Our Curriculum

Curriculum Statement

Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all pupils, catering well for a diverse range of needs and promoting high levels of aspiration, in-line with our school’s vision.

Our curriculum brings learning to life and excites pupils’ imagination and curiosity. At The Wordsley School, our curriculum is constructed to ensure that it not only raises pupils’ aspirations and broaden their horizons, but it also develops the whole pupil intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, socially, physically and responsibly. We strive to ensure that every pupil leaves our school with the confidence, aspiration and ability to be the best they can be.

Curriculum intent

The curriculum is constructed with the intent that pupils will be:

• Literate and able to communicate effectively.

• Aware of the world and how it functions.

• Able to take care of themselves and the world around them.

• Healthy, safe and fit in mind and body.

• Ambitious and able to make appropriate life choices.

• Numerate and able to manage their own finances.

• Technically literate and aware of how to manage their own personal IT and social media.

The school values we hold dear

Large parts of our school’s curriculum are designed to promote our five school values, which are:

• Curiosity: pupils have enquiring minds and being keen to learn.

• Integrity: pupils are honest and have strong moral principles.

• Resilience: pupils are respond well to challenge and are keen to improve.

• Respect: pupils have an appreciation and awareness of others.

• Kindness: pupils are friendly and considerate of each other.

Curriculum aims

• To provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and achieve from day one, without focusing disproportionately on KS4 and in particular, Year 11.

• To promote the wider development of pupils and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.

• To set clear expectations and challenge pupils to extend themselves and succeed in a stimulating and supportive environment; to be the best version of themselves.

• To be pupils centered and be in the best interests of our pupils, rather than be driven by external influences and pressures.

Meeting the needs of all our pupils

Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all our pupils. This is achieved by building on the following principles:

• Challenge and enjoyment: pupils enjoy their learning and find it challenging, engaging and motivating. The curriculum encourages high aspirations and ambitions for all.

• Developing the whole pupil, including the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes necessary to contribute positively to a changing society, to live fulfilled and successful lives.

• It is broad and balanced allowing pupils to learn through a variety of experiences.

• It is flexible and responsive to the needs of all our pupils and has clear progression in subject knowledge and skills across both key stages.

• It is sustainable: it has an awareness, as far as possible, of the future and the likely skills required by our pupils to be well rounded citizens.

• It makes meaningful links between areas of knowledge across the curriculum and major current issues, enabling pupils to develop cultural capital regardless of their individual context.

• It enables all pupils to access the best of what has been said and thought.

Curriculum progression

The curriculum is designed in a progression model, ensuring that pupils have relevant prior knowledge before progressing to new content, building effective schema. Much thought has gone into the curriculum sequencing within and across subjects, including consideration of the key conceptual frameworks and addressing common misconceptions.