Curriculum Statement

"Learning is Natural

A love of learning is Normal

Real learning is Passionate Learning"

Passionate learning values….

"Questions above answers

Individuality above conformity

Creativity above memorising facts

Excellence above all else"

At Wouldham All Saints Church of England Primary School we strive to live out all of the above – everyday! We aim to set our learners free, open minds and foster independence and fully recognise that a 'set' curriculum can constrain and restrict and so we work hard to avoid this.

Our purposeful and ambitious curriculum, combined with high quality teaching and flexibility, ensures that children are led to be well rounded, empathetic young people who have a genuine passion for learning and enabled to live life in all its fullness.

Children need to Fly HIGH which summarises our school mission to …

• Be HAPPY to be God's special children
• Strive to be IMPROVING all of the time
• Work hard at being GOOD at communicating
• With HIGH expectations of ourselves and each other

We 'make our best our standard' – pushing for excellence in all things.

At Wouldham All Saints Church of England Primary School we strive to enjoy our learning and make it as much fun and as meaningful and relevant to everyday life as possible. Great learning is highly memorable.

We provide a safe, calm, creative, inclusive and stimulating learning environment. Every child is recognised and valued as an individual – with interests, abilities and backgrounds that are unique. Teachers identify, support and capitalise on these qualities through their planning and selection of learning activities, involving each child as they journey together.

Being a Church of England school drives our Christian values of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control which permeates all that we do – both in learning about ourselves and the wider world in which we live.

We are fortunate at Wouldham All Saints Church of England to have a modern, spacious learning environment. This is respected and used by all in school and we aim, through our curriculum, to foster respect for our world, and how we should care for it for the benefit of future generations, as well as our own.

Inviting classroom environments stimulate and support individuals as passionate learners – enabling independence, enquiry and creativity.

The curriculum is hung upon a contextual hook (aka our theme) which has been mapped in detail to ensure effective coverage, practice, application and transfer of skills – See it, Nail it, Use it and Move it! These themes change at least termly. The thematic approach allows the school to develop strong, memorable and meaningful learning across curriculum subjects.

All learning is routinely acknowledged and celebrated.

We embrace child initiated learning as well as learning beyond the classroom and school site. Activities to enrich and support learning go well beyond the classroom and include visits, community engagement, Forest School, library visits, cultural activities as well as visitors and specialists coming into the school.

We carefully structure activities that teach 'all of the children' and 'all of the child'.

We expect every child to:

• Enjoy learning
• Challenge themselves and engage with their learning
• Feel successful in their learning
• Show curiosity, creativity and independence in their learning
• Have time for learning skills, master them and then use and apply them effectively
• Have ownership of learning, enabling real passion
• Be able to evaluate and assess their own learning
• Recognise positive relationships and promote co-operation with others
• Explore Britain’s cultural heritage and its significance for us today

All great journeys begin with a single step – we recognise that all of our children have individual starting points and that they need progressive steps that have been carefully planned out upon a clearly marked pathway to success. This pathway is driven by agreed 'way-points' of skills that are clearly defined targets to aim for.

We expect all children to work hard and demonstrate progress across all curriculum areas so that they are fully prepared for their 'next steps' in learning and ultimately the modern workplace. Where children face particular learning challenges we adapt our approach to meet their needs - supporting their individual achievement and progress without negatively impacting opportunities or their passion for learning.

Seen it  Nailed it  Used it  Moved it

Children are introduced to new skills, ideas and experiences which are guided by our curriculum framework. (Seen it!)

Opportunity is provided to practice these skills and experiences effectively, demonstrating confidence and ability in this learning. (Nailed it!)

Children are then pushed to using these skills in context, explaining how their learning has influenced their thinking and decision making. (Used it!)

A fully proficient learner will then be able to demonstrate the transfer of these skills and experiences across wider learning and activity with appropriate independence. (Moved it!)