Our curriculum has been co-constructed by leaders and staff from across the federation of schools. Using the national curriculum, we have sharpened the content so that it is ambitious, challenging and exciting for all pupils. Each time the next curriculum theme comes into cycle, our staff work together in both year groups and Federation wide subject leadership groups to evaluate previous learning and further develop future theme content. This powerful cycle of collaboration has put curriculum development and subject knowledge at the heart of school life.

Our curriculum is designed to be accessible for all in line with our duties in the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Regulations 2014. We support and scaffold learning to ensure all pupils access a full and varied curriculum.

We made the decision that when appropriate content is linked to a half termly project or theme. The long term plan and termly 'Spotlight on the Curriculum' documents show how we use these projects to teach the majority of the National Curriculum subjects.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE CURRICULUM 

What does your child learn at school each day?

Our curriculum immerses children in termly learning projects (TLP’s), which are designed to broaden their skills, knowledge and understanding, through a range of stimulating, challenging and memorable opportunities, encompassing each child’s individual skills and interests.

• We believe that learning should matter.
• We believe that skills should be developed alongside knowledge.
• We believe that learning should be inspirational

There are twelve Core Skills that underpin all that we do. They are grouped into Active Learning, Basic Skills and Creative Thinking.
 

Active Learning

• To seek out and enjoy challenge
• To collaborate with others
• To show commitment and perseverance
• To assess themselves and others

Basic Skills

• To speak clearly and convey ideas confidently
• To read and communicate ideas in writing efficiently and effectively
• Top calculate efficiently and apply skills to solve problems
• To use new technologies confidently and purposefully

Creative Thinking

• To ask questions to extend their thinking
• To generate ideas and explore possibilities
• To overcome barriers by trying out alternatives or new solutions
• To connect ideas and experiences in inventive ways

We believe that all of our children should be entitled to a breadth and balance of experience, knowledge, skills and understanding in all areas of the national curriculum and beyond, which is carefully structured to ensure it:

• provides opportunities for skills to be developed independently, collaboratively and socially
• fosters perseverance, enthusiasm, independence, curiosity and the sharing of personal experience
• develops resilience, independence, responsibility and emotional intelligence
• develops the child’s unique identity in a supportive, personalised environment
• celebrates and promotes individual talents, interests and achievements
• promotes understanding of diversity and global awareness
• enriches each child’s experience at school through visits, visitors and outdoor learning opportunities
• equips them with life-skills which they can adapt to the world of work, community and global citizenship
• instils a strong understanding of British values
• embed Christian values to help make positive contributions to society

Age expected standards for each year

The documents below are intended to help parents see what standards children are expected to have achieved at the end of each school year. We use them in school to record whether or not we have seen a child work at that standard or whether we believe the child fully understands and can apply that standard across the curriculum.

Reading Eggs and Fast Phonics

Every child in the Infant school has access to Reading Eggs and Fast Phonics to support reading development at home. Log ins for these can be found in the front of children's reading diaries. See the introduction videos below. We encourage all children to use Fast Phonics in the first instance, as this is closely aligned to our phonics scheme in school. 

Phonics Audio Guide

There are 26 letters of the alphabet but they make 44 sounds. Use the audio guide below to hear all 44 sounds, on their own and in example words.

Learn to read with Phonics: a parent's guide

Find out how your child uses Phonics at school and how you can help at home. This webpage also includes useful videos on how to pronounce pure sounds and how to blend sounds to read words.

Recommended Reading Lists

Here are a list of year group specific, high quality texts that we use in school to support our English curriculum. We encourage children to access these books at home, through the library service or online.

Supporting your Child read at home

Book Chat

Click below to read a document about what Book Chat involves and how to use it to support your child's reading.

Key phrases to use with your child:

Folllow the link below and scroll down the page to find videos of Book Chat in action:

Ben Harris (Teacher) reads One Fox by Kate Read for 5+

Richard Charlesworth (Teacher) reads A House that Once Was by Julia Fogliano and illus. by Lane Smith for 7+

Then have a go and try some of these ideas with your child. Enjoy reading together!

If you require any extra information, in the first instance please email the school office: info@woodville-fed.derbyshire.sch.uk