Wider Curriculum Subjects

Art and Design

The Futura Learning Partnership intent for Art and Design is that learners will explore a diverse range of traditional and contemporary artists, crafts people and designers, fostering their curiosity and understanding of the world around them. Learners’ experiences will enable them to develop an appreciation of their own and other cultures and how artistic styles have been influenced over time. Through high quality art lessons learners will become reflective critical thinkers with the abilities to express themselves creatively. They will learn to evaluate their own work and the work of others. A well-sequenced art curriculum will allow learners to make continued progression through the refinement of skills and building on prior knowledge. Learners will have the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge in a range of contexts. Learners will be exposed to art in the local community, galleries and museums to inspire and inform their creative practice.

Computing

The Futura Learning Partnership intent for Computing is that an exciting and rigorous Computing education will ensure children are immersed in engaging, technology-rich learning experiences which allow them to learn deeply and embed core computing skills, think independently and problem solve in an ever-evolving digital world. Regardless of changes within technology and the world we live in, our children will possess the core skills and behaviours required to safely and confidently access new technology to enhance their wider learning, access the curriculum throughout their school journey and inspire a future where technology is used to innovate and make positive change. We believe that learning about Computing provides an important context for the development of pupils’ key learning skills, particularly problem-solving, creative and critical thinking and resourcefulness. Futura recognise that social context plays a vital role in children’s education and as such we aim to provide opportunities for children to experience Computing in ways that are unique to their local and wider community.

Design and Technology

The Futura DT curriculum aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to become successful, innovative young designers and makers. By building on prior experience, students progressively develop technical skills and practical expertise. They are encouraged to think creatively, imaginatively and be ambitious in their design ideas. They are given opportunities to solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They learn to recognise the importance of design and technology in the real world and its relevance in everyday life. They are given opportunities to learn about and be inspired by designs and designers past and present who have impacted on life across the world. Through the design, make, evaluate process, students are guided to develop skills of team work, communication, resilience and reflectiveness through problem solving. They learn to use knowledge and understanding from other curriculum areas including mathematical, scientific, computing and art skills, applying them in relevant and practical contexts. In this way, we aspire for our students to become articulate, dynamic thinkers able to approach new challenges with confidence and enthusiasm.

Geography

The purpose of the Futura Learning Partnership geography intent is to provide a framework for high quality geography education across phases to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. The aim is to ensure that pupils are equipped with knowledge about a diverse range of places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the earth’s key physical and human processes. Pupils should make sense of the complex world around them, understand and be confident to investigate some of the major issues, challenges and opportunities that the world faces today. The aim is to ensure that pupils will develop greater competence in using geographical knowledge, approaches, concepts and skills in analysing and interpreting a wide range of different geographical information. In that way pupils will enrich their locational knowledge and spatial and environmental understanding as well as acquire the geographical cultural capital needed to be confident and successful global citizens.

Numeracy (number and measurement) solving numerical problems, the ways in which numerical information is gathered by counting and measuring, and how it is presented in graphs, charts and tables. There are many opportunities within geography for students to develop their numeracy skills.

History

The Futura Learning Partnership intent for history is that a high-quality history education will inspire children to have a curiosity and fascination about the local area and Britain’s past and that of the wider world as well.

Children will be able to think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. The children’s deep learning of history and its related information gathering skills will enable them to have an understanding of where we have come from and how this has been influenced by the wider world and different cultural heritages. This in turn will enable us to learn from the past, model the future and understand society and the child’s place within it. Furthermore, it gives us a view of other cultures and their development through time.

We believe that learning about historical events provides an important context for the development of pupils’ key learning skills, particularly communication, working with others, problem solving and critical thinking skills and that this will be done not just through experiences in the classroom but also through the use of field work and educational visits. 

Modern Foreign Languages

Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. At the Futura Learning Partnership, we aim to foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. We strongly believe that languages are a skill for life, and something that pupils should enjoy and find rewarding. Through learning foreign language, students also develop literacy and oracy in their own language as well as resilience and problem solving skills. Language learning should provide the foundation for learning further languages.

We hope to expand students’ cultural knowledge whilst developing their language skills. Through language learning, pupils gain a sound understanding of the structure of their own language, leading to effective communication in the foreign language. Students of all abilities can benefit from learning a foreign language, supporting and enhancing their literacy learning across the curriculum.

The Languages curriculum caters for students with varied previous language learning. It enables students to build upon prior knowledge or language learning skills. Students are well-prepared at the end of each key stage to tackle the next steps in language learning but equally, should they choose not to continue their formal language learning, they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to use in the workplace or for leisure or to further their learning.

Physical Education

The purpose of the Futura Learning Partnership cross-phase Physical Education curriculum is to foster a life-long love for a variety of physical activities and sporting opportunities. Through this engaging curriculum they will develop a range of transferrable skills, language, knowledge and understanding which can be used in multiple settings. A student will be provided with many opportunities to develop wider personal, social and moral skills which could include resilience, communication, teamwork, independence, leadership, analysis and evaluation. Our students will develop their understanding of what engenders a healthy lifestyle both physically and the contribution this has on good mental health and well-being. Opportunities will be provided to experience a broad range of different sports safely, through participation and observations, in both the curricular and extra-curricular provision. Community links are established and advertised to encourage our students to have further opportunities for continuing participation through school extra-curricular activities and local clubs and sports.

Our relevant, engaging and challenging curriculum means that students who have studied PE at a Futura school will continue to enjoy learning about Physical Education, physical activity and a variety of sports throughout their lives. The curriculum overview has been created to develop a range of activities for students, whilst also providing specific support/opportunities for activities that are likely to be used in GCSE/A level assessment, along with links to extra-curricular opportunities. Through creating a structured programme, specific SOL can be created for each activity which enables clear progression through years 1-11. This allows all Futura schools to meet Ofsted requirements and those of the National Curriculum. Leaders, teachers and students need to be able to articulate the learning journey and this structure allows this to happen.

Religious Education

Our RE lessons provide important opportunities for children to explore and better understand their own and other people’s experiences of Christian and other world faiths. The children explore human life, its aspirations, times of celebration, problems, and challenges. 

The Futura intent for Religious Education is that all children develop an awareness of major world religions and world views, including their impact on society and culture. Our pupils should be able to appreciate and respect faiths and beliefs which may be different to their own, which will equip them for their adult life, employment as well as lifelong learning. Through RE lessons, children will be able to engage with challenging questions of meaning and purpose, which will equip them to continue their studies of RE in secondary school where they will deepen their understanding of different world faiths as well as more general philosophical and ethical questions. Our pupils will be given the opportunity to develop their own religious, spiritual and philosophical beliefs in a safe environment. Children will be able to reflect, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate different issues which are prevalent in our society, whilst also promoting mutual respect and tolerance in line with British Values.  Our curriculum is ambitious for all and strives to address inclusion and disadvantage in its intent and implementation.  

We teach Religious Education using the scheme ‘Discovery RE’ resource to support our lessons.

Music

In the Futura Learning Partnership, our intention is that children develop a life-long love of music. Through the musical experiences and opportunities offered to them throughout their education, each child will develop a musical identity which is personal to them, this may be in the form of a performer, composer and/or as an active listener who, in the future, will become a participator in the cultural life of the UK. At Woolavington, music acts as an integral part of the school day, be that singing whilst packing up, or listening to a new piece of music whilst walking into assembly. Our music curriculum plan, guided by the EYFS framework and National Curriculum, ensures that all children from EYFS to Year 6 experience a stimulating, practical and holistic curriculum which explores music through singing, performing, composing and listening. Every student in the Futura Trust will have been taught the substantive and disciplinary knowledge required for GCSE Music, and therefore possibly A-Level, should they wish to study Music at KS4 and KS5.

We strive to ensure all students find Music an engaging and fulfilling subject in which they embrace the discipline of practice, the challenge of analysis and the excitement of creating and finding their own musical voice. At Woolavington, we supplement the Futura Music Curriculum with teaching from Somerset Music, giving children the opportunity to learn an instrument and perform to an audience. Somerset Music also provide the opportunity for pupils to take part in choir performances both within school and around the county.