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English: Reading

English: Reading

The teaching of reading at Woodhouse Primary School

There are two dimensions to the teaching of reading: word reading (decoding and phonics) and comprehension (listening and reading). At Woodhouse, we strive to teach these skills in a variety of different ways detailed below. DARTS (Directed Activities Related to Texts) sessions are additional to English lessons, enabling staff and pupils to read a range of fiction and non-fiction texts and engage in in depth discussions. Almost all English units are based on a variety of high quality texts and, where necessary, links to reading comprehension and word reading will be made in these lessons too. These class texts include a range of genres such as fairy stories, traditional tales, predictable phrase books, stories with recurring language, myths and legends, modern fiction, fiction from our literary heritage, books from other cultures and traditions, poetry, play scripts and non-fiction. They are often drawn from our reading spine – our 50 Book Challenge.

A brief overview of the teaching of reading across school

Reading in Reception and Key Stage 1

In Year R and Year 1, we use 'Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised' which is a validated systematic synthetic phonics programme to teach reading and writing. We maintain full fidelity to this scheme which focuses heavily on repeated practice. Daily phonics sessions allow pupils to learn how to segment and blend using their phonic knowledge which is then consolidated throughout the day through both teacher led and independent activities. Each week, pupils will be individually taught using a ‘word box’ which links to their current level of phonics knowledge based around ‘Little Wandle’. Phases 2, 3 and 4 are taught in this first year of their learning journey.

Children are exposed to a variety of stories during their daily story time, including fiction, non-fiction, nursery rhymes and poetry. To develop their comprehension skills, pupils will also take part in thrice-weekly reading groups with highly trained adults. These sessions have three different foci: fluency, prosody and comprehension. The text that is used in this reading group is a Big Cat Collins book which is phonically decodable, matched closely to the children’s phonic ability (following assessment using Little Wandle’s assessment system) and is also the book that the children take home to read to their parents.

To ensure children develop their understanding of vocabulary, structure and grammar within sentences as well as developing reading comprehension skills, pupils will also take home a book which is not decodable – this is called a ‘Sharing book’ and has been chosen by the child to follow their own interests. This book is meant to be shared with an adult in their life and focuses on building vocabulary, exploring the wider world of literature and most importantly developing a love of reading.

Every day, the pupils will also share a class reading book with the teacher – a book chosen from the Woodhouse 50 Book Challenge - which will further develop a love of and enthusiasm for reading. This text may well be repeated numerous times throughout the year to enable the children to enjoy getting involved in the story and at points learn the conventions of rhyme and rhythm.

In Year 1, pupils continue to have daily phonics sessions to consolidate Phase 3 and 4 letters and sounds as well as becoming well-versed in the phase 5 alternative phonemes for each sound e.g. ‘ai’ can also be ‘ay’ and ‘a-e’.

In Year 2, pupils will revise phase 5 phonics during the Autumn term to ensure that it is fully embedded in the children’s practice and they will also have three weekly DARTs sessions focusing on decoding, prosody and reading comprehension using short texts. Pupils who require extra support to secure their phonics knowledge are provided with regular intervention sessions. Reading comprehension, linking to the text the children are currently reading together in class, is also explored within English lessons.

Reading in KS2

In KS2, where pupils' decoding skills are more advanced, there is a greater focus on developing children's comprehension. Weekly DARTs sessions focus on reading skills where pupils explore short texts and answer a variety of questions. Reading comprehension is also explored within English lessons linking to the text the children are currently reading. English mentoring sessions are held where teachers can read 1:1 with pupils and discuss the choices children are making when choosing books to ensure they read a broad and balanced range. In some cases, additional phonics intervention is provided to ensure all children learn the critical skill of decoding, though this is in a small minority of cases.

Reading Scheme

A reading scheme, which comprises of Oxford Reading Tree and Big Cat Collins books, runs in Key Stage 2. In the earliest levels, the books are easier to decode and comprehend whereas, further up the stages, word lengths, word difficulty and prior knowledge needed to comprehend the text successfully, all increase. The schemes provide pupils with the opportunity to read a broad range of fiction and non-fiction books. Pupils are provided with a reading stage level ranging from 1-20 which, through ongoing teacher assessment, is changed in line with the progress the individual child is making. We believe that it is beneficial to repeat books in order to encourage fluent reading and make it clear to pupils that it is not a race to get through the levels. Each pupil has a reading packet which contains their reading book and a reading diary for parental comments. We encourage children in Year 3-5 to change their books at least once a week and pupils in Year 4-6 are responsible for changing their own book to develop their independence when selecting books from the reading library.

In Year 6, pupils choose books from the class library providing a huge range of authors and genres and they are encouraged – with these longer books – to change their book once every two weeks. They also take part in the Accelerated Reader scheme which promotes children's independent reading and comprehension. On completion of a book, children take a quiz online which provides them with instant feedback. Feedback from pupils shows that this scheme has a positive impact on their motivation to read.

Parental Involvement

There are many ways we involve parents in their child’s reading including a reading diary where they are invited to make comments based on their child’s ability to read fluently and with good understanding. Strategies for supporting children are also outlined in the diary so that parents can make the most of the time spent reading with their child.

Reading for pleasure

To promote a love of reading, each year group has a 50 Book Challenge which children are challenged to complete by the end of Years 2, 4 and 6. Class readers and many literacy units are chosen from this core set of texts specifically picked to enhance the breadth of reading across school. Each class also has a library where children can select from a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry books to share at home with their adults. In KS2, classes are also provided with a weekly copy of the ‘First News’ newspaper. Whole school events such as Roald Dahl Day, World Book Day and National Poetry Day are celebrated as well as visits to the local library in Key Stage 2. Each year group has a system in place to encourage frequent book changing and reading at home and this can include rewards such as bookmarks, golden tickets and stationery.

50 Book Challenges

To further expand our children's exposure to quality literature, we have three 50 Book Challenges that each span two year groups. Each challenge contains a huge range of specially-chosen authors, genres and vocabulary designed to introduce children to the most moving, exciting and entertaining books aimed at their specific age group. Included in the vast collection are classic books from our literary heritage, modern books from the most up-to-date authors and contemporary favourites to help your child further develop a love of reading. Who will be the first to read them all?

Vulnerable learners

To support children who require additional reading support, interventions take place across the school including phonics interventions linked to ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised’, regular individual 1:1 reading with an adult, pre-reading texts which will be used in DARTs lessons and Better Reading. Echo reading is another strategy used to support vulnerable learners who require additional support with their decoding. This then enables all children to access comprehension activities in KS2.

Reading Progression

Supporting Your Child's reading

At Woodhouse Primary School, we aim for all our children to develop confidence and independence when learning how to read and to develop a love of books. We endeavour to provide them with many opportunities to read a wide range of reading material throughout their time with us, building on skills as they develop as readers. There are many simple things that you can do at home to help your child to develop skills and become a confident reader (as shown in the leaflet below). 

Both in KS1 and KS2, logging comments in your child's reading diary is a useful form of communication with teachers in regards to reading. There are some suggested comments included in the attached leaflet which may help you when doing this. If you child reads a book of their own choice which does not appear on the school reading scheme, this is also something that can be recorded in the reading diary as it helps to build up a picture of your child as a reader.

English: Writing

English: Writing

Writing at Woodhouse is underpinned by two central aims: to instil in our pupils an excitement for the creativity of the writing process and to teach them the necessary skills and abilities to become successful, independent writers.  

To achieve this, emphasis is placed on ensuring the increasingly complex demands of appropriate sentence structure are met securely, that children are exposed to a wide variety of vocabulary and, in conjunction, pupils are provided with opportunities to develop an understanding of the spelling rules of the English language appropriate to their age. To support this, pupils are exposed to a wide range of high-quality texts to enable them to experience a range of writing styles and genres which provide aspirational models for them to reproduce in their own work.

Sentence Structure

To instil an ability to confidently build sentences as our pupils progress through school, children are first introduced to ‘High Five’ sentences in early Key Stage 1, majoring on the very basics of sentence construction. Continual practice and mastery of these simple sentences creates a confidence that subsequent teaching builds on.

From this point, complexity is built year upon year, always beginning with the original simple sentence and building outwards from there. Weekly sentence building tasks throughout school are sequenced in such a way that the basic sentence unit is being constantly developed and expanded to the degree that by Upper Key Stage 2, children can begin to manipulate grammatical constructions to create a range of different effects.

As with many of these key facets of writing, children’s abilities are aided by a huge number of book-based units throughout school where the children are exposed to a wide range of sentence types to use in their own work.

Vocabulary

The understanding and use of advanced, appropriate vocabulary are both central skills in the comprehension and creation of texts and so they are therefore a huge part of our teaching.

From early in Key Stage 1, subject-specific vocabulary is explicitly explored through play, though this vehicle soon makes way for exposure to quality vocabulary through our range of hand-picked class readers. Throughout school, these texts are chosen from our 50 Book Challenge and will be read and re-read throughout the year creating a culture which constantly revisits and enjoys quality lexis.

As children progress into Key Stage 2, they will become accustomed to other vocabulary-enhancing resources we use, including Mrs Wordsmith resources in the latter years of school.

Throughout school, other areas of the curriculum explicitly teach the subject-specific vocabulary needed to write reports and other more formal pieces, and other more widely-used, high-quality vocabulary (often referred to as tier 2 vocabulary) is explicitly drawn out of texts studied and subjects taught. The wider this base of adjectival and adverbial vocabulary, the more likely a child is to be able to purposefully mould their writing by the end of Key Stage 2.

Spelling

Soon after children walk through the doors of Woodhouse, a large emphasis is placed on spelling. Initially, this is centred around using their phonic knowledge to encode, and room is made for the choice of phonetically-plausible spellings, however, as children progress into Key Stage 2, correct spelling and application of basic spelling rules begin to form a central role in their ability to write effectively.

Although there are a huge array of activities that are used to achieve this in different year groups, all children from Year 1 upwards will receive weekly spelling tests – in Key Stage 1, these will often be  based around Common Exception words in line with our Little Wandle Phonics scheme. Spelling tests throughout the rest of school test the application of rules that have been introduced, discussed and practised at least three times in class each week including in dictations, in handwriting and in stand-alone SPaG activities. These should also be practised at home to fully embed these crucial rules.

On top of this, in Year 3-6, children will be provided with a spelling list of ten ‘Statutory Words’ per half-term which will be tested every two weeks.

To further encourage parental support, children will have a set of key words in the centre of their reading diaries throughout Key Stage 2 that require extra practice. These may be Common Exception Words from previous year groups, statutory words from previous year groups that have been spelt wrong or words that the class teacher considers are crucial moving forwards. Regular practice of these is also encouraged throughout Key Stage 2 when children have any time to do so in class.

This regular practising and exposure to the rules and sounds of the English language serves to provide a confidence with basic spelling that will free up ‘cognitive load’ for the children to focus on the control, manipulation and creativity of their work in later years.

Punctuation

Increasingly difficult punctuation is both explicitly taught in daily SPaG activities and modelled through the daily use of class readers and quality book-based units. In conjunction with explicit teaching and dependable understanding of sentence structure, children are able to apply an ever-expanding range of punctuation marks in their writing.

Basic errors in these punctuation marks are picked up in marking and will be corrected by children the next time work is completed, allowing them to quickly reflect on their own writing and correct any errors made.

Each year group also has a range of punctuation and spelling words/rules that children are expected to be able to recall instantly .

Planning And Editing

At Woodhouse, we recognise that choosing words for the page is only part of the skill of writing and must also join with the key skills of planning and editing. As children develop these skills, the purpose and audience take prominence in order to enhance the quality of writing produced.

We also recognise editing as a key foundation of writing successfully and it has become a central facet of our writing pedagogy to use ‘pit-stop’ editing, pausing regularly to re-read and edit work (both correcting errors and improving writing) rather than undertaking one large session of editing once a piece has been written.

Handwriting

The quality and fluency of one’s handwriting has been shown to have a huge effect on so many of the aforementioned areas of writing. This is the reason we place such high emphasis on the embedding of this key skill at Woodhouse.

From Reception, letter formation is explicitly taught in weekly phonics sessions and further recapped in small group settings to be applied every day in morning work. Individual letters follow Little Wandle mnemonics which are recapped regularly to help children remember the correct formation of their letters. During this critical stage in development, much effort is also placed into ensuring the correct position of a child’s paper, the good posture of the child, the correct pressure applied to their pens and an increasingly suitable pen grip for successfully neat handwriting. These core skills are further consolidated in Year 1 where intervention may take place to ensure letters are correctly formed.

In Year 2, lead-in and lead-out strokes are explicitly taught to enable the formation of continuous cursive script later on in the year. Particular attention is given to both top joins (eg. o, w and v) which children find challenging, and letters that are now formed completely differently than before (eg. f, j and y).

At the start of Year 3, children will be consolidating their ability to join their letters and once again letter joins will be explicitly taught to ensure maximum understanding is attained in this area before fluency is achieved.

In Year 4, handwriting should be of a continuous cursive style and pen licenses can be awarded for those who are ready to use handwriting pens in their everyday work whilst maintaining the presentation of their work.

In Year 5 and 6, daily handwriting practise helps children grow in speed and fluency. Special care is taken here to ensure ascenders and descenders are still of the correct size and orientation.  

Publishing

Recent research has suggested that there are many factors that contribute to children producing high-quality writing. One of these is having a clear audience and purpose for their writing; alongside this is the chance to ‘publish’ their work by writing it up in the neatest fashion possible. This practice gives purpose to our editing time and ensures that children really do give their best to their writing. At Woodhouse, we publish our work after every Big Write opportunity and, where possible, present it to the proposed audience to fulfil its original purpose.

Writing Progression

Resources

Science

Science

Our curriculum for science aims to provide the foundations for understanding the natural and humanly constructed world by equipping pupils with the scientific knowledge and language required to understand the uses and implications of science today and for the future. All pupils are taught essential aspects of the knowledge, method, processes and uses of science. Pupils are encouraged to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity alongside building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts. As pupils move through the school, they are taught to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave and analyse causes.

Pupils are provided with a wealth of experience as they progress through the school which enables them to build on their knowledge, skills and understanding of scientific processes such as: questioning, observing, grouping, classifying, comparing, communicating, testing and evaluating.

In the Foundation Stage, pupils are taught science through ‘Understanding of the World.’ Pupils lead their learning by asking enquiring questions about scientific concepts and then teaching is steered to answer such questions. Through teacher led activities and provision areas, pupils are encouraged to observe and investigate giving them a strong foundation in their science journey at Woodhouse.

In Key Stage One and Two, all knowledge and skills are taught discretely with cross-curricular links as appropriate. Topics covered include: Forces and Magnets; Living things and their habitats; Earth and Space, Animals, including humans and Evolution and inheritance.

Pupils are encouraged and enabled to become confident, resilient and inquisitive learners through a variety of activities, taking part in collaborative and independent work and applying their skills to investigate ‘big questions’ about the world they live in.

In addition to Science lessons, pupils’ ‘science capital’ is developed throughout assemblies, whole school competitions and activities. At Woodhouse, pupils learn how to be responsible citizens and are enthusiastic about looking after the environment. For example, in recent years we have become passionate about recycling and minimising the use of single use plastic.  

Pupils will be taught:

• To plan different types of scientific enquiry which answer relevant questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary
• To make systematic and careful observations
• To take accurate measurements using a range of equipment such as thermometers and data loggers
• To record data and results using: drawings, diagrams, labels, classification keys, tables, bar charts, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs
• To use test results to make predictions which may lead to further comparative and fair testing
• To identify differences, similarities and changes relating to scientific ideas and processes
• To report and present findings from enquiries
• To draw conclusions using scientific evidence

Knowledge Organisers & Documents

Art

Art

Our curriculum for art and design aims to engage, inspire and challenge pupils thus equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. We use a range of artists, sculptors and designers such as Monet, Seurat, Van Gogh, Warhol, Charles Knight, Roger Davies and Stephanie Calvet for inspiration and aim to ensure that pupils understand how art and design both reflect and shape our history and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of society.

Pupils are provided with a wealth of experiences as they progress through the school which enable them to build on their knowledge, skills and understanding of art and design techniques such as drawing, painting, printing and sculpture.

Lessons are taught using a cross-curricular approach, although some skills may be taught discretely should they not link to the cross curricular topics being taught.

Pupils will be taught:

• To use drawing, painting and sculpture with a variety of materials to develop and share ideas, experiences and imagination
• To record their observations and improve their mastery of art and design techniques
• About great artists, craft makers and designers and make comparisons with their own work

Documents

Computing

Computing

Our curriculum for computing is designed to provide children with the skills they need to excel in the constantly developing technological world in which we live. It is a curriculum that continuously evolves in order to keep pace with the rapid advances in technology. Pupils have access to a range of hardware such as: laptops, netbooks, iPads and tablets, and software, such as: Purple Mash, Minecraft, Lego Wedo, Pivot, Microsoft Office, Scratch, Logo, Kodu, Pivot and iMovie, thus ensuring that they can apply computational thinking to a variety of devices and systems.

Lessons are taught using a cross-curricular approach, although some skills may be covered discretely should they not link to the cross curricular topics being taught. Information technology is used in lessons on a daily basis to enhance teaching and promote independent and collaborative learning. Pupils are encouraged to use computational thinking across all subjects, in the form of problem solving, logical planning and reasoning.

Pupils are taught to:

• Think computationally whilst programming and coding
• Understand and use algorithms
• Solve problems and de-bug programs
• Use technology to create pictures, presentations, animations and films
• Use technology to connect and communicate with others in the school community and the wider world
• Use technology to collect and interpret data
• Become digitally literate in order to communicate effectively and evaluate digital content
• Respect and understand technology, including the internet and how to stay safe online

Links

Documents

Design & Technology

Design & Technology

Our curriculum for design and technology aims to inspire and develop pupils' practical skills, creativity and imagination. Within a variety of contexts, pupils will be given the opportunity to design, make and evaluate products that solve real and relevant problems whilst acquiring a broad range of subject knowledge and drawing on wider related disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art.

Pupils in Key Stage 1 and 2 are taught how to apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating during practical cooking sessions, enabling them to develop crucial life skills.  

Lessons are taught using a cross-curricular approach, although some skills may be taught discretely should they not link to the topics being taught.

Pupils will be taught:

• To design purposeful, functional and appealing products based on design criteria and to develop their ideas through a variety of methods, e.g. templates, mock-ups, annotated drawings and computer-aided design
• To select from and use a wide range of tools, equipment, materials and components
• To investigate and analyse a range of existing products and use their findings to evaluate and modify their own work
• To understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world
• To apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce structures
• To understand and use mechanical and electrical systems in their products
• To prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking skills, techniques and seasonal ingredients

Documents

There are currently no documents of this type available.

Geography

Geography

Our curriculum for geography aims to inspire in pupils a curiosity about the world and its people. We aim to equip pupils with knowledge and understanding of the diversity of places, people, resources and environments. We believe that pupils should understand about the interaction between physical and human processes and how this leads to the formation of landscapes and environments.

We achieve this by developing skills linked to: locational knowledge; place knowledge; human and physical geography and developing geographical skills and field work

Lessons are taught using a cross-curricular approach, although some skills may be taught discretely should they not link to the cross curricular topics being taught. Cross-curricular themes with a strong geographical emphasis include: Holidays; Dressing up; Building a village; Rainforests; Through the ages and Vacations

Pupils will be taught:

• To use a range of resources to locate and identify cities, counties , countries and significant geographical terms
• To compare and contrast a geographical region in the UK, Europe or a region within North and South America : e.g. Brighouse (and other areas in the UK); Spain; Germany; South America (rainforest regions)
• To understand the key aspects of physical and human geography : e.g climate zones; rivers; mountains, settlements and land use; distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals (NB this list is not exhaustive)
• To observe, measure and record the human and physical features in the local area

Documents

There are currently no documents of this type available.

History

History

Our curriculum for history aims to inspire pupils' curiosity to know more about local, regional, national and international history. We aim to develop pupils’ chronological, enquiry and interpretation skills to enable them to understand the history of Britain and the wider world. Pupils are taught to ask perceptive questions, think critically, consider evidence and arguments and develop perspective and judgement.

We achieve this by providing a broad range of experiences which enable pupils to learn about significant events and individuals from the past, the process of change, the diversity and complexity of societies and relationships between different groups as well as their own identity and the challenges of 21^st century living.

Lessons are taught using a topic based approach and this enables pupils to know and understand history from the earliest times to the present day. Significant events from different periods and cultures are used to enable pupils to develop their historical understanding. The themes of transport, power, religion and invasion teach pupils to recognise connections and contrasts across the history curriculum and develop an understanding of historical concepts.

History topics include:

The Vikings; Monarchs and their changing power; The Romans; Through the Ages and The Shang Dynasty.

Pupils will be taught:

• about changes within and beyond living memory which reflect aspects of change in national life, including those that are significant globally or nationally. As they progress into Key Stage Two, pupils will note connections, contrasts and trends over time, thus developing a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
• about the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements, such as: Queen Victoria, Percy Shaw, the Wright Brothers, Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Boudicca, James Brindley, Humphry Davy, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
• about significant historical events, such as: The Gunpowder Plot, The Great Fire of London, the Battle of Hastings, Roman Invasions and the Industrial Revolution.
• to develop the appropriate use of historical terms relating to the passing of time.
• to understand ways in which information about the past is represented, using a range of sources when addressing and sometimes devising historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
• to construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information

Documents

Languages

Languages

The Woodhouse Languages curriculum is currently being developed and enriched in collaboration with the MFL team at Rastrick High school, the school which the majority of our pupils transition to. Our aim is to create a robust, reiterative scheme of work, which is progressive and promotes practical communication, fostering a love of language and to provide the foundation for further language learning in KS3 and beyond. Pupils will gain a greater understanding of another cultures and, through the four key skills (speaking & listening; reading & writing), will progress to expressing themselves with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity by the end of Yr6.

Documents

Music

Music

Our curriculum aims to engage and inspire pupils, cultivating their skills of performing, composing, listening and appraising whilst developing an appreciation of music.

Provision is reviewed regularly to ensure that pupils are exposed to a variety of genres and styles across a range of historical periods to current times with the aim of building pupils’ self-confidence and developing creativity.

As pupils move through the school, they will:

• Listen to and evaluate a range of music across historical periods, genres and styles
• Create and compose, both individually and in collaboration with increasing control
• Understand how music is created and communicated and become familiar with musical terms: pitch, dynamics, duration, tempo, timbre, texture and structure

Pupils will be taught:

• To play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts
• To improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using a range of notation to record their ideas
• To appreciate a  wide range of live and recorded music drawn from great composers and musicians such as Beethoven, Holst, Britten and Vivaldi through Composer of the Year in KS2.
• To appreciate and understand the history of music drawn from different traditions

We endeavour to expose our pupils to a range of musical experiences through additional musical opportunities such as choir; singing at public events and musical collaborations with our partnership High School (Rastrick); performing at school events such as Christmas, open afternoons and special events through the year. 

Pupils also have the opportunity to partake in private music lessons provided by the peripatetic Music Hub from the Local Authority for which there is a charge to parents.

Documents

There are currently no documents of this type available.

Physical Education

Physical Education

The PE curriculum at Woodhouse is designed to inspire all pupils to participate, excel and succeed in physical activities and competitive sport. We provide opportunities for all pupils to become physically confident and have a good understanding of their health, fitness and wellbeing. From the onset of their school journey up to leaving Woodhouse, pupils develop their fundamental movement skills (balancing, jumping, throwing etc.), apply these to sporting situations and understand the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship enabling a life-long love for sport. 

The curriculum is divided into five strands with the themes of health and fitness interwoven throughout: Gymnastics, Dance, Games, Athletics and Swimming. Pupils are encouraged to thrive in competitive sport and physically demanding activities whilst developing the values of respect and fairness.  

Each year group is timetabled for a minimum of two PE lessons a week in addition to a swimming session in the school’s on-site swimming pool. Pupils are also encouraged to partake in running and skipping challenges on the school’s all weather running track and learn life-long skills through orienteering, using our bespoke orienteering course.  Older pupils participate in rock climbing and other adventurous activities at a local climbing gym and excel in gymnastics at a local, state-of-the-art gymnasium.  

We are proactive in seeking opportunities for pupils to participate in competitive sports and activities both inside and out of school and have strong links with Rastrick High School, the Pennine Sports partnership and the Calderdale School Games partnership.

Documents

Upcoming Events

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RESPECT

Relationships Education & Social, Personal, Emotional, Citizenship & Trust

A bespoke RESPECT curriculum has been developed in response to promoting our pupils' spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development. Through our RESPECT curriculum, we equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary to make informed decisions about their well-being, health, safety and relationships. Each year group learns about pertinent issues linking to our core school values:  

• Prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.  

• Give pupils the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.  

• Support pupils’ skills to recognise positive, healthy and respectful relationships. 

• Help to safeguard pupils so they can find and access help and support.  

• Teach pupils’ tolerance, the importance of equality and respect for diversity.  

• Develop pupils’ self-respect and self-worth, confidence and empathy. 

Within the RESPECT curriculum, and covertly across many areas of school, we seek to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We aim to enable pupils to: 

• understand how they can influence decision-making through the process of democracy 
• appreciate that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for well-being and safety 
• understand that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law 
• accept that other people may have different faiths or beliefs and this should be accepted and tolerated 
• understand the importance of identifying and dealing with discrimination 

Documents

Religious Education

Religious Education

Our curriculum for RE adheres to the statutory curriculum for maintained schools in Calderdale and is authorised by the Standing Advisory Council (SACRE).

The three aims of the curriculum are as follows:

• Knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and other world views
• Expression of ideas and insights around questions of beliefs and meaning
• Investigation and response to important questions for individuals and the wider community

Teaching and learning will focus on the core religions: Christianity; Islam; Sikhism; Judaism; Buddhism and Hinduism whilst recognising diversity and the many other systems of belief. Lessons will follow an enquiry and investigative approach teaching pupils to articulate their personal beliefs whilst respecting the right of others to differ.

Documents

Swimming

Swimming

Woodhouse Primary School is extremely fortunate to have its own swimming pool and two excellent, highly-qualified swimming instructors. Mrs Sutcliffe is a former GB swimmer and is the Team Manager for the Swim England Youth Team which has travelled to various countries to compete in a variety of competitions. Mrs Hughes is a former Junior GB swimmer and is the coach to the GB Artistic Swimmers (previously known as Synchronised Swimming) and is also the Head Coach for the City of Bradford Artistic Swimming Club, who are currently the National Champions.

Some of our Woodhouse children have also had the opportunity to take part in an after school Synchronised Swimming Club which has been run by Mrs Hughes with Mrs Wring-Skinner volunteering as a Stand Back Observer.