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The Wells Free School

 

Curriculum

Our curriculum is an embodiment of our vision, ethos and attributes: Thinking positively for purposeful learning; Working together as a whole community; Fostering relationships to promote inclusion; Supporting and caring for each other to ensure wellbeing.

As a flourishing free school in the heart of Tunbridge Wells, the curriculum has been designed for our children. We recognise that school should be an equaliser and have chosen our curriculum priorities, accounting for children’s different backgrounds and circumstances.

As outdoor space is at a premium in Tunbridge Wells and knowing that children learn best when they are happy, safe and well-supported as individuals, we have planned a curriculum that embraces real-life experiences and supports a metacognitive approach. This will provide children with the challenge and opportunity to embrace their world, starting with the local environment.

Recognising the prominent levels of neurodiversity in the school, we have reflected on the way the curriculum should be delivered and adapted it to enable the best outcomes for all children, whatever their needs.

These are the drivers behind our curriculum as well as the principles of:

  • Ensuring a progression of knowledge and skills
  • Enabling acquisition of social and cultural capital
  • Promoting independence of thought and mental regulation
  • Allowing growth of ideas and self-realisation
  • Understanding the part our pupils play in a sustainable future

Should you have any specific questions regarding our curriculum, please direct them to the Senior Leadership Team via the office email address office@thewellsfreeschool.co.uk.

Our latest Curriculum Policy can be viewed here.

Curriculum Planning 

Long term planning identifies coverage and establishes links both within and across subjects. There is an appropriate balance of instructive and inductive opportunities, giving time for learning new skills, rehearsal and application.

In striving for more direct, practical real-life learning, we have planned a core offer which includes gardening and specific woodworking skills as well as nurture and a love of nature.

EYFS and Year One: Continuous Provision 

Play is a pedagogical approach and is often talked about as if it is a relief from serious learning. ‘But for children, play is serious learning’. This belief underpins our continuous provision, allowing children to explore and consolidate learning, making choices and initiating play without interaction with an adult. Our curriculum in this area of the school has been planned carefully to allow skills to develop and then used in a supportive way to ensure these skills are embedded. This means that the outdoor environment is as important as the indoor one. The children’s learning activities are set out not set up. This enhances provision as an invitation to play and all our staff are mindful of when to observe, co-play and when to step back. Questioning is used to further children’s understanding and provides a supportive scaffold for further learning.

Children have continuous access to suitable resources including food and drink so they can develop self-regulation for their basic needs. Learning is set out in a way which allows for physical as well as mental development. Language weaves its way through all learning and provocations are built upon the unique child and child-led interest. 

Additional Curriculum Beyond the Classroom 

The curriculum beyond the walls of the classroom is central to our approach. This includes:

  • School trips including regular visits to the local common and The Amelia Scott in Tunbridge Wells
  • Unique events: Enterprise Week; STEM Week; Neuro-diversity Celebration Week; Whole School art projects; Community events
  • Service learning and charity awareness events
  • Visitors from all aspects of community life
  • Opportunities to build cultural capital
  • Workshops across all subjects
  • Drama productions, sports competitions and musical shows.

School trips 2023-2024

We also have an extensive offer of after school clubs including sports, music, language, art, drama and film and media technology. 

Inclusion 

Our curriculum is our intervention and within it we aim to always set challenging work for all individuals including:

  • Pupils with particular talents and skills in certain areas
  • Pupils with low prior attainment
  • Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • Pupils with SEND
  • Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) 

Curriculum Impact 

Our pupils will demonstrate the impact of our curriculum and will:

  • Be known for their enquiring minds, natural curiosity and love of learning
  • Have the independence, motivation and thinking skills to conduct their own research and draw conclusions for themselves
  • Be knowledgeable, articulate, reflective, and able to understand and express themselves confidently and creatively
  • Have resilience and be able to recover from and learn from their mistakes
  • Be confident to have a go at communicating in more than one language
  • Be open-minded with a willingness to understand not just their own faiths, beliefs and cultures, but also be open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities
  • Act with integrity and honesty and with a powerful sense of fairness, tolerance and justice
  • Have respect for democracy and individual liberty and be able to distinguish right from wrong
  • Be caring and develop empathy, compassion and respect towards others
  • Accept responsibility for their behaviour
  • Show initiative and understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in Tunbridge Wells and wider society
  • Have developed a personal commitment to service and be eager to volunteer and to make a positive difference to their community

The curricular overviews for this year can be found below:

Year R: Long term plan 2023-2024

Year 1: Long term plan 2023-2024

Year 2: Long term plan 2023-2024

Year 3: Long term plan 2023-2024

Year 4: Long term plan 2023-2024

Year 5: Long term plan 2023-2024

Year 6: Long term plan 2023-2024