The wider curriculum
All knowledge is connected to all other knowledge.
The fun is making the connections.
Detailed information about subject-specific Impact, Implementation, Impact and knowledge progression, can be found in the documents at the bottom of this page.
Art and Design
Art education stimulates creativity and imagination. We follow the Kapow Art and Design scheme which twins with our Design and Technology.
Our curriculum Includes practical experiences which help children explore art materials and techniques to develop artist knowledge. The units build on pupils prior knowledge. Each two-year milestone, children will be involved in a range of art and design activities including observational drawing, painting, printing, textiles, modelling and an art skills unit.
Children will be helped to develop their knowledge of art forms from different periods and cultures and study different artists’ work to inspire and influence their own art.
Computing
At Abbey Woods, we understand that technology is changing the lives of everyone and is an integral part of everyday life.
We follow the Teach Computing scheme of work hosted at https://teachcomputing.org/.
Through teaching computing, we equip our children to participate in a rapidly changing world where work and leisure activities are increasingly transformed by technology. Our intention is to use IT in creative and meaningful contexts across the curriculum and to give the children experiences of using a range of technologies. Our computing curriculum prepares the pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world.
Children have access to a bank of computers in the computing room. Laptops and iPads are available to facilitate the children’s use of IT for learning across the curriculum. Every classroom has an interactive whiteboard to support teaching and learning. We have a range of other equipment that is available e.g. webcams, digital cameras and video cameras.
As part of the computing curriculum, the children are also taught how to stay safe when using the Internet.
Design and technology
Design enables children to use their knowledge from other areas of the curriculum to solve real problems.
Kapow scheme of work is used to map out and support strong learning in DT, children complete DT learning every other half term with Art and Design in rotation.
Skills in design and technology are developed through ‘hands on’ tasks and projects. Children establish a design brief, gather ideas and complete a series of focused practical tasks in order to give them the necessary skills and knowledge to complete their project. This includes a final evaluation of the finished project, when children think about what worked well and what could be changed.
Children engage in projects that involve food technology, textiles, mechanisms, electricity, structures and materials. Kapow scheme of work is used to map out and support strong learning in DT.
Geography
Our geography curriculum aims to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people, together with an understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
Progression is key and children's knowledge is carefully designed to build year on year to ensure a coherent curriculum with memorable knowledge.
We follow the Rising Stars Geography curriculum, which is designed to equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments so that they can ask questions about the world around them and begin to understand interrelations between the Earth and people.
We cover a range of human, physical and environmental topics, learning about things local to us and things much further afield. Additional Knowledge mapping is used by the school to ensure pupils are taught key knowledge to help them become world-class geographers.
History
Our history curriculum also follows the Rising Stars curriculum and aims to inspire in pupils a curiosity to know more about the past.
Progression is key and children's knowledge is carefully designed to build year on year to ensure a coherent curriculum with memorable knowledge.
History teaching at Abbey Woods has a wide application to everyday life and our wealth of local history, teaching the children to enjoy learning about the past and to have a better understanding of the society in which they live.
When teaching history, artefacts, museum visits and themed days are used to bring the past to life. Pupils widen their historical knowledge through carefully crafted well sequenced units of work. Knowledge mapping is also used to support history learning, this allows pupils to know more and grow on their journey as historians. Localised studies are used to ensure pupils understand the history close to them.
Modern foreign language (MFL)
In Key Stage 2, the children begin to learn some basic French as a modern foreign language. We use the Language Angels scheme of work and resources to ensure we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign language curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils. The four key language learning skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are taught through a variety of topics and themes. The learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for the pupils.
Music
Music is an important part of the curriculum for all year groups. The children are involved in many activities, including listening and responding to music from a variety of cultures and periods, playing instruments, singing, writing and performing their own compositions. Through their music learning, we aim to increase the child’s self-confidence, ability to work cooperatively as part of a team and to give them a sense of achievement.
Music is taught by a specialist teacher following the DfE-approved music curriculum.
Physical education
Physical education plays a vitally important part in a child’s development. The key areas of games, dance, gymnastics, athletics and swimming are taught throughout the year, with children taking part in at least two hours PE per week. The emphasis in all lessons is the acquisition of skills and the improvement of performance.
We follow the Rising Stars Champions scheme of work which consists of a fitness unit taught teachers for 1 hour per week and 1 hour of a more skills based unit taught by our coaches from Elite.
We have moved away from teaching individual sports such as football or basketball and instead focus on the knowledge and skills required across different sports.
Children in Years 5 and 6 have opportunities to attend competitive events and tournaments outside of school.
The children benefit from specialist Sports coaching in PE across the school that supplements the Rising stars PE scheme that teaches pupils the knowledge required in Physical Education.
Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education
At Abbey Woods, we follow the Jigsaw PSHE scheme of work. Jigsaw brings together PSHE education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development in a comprehensive scheme of learning. Jigsaw is designed on a whole school approach with all year groups working on the same theme (puzzle) at the same time.
Sex and relationships education is taught Summer 2 as part of 'Changing Me' Jigsaw PSHE scheme.
There is a parent guide to what is covered in RSE and how you can support your child uploaded at the bottom of this page.
There is a parent guide to how Jigsaw and we as a school cover LGBT relationships as part of RSE.
Religious education
Religious education is important in every child’s development. At Abbey Woods, we follow an adapted Discovery R.E scheme of work which focuses on relating religious teaching back to children's own experiences of the world.
Each year group covers three units on Christianity and three units on a different religion from Judaism Y1, Islam Y2/Y6, Hinduism Y3, Sikhism Y5 and Buddhism Y4.
Children also engage in assemblies, discussion and reflection. These take place as a whole school, key stage and in class. Visits are made to the local church, St Mary and St Berin, for special events in the church calendar.
The Abbey Woods R.E curriculum builds on pupils' knowledge of Religious Education year on year and provides them with a clear path of knowledge development.