Woolsery Primary School Curriculum
Contents
Our Wild Curriculum
At Woolsery Primary School we value exciting, first-hand learning wherever possible. That’s why we created our own WILD Curriculum several years ago in order to make our children’s learning as relevant and as exciting as possible.
The WILD Curriculum (Woolsery Immersive Learning and Development) is fully underpinned by the National Curriculum and also incorporates our Forest School development programme. We follow a process whereby, with the constraints of the National Curriculum areas we need to cover, children get a big say each term in what their Project will look like and who their Authentic Outcome will be presented to.
We want our children to be hungry for knowledge, and for this hunger to shine through in their learning. To do this, we passionately believe that their learning needs to be relevant to their world. When we achieve this, we know that learning is more effective because more connections are made in the brain.
Inspired by several amazing Schools in the South West and honed into our own model, the aim of our curriculum approach is to place children in control of the curriculum focus each term and build on our existing great practice in Forest School, First Hand Learning, oracy and Philosophy for Children. From this, as much learning as possible is linked to the core Project which has pre-planned mini outcomes throughout the term and a final Real Life Outcome (which is based in our community) towards the end of the term. Each Project is underpinned by an Essential Question which drives enquiry through learning.
Central to the WILD Curriculum is for teachers to first find out what makes children “tick” – what grabs their attention, what makes them ask “Why?” or say “Wow!”. From this starting point, our skilled teachers are able to build learning opportunities that are relevant and engaging and have authenticity within the child’s experience.
This approach allows us to engage the children in what they want to learn about in a very creative and cross-curriculuar manner. In this way we are preparing them for life in the 21st century whilst setting a very high bar for high quality outcomes which give children the chance to develop their core skills across a wide range of subjects.
Art | Computing | Design & Technology | Forest School | Geography |
History | Maths | Mental Maths | Music* | PE* |
PSHE* | Reading | Science | Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar | Writing |
*Music, PE and PSHE Curricular are changing in Academic Year 2020-2021, this may not be the most up to date information.
Religious Education continues to follow the Exeter Diocese approved Scheme and is usually taught separately from the Wild Curriculum unless there is a sensible fit in the context of a chosen project. See below for more information.
Reading
The school works closely with the Somerset Literacy Network in all aspects of our English Curriculum. Our statement on our approach to teaching early reading can be found HERE
Physical Education
From Spring 2020 the school is working with a new whole-child PE resources from Create Development. Called Real PE, we believe it offers our children the very best PE education, developing their physical, mental, social and creative skills simultaneously. More information on Real PE will appear here soon.
Religious Education
Our school follows the Approved Syllabus for RE as laid down by Exeter Diocese, Devon County Council and Torbay Council. It can be read in detail here: Devon_and_Torbay_Agreed_Syllabus_2019_2024_Extract
Music
As a MusicMark award holding school, we follow the Charanga Music programme which is promoted by Devon Music Education hub. We also make great use of whole class ensemble tuition (WCET) so children learn how to play recorder, djembe drums, clarinets and ukuleles as a whole class. More infomration about our Charanga Music programme will be added here soon.
Primary Foreign Language
Our school teaches French in Key Stage 2, following the Primary Languages Network approach. For more information see below:
Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact
More can be found about our WILD Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact below:
Our Curriculum Expectations
Our Curriculum Expectations (or “Non Negotiables”) are structured across all year groups, from Preschool to Year 6. Even though only Years 1 to 6 strictly follow the WILD Curriculum approach, the ethos can be found strongly in our Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum too.
Our Non-Negotiables can be viewed here: Non Negotiables Tracking Document
Knowledge Organisers
Part of the second phase of the introduction of our curriculum apporach was to find ways of securing long term knowledge in a more coherent way across the school. This was a tricky process as in any term the nature of the class Project can be totally unique! However, everything we do is also tied to the National Curriculum and it is the expectations set out in that document which form the basis of our Knowledge Organisers – the declarative knowledge that the children should retain on their journey through the school.
The first tranche of our Knowledge Organisers is available below and will be added to over the coming weeks and months:
Art and Design
Art: Sculpture, Textiles and Print
Art: Sketch, Portrait and Colour KS1
Art: Sketch, Portrait and Colour KS2
Computing
Design and Technology
Geography
History
History: Stone Age to Iron Age
Modern Foreign Language (French)
We are a member of the Primary Languages Network and use their materials in our planning and delivery of our MFL Curriculum in Key Stage 2. The link below gives access to online knowledge organisers containing sound files to help with pronunciation and oral development.
Music
Science