Curriculum

‘Creating Excellence Together’

At Wincobank Nursery Infant Academy, as across all Brigantia Academies, we believe our curriculum must be creative, broad, rich, experiential and ambitious to enable all learners to:

Make informed choices to keep themselves safe, healthy and able to determine their future

Benefit from a seamless journey of lifelong learning through the development of academic excellence

Become the best version of themselves and make a successful contribution to society

We are proud to deliver a curriculum which is as ambitious as the National Curriculum following key programmes of study and is purposefully designed and sequenced to inspire enthusiasm for learning, ensure achievement for all, support pupil wellbeing and happiness and equip children with the knowledge and skills needed in preparation for their future learning and employment.

Our thematic curriculum is based on exciting half-termly themes from the Cornerstones Curriculum. Staff weave the subjects together to create an exciting and engaging ‘Learning Journey’ for the children.

Wincobank Nursery Infants Academy' Curriculum

Throughout our curriculum, we try to instil The Academy's core values in everything we do:

The learning journeys are displayed in each classroom, showcasing the development of children’s learning over their theme. Each learning journey is shared with families, with examples of work being showcased at regular intervals. Within each learning journey, children are taught the necessary and progressive skills from each area of the curriculum.

Underpinning each learning journey, key vocabulary is used to enhance the learning and create cross curricular links.
Each topic is shared with home so that parents are fully informed and can support their child/ren’s learning.

At the start of each learning journey, the teachers carefully plan a practical and immersive learning experience to ‘hook’ and ‘engage’ the children. Through this immersion day, we aim for all children to be engrossed in their learning, whilst developing and enhancing their natural curiosity and engagement within the topic.

Our curriculum is knowledge-engaged and practical, meaning that we focus on key skills and the knowledge needed to apply those skills. Children get the opportunity to visit an array of places, discuss topics with a variety of experts and visitors as well as exploring the wider world around them.

Furthermore, we strive to link topics to our text-based curriculum, allowing children to gain an insight into valuable background knowledge, vocabulary and relevant imagery when studying a particular topic.

Following the learning journey, we provide the children with an opportunity to apply and showcase their knowledge, through a variety of strategies such as presentations, class performances or informative videos.

Each of the foundation subjects is assessed for each pupil throughout each learning journey.

This allows us to ensure all children are progressing to their full potential across the entire curriculum. The progress and attainment of pupils is reported to parents on a termly basis.

At Wincobank Nursery Infant Academy the curriculum enriches the lives of our children, providing the platform for a secure, safe and fulfilled future.

The Foundation Stage Curriculum
There are seven areas of learning and development. All are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas are the PRIME areas of learning:

Communication and Language Development
• Physical Development
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

The additional four specific areas of learning through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied are:

Literacy - including reading and writing
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World - including early history, geography, IT and RE
• Expressive Arts and Design - including early music, art, drama, dance and design technology

All seven areas are enabled throughout the Foundation Stage both indoors and outdoors. Emphasis is placed on speaking and listening within all aspects of the curriculum to enable the children to develop communication skills. For example, in EYFS staff ensure that key worker time focuses on speaking and listening and key vocabulary through stories, songs, etc. Talk Partners is a feature of all lessons across school. Speaking and listening is also developed through discrete programmes such as: LEAP (Language Enrichment Activity Programme) and VIP (Vocabulary Improvement Programme)

The KS1 Curriculum
There are 4 core subjects: English, Maths, Science and Computing. Alongside these, children are also taught Geography, History, DT, Music, Art, PE and PSHE.

Our ‘daily diet’ for Wincobank children includes:

* Opportunities for speaking and listening - especially talking to a partner or within a group.
* Phonics /Reading - something new and something familiar.
* Opportunities for writing.
* Opportunity to develop mathematical knowledge and understanding.
* Problem solving and making connections.
* Taking some exercise.
* Experiencing ‘story’.
* Asking and answering questions.
* Working with others and as an individual.
* Time to think and reflect.
This daily diet is weaved through English, Mathematics and thematic study.

Over the course of the week, children will also experience discrete teaching in physical development.

RE is taught through discrete lessons and special themed days, see the overview below for more information.

As a result of our curriculum children will become:

Articulate, Resilient, Confident, Independent, Respectful, Co-operative and Social individuals.

Our KS1 curriculum is designed around a series of engaging and exciting themes.

Subjects are creatively linked to create a 'Learning Journey' for the children, building knowledge, skills and understanding which is enriched by educational trips, visitors, special events and learning at home. Do not be surprised if you visit to find the school full of pirates or super heroes.

The curriculum is broad and balanced, providing a solid foundation for future learning in KS2 and beyond into adult life in the modern world. We ensure that key skills in Mathematics and English are well taught as they are crucial to children accessing the full breadth of the curriculum and enabling them to achieve their potential.

Curriculum Overviews

If you would like any further information on the curriculum, please contact;

Kelly Howes (Executive Principal)