Curriculum

• Moral - Recognise right and wrong and respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues and offer reasoned views
• Tolerance and respect -To respect and tolerate the opinions or behaviour of others
• Rule of law -Learn that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable for their actions and behaviour
• Individual liberty - Be free to express views or ideas
• Social - Use a range of social skills to participate in the local community and beyond; appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict effectively and display prosocial behaviours
• Spiritual - Explore beliefs, experience and faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity and reflect on experiences
• Democracy - Be part of a system where everyone plays an equal part
• Cultural - Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain’s parliamentary system; participate in cultural opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity

Purpose
To ensure pupils understand and appreciate what it means to belong and the positive impact of belonging across all aspects of their lives.

Our curriculum will give children the opportunity to:

• Build respectful and lasting friendships
• Develop self-esteem and confidence in their abilities
• Learn how to respect themselves and others
• Recognise that people are good at different things
• Reflect and think mindfully about their own well-being

Purpose
To provide a supportive and nurturing environment in which the pupil can develop successful and lasting relationships in order to sustain lifelong well-being.

Our curriculum will give children the opportunity to:

• Make choices about things that are important to them
• Make a positive contribution to the school and local community
• Take part in democratic activities across the curriculum
• Express their opinions on a range of different topics and issues

Purpose
To foster a wider sense of responsibility for themselves and the school community.

Our curriculum will be taught through a pedagogy that:

• Promotes problem-solving, creativity and communication
• Excites, promotes and sustains children’s interests
• Offers all children a memorable experience at the start of every topic
• Enables children to reflect on and evaluate their learning

Purpose

To provide a learning foundation built on experience that draws on a full and varied social, emotional and academic curriculum.

Purpose
To provide a variety of experiences specifically designed to contextualise the curriculum we offer and engage our pupils in a memorable and meaningful learning journey.

Enrichment in primary education is vital for nurturing a love of learning, fostering joy, and instilling a sense of hope and belonging in every child. By offering diverse and engaging experiences beyond the core curriculum, enrichment empowers students to explore their passions, develop critical thinking, and build meaningful connections. These opportunities help cultivate creativity, resilience, and emotional well-being, while fostering a positive school culture where every child feels valued and supported. Enrichment programs create an environment where children thrive, fostering a deep sense of self-worth and inspiring them to reach their full potential with confidence and joy. It’s through these experiences that students not only succeed academically but also discover a lifelong love of learning, a sense of hope for the future, and a strong sense of belonging within their school community.

The school has a strong commitment to the added value of learning beyond the statutory school day and beyond the school premises. Each year the school arranges a number of educational activities and visits that take place off the school site and/ or out of school hours, which support the aims of the school. These include:

 

• Day visits for particular year groups (theatres, museums, art galleries, environmental activities)
• Evening activities
• ‘Saver’ trips
• Residential visits and activities, which might be classed as adventurous.

We will enrich our curriculum by:

• Providing on and off-site subject or topic related activities
• Offering opportunities for children to learn outdoors
• Using quality resources in and out of the classroom
• Welcoming parents and carers to take part in children’s learning and experiences

The intention of Wells Park Outreach is to support pupils in the management of attitudes, behaviour and motivation in mainstream education following short-term in school support. It strives to provide swift intervention to help pupils succeed in mainstream school; it also endeavours to provide the family support required in order that pupils maintain positive attitudes, behaviour and motivation.

It is committed to promoting enhanced independence and responsibility for learning and social behaviour both throughout the school day and at home.

Wells Park Outreach exemplifies the school’s ethos through ensuring that the child is at the centre of all decision-making and in supporting the development of the whole child, academically and pastorally.

Wells Park Outreach provides support for pupils to gain appropriate classroom behaviour so that they are able to participate successfully in mainstream school, support for parents/carers in order to maintain successful participation in mainstream school, and support and training for mainstream schools in order to facilitate successful participation.

Skills 4 Life are indicators of skills learnt inside or outside the classroom. In order to understand how badges might be used to support learning and development in education, we have been surveying pupils to gauge their interest and potential uptake of the initiative.

There is a desire for broader mechanisms like skills 4 Life to help students promote their own unique set of skills, knowledge and experience.

Learning and achievement within the school system is largely evidenced through prescribed metrics, but these formal methods frequently obscure evidence of equally important, though less tangible, aspects of learning, such as the development of relevant skills and competencies. Pupil welfare and future employability is high on the agenda for Local Authorities and Central Government, with a growing emphasis on the links between mental health and future economic well-being. 

In response to these growing pressures, our hope is that the Skills Badges may offer an alternative/complementary approach for those pupils who may not necessarily fall into the more familiar streams of recognised achievement. 

It is our intention that the Skills 4 Life programme will recognise, foster and develop the potential for our pupils to learn ‘wider-life’ skills in order to support life-long opportunities and behaviours as described by Eichsteller, G.; Holthoff, S. (2012) as:

• Holistic education – education of head (cognitive knowledge), heart (emotional and spiritual learning), and hands (practical and physical skills);
• Holistic well-being – strengthening health-sustaining factors and providing support for people to enjoy a long-lasting feeling of happiness;
• To enable children to empower themselves and be self-reliant, recognising their value to society;
• To promote positive social, emotional and mental health. 

What are Skills 4 Life?

Skills 4 Life are visual indicators that the recipient has achieved a certain level of knowledge or demonstrated competence in a particular skill. Each woven badge is composed of an image with additional information inserted into it, typically stage/level of achievement. 

Skills 4 Life can be organised into collections and displayed in much the same way as badges in the Cub Scout movement. Each skill has an accompanying certificate identifying the skill and the issuing member of staff/school governor. This verifies that it is genuine and awarded to the stated person.

Intention

The overarching aim for English in the National Curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written language, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

Wells Park Curriculum aims:

• Ensure that every child is successful through clear differentiation and high expectations
• Build upon what learners currently know and develop their knowledge
• Ensure that learning is an enjoyable and challenging experience
• For each child to make outstanding progress 
• Bring English to life through practical, real life application
• Address gaps in the pupil’s knowledge and ‘close the gap’ with effective intervention
• Encourage and offer opportunities of mastery to create greater depth of understanding in core areas
• Allow children to apply English in our outdoor learning facilities e.g. gardening, Woody Wells, Farming

English is an essential skill that we use and carry throughout our lives every single day. It teaches us how to make sense of the world around us through developing an ability to communicate with the world around us, being both heard and understanding information given to us. This is imperative in any society as it has an impact in all aspects of life.  A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society.

We believe that every child can and will achieve. Through high expectations, we strive to push the children to their capable limits, alongside embedding a ‘Growth Mindset’. Learning should be fun and engaging so the teachers deliver creative lessons individualised to their class, which engage the children in developing necessary skills. The pupils at Wells Park will experience a broad curriculum which will help them become balanced thinkers and master the core English skills: Spoken Language, Reading and Writing.  At Wells Park, we strive to prepare our pupils for the wider world, and ensure they have a range of strategies to enable them to access everyday life independently.

Implementation

English is a tool used in everyday life. It offers a whole range of concepts which provide a way of viewing and making sense of the world.

At Wells Park, the lessons are planned around the National Curriculum (2014) and are adapted to meet pupil needs.  The attainment within each class can vary, meaning that every lesson needs to be differentiated to fit the needs of every learner. Our lessons will: 

• Ensure that every child is successful through clear differentiation and high expectations

• Build upon what learners currently know and develop their knowledge

• To develop broad experience and hone all English skills

• Ensure that learning is an enjoyable and challenging experience

• For each child to make outstanding progress 

• Bring English to life through practical, real-life application

• Address gaps in the pupil’s knowledge and ‘close the gap’ with effective intervention

• Encourage and offer opportunities to master and create greater depth of understanding in core areas

• Allow children to apply English in our outdoor learning facilities e.g. gardening, Woody Wells, Farming

At Wells Park, the lessons are planned around the National Curriculum (2014) and are adapted to meet pupil needs.  The attainment within each class can vary, meaning that every lesson needs to be differentiated to fit the needs of every learner. As a school, we use the approach of ‘READ as a Writer, WRITE as a Reader’ which typically begins with a high quality book or text example. This provokes discussion across a wide range of topics and in turn, equips the children with the language, understanding and inspiration to write in a range of situations. For children working below the Year 1 curriculum, we use the EYFS Framework to plan and deliver lessons and assess using our own framework which is based on the Early Years framework.

A typical English lesson is 45- 60 minutes and focuses on a particular genre of writing or aspect of grammar and punctuation. Where possible, learning is linked to the overall topic being studied. This context helps children to achieve the learning objective, with differentiated steps to success and activities. At the end of a lesson, a plenary is used to reinforce the key learning and to challenge the children further. Outside of the main English lesson, pupils’ access regular Phonics/ Spelling, taught Handwriting, regular Reading both individually and in groups. Additionally, Lexia software is used as an intervention for those pupils who require additional practice of key areas in the curriculum. Lexia covers elements of spelling and reading in line with National Curriculum requirements.

Impact 

The impact of our English curriculum is to ensure that every child achieves success through clear differentiation and high expectations, tailored to their individual learning needs. By building on what learners already know, we foster continuous development of their knowledge and skills. Our approach, which integrates the philosophy of "READ as a Writer, WRITE as a Reader," provides a broad and enriching experience that hones all aspects of English. We strive to make learning both enjoyable and challenging, ensuring that each child makes outstanding progress. By linking English to real-world applications (where appropriate), we encourage engagement and relevance in every lesson. We are committed to addressing any gaps in students' knowledge through effective intervention, helping to "close the gap" and support every learner’s success. Additionally, we offer opportunities for mastery in core areas, promoting deeper understanding and expertise. 

At Wells Park, part of the Beckmead Trust, we are committed to nurturing the holistic development of each child. We recognise that every student is a distinct individual with inherent value and potential. It is our mission to provide a learning environment where every child can achieve their fullest potential, preparing them for future educational endeavours and life beyond school. We strive to empower our students to become socially, morally, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, and culturally aware and responsible members of society.

Intention

Our vision for the teaching of Mathematics at Wells Park is to create a stimulating and supportive environment that fosters a love for learning, curiosity, and resilience. We aim to inspire every child to see mathematics not just as a subject, but as a powerful tool for understanding and engaging with the world.

Our curriculum is designed to be inclusive and equitable, ensuring all children, regardless of their background or starting point, have access to high-quality mathematical education. We believe in the importance of building a strong foundation in mathematical concepts and skills while promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, and logical reasoning. At Wells Park, our approach to teaching mathematics emphasises mastery of learning, where each child is given the time and support needed to develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts.

The mathematics curriculum at Wells Park is carefully crafted to ensure that all students:

• Develop Mathematical Fluency: Gain a solid grasp of mathematical fundamentals through regular practice and exploration of increasingly complex problems. We focus on ensuring that students can recall and apply mathematical knowledge with confidence and accuracy.
• Master Problem-Solving Skills: Approach a wide range of mathematical challenges with creativity and perseverance. Our curriculum encourages students to break down complex problems into manageable steps, fostering a mindset of resilience and determination.
• Foster Mathematical Reasoning: Engage in mathematical reasoning by exploring patterns, making connections, and justifying their thinking. We aim to develop students’ abilities to articulate their thought processes clearly and use precise mathematical language.
• Apply Mathematics in Real-World Contexts: Recognise the relevance of mathematics in everyday life and across various disciplines. Students are encouraged to apply their mathematical understanding to real-world situations, enhancing their financial literacy, scientific inquiry, and technological skills.
• Encourage Curiosity and Enjoyment: Develop a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards mathematics. We aim to nurture a love for learning and an inquisitive mindset, encouraging students to explore mathematical ideas with curiosity and joy.
• Promote Cross-Curricular Connections: Understand how mathematics integrates with other areas of the curriculum, such as science, technology, and the arts. We aim to provide opportunities for students to see the interconnectedness of mathematical concepts across different subjects.

Implementation

To achieve our vision, mathematics is given a prominent place in the weekly timetable, with daily lessons supplemented by focused skills sessions. Our teaching approach is grounded in the principles of mastery, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of each concept before moving on. This involves:

• Structured Progression: A well-sequenced curriculum that builds on prior knowledge and progresses logically across year groups. Each year’s curriculum is designed to reinforce and extend learning from the previous year, ensuring a coherent learning journey.
• Practical Resources and Tools: Providing a variety of manipulatives and visual aids to help students understand abstract concepts. We encourage students to select appropriate tools and strategies for different types of problems, fostering independence and critical thinking.
• Differentiated Support: Offering targeted support and intervention to ensure all students can access the curriculum and make progress. Teachers assess understanding regularly and provide timely feedback and support to address gaps in learning.
• Engaging and Challenging Tasks: Incorporating a variety of tasks that promote deep thinking, discussion, and collaborative learning. Students are encouraged to explore multiple strategies and solutions, developing flexibility in their thinking.
• Real-World Applications: Integrating real-world contexts and cross-curricular links into lessons to make learning relevant and meaningful. This helps students see the value of mathematics beyond the classroom and prepares them for practical application in everyday life.
• Continuous Professional Development: Ensuring all staff have access to ongoing professional development opportunities to enhance their teaching practice and stay up-to-date with the latest research and pedagogical strategies in mathematics education.

Impact

The success of our mathematics curriculum will be evident in the confident, enthusiastic, and resilient learners who can think critically and apply their knowledge to solve problems in a variety of contexts. We measure our impact through:

• Student Achievement: Monitoring progress through formative and summative assessments to ensure all students are making expected progress or better.
• Student Engagement: Observing students’ active participation and enthusiasm in mathematics lessons and their willingness to engage with challenging tasks.
• Mathematical Confidence: Seeing students take risks, embrace challenges, and show persistence in their mathematical learning.
• Feedback from Stakeholders: Gathering feedback from students, parents, and teachers to continually refine and improve our mathematics curriculum.

At Wells Park, our vision is to create a vibrant and dynamic learning environment where every child feels valued, challenged, and inspired to achieve their potential in mathematics and beyond.

Below you will be able to access the yearly curriculum maps that we follow and which core areas are covered. 

For an understanding of the methods taught and used at Wells Park, please see our guidance below in our calculation policies. 

Below you will find the objectives for each band from Years 1-6. We plan and deliver the National Curriculum at Wells Park and this will give you an insight into the expectations for each year group. As a school, we use 'Band __' for each year group. For example: Band 1= Year 1, Band 2 = Year 2 etc. 

Some learners have login details for the online tutoring software 'Maths Whizz'. 

Visit the Essex Government website for more information about Essex 'Virtual School' intervention. 

Intention

As a school, we follow The National Curriculum 2014 for Science Guidelines and the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics;
• Develop an understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through a variety of different scientific enquiries that help them to answer questions about the world around them;
• Are equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of Science, today and for the future.
• Are encouraged to understand how Science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, analyse causes and evaluate outcomes.

Where suitable, adaptations have been made to suit our school’s environment and ethos.

Implementation

Our Science lessons will :

• Be led by using our hands and minds to make discoveries.
• Inspire us to follow our curiosity to new discoveries.
• Be relevant to our experiences and our future.
• Give us opportunities to experience unforgettable things.
• Be recognised as affecting every part of our lives.

To provide adequate time for developing scientific knowledge, skills and understanding, each teacher will provide regular science lessons. These may vary in length based on the objectives being explored. Teachers will base their planning on the topic provided by Plan Bee and will identify the most appropriate teaching strategy to suit the purpose of each particular learning situation. The amount of science covered in each half-term will depend on the topic. Lessons will be taught weekly.

There are a variety of ways in which teaching and learning may be effective. Our school aims to encourage learning through investigation, with an emphasis on first-hand experience. Science lessons have no imposed formal structure but should typically contain some of the following elements: discussion; whole class, group or individual learning; practical, investigative tasks; recording; communicating.

‘Working and thinking scientifically’ must always be taught through and clearly related to substantive Science content in the programme of study.

 

Impact

All children will explore the world around them, hands first. They will find joy in exploring and experimenting across a range of scientific disciplines. They will be guided by big, exploratory questions that open up the world around them, following their instinct and curiosity to discover modern scientific explanations. They will apply skills from Maths and English to record and discuss their research clearly and accurately. Science will help them to become independent, critical thinkers with the confidence to say that they know how and why things are so. 

 

Intention

Wells Park School recognises that ‘enquiry’ can be instrumental to good learning in RE as referenced in recent Ofsted RE subject reports, and we aim to help pupils develop skills to enquire independently. Pupils should be given time to generate pertinent questions where appropriate and teachers of RE should ensure that the atmosphere in an RE session is conducive to question raising and reflective thought whenever appropriate.

We appreciate the positive impact that local communities and local faith communities can have on pupils’ experiences in RE. Wells Park School caters for this by having a visit to a place of worship in each year group/key stage, and inviting visitors from faith communities into RE lessons. A wide range of imaginative teaching methods and pupil groupings are used to enable effective RE sessions.

It is vitally important that teachers demonstrate respectful attitudes towards all faiths, modelling the attitudes and responses we would expect from our pupils.

Our aims of RE are that pupils will:    

• Know about and understand a range of religions and world views, so that they can:
• Describe, explain and analyse beliefs and practices, recognising the diversity which exists within and between communities and amongst individuals.
• Identify, investigate and respond to questions posed and responses offered by some of the sources of wisdom found in religions and world views
• Appreciate and appraise the nature, significance and impact of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.
• Express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews, so that they can:
• Explain reasonably their ideas about how beliefs, practices and forms of expression influence individuals and communities
• Express with increasing discernment their personal reflections and critical responses to questions and teachings about identity, diversity, meaning and value, including ethical issues
• Appreciate and appraise varied dimensions of religion or a worldview.

Implementation 

A wide range of imaginative teaching methods and pupil groupings should be used in effective RE sessions.

Wells Park School recognises that ‘enquiry’ can be instrumental to good learning in RE as referenced in recent Ofsted RE subject reports, and we aim to help pupils develop skills to enquire independently. Pupils should be given time to generate pertinent questions where appropriate and teachers of RE should ensure that the atmosphere in an RE session is conducive to question raising and reflective thought whenever appropriate.

We appreciate the positive impact that local communities and local faith communities can have on pupils’ experiences in RE. Wells Park School caters for this by having a visit to a place of worship in each year group/key stage and inviting visitors from faith communities into RE lessons.

It is vitally important that teachers demonstrate respectful attitudes towards all faiths, modelling the attitudes and responses we would expect from our pupils.

The Curriculum Framework for RE (2013) is the latest in a chain of documents to recognise RE as a core subject and it is regarded as such at Wells Park School.

We make cross-curricular links with other subjects where those links are beneficial for pupils’ learning and progress in RE. On occasions when strong cross-curricular links cannot be forged with other subjects, RE is taught as a discrete subject.  

We recognise that RE can make a positive contribution to much of pupils’ life in school.  It can be linked especially well to Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development, Citizenship (including social cohesion) and Personal, Social, Health and Economic education and we strive to make good links where we can.

In order to maximise the impact of RE sessions and pupils’ progress in this subject, we teach in designated regular RE lessons.

Timing

Lower School – 1 hour per week.

Upper School – 1 hour per week

Impact

Our Religious Education curriculum aims to equip students with the skills needed to engage thoughtfully and critically with a variety of religions and worldviews. Through this engagement, students will explore key concepts such as belonging, meaning, purpose, and truth, responding creatively to these profound questions. They will also enquire into what enables individuals and communities to coexist respectfully, fostering the wellbeing of all. Furthermore, the curriculum encourages students to articulate their own beliefs, values, and commitments clearly, helping them understand why these are significant in their lives and the lives of others. Ultimately, we seek to cultivate a deep sense of respect, understanding, and open-mindedness among students as they navigate the diverse perspectives that shape our world.

These aims are taken from A Curriculum Framework for Religious Education in England and Wales (Religious Education Council 2013).

 

Right of withdrawal

Pupils’ families and faith communities have the right to encourage religious nurture of the children, fostering their faith. It is the responsibility of the school to provide Religious Education for all its pupils.

Parents have the right to withdraw their children either partly or wholly from RE.  In addition, teachers have the right not to teach the subject. Our approach to RE, however, has been constructed in the hope that parents and teachers will rarely, if ever, wish to exercise their right of withdrawal.

Those parents who wish to withdraw their child from RE lessons should inform the Headteacher in writing/contact the school office at their earliest convenience.

This policy has been adopted by the governors in consultation with the RE Subject Leader and teaching staff. 

Intention

At Wells Park School, we aim to support children in becoming confident and independent users of technology. We aim to guide them in understanding how to use the web safely and develop their computational skills to solve problems by writing programmes.

We have a computers, laptops, tablets and other resources that help to further your Child's learning. All classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards, projectors and audio accessories. These help to enrich the learning environment. 

Implementation

We follow the national curriculum programme named ‘Teach computing’. 

Our key concepts are:

• Digital literacy: using IT purposefully, creatively and safely.
• Computer science: developing computational skills and programming.
• Computers and networks: understanding how computers work and web functions. 

At Wells Park, technology is used across the curriculum to support and enhance learning. Children are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming.

This learning is achieved through teaching the skills and uses of different software and hardware. We also regularly educate the children in online-safety so that they can enjoy and use the World Wide Web safely.

Keeping safe is important for all of us, increasingly so when online. At school pupils regularly learn about how to keep themselves safer when online, but below are some support sheets and useful resources to help you at home. 

• Cyberbullying or Online bullying is when someone uses technology (such as the internet or a mobile phone) to bully others. Helpful resources are here
• Stop Abuse Together: A new government resource to help keep children and young people safer from sexual abuse
• Talking to your child about online sexual harassment: A guide for parents and carers. This guidance for parents and carers is based on the voices of children and young people and gives tips to adults about how they can support children to stay safer online.
• Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service. The service helps professionals working with children and young people in England to respond to incidents of harmful sexual behaviour in their setting.
• Think u Know. Resources for children and young people aged 4-18 to learn about safer use of technology.

Impact

The impact of our computing curriculum for KS1 and KS2 is to empower students with the essential skills and knowledge needed to navigate the digital world confidently and responsibly. By focusing on digital literacy, students learn to use IT purposefully, creatively, and safely, ensuring they can make the most of technology in a variety of contexts. In computer science, they develop critical computational thinking and programming skills, laying the foundation for future technical proficiency. Through learning about computers and networks, students gain a deeper understanding of how computers function and how the web operates, fostering curiosity and problem-solving abilities. A key element of the curriculum is E-Safety, which is revisited at least once every half-term to ensure students are equipped with the knowledge to stay safe and respectful online. Together, these core concepts help students become responsible, informed, and innovative digital citizens.

Intention

The National Curriculum for music aims to ensure that all children:

• perform, listen to, review and evaluate music
• be taught to sing, create and compose music
• understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated

At Wells Park, the intention is to ensure that children develop a deep understanding of music. This is achieved by engaging them in various activities such as listening, singing, playing instruments, evaluating, analysing, and composing. These activities cover a wide range of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres, providing a comprehensive musical education. Our objective is to adopt a curiosity for music, nurture an understanding and acceptance of its diverse forms, and promote an unbiased respect for the role that music plays in individuals' lives.

We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community, and are able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts. This can be achieved through offering programs, clubs, and ensembles that focus on different music genres and instruments.

Implementation

Our music curriculum is designed to ensure students engage in a comprehensive musical experience, encompassing singing, listening, playing, performing, and evaluating.

This holistic approach is embedded in classroom activities and is further enriched through various concerts, performances, and collaborations with external programs such as the Essex Music Hub. Most recent involvement has been with the Sound Beam program via the music hub. Children described the sessions as enjoyable and engaging and thoroughly loved exploring the different equipment.

The elements of music are taught in classroom lessons and provides children with a vocabulary to understand and appreciate music more deeply. It helps them recognize different musical styles, express their preferences, and even create their own music.

Subject Progression grids across the two year rolling programme cross-curricular music opportunities are taught and focused on clear skills development. Subscription to Kapow provides key subject knowledge and resources support this. 

Impact

Our music curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression and build on and embed current skills. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills in the different musical components and teaching of vocabulary also forms part of the units of work.

Whilst in school, staff can teach effective music lessons with the support of our music scheme with Kapow. This enables them to deliver lessons with confidence with the subject knowledge and resources available. Children have access to videos, tutorials, and online programmes, which allow students to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon. Children can enjoy music in as many ways as they choose; either as listener, creator or performer. 

We aim to measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Pupil discussions and interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
• Photo and video evidence of the pupils' practical learning.
• Use of the assessment tools provided within the Kapow scheme. 

Intention

At Wells Park School, we value Art and Design as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. We follow Kapow Primary’s art and design scheme of work, which aims to inspire pupils and develop their confidence to experiment and invent their own works of art. The scheme supports pupils to meet the National curriculum end of key stage attainment targets and has been written to fully cover the National Society for Education in Art and Design’s progression competencies. Kapow Primary is an Artsmark partner and can support schools on their Artsmark journey, inspiring children and young people to create, experience, and participate in great arts and culture. 

Implementation

The teaching and implementation of the Art and Design Curriculum at Wells Park School is based on the National Curriculum and linked to topics to ensure a well-structured approach to this creative subject.

The children are taught Art as part of their termly topic work. Pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. 

Key stage 1 pupils should be taught: 

• to use a range of materials creatively to design and make products 
• to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination 
• to develop a wide range of art and design techniques using colour, pattern, texture, line, shape, form and space 

Pupils should be taught to develop their techniques, including their control and their use of materials, with creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design. 

Key stage 2 pupils should be taught: 

• to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas.
• to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay] 
• about great artists, architects and designers in history.
• about the work of a range of artists, craft makers and designers, describing the differences and similarities between different practices and disciplines, and making links to their own work.

Impact

Continuing assessments take place throughout the year. Teachers use this information to inform future lessons, ensuring children are supported and challenged appropriately. This data is analysed on a termly basis to inform and address any trends or gaps in attainment.

Most importantly, children will leave Wells Park knowing that it is okay to make mistakes along their journey. They will think for themselves and be reflective about their own and others' work, knowing how they can improve it or knowing when to stop if they are satisfied with their creative work.

Intention

At Wells Park School, children receive a design and technology curriculum that allows them to exercise their creativity through designing and making. Children acquire a broad range of knowledge and skills, in addition to drawing upon learning from maths, science and art to design and make products that solve real problems, considering a variety of criteria. Through design technology, pupils learn to take risks and become resourceful, resilient and innovative. Evaluation is an integral part of the design process and allows children to adapt and improve their product. This is a key skill which they need throughout their life.

Implementation

The teaching and implementation of the Design Technology Curriculum at Wells Park School is based on the National Curriculum, and we follow Kapow Primary’s art and design scheme of work which ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. The teaching of DT follows the design, make and evaluate cycle through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. When designing and making, pupils should be taught skills in design, make, evaluate and technical knowledge.

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.

Pupils should be taught to:

Key stage 1

• use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
• understand where food comes from

Key stage 2

• understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
• prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking
• techniques
• understand seasonality and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

Impact

Our DT curriculum focuses on progression of knowledge and skills and discreet vocabulary
progression forms part of all units of work. By the time children leave our school they will:

• Be able to use time efficiently and work constructively and productively with others.
• Be able to carry out thorough research, show initiative and ask questions to develop an
• exceptionally detailed knowledge of users’ needs.
• Be able to design and make through working safely and ethically, using finite materials.
• Have a thorough knowledge of which tools, equipment and materials to use to make their
• products.
• The ability to manage risks well to manufacture products safely and hygienically.

 

Intention

The History curriculum at Wells Park aims to develop our pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the events and eras that make up Britain’s past, as well developing their understanding of the history of the wider world. It aims to equip pupils with a coherent framework to support them to understand how the past has impacted on modern society and to recognise the relationships, similarities and differences between significant historical periods. It aims to spark pupils’ curiosity about how people in the past have lived and to link this to their own personal experience so as to help them to understand the complexities of human relationship and the diversity of societies. It intends to inspire pupils to ask probing questions and to think critically, to develop perspective and to weigh up evidence before making informed judgements.

Implementation

The History curriculum is at Wells Park School is based on the National Curriculum for Key
Stage 1 and 2 and is taught discretely through focused lessons each week. Each programme of study is blocked into a half-termly topic, of which there are three taught each year. Under a broader heading, such as ‘The Victorians’ or ‘The Great Fire of London’, pupils have a specific ‘Big Question’ to work towards answering over the course of the half-term. Each week, the focus of learning helps them to gain a little more knowledge of the time period being studied, culminating in a coherent understanding of the topic being studied and giving them the knowledge they need to confidently tackle the answer to their ‘Big Question’.

Alongside teaching and learning in school, the History curriculum is enriched with trips and visits outside of school, as well as workshops and visitors into school. Pupils are given opportunities to experience first-hand what it is like to be a historian and are encouraged to handle primary artifacts and access secondary sources, looking at how a picture of the past can be built through evidence and, increasingly, understanding the limitations of and bias within the information they have access to.

Impact

By the end of their time at Wells Park School, through high quality teaching and inspiring
enrichment opportunities, our pupils will have a sound awareness of significant historical events and eras and will be able to appreciate the ways in which these have shaped the world they live in.

Pupils will have become increasingly analytical and critical in their thinking, gaining the range of skills required to make informed and balanced judgements, based on their coherent knowledge of the past, and having the confidence to challenge others’ views and to have their own views challenged. They will appreciate the benefit and limitation of different types of historical evidence and be able to spot and challenge historical bias.
Pupils’ will have a passion for History and a curiosity about the past which follows them into their onward educational provision.

Intention

The Geography curriculum at Wells Park is centred around building an understanding of the diversity of places, people and cultures across the globe, helping pupils to understand how physical and cultural geography impacts on human lives and why looking after our planet is important. It aims to ensure pupils have a sound geographical knowledge, beginning with the United Kingdom and broadening out to geographical studies of the wider world, as well as being confident to use a range of geographical skills to help them answer questions. We want our Geography curriculum to spark for pupils an interest in the world around them, both near and far, and inspire a curiosity that means  they continue to ask questions about their world when they leave Wells Park.

Implementation

The Geography curriculum at Wells Park is based on the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 and 2. It is taught in school discretely, through focused weekly lessons. Areas of study are blocked into half-termly topics and pupils study three of these topics each year. Under broader headings such as “The Seaside” or “The Wilds of Northern Europe”, pupils are encouraged to work towards answering a ‘Big Question”. Each week, the learning focus supports pupils to gain knowledge, develop skills and ask questions that will help them to formulate a full and reasoned answer to this question by the end of the unit of work.

In each Geography topic studied, children are given opportunities to develop key geographical skills such as map reading, data analysis and interpretation of source materials, alongside subject enrichment through trips and visits outside of school, where children can practise fieldwork skills and observe the geographical environment for themselves. Through this, pupils are given opportunities to experience first-hand what it is like to be a geographer and are encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they see.

Impact

By the end of their time at Wells Park School, through high quality teaching and inspiring
enrichment opportunities, our pupils will have  a sound awareness of the diversity of the world they live in and be able to describe the different physical and human features found across the globe.

Pupils will have become increasingly independent in their learning, being able to use a range of fieldwork and other geographical skills to answer enquiries, as well as being able to formulate their own questions. Based on their knowledge, they will be able to compare countries and cultures, making links and recognising contrasts.

By the end of their time at Wells Park, pupils’ curiosity for geographical matters will be evident and their desire to find out more will be something they take with them to onward educational provisions.

History and Geography Curriculum Map

Intention

At our primary school, we believe Physical Education (PE) plays a vital role in the overall development of our pupils. Taught weekly by a qualified PE teacher, our PE curriculum helps to improve physical fitness, build teamwork, and boost self-esteem, all while supporting the mental and emotional well-being of our students.

Implementation

Our PE curriculum will:

1. Promote a Love of Physical Activity: Encourage a lifelong love of movement, exercise, and sports. We aim to provide a positive and engaging experience of PE that motivates every child to enjoy being active and discover the many ways physical activity can enhance their lives.
2. Foster Joy and Confidence: PE will be a source of fun, excitement, and enjoyment. We will celebrate every step of progress, big or small, and create an atmosphere where children feel confident to try new things without fear of failure. This positive reinforcement helps build self-esteem and resilience.
3. Instil Hope and Personal Growth: PE will provide opportunities for every child to achieve success at their own pace. By setting achievable goals, celebrating individual progress, and promoting perseverance, we help children develop hope for their future, believing they can overcome challenges and grow in their abilities.
4. Create a Sense of Belonging: Every child will feel valued, included, and supported in PE lessons. Activities will be adapted to meet individual needs, ensuring that all pupils, regardless of ability or background, have the opportunity to participate, feel part of the group, and build strong relationships with peers and teachers.

Curriculum and Approach

1. Inclusive and Differentiated Activities: Our PE curriculum will include a range of activities that cater to diverse needs and abilities. We will ensure that every child can participate in ways that are meaningful and enjoyable for them, with appropriate adjustments to suit pupils with SEMH and varying physical capabilities. This may include team games, individual challenges, creative movement, and mindfulness exercises that promote well-being.
2. Building Emotional and Social Skills: In addition to physical development, our PE programme will focus on building emotional regulation, self-control, teamwork, and communication. These skills are essential for pupils with SEMH and will help them engage more positively with their peers and the wider school environment.
3. Safe and Supportive Environment: We will provide a safe, nurturing, and non-judgmental space where children can experiment with their physical abilities, build confidence, and learn from mistakes without fear of ridicule. This environment will be based on trust, kindness, and respect, ensuring every child feels a sense of belonging.
4. Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion: PE will be a platform for celebrating diversity, ensuring that each pupil’s unique strengths and experiences are recognised and valued. We will encourage pupils to support each other, promote collaborative learning, and foster friendships that contribute to the sense of community within the school.

We also provide extra PE sessions to give students additional practice and preparation for whole-school sports competitions, ensuring every child has the opportunity to develop their skills, foster a love for sports, and experience success in a supportive, nurturing environment.

In addition to weekly PE lessons, some pupils also benefit from our Gym Trail sessions, designed to enhance motor coordination and help them build confidence in their physical abilities.

We are fortunate to have our own school swimming pool, providing students with the invaluable opportunity to develop their swimming skills in a safe and supportive environment. With the expertise of a trained swimming instructor, we offer tailored swimming sessions that cater to the individual needs and abilities of each pupil, ensuring that every child progresses at their own pace. This unique resource enhances our PE curriculum, fostering water confidence and encouraging lifelong skills in a fun and engaging way.

Impact 

The impact of our PE curriculum is to foster joy and confidence in every student, encouraging them to develop a positive attitude towards physical activity. By promoting a love of physical activity, students are motivated to engage in a wide range of sports and exercises, helping them discover the enjoyment that comes from being active. The curriculum also aims to instil hope and personal growth, providing opportunities for students to set goals, overcome challenges, and celebrate their achievements, both big and small. Through teamwork and inclusive activities, we create a sense of belonging, where every student feels supported and valued. Ultimately, our PE curriculum aims to nurture well-rounded individuals who not only enjoy being active but also grow in confidence, resilience, and a sense of community.

Intention

At Wells Park, Spanish is our chosen MFL and is delivered across all classes in the school. Classes will use short lessons to develop the key strands for learning a Modern Foreign Language (MFL), as outlined in the chart below. Our curriculum aims to introduce basic spoken and written language, in readiness for further foreign language learning at key stage 3. 

• Be FUN, engaging pupils in learning languages. 
• Be practical, allowing pupils to communicate orally and in written form. 
• Encourage practise of simple, oral exchanges with discussion of what they read/ spoke in English. 
• Encourage pupils to listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding.
• Explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes. 
• Engage pupils in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
• Allow pupils to speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures. 
• Develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so others can understand. 

Implementation

The implementation of our MFL curriculum at Wells Park School is designed to ensure consistent coverage and progression across all year groups. The curriculum map aligns with the national curriculum and is structured so that units are taught in order, building upon prior knowledge to support student development. Each class teacher is responsible for planning and delivering sessions that are appropriately tailored to the pupils' working levels, ensuring that all children can access and engage with the MFL content. We use the Kapow scheme of learning, which identifies three key knowledge strands—comprehension, production, and cultural understanding. These strands are integrated into each unit, allowing children to draw upon and apply this knowledge as they work towards achieving the aims of the National Curriculum. Reflecting insights from the Ofsted research review on languages, our curriculum emphasizes these three knowledge pillars to foster a deep understanding of language acquisition, enabling students to comprehend and produce language effectively. Through this structured approach, we aim to provide a clear, engaging, and progressive learning experience in MFL for all our pupils.

Our MFL curriculum will allow children to:

• Present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences.
• Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing.
• Appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language.
• Broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary.
• Write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly.
• Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing.

The curriculum map (download below) aims to encompass the national curriculum and ensure consistent coverage in classes across the school. The units must be taught in order as they build upon existing knowledge. 

Each class teacher will ensure that the planning and delivery of each session is appropriate to the pupils’ working level, ensuring that each child can access MFL. 

As a school, we use a scheme of learning - Kapow, which identifies three knowledge strands. In each unit, children will draw upon this knowledge when comprehending and producing language to help them achieve the aims of the National Curriculum.

Impact 

The impact of our MFL curriculum at Wells Park School is to foster a love for learning languages by making lessons fun and engaging for all pupils. By providing practical opportunities for communication, both orally and in writing, we encourage students to confidently express themselves in another language.

Through simple oral exchanges and discussions, pupils develop a deeper understanding of what they read and speak, reinforcing their learning in English as well. Our curriculum emphasises attentive listening to spoken language, enabling pupils to participate actively by joining in and responding appropriately. By exploring language patterns and sounds through songs and rhymes, we make learning enjoyable and accessible. Pupils are encouraged to engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, express opinions, and respond to others, building their conversational skills. We support students in speaking in sentences, using familiar vocabulary and basic language structures, while also focusing on developing accurate pronunciation and intonation, ensuring that they are understood by others.

Ultimately, our MFL curriculum equips pupils with the skills and confidence to communicate effectively in a new language, laying a strong foundation for future language learning.

Teachers at Wells Park form positive and secure working relationships with our children and so are able to tailor the delivery of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) lessons to reflect the needs of their pupils.

RSE is taught to children at an appropriate age and developmental level. Along with the British Values that are instilled throughout our teaching, RSE teaches children mutual respect and tolerance through lesson delivery and experiences. Teachers model respect and tolerance of other people’s beliefs. Opportunities are provided to explore and learn from a range of cultural differences and experiences that challenge gender, cultural and racial stereotyping. 

Intention

Our PSHE curriculum for primary pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs is designed to promote emotional well-being, equip students with the tools to manage their emotions, and support the development of healthy relationships. Aligned with the National Curriculum, it covers key areas including belonging, relationships, and friendships, encouraging pupils to understand the importance of positive social connections. The curriculum also addresses being safe, both in real life and online, with a strong emphasis on online safety and building safe, respectful relationships.

In addition, pupils are taught essential life skills such as basic first aid, which empowers them with practical knowledge to respond in emergencies. The curriculum also covers body changes and development, supporting pupils as they navigate physical and emotional transitions. Health and prevention are central to the curriculum, with a focus on healthy eating, physical health, and personal well-being. Pupils are guided in making informed choices about their physical health, nutrition, and lifestyle, fostering resilience and a sense of self-care that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Implementation

At Wells Park, we provide a rounded curriculum for our children that is taught through stand-alone lessons and woven into our 24 hour curriculum. Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) is an important and necessary part of all pupils’ education, particularly for our pupils with their special educational needs.  

Teachers at Wells Park deliver a progression of age and ability-based lessons to cover the main areas of PSHE, which include:

• Belonging including relationships and friendships
• Being safe including online safety and relationships
• Basic 1^st aid
• Body changes and development 
• Health and prevention including healthy eating
• Physical health

The curriculum is designed to equip children with positive and informative content that empowers them to make thoughtful and healthy lifestyle choices. It is tailored to be relevant to their personal experiences, with a focus on shaping their future decisions. Teachers strive to deliver engaging lessons that create memorable learning experiences, fostering long-term influence on the students' life choices. As a school community, we offer learning experiences which:

• Contain accurate and relevant knowledge
• Provide ‘quality not quantity’
• Use pupil feedback (e.g. School Council and pupil questionnaires) and local data (e.g. Public Health) to prioritise the focus of our learning
• Provide links to the schools aim of trauma perceptive practice and the Six Core Strengths
• Respect pupils’ prior learning, experience, needs and readiness
• Provide opportunities to turn knowledge into personal understanding
• Provide opportunities to explore, clarify and challenge their own and others’ values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities
• Provide the skills, language and strategies they need to live healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible and balanced lives
• Is inclusive and acknowledges and accommodates the diversity within our school in terms of gender, religion, language, race, social background, culture, appearance, family set-up, special needs, ability or disabilities

Impact

The impact of our PSHE curriculum for primary pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs is that students are empowered to manage their emotions, build healthy relationships, and develop a strong sense of emotional well-being. By focusing on key areas such as belonging, relationships, and friendships, pupils gain a deep understanding of the importance of positive social connections and how to nurture them.

The curriculum ensures that pupils are equipped with the knowledge to stay safe, both in real life and online, with a particular emphasis on online safety and respectful relationships. Additionally, students acquire essential life skills, such as basic first aid, which provides them with practical tools to respond effectively in emergencies. As pupils navigate physical and emotional changes, the curriculum offers important support in understanding body changes and development. With a focus on health and prevention, pupils learn about healthy eating, physical health, and personal well-being, enabling them to make informed choices about their lifestyle. This fosters resilience, self-care, and a sense of responsibility for their own health, preparing them for a positive and healthy future.