Curriculum

We teach a full range of subjects, as individual subjects, to all pupils and ensure sufficient coverage is given to each area to ensure the pupils receive a broad and balanced curriculum. The subjects covered are:

• Art & Design
• Computing
• Design & Technology
• English
• Geography
• History
• Mathematics
• Modern Foreign Languages: Spanish
• Music
• Religious Education
• Physical Education
• PSHE
• Science

Where relevant, curriculum leaders have good knowledge of where these topics link to the EYFS curriculum.

Having tried various models, including teaching through a thematic approach, we found that all methods had their strengths but often some restrictions. In September 2022, in other primary academies within our trust, we moved to a timetable which allows sufficient and appropriate coverage to the wider curriculum subjects.

Each subject is timetabled for each pupil in KS1 and KS2. For example, pupils will have a Science lesson; History lesson; Music lesson etc.

However, our curriculum allows some flexibility. For example, in some subjects such as Computing and Art & Design, we might teach a double lesson every fortnight. We feel that this offers the chance for greater development of skills and knowledge due to the nature of the subjects and the resources involved. Also, teachers can use their professionalism to adapt lessons – for example, if they wish to extend a Mathematics lesson by 15 minutes, our timetable allows this to happen.

In addition, we might choose to teach Design & Technology in a block at the end of each half-term due to the nature of the subject. Where relevant.

This design has been chosen to ensure pupils can access and be successful in areas where they might have a particular talent or where they can achieve more successfully than in traditional subjects. For example, where a child may struggle with reading, they may be a very talented musician or have a passion for History. It allows for the development of deep, subject specific knowledge and skills and the structure enables all pupils to be fully prepared for transition to secondary education.

We use a number of resources to support the delivery of our curriculum subject areas. For example, we use some elements of the Chris Quigley Essentials curriculum, where we use milestones to help teach and assess knowledge and skills taught across year groups. We use a wide range of resources across subjects. For example:

• We adapt the White Rose programme in Mathematics.
• We use Bug Club to deliver Phonics.
• We use Kapow to support our teaching of Design and Technology.
• We use Language Angels to support the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages.

Importantly, where we do use a scheme, it is to guide and support the delivery of our curriculum. We do not follow individual lessons plans and also lessons are adapted for the needs of the pupils in the class.

Some of our wider curriculum subjects, such as History and Geography, follow the methods outlined through the Chris Quigley Essentials curriculum, which we have adapted for Waltham Gateway Academy. The main principles largely run through other subjects too.

Our long-term and medium-term plans and whole academy mapping, are designed to provide breadth of knowledge and focus on key topics, each with key knowledge categories.

• For example, in History, we look at topics such as the Victorians, the Stone Age and World War II.
• Alongside this, within subject areas, we have schemas, which provide knowledge categories, which are common threads throughout a subject. For example, in Geography, the schema consists of location; physical features; human features; diversity; physical processes; human processes and techniques.
• These in turn, helps to provide intra-curricular themes and helps to sequence knowledge across the Academy.
• The schema runs throughout each subject and across all year groups. This helps to sequence our curriculum. For example, in Art & Design, the following knowledge categories run across all year groups: Media and Materials; Techniques; Process; Colour Theory; Emotions; Artists and Artisans; Effects; Visual language and Styles and Periods.

We work on a two-year cycle, which allows for the re-visiting of topic areas, though with a different focus within each cycle. This allows for excellent retrieval opportunities and good opportunities to firmly embed deep knowledge over time.

For example, in History, in Years 3 and 4, we teach a unit on The Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age, over a two-year period (the Autumn Term in both years). When the pupils go on to study the Romans and they focus on the building of such structures as the Colosseum, pupils will be able to make comparison with the work they will have completed in the Stone Age topic, which focuses on the changing nature of dwellings and settlements. Similarly, when the pupils focus on the development of bronze and iron to create new weapons for hunting and fighting, there will be scope for making comparisons with the nature of conflict used in the Crimean War (Milestone 1) and later, when they are looking at weapons used in battle, when studying the Romans (Milestone 2) and the Greeks and World War II (Milestone 3). In addition, a series of lessons focuses on the development of beliefs and religion, which again will help compare and contrast when studying later modules on the Romans and Egyptians (Milestone 2) and the Greeks (Milestone 3).

In addition, subjects have Threshold Concepts, which again, run across the subjects across year groups. These are the big ideas that underpin each subject area. For example, in Geography, the threshold concepts are: Investigate Places; Investigate Patterns and Communicate Geographically.

Throughout the teaching of individual topics, assessment opportunities are built in throughout. These are called POP tasks (Proof of Progress). For example, in Design & Technology, on the topic of ‘Pneumatics,’ pupils might be asked to:

• Describe the type of movement of a piston.
• Define the word compressed.

Assessment opportunities are built in throughout each topic. This will mainly be in the form of on-going formative assessments in lessons and throughout topics, but will also include end of topic assessments to assess knowledge. Lessons are structured to give students constant opportunities to retrieve knowledge, through simple questioning and a wide range of activities. There is a focus on constant re-visiting of knowledge both from recent and less recent lessons, to help constantly retrieve and build a bank of deep knowledge that can be recalled.

Using this approach, the intention is to build up this knowledge across year groups. For example, in Year 1, students will look at knowledge categories of location, physical features and human features when studying The United Kingdom in Geography – those same knowledge categories will be taught through the topic of Continents and Oceans – thereby, giving the students the opportunity to make links and remember/retrieve knowledge from previous work.

Topics are mapped and sequenced across each subject and each year group so as to build on prior knowledge.

In some subjects, we have started preparing exemplar responses to support staff with expectations and to help children aspire to high quality outcomes. Using the same example as outlined above, below is an example of such exemplar responses:

• ‘Do you agree that the invention of the steam engine was the most important innovation of the Industrial Revolution period? Give reasons for your answer. ‘Though there were many key inventions and innovations that led to the Industrial Revolution, it is clear that the invention of the steam engine was the most significant. Firstly, as coal was needed to heat water to make steam, factories were opened near to supplies of water and coal which led to the growth of large, important towns in areas such as the Midlands and the North West of England…’
• Describe what life was like in factories in Britain during the early period of the Industrial Revolution. ‘In the 1800s, it became common place to employ women and children to work in factories. Conditions in many factories were challenging and often dangerous. For example, children often had to work 12–14 hour shifts, 6 days a week. In addition, there was little safety equipment, so children would often get injured or killed by fast-moving machinery…’

Teachers and curriculum leaders then use this knowledge and data to inform future planning.

Each Subject Leader is responsible for the intent, implementation and impact of their subject areas. We are currently working on our, ‘Subject on a Page’ documents which is a summary of the plan for each subject.

Leaders are given opportunities to train staff through weekly staff meetings and senior leaders provide opportunities for curriculum leaders to receive and attend CPD.

Subject Leaders will monitor the teaching of their subject through means such as learning walks; lesson observations; book scrutinies; discussions with pupils and data analysis. This includes linking to the EYFS curriculum.

Our curriculum has been designed to be accessible for all pupils. Each topic and individual lesson is adapted to cater for individual needs. This ensures that teachers can provide assessment opportunities for a range of abilities, adapting work to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, can access topic areas and achieve at their own pace.

Part of our motivation for giving adequate coverage to all curriculum areas is to ensure that there are opportunities for pupils to express themselves; achieve; enhance talents, in areas where they might shine e.g. art, science, history, PE.

Teachers will use a range of resources, including interactive displays and working walls, alongside individual resources and scaffolding techniques to help all pupils access the curriculum.

We ensure that we employ latest guidance, such as that advocated by the EEF, to ensure staff receive regular training to continually develop and enhance practice.

Enrichment is a key part of the implementation of our overall curriculum.

We offer a wide range of after school clubs which are available to all pupils at no additional financial charge. Recent examples in some of our other primary academies include cheerleading; choir; football; netball and gardening.

External visitors help to inspire and develop cultural capital. For example, in some of our other academies, we have held workshops hosted by an international free-style footballer; a Commonwealth athlete and a local author. In addition, one academy hosted the English Heritage Society, who delivered workshops on local Viking History.

Opportunities for parental engagement are key. For example, one of our other primary academies organised a Race for Life event attended by over 200 family members, raising over £1600; we raised over £500 through a cake sale, where parents provided over 1000 cakes and we organised for parents to attend performances by our choir and cheerleaders.

Outdoor learning is also a key focus, and will be a key part of our curriculum. For example, we are currently waiting to see if we have been awarded an allotment to support many areas of the curriculum. It is also our long-term plan to achieve Forest School status.

Assemblies also play a key role in the implementation of our curriculum. Alongside special mentions assembly, celebrating success, we also hold weekly singing assemblies and a weekly assembly which focuses on a local or national event, using resources supplied by Picture News.

We also build time in to our curriculum for whole class story time to help promote a love of reading.

In addition, we have worked closely with an external company, Pentagon Play, to design our outside play areas for both Early Years and the RSP to ensure they support different areas of learning and enrichment.

SMSC is a key focus across each of our academies and in 2024, Pilgrim Academy, another academy within our Trust, was awarded the Gold SMSC quality mark for schools, which was led by Mrs Melanie Portlock, Principal of Scartho Gateway Academy. It is the intention that we will be in a position to achieve this prestigious award over the next few years.

SMSC permeates through all aspects of school life. For example, it is prominent through subject areas, such as RE and PSHE but also far more widely through most curriculum subjects, including History and Geography.

SMSC also flows though enrichment; leadership schemes; links with the local community etc. Children are encouraged to be leaders and learn key British values such as tolerance, democracy and the rule of law; children are taught to respect and appreciate different religions, cultures and British Values within their learning. This is achieved through the curriculum, assemblies, enrichment, visits and visitors as well as participation in local and national events.

In turn, the above helps to embed an understanding of the importance of the protected characteristics. The protected characteristics as listed in section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 are as follows:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

Leadership opportunities include:

• Whole school council
• House captains
• Playground monitors
• Playground buddies
• Reading buddies
• Library monitors

Linked to the above, we strive to make links with our local community, including businesses and employers and we have already started making vital links with the Waltham community, through a number of events held throughout 2024 and 2025.

To highlight the importance of this aspect across our Trust, at one of our other primary academies, all pupils visited the Immingham docks for a full guided tour, organised by APB Immingham Ports; as part of a Primary Engineer programme, the academy was visited by members from Equans, who talked to pupils about life as an engineer; and Year 1 pupils attended a workshop on bricklaying, as part of their topic of looking at the Three Little Pigs.

We will ensure that our pupils are fully integrated into the Waltham community and have a full awareness of local, regional and national career opportunities for the to aspire to.

We use a variety of methods to celebrate and reward success. These include weekly Special Mentions assemblies, attended by parents; daily social media posts; regular news items on our website; use of our on-line Reward system, amongst many daily systems employed by staff.