The Woodham Ley 'Here We Are' Curriculum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0J7ocPOsW4

 

The Woodham Ley ‘Here We Are’ curriculum is inspired by the story of Oliver Jeffers’ "Here We Are," which serves as a roadmap for our children to navigate their place in an infinitely vast and beautiful world. We believe that education should do more than impart facts; it should foster a profound appreciation for Benfleet and Essex’s local heritage while igniting a global curiosity for where we might go next. By exploring the world and those who came before us, we provide our pupils with a firm sense of identity, which in turn gives them the confidence to envision and build a bright, hopeful future.Central to this journey is the understanding and appreciation of difference. Children should leave Woodham Ley as well-rounded citizens ready, with the knowledge and skills, to tackle their next challenge and be inspired to continue their learning journey. We place the beauty of the arts and the principles of a healthy, happy life at the heart of our learning, ensuring that our children develop the compassion and resilience to thrive. Ultimately, our goal is to empower everyone at Woodham Ley to become compassionate citizens who aspire to make a positive difference in the world they inherit.

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Our curriculum is layered in the following way:

1. School Mission StatementPersonal Development (School values and our Three Rights)

2. Themes that link to Benfleet and the world around us

3. Rosenshine Principles

Layer 1 - Mission Staement

"Our commitment is to develop unique and ambitious children who make informed choices and are inspired to reach their greatest potential"

At the heart of Woodham Ley is a mission statement designed to go beyond the classroom, purposefully crafted to develop unique and ambitious children who see no limit to their horizons. We believe that a strong education is the foundation of freedom; by providing a rich, diverse, and rigorous academic experience, we empower the pupils of Woodham Ley to make informed choices about their lives and the world around them. Every lesson is an opportunity to ignite curiosity, ensuring that our children are not just passive recipients of information, but are inspired to reach their greatest potential through a culture of high expectations and relentless encouragement. In this school, our curriculum is the vehicle that transforms our mission statement into reality.

 

Layer Two - School Values

Our mission statement highlights the importance of informed choices and helping children to achieve their greatest potential. In order to help the children understand this part of the mission statement, staff and children have developed a set of school values. These are: aspiration, compassion, responsibility, inclusion, creativity and excellence. These values act as the daily behaviours that turn those goals into reality. We have deliberately sequenced these values in this order because we feel that they reflect the learning journey over the academic year.

Aspiration: We dream big. We encourage our children to look beyond the horizon and believe that through hard work, any goal is within reach.

Compassion: We lead with kindness. We teach our children to understand the perspectives of others and act with a kind heart.

Responsible: We take ownership. Whether it is of our learning, our environment, or our actions, we understand that we are the architects of our own success.

Inclusion: We belong together. We celebrate the "unique" nature of every individual, ensuring everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.

Creative: We think differently. We embrace curiosity and use our imagination to solve problems and express our unique perspectives.

Excellence: We strive for our best. Excellence isn't about being perfect; it’s about the "ambition" to improve every single day.

 

The Three Rights

At Woodham Ley, we teach children about using the Three Rights to encourage children to think about the choices they make. Our Three Rights are: respect, safety and learn. Adults help to guide children to reflect on the choices they make and how they can improve in any area of school life. Adults model these everyday and as a result these rights are instilled in children so that we have a school that is calm and allows children to reach their potential.

Personal DevelopmentWe want to develop pupils who have the skills needed to thrive in a modern world. We intend for pupils to be the following:Express and manage feelings in a healthy way (Zones of regulation, PSHE Curriculum, MHST, Access to counselling)Appreciate, accept and respect the world around us as well as each other (Three Rights, Built into the Curriculum)Be kind, helpful and considerate to everyone (Right to respect, No Outsiders, OPAL)Be curious and ask questions (Strong Learners)Solve problems inside and outside the classroom (OPAL, Strong Learners)Listen to others and develop teamwork skills (OPAL, Strong Learners)Be grateful and say thank you (The Three Rights, Values)Take an active part in democracy (British Values work, No Outsiders, School Council, Year 6 Leaders)Understand the importance of laws and accept consequences (The Rights, School Values)Be a strong learner (Strong Learners)Express views and be confident to make a positive choice (No Outsiders, Curriculum, Three Rights)Understand and respect the faith and beliefs of others (No Outsiders, Assemblies, Woven into the curriculum)Share worries in a healthy way (TPP, SEMH Team)Promote equality (No Outsiders, Values)Know how to be safe including onlineLive a healthy lifestyle (Clubs, PSHE Curriculum, TPP School)

Layer Three - Subject specific designTo ensure our vision translates into academic excellence, our curriculum is carefully sequenced from Preschool to Year 6. In all subjects, we have broken learning down into logical small steps, ensuring that the transition between lessons and year groups is seamless. This cumulative approach allows knowledge and skills to build year on year, moving children from foundational understanding to complex mastery, ensuring that children know more and remember more as they progress through our school. With this in mind, the themes covered in all subjects, allow children to revisit key knowledge and make links between different areas of the curriculum. When appropriate, we strive to map out purposeful links in the curriculum. When appropriate, themes have planned, meaningful links. Building connections between these subjects allows children to develop their curiosity and make connections which will be memorable.To enrich the Woodham Ley ‘Here We Are’ curriculum, we plan meaningful school trips and immersive experiences. These include exploring the local area, visiting museums or significant places and specialist visitors to our school. This helps to make our themes come alive. This academic journey is further enhanced by a robust SMSC (Social, Moral, Spiritual, and Cultural) framework, ensuring that every lesson not only builds a child's intellect but also their character, empathy, and sense of global responsibility.To foster true lifelong learners, we have developed our curriculum to equip our pupils with strong foundations of core knowledge and essential skills. By mastering these skills and knowledge early on, children gain the cognitive freedom to think critically, solve complex problems, and engage deeply with the world around them.Setting them up to be successful as a lifelong learner.Please see the planning section of the school website for further information.

Layer Four

At Woodham Ley Primary School our teaching philosophy is underpinned by the research of Barak Rosenshine and his Principles of Instruction. Having consistency in the classroom in their class and between classes helps children to understand the learning process which ultimately leads to excellent progress. These principles are:

  1. Begin the lesson with a review of previous learning.
  2. Present new material in small steps.
  3. Ask a large number of questions (and to all students).
  4. Provide models and worked examples.
  5. Practice using the new material.
  6. Check for understanding frequently and correct errors.
  7. Obtain a high success rate.
  8. Provide scaffolds for difficult tasks.
  9. Independent practice.10. Monthly and weekly reviews