Subject Leader: Mrs Younger
At Witham St Hughs Academy, we strongly believe that it is every pupil’s right to learn to read and we strive to ensure that every child is a confident, fluent (100+ words a minute) reader by the end of Key Stage One. Reading is the vehicle through which children access many other areas of the curriculum and subsequently can open the door to many other aspects in the wider world and therefore, we place great emphasis on ensuring daily, high quality, systematic, discrete phonics teaching is delivered consistently across our academy. At Witham St Hughs Academy, we follow the Read Write Inc. programme to teach phonics. This rigorous and sequential approach to teaching phonics ensures that our children enter Key Stage Two as confident readers and that they are prepared for the next stage of their education regardless of disadvantage or SEND needs.
Subject Leader: Mrs Younger
Curriculum Champions: Violet, Amelia, Sofia, Finley, Ellie & Poppy
At Witham St Hughs Academy, the teaching of reading is at the very core of our curriculum. Our main aim is to ensure that every child becomes a confident, fluent reader who develops a love of reading. Additionally, we aim for every child to be able to ‘read to learn’. All children will be exposed to a variety of literature, genres and authors and develop the self-awareness to understand the kind of reader they are. The sharing of stories is central to our provision throughout the Academy, not just in Key Stage 1 and children enjoy both reading and being read to as part of our daily provision.
Subject Leader: Miss Patmore
Curriculum Champions: Lily, Evelyn, Ellis, Isobel, Betsy & Molly
At Witham St Hughs Academy, we aim to ensure that all children become competent writers. English will be taught in a daily discrete lesson for all pupils; however the teaching and development of writing skills will also be embedded in other areas of the curriculum. By the time pupils leave the school, they will be expected to write clearly, accurately and coherently, for a variety of purposes and audiences, adapting their language and style as required. Both transcription skills and composition skills are equally important and will be taught effectively in a creative and engaging way. Children will be expected to take pride in their writing and present their work to a high standard. Through linked reading activities, children will be encouraged to develop an author’s voice.
Subject Leader: Miss Riddell
Curriculum Champions: Isaac, Isla, Vicky, Isla, Mason & Lexi
At Witham St Hughs Academy, we believe that all pupils are entitled to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics. They should have both fluencies of recall and conceptual understanding of the problems they solve. All pupils should have the opportunity to reason mathematically, use mathematical language and understand the purpose and application of mathematics. Our ‘stations’ approach to mathematics ensures that learning is not capped for any pupil regardless of disadvantage or SEND need. The mathematics curriculum at Witham St Hughs Academy is coherently planned and sequenced following a spiral model to ensure regular recap and revision of the separate mathematical disciplines and to help pupils remember in the long term. Spaced learning is used and evident in medium term planning to maximise pupil retention of mathematical facts and concepts in order that these are applied with fluency when tackling reasoning problems.
Subject Leader: Mr Dickson
Curriculum Champions: Henry, Alexa, Eadie & Warren
At Witham St Hughs Academy, we believe that children are provided with an enriched scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. When they leave Witham St Hughs academy, children will have an understanding of living organisms from green plants and life cycles to the classification and the origin of species from their Biology lessons. Also, they will have had first-hand opportunities to investigate how matter is composed, as well as being able to examine their properties and reactions in their Chemistry lessons. Finally, children will have studied the physical properties of matter and energy, including its motion and how it interacts with energy and forces as well as learning about the seasonal changes during their Physics learning. Children are equipped with the ‘Science Capital’ required to understand what the implications are for science today and for the future. At Witham St. Hughs Academy, we strive to inspire all children to take an active role in the future of scientific developments and employment.
Subject Leaders: Miss Thomas
Curriculum Champions: Oliver, Oakley, Catherine & Oliver
All pupils have a high quality computing education that ensures they have a progressive fluency in digital creativity, core computer skills and have a clear understanding of internet safety. We aim for all pupils to have an understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts of computing science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation. Our approach provides all pupils with the powerful knowledge they require to access subsequent learning and engage within the classroom, society and employment after education. We promote independence through our Digital Leader provision which encourages our older pupils to inspire our younger learners’ digital confidence and curiosity online.
Subject Leaders: Miss Cassidy & Mrs Broadley
Curriculum Champions: Zachary, Aiden, Archie & Kenzie
We believe that a high-quality geography education should inspire an environment of curiosity and fascination about our world and its people and through this, promote engaged, global citizens. We believe geography teaching should equip all pupils with knowledge beyond their own experience and offer experiences and knowledge that explore breath of understanding. We believe that pupils need several elements of essential knowledge to excel in geography which can be broadly categorised into: locational knowledge, place knowledge, understanding of physical and human geography and finally developing geographical skills and fieldwork.
Subject Leader: Mr Sheridan
Curriculum Champions: Phoebe, Imogen & Max
All pupils should have a high-quality history education which stimulates minds and encourages children’s interest about the history of places and people. We believe history teaching should equip all pupils with knowledge beyond their own living memory and offer awareness that enables children to understand our world today. We believe that pupils need several elements of essential knowledge to excel in history which can be categorised into: people, places and events, skills within history, chronology and vocabulary.
Subject Leaders: Mr Medley & Mr Welham
Curriculum Champions: Leyton, Lilly, Harry & Brodie
Through our Physical Education curriculum, pupils will develop a positive relationship with physical health, activity and personal well-being. Pupils will develop their understanding of competition including: fair play, sportsmanship, teamwork, passion and resilience. Physical Education is taught through a broad range of physical activities: competitive games, dance, gymnastics, outdoor adventurous activities, cycling, swimming and fundamental movement skills. To ensure true breadth of curriculum, one off exceptional learning experiences are accessed by pupils to develop the cultural capital knowledge and understanding of the wide scope of sport. Physical Education at Witham St Hughs Academy will develop the whole child – mentally, personally, physically and socially.
Subject Leader: Mrs Alder and Mrs Dixon
Curriculum Champions: Alexa, Isabella, Isla & Faith
At Witham St Hughs Academy, we believe that a high-quality religious education is essential to achieve an environment of curiosity and respect towards religious beliefs and customs. Therefore, creating well-rounded, knowledgeable and tolerant pupils. Our RE curriculum has been carefully and coherently planned and sequenced to link with our tolerance curriculum which prepares pupils for life as young people after life at Witham St Hughs Academy. We believe religious education should equip pupils with knowledge beyond their own experiences and personal beliefs. In a local area, often lacking in diversity, it is religious education that allows pupils to gain a deeper understanding of others’ faiths. The children also compare religious beliefs to current society and understand what atheism is.
Subject Leader: Miss Riddell
Curriculum Champions: Merryn, Angelle, Roseanne, Catherine, Isla & Martha
At Witham St Hughs Academy, we believe that all pupils should be encouraged to express their own artistic ideas to guide them on their creative learning journey. They will build a confidence across a range of materials and can demonstrate an increasing mastery of Art techniques, including drawing, painting, textiles, collage, sculpture and print making. Established ‘Artist of the Term’ project enables pupils to build a knowledge of artists and use these to inspire their own art work. We aim to engender the confidence and resilience to consistently rehearse artistic skills.
Subject Leader: Miss Bownes
Curriculum Champions: Theo & Lucas
At Witham St Hughs Academy, the teaching of design and technology involves the application of skills for life. Pupils develop an authentic creativity and understanding of practical, real-life problem solving. We believe that pupils should have an ownership of their learning and be given a freedom to explore and take appropriate risks. With consideration of something, somebody for some purpose, we allow the pupils to aim for an outcome that is tailored to them and follows a real-life brief. The curriculum at Witham St Hughs Academy coherently planned and sequenced learning opportunities allows pupils to expand and build sufficient knowledge and skills. Every pupil has a right to be exposed to a broad and balanced curriculum and to understand the impact design and engineering has on their world. In addition, the design and technology curriculum includes cooking and nutritional skills to support an understanding of where food comes from and food preparation, cooking and nutritional values. The curriculum is planned and taught using a progressive methodology to inspire the pupils and engender a positive relationship with food.
Subject Leader: Mrs Bertram
Curriculum Champions: Florence & Dylan
The high quality Modern Foreign Languages curriculum at Witham St Hughs Academy develops knowledge beyond the everyday experience of the children and inspires pupils to want to know more about the world in which they live. It provides them with the skills needed to be able to engage with the wider world, equipping them for life beyond the classroom. Our chosen language is French, which is taught through the comprehensive and progressive ‘Language Angels’ scheme linked to class topics to make learning relevant and engaging. Although not statutory in Key Stage One, Modern Foreign Languages are introduced through the ‘Little Languages’ scheme to provide a strong foundation to language learning. To support the learning of French we have a link school which enable pupils to develop their communication skills through meaningful real life interactions.
Subject Leaders: Miss Johnson & Mr Norton
Curriculum Champions: Isabelle, Ruby, Charlotte & Louie
All pupils should perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians. They should learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence. Pupils understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.
Subject Leader: Mrs Younger
Curriculum Champions: Charlie, Amelia, Neve, Clarke & Flora
At Witham St Hughs Academy, we put great emphasis on the importance of preparing pupils for life as young people after Witham St Hughs academy and we truly believe that success is not solely measured by academic achievement. Our Character Education curriculum has been carefully designed to include all elements of PSHE, British Values, SMSC and philosophy with a clear understanding that, “We need knowledge to live in a complex world, but we do not live by knowledge, we live by beliefs and values.” At Witham St Hughs Academy, children’s wellbeing, happiness and safety are our first priority, and our Character Education curriculum is the key vehicle through which we share this with children. We believe that our Character Education teaching should equip pupils with knowledge beyond their own experience and, in a local area often lacking in diversity, offer experiences that will allow pupils to make informed decisions about their health, wellbeing and relationships.
Subject Leaders: Mrs Hartley & Mrs Hensman
Outdoor learning at Witham St Hughs Academy is a practical and fun experience that centers around developing our school values of resilience, unity and enjoyment. Outdoor learning provides children with the chance to develop problem solving skills in many different contexts, as well as giving children the opportunity to develop their teamwork skills when working in the outdoor learning space with their peers. The most important aim of our outdoor learning curriculum is to provide opportunities for pupil enjoyment, with huge benefits to mental wellbeing through contact with nature.
At Witham St Hughs Academy, we strongly believe that it is important to provide an environment that promotes healthy eating and enables children to make informed choices about the food they eat, as well as teaching quality cooking skills to prepare them for the wider world. There is an emphasis on children learning appropriate skills, such as the safe use of knives, peelers, graters and other such equipment. We also equip children with an awareness of food safety and hygiene processes. At Witham St. Hughs Academy we follow the Taste Education scheme. This aims to help build a generation of children who enjoy healthy foods and who have a positive relationship with food and their own bodies. Taste Ed equips children with the tools and experiences needed to navigate the modern food environment and become more confident, adventurous and healthy eaters. We believe that every child deserves access to good food as well as the opportunity to explore a range of ingredients.
