to be ambitious and aspirational, courageous and respectful, to develop strong relationships and have a good understanding of the world around them.
The aim of our knowledge-based curriculum is for pupils to have the requisite knowledge, skills and wider understanding to be successful, independent and motivated learners in readiness for their next stage of education. We review the curriculum regularly to ensure that it meets the needs of the pupils within our school and to ensure they make the best progress possible.
By adopting this whole-school approach to teaching and learning across our school, we aim:
-
To teach a sequential curriculum that is enriched with knowledge and builds on prior knowledge, which helps children to build firm foundational knowledge in all subjects,
-
To give children the knowledge and skills they require to become effective lifelong learners in modern Britain and the wider world,
-
To provide an inclusive education where every child is capable of anything and plants the seeds of a love of learning,
-
To deliver high quality lessons which allow all children to succeed,
-
To deliver an engaging and thought-provoking curriculum which promotes children’s wellbeing and involvement in all subject areas,
-
To learn from each other, through the adoption of a collaborative approach to teaching and learning,
-
to ensure we are keeping the children's wellbeing at the forefront of all our planning.
The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.
For further information about the curriculum followed at Wold Academy please contact us.
Whole School Curriculum Overview
Reading
At Wold Academy we highly value reading as we know it opens doors for the children's future lives. It cannot be put in any better way than in these two quotes:
"Reading changes everything. Teach a child to read and keep that child reading and we will change everything. And I mean everything." Jeanette Winterton
"Reading feeds the imagination, it expands horizons and offers new and exciting ways of seeing and making sense of our our lives and of the world around us." Michael Morpurgo
Research shows that children who learn to read early go on to succeed both in school and in life.
Phonics
When the children first enter school, they begin to learn to read with the synthetic phonic scheme Read, Write, Inc (RWI). RWI is an inclusive learning literacy programme for all children learning to read. The children will begin by learning the sounds and as soon as they know six sounds they are introduced to blending these together to create words. They will be regularly assessed and put into groups that are appropriate to their ability. Once the children know enough sounds and how to blend they will bring home the books they have been reading with their group. They will also bring home a book bag book which also contains the sounds they have been learning.Reading is taught as whole class in KS2 and at the end of Y2 in some classes following the Talk for Reading (T4R) framework. We use a wide variety of quality and engaging texts including whole novels, poetry and non-fiction. These allow the children to develop their understanding of a text and the vocabulary used within it. Within a unit the children are introduced to the text, they then investigate it using talk and reading strategies before applying the skills independently.
Home readers for the end of Y2 and KS2 are a mixture of many different schemes/ individual books and are banded according to the book band levels. The children choose their books at the appropriate level, building confidence, independence and developing their likes and dislikes. The children are all trying to be Reading Rockstars by reading three times or more at home. They love getting certificates at the end of a half term and earning prizes and rewards such as meeting visiting authors.
There is also a recommended DRET reading lists for each year group which is available on the school website. One copy of each of the books is also to be found within the classroom and all children are able to borrow these as part of our library book scheme.
Writing
Writing is taught using a Talk for Writing (T4W) approach from Nursery to Y6. T4W is a powerful approach that is based on research about how children learn. This allows pupils to learn a quality story or text that they can then imitate in their own writing before innovating in a different context. We look at many different forms of writing across the school such as stories with imaginative settings, instructions, recounts, humorous poems and so on. We apply these writing genres across the curriculum to ensure the children gain lifelong skills and are prepared for writing in the wider world.
Oracy
Oracy skills are a key component of all our lessons at Wold and 'talk' is used in all lessons. This may be in the form of class discussions, paired talk, choral responses, oral rehearsal, debates and all other forms of speech. Our writing is taught through T4W and reading is taught through T4R, both schemes are based on children doing lots of talking which helps them frame their written work. Our maths is taught using Effective Maths and it relies on children talking to their partners throughout the lessons. These skills are then applied across the rest of the curriculum.
Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS)
GPS is taught across the school in literacy lessons and is embedded into the writing. We focus on spelling patterns and common exception words, how to use the different forms of punctuation and how to construct sentences using the appropriate grammar. For spelling we use the RWI spelling scheme which is in place from Y2 to Y6. There is an end of Key Stage 2 GPS tests in Y6.
Mathematics
Mathematics is essential to everyday life. It teaches children how to make sense of the world around them by developing their ability to calculate, reason and problem solve.
At Wold Academy, we believe that every child should achieve in mathematics. To drive us towards this goal we use a mastery approach to the teaching of mathematics, using the ‘Effective Maths’ programme as our main vehicle, supplemented by other resources to support and challenge all learners. Lessons have a strong focus on developing conceptual understanding, promoting pupil discussion through active partner work and looking at different strategies to solve problems.
The mastery approach focuses on depth rather than breadth from early on. Children from the earliest opportunity are given a comprehensive diet of core number facts and concepts. Mastering these early on means that other concepts can be taught quickly in other year groups.
Children experience concrete, visual and abstract representations during a lesson in order for their conceptual understanding and fluency to be strengthened.
The overarching principle that Effective Maths follows is ‘Know’, ‘Know Why’ and ‘Apply’. Children need to be taught a concept and shown it in many different ways. They also need to know why – their conceptual knowledge is only secured when pupils can explain their understanding of that concept. Following this, children can then apply their knowledge in different contexts.
In addition to the daily maths lessons, there is a fluency lesson to help develop rapid recall of number facts.
Wold Academy subscribes to ‘TT Rockstars’ – a fun and challenging programme designed to help students increase their fluency and master the times tables. Children have their own ‘avatar’ and log in details and are encouraged to compete against him or herself to move up to ‘Rock star’ status!
Science
At Wold Academy, science is at the heart of the curriculum, supporting our mission to create aspirational, knowledge-rich learners. We inspire curiosity, encouraging pupils to ask questions and explore the world around them through hands on investigation and problem solving.
Our ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum, integrates biology, chemistry and physics, helping children build both scientific knowledge and skills over time. This solid foundation enhances their conceptual understanding of scientific concepts and prepares them for future learning.
Through engaging lessons and real-world applications, our science programme ensures pupils develop a deep understanding of ideas, methods and the role of science in today's world and beyond.
History
At Wold Academy we develop children's understanding of Britain's past, as well as that of the wider world, through a curriculum that inspires their curiosity to know about the past. History equips people to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weight evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgements. it helps children to understand the complexity of people's lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
We also expect children to develop an awareness and understanding of the history of Hull, including famous people, events and industries that shaped Hull.
Geography
The geography curriculum at Wold Academy is designed to be knowledge rich, ensuring that the children develop a deep understanding of the world around them. Following the National Curriculum, the curriculum is carefully sequenced and progressive, allowing for the steady accumulation of knowledge across several key strands: locational knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical geography, and geographical skills and fieldwork.
This curriculum emphasizes enquiry-based learning and equips students with essential geographical skills, such as using maps, graphs and compasses, and conducting fieldwork. Pupils are encouraged to ask and answer geographical questions, explore the connections between places, and understand the human and physical features that shape them.
At the start of the curriculum is a focus on global awareness. Pupils explore how the Earth's features are interconnected and evolve over time, and gain an understanding of various societies, cultures and environmental issues. This holistic approach fosters global citizenship, preparing students to become informed, responsible individuals in a globalised world.
Computing
At Wold Academy we understand how vitally important it is that children are digitally literate. At Wold we have adopted a topic based approach and computing is used across the curriculum to help consolidate and enhance concepts and ideas. There is ample opportunity for collaborative work, where children are equipped with the programming skills and aspects of computer science which will help them acquire the skills and understanding of how technology is used in society and the wider world. Children will also develop the necessary skills to stay safe online, be responsible and also respectful.
Religious Education
Religious Education and World Views at Wold Academy follows the Hull and East Riding agreed syllabus. This develops children’s knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes in RE. These are necessary to help develop our students into active and responsible citizens. Each of the major world faiths are covered as well as considering the viewpoint of people of no faith.
First hand experiences, the use of artefacts, visits to local places of worship and visits from local religious leaders are all planned to enhance enjoyment and understanding in RE. We also enable pupils to develop their own sense of identity and knowledge, understanding and sensitivity to the needs and contributions of all citizens and to understand that that we live in a diverse society.
PSHE
At Wold Academy, we value PSHE as one way to support children's development as human beings, to enable them to understand and respect who they are, to empower them with a voice, and to equip them for life and learning. We teach Personal, Social, Health and Economic education as a whole-school approach to underpin children's development as people and because we believe that this also supports their capacity to learn.
Wold Academy follows the 'Jigsaw' scheme looking at the following 'Jigsaw Puzzles': Being Me, Celebrating Difference, Dreams and Goals, Healthy Me, Relationships and Changing Me. This programme forms the foundation of our PSHE curriculum. Providing a comprehensive, carefully thought through scheme of work, bringing consistency and progression to our children's learning in this important curriculum area.
Wold Academy PSHE curriculum is further enhanced by considering the needs of our children and local community. Our school works closely with pupils, parents, local specialist support services and health professionals to ensure our PSHE curriculum is relevant and holistic in tis content. this allows children to access relevant learning experiences enabling them to navigate their world and develop positive relationships.
We have many whole school days/ weeks planned over the academic year with a PSHE focus. Uniting the school in this way helps us to build and celebrate relationships within our school community and beyond.
Our PSHE curriculum aims to ensure that all children learn the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
PE (Physical Education)
sport and physical activity play an important part within the curriculum at Wold Academy and it is one of the many subjects that helps to build character and embed values such as teamwork, commitment and respect, all of which are invaluable life skills which will prepare children for life beyond Wold Academy. PE at Wold provides the opportunity for pupils to become physically competent in a way that gives them the skills required to participate in and enjoy any sport, whilst supporting their health and fitness, and therefore promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Wold Academy prides itself on offering children of all ages and abilities the opportunity to take part in a wide range of sports and physical activities within their PE sessions. This is part of an exciting curriculum PE curriculum that involves a variety of activities offered in a well-balanced programme to offer maximum enjoyment and succuss to all children. In addition, there is a strong competitive streak in the school where children can compete in sport within the local area, trust and nationally. However. winning isn't everything, and we have a strong focus on increasing participation within sport, with the aim for each child who wishes to, to have represented their school or their house before leaving us. With this in mind, we are increasingly attending more events where the sole focus is taking art and enjoyment.
Our PE curriculum is sequenced coherently so skills build progressively within a participant-centered approach which seeks to increase everyone's participation and potential in sport through maximising enjoyment. The curriculum and sequence of skills is shown below:
The Wold Academy physical education curriculum aims to ensure that all children:
- Maximise enjoyment and individual potential within sport.
- Increase development and physical competence by focusing on the building blocks of each stage and building a solid base of generic movement and sport skills.
- Develop an understanding of how to succeed and progress in a range of physical activities and how to evaluate their own success through sessions and programmes that match the individual needs of the participants or group.
- Maintain a healthy balance of competition and participation within PE sessions: seeing competition as a means to an end (participant personal improvement), and not an end in itself (just winning).
- Have the knowledge and skills to lead a healthy active lifestyle, whilst ensuring that participants have a wide array of skills which allows them to excel and enjoy different sports, both within Wold and beyond!
Music
At Wold we believe every child should access the opportunity to play a musical instrument and develop their singing voices. Pupils are provided with a number of platforms to help build their confidence and grow their musical talents, including working closely with Choral Hull and Hull Music Service. As well as welcoming external musicians to the academy, pupils have the chance to perform at impressive venues, such as Hull Minster (inside or on the roof top) and Grimsby Auditorium. As a result of the Trust’s key partnerships with a number of leading organisations, such as the Royal Opera and Ballet, talented pupils benefit from a huge range of incredible opportunities to participate in music-making.
Design Technology
Design & Technology (DT) is a vital part of the curriculum at Wold Academy, supporting our wider trust mission of fostering aspirational, knowledge-rich pupils. Through planned opportunities, pupils apply their creativity and imagination to design and produce solutions to real-world challenges in various contexts. Our DT curriculum shows children how DT links with future job opportunities and also introduces pupils to influential designs and designers throughout history, encouraging them to critically reflect on and evaluate their own work. Wherever possible, we integrate DT with other subjects such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing, and art, ensuring that learning remains purposeful and relevant.
Aims of the DT Curriculum
The Wold Academy DT curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils:
· Develop technical knowledge and vocabulary related to structural design, mechanical and electrical systems, technology integration, food production and nutrition.
· Gain creative, technical and practical skills to confidently tackle everyday tasks and engage in an increasingly technological world.
· Build and apply a broad repertoire of knowledge, skills and understanding to design and create high-quality prototypes and products for various users.
· Critically analyse, evaluate and test their own designs and those of others.
· Understand and apply principles of nutrition whilst learning essential cooking skills.
· Develop collaborative working skills that are essential for future careers.
How DT is Taught
At Wold Academy, DT is delivered in structured blocks across different year groups. In Years 1–6, DT is taught in three dedicated blocks throughout the year. In Reception & Nursery, DT is integrated into their continuous provision each term, but children also participate in whole-school DT days.
The Design Process
Through a range of creative and practical activities, pupils develop the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to engage in the interactive design and making process. We use a standardised planning format to familiarize pupils with the design cycle:
· Research: Conduct research.
· Design: Establish design criteria and communicate ideas using various mediums.
· Make: Select and use a range of tools, equipment, materials and components with precision and accuracy.
· Evaluate: Assess ideas and products against design criteria, incorporating feedback to refine and improve their work.
By embedding these principles, our DT curriculum ensures that pupils develop the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to succeed in an ever-evolving technological world.
Art
At Wold Academy, art is recognised as a vital part of pupils’ education and development. Our knowledge-rich, skill-based curriculum, grounded in the Talk for Writing methodology, enhances pupils' abilities in drawing, painting, colour theory, printing, shading, and sculpture. Our team have carefully selected artists and art movements to reflect our school’s culture and community while inspiring creativity and self-expression.
Our arts curriculum is designed to build strong foundations in key artistic skills, enabling pupils to experiment, invent and create their own work of art, craft, and design. Alongside these practical skills, pupils develop an understanding of various artists and design styles, refining their critical thinking and ability to evaluate both their own work and that of others. They also explore how art and design shape history, culture and national identity. The chosen artists serve as positive role models, encouraging pupils to aspire while deepening their appreciation of different cultural heritages.
At Wold Academy, art is taught in three dedicated blocks throughout the year, ensuring a focused and immersive learning experience. Each year every child completes a self portrait of themselves and therefore the progression can be seen year on year from a children entering at Nursery to Year 6.
Our Art curriculum has a large amount of enrichment opportunities which offer numerous experiences in the arts, often incorporating cross-curricular activities that enhance and deepen learning.
Modern Foreign Languages - Spanish
At Wold Academy, our chosen Modern Foreign Language (MFL) is Spanish. This decision aligns with the language pupils will continue studying in secondary school, the second language that the children are more likely to experience and leverages the expertise of our staff.
Although MFL is not statutory in EYFS or KS1, we believe in starting the language learning journey early. Our youngest pupils are introduced to Spanish through stories, songs and games, creating a fun and immersive experience. As they progress into KS2, formal Spanish lessons begin, following the La Jolie Ronde scheme. These lessons incorporate a variety of engaging activities that develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in the target language.
Our Spanish curriculum is built on the three pillars of language learning:
· Grammar – Understanding sentence structure and language rules.
· Phonics – Developing accurate pronunciation and listening skills.
· Vocabulary – Expanding knowledge of key words and phrases.
While these elements form the foundation of our curriculum, our primary aim is to inspire a love for learning a new language. Our Spanish curriculum has a large amount of enrichment, including a whole school Spanish Day, often incorporating cross-curricular activities that enhance and deepen learning.
Forest School
What is Forest School?
Forest School is an approach to learning that takes children into the great outdoors whatever the weather to explore the natural environment. Forest School is child centered, nature-based outdoor learning that focuses on holistic development and growth in children.
Forest School follows 6 guiding principles.
The Long Term principle: During regular sessions spread across each of the four seasons, children spend extended time outside giving them the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.
The Nature Principle: Part of the ethos of Forest School is to promote environmental awareness and encourage sustainability. Through exploration and discovery, the children develop a respect for the world around them and learn how to care for nature as well as being aware of conservation issues. If appropriate, reclaimed, recycled and sustainable resources will be used to maintain and develop our forest school site. Being out in nature is also important for supporting mental health and wellbeing.
The Leadership and Risk Principle: Trained practitioners monitor the children but encourage exploration and discovery, supporting them to take part in risky activities such as climbing, using tools and using fire.
The Community Principle: In a woodland environment, learning experiences are based on what hands-on activities a child wants to engage in at that time. This enables children to build a community of learners and develops skills such as problem-solving and co-operation as well as confidence, independence, and resilience as they can test their limits in the natural world.
The holistic principle focuses on all areas of development and considers the whole child. The holistic areas of development are
· Physical – skills such as moving around an uneven area, climbing, balancing, pulling, pushing and swinging.
· Social – skills such as building friendships, teamwork, negotiation, turn taking, sharing and helping.
· Cognitive – skills such as problem solving, following instructions, crafts, tool and fire use and curriculum links.
· Linguistic – skills such as discussion, sharing knowledge, extending vocabulary and building friendships.
· Emotional – skills such as challenging themselves, confidence building, perseverance, caring for the environment and each other.
· Spiritual – skills such as sharing feelings, sharing opinions, listening to others feelings, opinions and beliefs.
Time spent exploring the natural environment can also enhance children's understanding across the curriculum with links to maths, literacy, science, DT, art and geography.
Our Forest School Aims
· To create a community of confident, happy, independent learners.
· To facilitate child led activities across all 4 seasons where children will experience risks and challenges.
· To provide adult led activities that extend and deepen children's learning and development.
· To provide opportunities for children to use a range of tools to create and manage their own projects.
· To provide opportunities for children to experience cooking on a fire.
· To allow children time and space to celebrate and reflect on their own learning.
Forest School at Wold
At Wold children from F2, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 have Forest School sessions every week throughout the year in all weathers and the children are encouraged to bring wellies and wear appropriate clothing. Forest School sessions are shared with parents through Class Dojo and the children love to chat about what they have been doing at Forest School. We also have special events and celebration days throughout the year focusing on different aspects of nature and the environment.
So far this year we have celebrated tree dressing day where we decorate our Forest School Trees and looked at other religious and cultural celebrations involving trees, as well as having a tree planting day where we were lucky enough to be given over 200 trees and over 800 hedgerow plants to increase our woodland. We have lots more events to come over the rest of the year.
At Wold we find our children love their Forest School sessions and often share with their families all the things they do there from digging up treasure and building army dens to working as a team to create an abandoned city or a hiding place from the dragon. Whenever we go to Forest School, we are excited to see what our next adventure might be.
David Ross Education Trust and British Values
The Trust is very supportive of the ethos of promoting British Values, and preparing our pupils for success in a modern Britain.
A heavy reliance is placed upon broadening horizons for each and every child and this includes developing the core skills of tolerance, respect, teamwork, resilience and building self-esteem. These are all values and qualities that we feel are relevant in order to play a full and meaningful role in society, and are promoted via our extensive house system that lends itself to cultural and sporting competition, democratic principles, social mixing, the development of greater pastoral care and enhanced PSHE.
Click here to find out more about British Values at our academy
