Diwali
In Reception our theme this term is celebrations. One of the celebrations we found out about was the Diwali. We had a visit from Mrs
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Woodmancote School has always aimed to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum, whilst ensuring that the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum are covered. We also seek to ensure that the curriculum is inspiring and relevant for pupils and provides sequential knowledge with firm building blocks.
In 2019, the teaching staff began to re-design our curriculum, to tailor it to our school and the wealth of learning to be gained in our local area, on the outskirts of Cheltenham and at the foot of Cleeve Hill. As a result of this re-design we now have a curriculum which specifically meets the needs of our pupils. Curriculum documents outline the content in each subject.
Parents or other members of the public can find out more about the curriculum that the school is offering by emailing the school office in the first instance.
Belong
A curriculum that creates sympathetic, tolerant, open minded pupils who belong firstly at Woodmancote School or Little Chestnuts and also in a diverse global community
Woodmancote School shows children the opportunities and cultural wealth in the local community
Our learning is driven by real and practical experiences and that children enjoy
Aspire
A curriculum that opens children’s eyes to possibilities for their futures and prepares them for life in modern Britain
A school experience that responds to current events and inspires them to make a difference in their society
Achieve
We enable children to learn and retain important knowledge
We encourage achievement and promote good outcomes for pupils
Our children thrive and develop their own particular talents
Fulfils the statutory requirements of National Curriculum and provides experiences and opportunities that are appropriate to the needs of children in our school
Is filled with memorable experiences, with diverse transferrable skills
Is broad and balanced allowing all children access to a wide range of opportunities
Uses the outdoor environment, active learning and encourages development of the school grounds
Builds in review and recall with progressive sequential learning
Promotes physical health and well-being
Safeguards children from harm by teaching about risks around drugs, unhealthy relationships, the internet, health
Celebrates individual success and achievement
The learning is adapted to meet the changing needs and interests of different pupils and to take account of important current affairs events that occur. Teachers are flexible in their approaches and the structure of sessions meets pupil’s individual needs. Modelling and scaffolding are integral parts of the teaching and learning sequence, along with visual representations.
Has real life experiences and practical opportunities throughout all subjects, which include trips, visitors, WOW days, events and pupil leadership opportunities
Is delivered by well informed and enthusiastic teachers, who understand the sequence of learning.
Meaningful, individual assessments are made by the teachers and are used effectively to inform the next sequence of learning. Time is invested in ensuring that knowledge and skills are embedded and pupils broaden and deepen their learning when ready.
Is assessed, monitored and reviewed by subject teams
Emotional
All children are happy at Woodmancote School
Learning is enjoyable, purposeful and rewarding
Pupils are confident and independent learners
Parents are happy and would recommend us to others
Social
Behaviour and attitudes are outstanding
Children demonstrate our values in their behaviour at school
Pupils make informed choices about their own and the safety of their friends
Pupils are active community members in their school and know the contributions they can make now and in the future
Intellectual
Children achieve high standards, above national expectations
Disadvantaged pupils close the academic gap with their peers
Children with SEND achieve good outcomes from their starting points.
Pupils take pride in their work, are independent and achieve well
Our PSHE curriculum has been developed to ensure all our children have the skills they need to be a successful member of both our school community and our modern British society. The Jigsaw PSHE scheme gives us a foundation. Alongside this, and underpinning everything we do, is our commitment to support our pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through our own school values of Belong, Aspire, Achieve.
All teachers work together to plan the year’s curriculum, using the National Curriculum’s programmes of study. Wherever possible, units of work are enhanced by hands-on experiences to allow our pupils to explore their learning. Research shows that hands on learning allows pupils to directly take on board and understand what is happening or how to do something. This is firmly embedded in our teaching – especially within our science curriculum.
Also, the non-core subjects such as art, computing and D.T. give children opportunities in practical problem solving and gives them their first introduction to future highly skilled trades.
Trips outside of school are a way we can enrich our children’s learning opportunities, giving even more depth and value to the experiences they receive in their classrooms. They maintain the motivation to learn and also support the children in retaining even more knowledge.
Past trips have included the SS Great Britain, Crickley Hill, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gloucester Cathedral
In Year 4 and Year 6, children are offered the chance to go on a residential trip. The Year 6 go to Whitemoor Lakes and spend time at The National Memorial Arboretum. These types of trips also have a huge impact on the social and emotional development of our children and help them to understand where they fit in to the local and national community.
In recent years these have included:
Many of these activities include participation from local residents or community groups.
On joining the school, all children are assigned to a House (Cleeve, Nottingham, Malvern or Leckhampton). Each House has a Year 6 House Captain and Vice-Captain and the aim is to ensure all children develop a sense of identity and belonging.
Inter-house competitions are extremely popular events in the school calendar.
The children love to represent the house they Belong to and we encourage participation as much as potential success.
The competitions are carefully organised so that ALL children take part in an activity that earns points towards the overall winner.
In recent years, competitions have included cross country, Photography, Football and ‘Winter Wonderland’ shoeboxes.
The aim is to ensure there are a range of competitions that engage and enthuse children regardless of their interests.
Outdoor learning is an important part of our curriculum. Activities are carefully planned to compliment the unit of work being covered. The school has two trained Forest School Leads. These sessions are the perfect opportunity for children to develop their creativity, team work, decision making skills and their ability to assess risks.
All of the above contribute to our whole school curriculum and together, give our children an exciting and inspiring start to their education. Our overarching intent ensures that our pupils become sympathetic, tolerant, open minded pupils who belong in a diverse global community.
See the Outdoor Learning Curriculum Map.
In Reception our theme this term is celebrations. One of the celebrations we found out about was the Diwali. We had a visit from Mrs
In Reception we have been learning about the changing seasons from Autumn to winter. We particularly enjoyed exploring our outdoor area in the snow.
This term, Y3 have had a go at making some Stone Age Tools! We got the idea from reading the book ‘Stone Age Boy’ where
In October, a group of Year 4 and 5 pupils attended The Cheltenham Literature Festival. We began our morning at the story telling tent; listening
This term, Year 5 were very lucky to be visited by Darren Rees; the host of the “Football For Kids” podcast. Darren was invited to
If you have a child due to start school in September 2025, please come along to one of our open days to see what our
