Intention, Implementation and Impact

Intent                                                                                                                                                   

At Woodchurch Road Academy, we have created a bespoke, broad and balanced curriculum to develop our children into resilient and thoughtful 21st Century citizens who are empowered to embrace the richness and diversity of life in modern Britain and the wider world. Through our distinct school curriculum, we implement the National Curriculum and the EYFS framework. The aspiration is for our pupils to be aware of their evolving local and global context so we constantly adapt the schemes used to meet our children’s needs.   

Implementation                                                                                                                             

We ensure that knowledge is consolidated and built upon to support retention and recall. Carefully designed curriculum roadmaps demonstrate the progression of knowledge and skills throughout the school. In foundation subjects, we use the CUSP Curriculum.  Through this pupils become more expert as they progress through the curriculum, accumulating, connecting and making sense of the rich substantive and disciplinary knowledge.

Each year group uses Literacy Counts, Read to Write units which enable teachers to provide high-quality teaching of writing through high-quality literature. These detailed units of work centre on engaging, vocabulary-rich texts, with a wealth of writing opportunities and also signpost wider curriculum enrichments.  Additionally, we have built in many links with the local area and we are lucky enough to have a wealth of resources on our doorstep which are used to excite, interest and create a real life context to learning. Each year children will have at least one day-trip locally to Oxton, Birkenhead, (wider) Wirral, Liverpool or North Wales to enhance their work in school. Classes also visit galleries, museums and places of worship to further pupils’ cultural capital related to their local context. For example, learning the history of how the slave trade shaped the landscape and people of modern Liverpool or of the importance of the rivers (Mersey and Dee) to the geography and history of the region.

Children are encouraged to read throughout the school day; for enjoyment as well as for information. Early Reading is taught through Read Write Inc (synthetic phonics program) which continues into KS2 for pupils who need further consolidation. We use Steps to Read as our main driver throughout the school.

In Mathematics, we focus on a Mastery approach using Maths No Problem resources. We believe that effective maths teaching begins with a deep understanding of the subject. Teaching maths for mastery is a transformational approach to maths teaching which stems from Singapore. When taught to master maths, children develop their mathematical fluency without resorting to rote learning and are able to solve non-routine maths problems without having to memorise procedures.

In our school we choose to deliver Personal, Social and Health Education using Jigsaw; the mindful approach to PSHE. Pupils learn to understand and respect our common humanity; diversity and differences so that they can go on to form the effective, fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and learning. Throughout the year classes do a detailed study of a number of POOC (People of Outstanding Character) taken from across a range of cultures and points in history.

Impact                                                                                                                                          

Through exciting curriculum design, pupils acquire a deep body of learning over time and make interconnected links to their prior knowledge. Pupils leave Woodchurch Road Academy with a secure understanding of the academic content, as well as being socially, morally and culturally responsible and aware.  They appreciate how to make positive contributions to the local community and leave as well rounded individuals, who are ready to take on the challenges of their next chapters in education and life.

Coverage of topics and subjects is outlined in the long term maps - see the links below.

If you would like to know more about the curriculum as we have designed it, please contact: schooloffice@woodchurchroad.wirral.sch.uk