Curriculum overview

'They experience a well-planned, broad and balanced curriculum.' 
'Leaders have meticulously crafted a curriculum beyond the academic. This means pupils enjoy a range of experiences that they may not otherwise have.'
'Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum, including in the early years. It is carefully designed to reflect the school's context. Staff have worked together to identify the small steps of knowledge that pupils need to know and by when. This hard work has paid off. The curriculum has a clarity which means that pupils build on their knowledge well over time.
(Ofsted, December 2022)
The 1998 Education Act brought in a compulsory National Curriculum. In primary schools, the subjects that all pupils must study are art and design, design and technology, English, geography, history, information and communication technology, mathematics, music, physical education and science. Religious education must also be provided.

The School Curriculum is more than just the subjects we teach. We legally have to teach the National Curriculum. See below for information about the new National Curriculum for 2014.
 
Our Reception Class follow the Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage curriculum.

What is a Capabilities Curriculum?

It is:

A creative curriculum which measures social and emotional capabilities which improve children’s learning, valuing the development of the whole child and preparing them for the future.

An Daras Trust have chosen to adopt a curriculum framework informed by pupil’s social and emotional well-being. The class capability scores are used to inform a teachers approach to the lesson, which will help growth in these valuable characteristics.

These capabilities are evidenced as being necessary for future success, and by measuring them we are placing real value on them.

 

There are 7 capability strands:

- Managing feelings       

- Confidence      

- Communication          

- Relationships and Leadership      

- Planning and Problem-Solving         

- Creativity

- Resilience and Determination

 

A class capabilities radar is completed 3 times a year – at Autumn, Spring and Summer mid terms. A mark is placed on the radar and is used as a tool to talk about the children’s emotional health throughout the year and plan in future opportunities to further develop the focus capability.

At Windmill Hill Academy, we inspire pupils to be passionate lifelong learners by providing them with an ambitious broad and balanced curriculum, with the inclusion of a variety of enrichments, which will inspire them to have high aspirations. We inspire all learners to have strong desire to know or learn something and questioning their learning experiences to find out more. Throughout each year group and across the curriculum, pupils will make sustained progress, develop excellent knowledge, understanding and skills, regardless of their different starting points and backgrounds.
Curriculum Intent
 
The intent of the curriculum is to:  
  • be ambitious
  • be broad and balanced 
  • inspire pupils to learn 
  • promote the school and Trust vision and values
  • be led by pupil and staff interest 
  • ensure the range of National Curriculum (2014) subjects helps pupils acquire knowledge, understanding and skills in all aspects of their education. 
  • incorporate opportunities to apply English and maths learning with independence in a range of subjects 
  • promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and within this promote British values and UNICEF Rights of the Child 
  • relate learning to pupil well-being, health (both physically and mentally) keeping safe and to prepare the children to make a positive contribution to society and the wider world 
  • equip them with the skills in order to be assessment capable learners.  
 
The Capabilities Curriculum framework is informed by pupil’s social and emotional wellbeing. The class capability scores are used to inform a teachers approach to the lesson, which will help growth in the 7 valuable characteristics: managing feelings, confidence, communication relationships and leadership, planning and problem-solving, creativity, resilience and determination.
 
Metacognition describes the processes involved when learners plan, monitor, evaluate and make changes to their own learning – the thinking about their thinking. Through the research-based work of John Hattie, pupils are given opportunity to understand their own cognitive abilities, knowledge of tasks and strategies that could be used to support their learning. Visible Learning allows our pupils to be assessment capable learners by developing and embedding the school’s five learning sails: resilience and tenacity, curiosity, connection, self aware and reflection.
Implementation
 
Linked documents:
- An Daras Capabilities Curriculum Framework
- Long term whole school curriculum horizontal map
- Knowledge and skills organisers for each subject area
- Class curriculum planning documents: class knowledge organisers for learning concepts and science -
 
The above information gives guidance in the implementation of our curriculum. Each term pupils are asked about their learning interests and, as a class, a capabilities assessment is carried out.
 
These are then used by the teaching staff to support planning using the National Curriculum age related expectations, school knowledge and skills progressions and the school schemes of learning. Opportunities for cross curricular learning are promoted.
 
These include the application of English and maths and outdoor learning.
 
Windmill Hill Academy promotes the enrichment of our curriculum in the following ways: 
  • Capabilities assessment and programme
  • Class trips and enrichments
  • Residentials trips for Years 5 and 6
  • Outdoor learning
  • Wild Tribe
  • Extra-curricular activities
  • Pupil Parliament
  • Rights Respecting School
  • Whole class music lessons
  • TIS sessions
  • Wellbeing embedded throughout in addition to wellbeing sessions
  • School Wellbeing Dog
  • Celebration assemblies
  • Visitors to school
  • Charity events selected by the Charities and Communities Pupil Parliament Group
  • Sports events/competitions
  • Intensive Swimming lessons for Years 2 – 6
  • Baking/cooking activities
  • Gardening
  • Harvest produce supporting the local Foodbank
  • Carol singing in the community
  • St Pirans celebration
  • Open the Book assemblies
  • Art exhibitions
  • Online Safety events
  • Sustainability events
  • Health and Wellbeing days/weeks
  • Annual Shakespeare Project
  • Class/Whole School Performances
  • Celebration of significant national events – e.g. Queen’s Jubilee
  • Use of key English texts, related to learning themes in other subjects, to broaden knowledge and vocabulary
  • Whole school write days (termly)
  • Community fundraising events
  • Parental engagement opportunities
Impact
 
Evidence of impact:
  • Current data report
  • Pupil conferencing
  • Book Scrutiny
  • Learning Walks
  • Lesson Observations
  • External Monitoring visits
  • Moderation
  • Pupil Progress meetings
  • Curriculum long term planning overviews
  • Curriculum Monitoring and evidence collection
  • Photographic records
  • Class Floorbooks
  • School displays
  • School Celebration book

  • Throughout each year group and across the curriculum, including in English and mathematics, current pupils make sustained progress, developing excellent knowledge, understanding and skills, considering their different starting points.
  • The progress across the curriculum of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities currently on roll is improving towards that of other pupils with the same starting points.
  • Pupil conferencing - the significant majority of pupils enjoy being at school and enjoy their learning.
  • All pupils are challenged within their learning in all lessons.
  • Pupils effectively apply their learning across a range of subjects.
  • All pupils can read and can articulate their learning – what they are good at and what their next steps are.
  • Pupils understand the importance of daily activity in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
  • Pupils can articulate their understanding of the school’s vision and ethos.
  • Pupils have a developing spirituality within the context of their daily lives within school demonstrated through the events and RE lessons notes made.
  • Pupils understanding of their heritage and place within the community is growing through the events planned.
  • Pupils’ understanding of and taking small steps to have a positive impact on sustainability and climate change for future generations
For more information on each year group's curriculum for the year, please see above and specific subject areas on the website.
 
In addition, please visit individual class pages (under the tab, 'Classes') where you will find:
- a class timetable for each term
- knowledge and skills organiser for each learning concept and science
- home learning related to the learning concept