Curriculum Overview

Curriculum >

Our curriculum intends to give all students broad experience of a range of subjects but also to provide depth of knowledge and opportunities for mastery; we aim to provide curriculum content that allows students to make connections within and between subjects; our curriculum is designed to enable aspiration and achievement for all students.

We want all students to recognise courage, optimism, regard for self and others and endeavour and plan our curriculum to ensure that they learn about these important character traits so that they can develop and demonstrate them in what they do and how they do it.

Curriculum Overviews

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)

The first three years at Woodlands are the years for establishing a strong and broad foundation for further study. Students are taught in a variety of different ways, depending on their needs and abilities.

The curriculum at KS3 includes the core subjects of Mathematics, English and Science and the foundation subjects of Art, Design and Technology, Drama, Geography, History, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Modern Foreign Languages (Spanish or German), Music, Physical Education (PE), PSHE & Careers and Religious Education.

Year 7 Learning Journey

  • Year 7 students will explore ‘understanding ourselves’. The skills of speaking and listening will be developed through the year 7 programme of study.

    Autumn Term:

    • Autobiography: all about me! Writing for a specific audience and purpose.

    • A modern novel: teacher’s choice (author study).

    Spring Term:

    • Independent reading: students choose and read a novel of their choice and explore skills such as inference and creative writing building up to writing to their author.

    • An introduction to Shakespeare: students look at tragedy, comedy and history and complete an author study.

    Summer Term:

    • Poetry: exploring different forms of poetry.

    • Origins: Myths and Legends. An exploration of where literary allusions originate.

  • In KS3, maths is taught through Ark Mastery.

    Autumn Term:

    • Numbers and numerals, axioms and arrays. factors and multiples, order of operations, positive and negative numbers, expressions and equations and inequalities.

    Spring Term:

    • Angles classifying 2D shapes, constructing triangles and quadrilaterals, coordinates, areas of 2D shapes and transforming 2D shapes.

    Summer Term:

    • Prime factor decomposition, conceptualising and comparing fractions, manipulating and calculating with fractions, ratio and percentages.

  • Science in KS3 works on a rotation and therefore students may not follow these topics in this exact order.

    Autumn Term:

    An introduction to Science.

    • Biology: Cells.

    • Chemistry: Particle models and states of matter.

    • Physics: Forces and their effects.

    Spring Term:

    • Biology: Organisation.

    • Chemistry: Atoms, elements and compounds.

    • Physics: Sound and light.

    Summer Term:

    • Biology: Reproduction.

    • Chemistry: Chemical reactions, acids and alkalis.

    • Physics: The Solar System.

  • Autumn Term:

    • 3D shapes and light sources: basic skills.

    • 3D shapes as a structure: Architecture, Practising Architects: Frank Gehry, Richard Rogers and Frank Lloyd Wright.

    Spring Term:

    • Gaudi.

    • Edward Tinga Tinga: animal masks.

    Summer Term:

    • Complimentary colours, landscape painting: Fauvism.

  • Autumn Term

    • Adverts – exploring persuasive language.

    • Silent movies: Exploring mime and movement to tell a story.

    Spring Term

    • Pantomime: use of stock characters, comedy, audience participation and music.

    • Short scripts: exploring script layout, characters, dialogue and stage directions.

    Summer Term

    • African Theatre: traditional Zulu stories and conventions of African Theatre.

    • Ghost Stories: using theatrical conventions for audience response.

  • In Geography, students build on their learning through key questions that explore the ‘what, why, where and how’.

    Rivers

    My place in the world

    Biomes

    Tourism

    National Parks

  • Autumn Term:

    • Baseline test – exploring students’ skills and knowledge through murder mystery.

    • Romans – were the romans civilised?

    Spring Term:

    • Normans: The claimants, Leadership and Norman control.

    • Thomas Beckett: King Vs Church.

    • Tudors: The reformation; International relations.

    Summer Term:

    • Stuarts

    • Civil War – why was there a civil war? Why did the parliamentarians win?

    • Who had the biggest impact?

  • In RE, students will develop their knowledge and understanding through a number of philosophical questions to explore religion and ethics.

    Autumn Term:

    • ‘What is RE?’

    • ‘Who was Jesus?’

    Spring Term:

    • ‘Are there good reasons to believe in God?’

    • ‘How do Sikhs put their beliefs into practice?’

    Summer Term:

    • ‘How can we make decisions about right andwrong?’

    • Project: Pop block– skills/knowledge, surface decoration, accuracy and precision measuring, wood tools, electric tools, wood glues, construction, recycled materials, 2d and 3d drawings.

    • Project: Bug hotel – skills/knowledge, wood tools, marking and measuring, electric tools, wood glues, construction, pre-fabricated fixings, sustainability, 6Rs, product analysis, CAD

    • Project: Chocolate bar – skills/knowledge, rendering skills, designing skills, packaging, labels, vacuum forming, thermoforming polymer, different types of moulds, manufacturing plans.

  • Autumn Term:

    • Project 1: Computer Science Theory 1

    • Project 2: Microsoft Word

    Spring Term:

    • Project 3: Coding (Micro:bit)

    • Project 4: Microsoft Excel

    Summer Term:

    • Project 5: Computer Science Theory 2

    • Project 6: Microsoft PowerPoint

  • In KS3, product design and food technology work on a rotation and therefore will follow this sequence at different points throughout the year. Students will learn how to apply and demonstrate their key knowledge, skills and techniques throughout the year 7 programme.

    Autumn Term:

    • Introduction to Food and Nutrition – Health and Safety

    • Baseline Assessment

    • Introduction to the Food Room

    • Health and Safety

    • Food sustainability and ethics

    • The Eat Well Guide – balanced diets

    • Fresh fruit salad, fruit crumbles, breakfast bars/granola, pasta salad, bread making and parmesan chicken nuggets.

    • Reflect on what you have made applying next steps where possible

    • Become ‘Star Chef of the Week’

    • Healthy Lunches

    • Nutrients, functions and sources

    • Reflect on what you have made applying next steps where possible

    • Mini cakes, bread dough/pizza

    • Develop good independent study habits

    • Specialists diets and life stages

    • A range of vegetarian / vegan dishes

    • Analyse diets for specific groups of people and adapt recipes where possible.

  • Autumn Term:

    My Life

    • Spanish pronunciation

    • Adjectives ending in -O and -A

    • TENGO + noun

    • Numbers

    • Alphabet

    • Pets

    My Free Time

    • ME GUSTA with infinitive

    • AR verbs in the present tense

    • Weather

    • Sports with JUGAR / HACER

    • Justifying opinions

    Spring Term:

    My School

    • School subjects (m/f nouns)

    • Introduce ME GUSTA (+the)

    • a / some / the

    • HAY + noun

    • -ER and -IR verbs in the present tense

    My Family and Friends

    • Description of family

    • Colours and self-description with SER

    • Introduce ESTAR

    • Possessive adjectives

    Summer Term

    My City

    • Describe a town

    • HAY + noun

    • Irregular verbs IR/QUERER

    • Introduce near future tense

    My Peruvian Friend

    • Consolidation of year seven topics

  • Autumn Term:

    ‘Me, myself and I’

    Introductions, Alphabet, Numbers and Birthdays.

    Family and Pets

    Describing family members and pets.

    Descriptions: physical & personality

    Introduction to third person verbs (is/has)

    Spring Term:

    School

    School subjects: when/how often, giving opinions.

    Telling the time and using the Time Phrase Twist.

    Adding detail: food, drink and uniform.

    Justifying opinions using ‘denn’.

    Free Time

    Discussing sports & hobbies – when/how often, opinions.

    Irregular verbs (1st & 3rd person).

    Using ‘gern’ to give opinions with verbs.

    Using ‘denn’ to justify opinions.

    Summer Term:

    My Home

    Regions & houses.

    Bedroom objects.

    Using ‘es gibt’.

    Dative prepositions to describe furniture.

    Project

    Revising Year 7 content.

    Exploring the Bremer Stadtmusikanten.

    Intro to the future tense.

  • Throughout Term 1 and 2, students will work on a rotation of activities within PE.

    In the summer students complete activities in athletics, rounders/cricket and tennis.

    Autumn and Spring Term:

    • Central Net: net/wall games such as tennis, table-tennis and badminton.

    • Accurate Replication Aesthetics: Combining movement patterns, ideas and skills such as dance and gymnastics.

    • Invasion games/ outwitting opponents: Team games such as football, netball, hockey, rugby, basketball.

    Summer Term:

    • Strike and Field: Tactical striking and field games such as rounders and cricket.

    • Performing of maximum levels: Performing individually and as part of a team with running, jumping and throwing skills.

  • See the dedicated PSHE Homepage for detailed information.

  • Autumn Term

    • Find your voice

    • Keyboard 1

    Spring Term

    • Classical 1

    • Classical 2

    Summer Term

    • Ukulele

    • Inspirational Artists

Year 8 Learning Journey

  • Year 8 students will explore ‘understanding others’, leading to exploring the power of language towards the end of the year. The skills of speaking and listening will be developed through the year 8 programme of study.

    Autumn Term:

    • Poetry: exploring historical poetry – WWI/William Blake

    • A modern play: contextual and dramatic focus

    Spring Term:

    • A modern novel: Teacher’s choice (Author study)

    • Shakespeare: Teacher’s choice of a comedy play

    Summer Term:

    • Short stories and extracts: The gothic power of story telling.

    • The power of advertising: inventing a product.

  • In KS3, maths is taught through Ark Mastery.

    Autumn Term:

    • Sequences

    • Forming and solving equations

    • Forming and solving inequalities

    • Linear graphs

    • Accuracy and estimation

    Spring Term:

    • Ratio

    • Real life graphs and rate of change

    • Direct and inverse proportion

    • Univariate data

    • Bivariate data

    Summer Term:

    • Angles in polygons

    • Bearings

    • Circles and composite shapes

    • Volume and surface area of prisms

  • Science in KS3 works on a rotation and therefore students may not follow these topics in this exact order.

    Autumn Term:

    • Biology: Bones and joints

    • Chemistry: Particle theory

    • Physics: Contact and non-contact forces

    Spring Term:

    • Biology: Respiration and photosynthesis

    • Chemistry: Chemical changes

    • STEM Week challenge

    Summer Term:

    • Biology: Environment and food webs

    • Chemistry: Investigation skills

    • Physics: Magnetism and electricity

  • Autumn Term:

    • Banksy, Keith Haring: Graffiti

    • Peter Randall-Page, Michelle Lougee: Natural forms

    Spring Term:

    • Mixed medias: Hundertwasser

    Summer Term:

    • Distorted Faces: Modigliani

    • Arts Award

  • Autumn Term

    • Our day out: Willy Russell, the social and historical context.

    • Page to Stage - Matilda: Exploring professional theatrical production.

    Spring Term

    • Theatre in education: Its use of different drama techniques and exploring target audience.

    Summer Term

    • Arts Award

  • Autumn Term:

    • Film music

    • Make it your own

    Spring Term:

    • Keyboard 2

    • Grime

    Summer Term:

    • Blues

    • Arts Award

  • In Geography, students build on their learning through key questions that explore the ‘what, why, where and how’.

    Coasts

    India

    Deserts

    Development

    Population

  • Autumn Term:

    • Rollercoaster Revisit: Romans, Normans and Tudors.

    • Industrial Revolution: Causes, conditions in the mines & factories and Workhouses.

    Spring Term:

    • Empire: Origins of empire and Impact of empire.

    • Slavery & Abolition: Triangle – middle passage, Plantations, Revolts and Abolition.

    Summer Term:

    • Civil Rights: USA & UK comparison.

    • World study: Student choice to study a historical turning point.

  • In RE, students will develop their knowledge and understanding through a number of philosophical questions to explore religion and ethics.

    Autumn Term:

    • ‘Is it ever right to go to war?’

    • ‘How do Muslims show submission to God?’

    Spring Term:

    • ‘Can Religion and Science ever coexist?’

    • ‘Why are there so many different kinds of Christian?’

    Summer Term:

    • ‘What is the goal of life for Hindus?’

    • Project: Coat hook: Skills/knowledge, metals – properties and classification, shaping and bending, templates, metal tools finishes, techniques and surfaces

    • Project: USB light: Skills/knowledge, electronics – soldering, component knowledge, wood, shaping tools, jigs, centre lathe, finishing.

    • Project: Packaging: Skills/knowledge, CAD, branding, research skills, designing and creating nets, manipulating card, printing technique, paper and boards knowledge, die cutting tools.

  • Autumn Term:

    • Project 1: Computer Science Theory 3

    • Project 2: Microsoft Publisher

    Spring Term:

    • Project 3: Coding (Scratch)

    • Project 4: Microsoft Excel

    Summer Term:

    • Project 5: Computer Science Theory 4

    • Project 6: Microsoft Access

  • In KS3, product design and food technology work on a rotation and therefore will follow this sequence at different points throughout the year. Students will learn how to apply and demonstrate their key knowledge, skills and techniques throughout the year 7 programme.

    • Food provenance, Healthy living,

    • Labelling and packaging - looking at the importance of why we need them,

    • Function of ingredients,

    • Diet and nutrition: to include body image, recipes that include- fruit skewers, banana bread, quiche, chicken tikka, chicken nuggets and pasta dishes.

    • Evaluation of products and sensory words.

    • Enzymic browning.

  • Autumn Term:

    My Holidays

    • IR in the preterite

    • -AR verbs in the preterite

    • -ER and -IR verbs in the preterite

    • SER in the preterite

    My Hobbies

    • Varying opinions

    • Introduce comparatives

    • Combining present and preterite tenses

    Spring Term:

    Let’s Eat

    • Food and opinions

    • Negatives

    • USTED

    • Near future tense

    • Combining three tenses

    Our Plans

    • ME GUSTARÍA + infinitive

    • Irregular modal verbs QUERER & PODER

    • Introduce reflexive verbs

    • This/these with clothes

    • Compositions in three tenses

    Summer Term

    Destinations

    • Comparatives

    • Introduce the superlative

    • Introduce the imperative

    • Using three tenses in detail

    Barcelona

    • Consolidation of tense work and comparing cities

  • Autumn Term:

    Osnabruck

    • Places in town

    • Directions

    • Using the future tense

    • Intro to modal verbs: ‘Man kann…’

    Holidays

    • Imperfect tense: ich war / es war

    • Weather and Accomodation

    • Perfect tense with ‘wohnen’

    • Starting to use 3 tenses

    Spring Term:

    Hobbies

    • Using the perfect tense with regular and irregular verbs

    • Using the perfect tense with both ‘haben’ and ‘sein’

    • Using the Time Phrase Twist in multiple tenses

    • Building up to using 3 tenses

    Media

    • Giving detailed opinions on different types of media – TV, film, books, apps & social media

    • Exploring real-life situations, such as online shopping

    Summer Term:

    Cologne

    • Recapping basic vocabulary

    • Roleplays and functional language focusing on travelling and holidays

    • Spending time at Karneval

    Festivals

    • Learning about other German-speaking festivals

    • Combining multiple tenses in spoken German

    • Extended descriptions of pictures

  • Throughout Term 1 and 2, students will work on a rotation of activities within PE.

    In the summer students complete activities in athletics, rounders/cricket and tennis.

    Autumn and Spring Term:

    • Central net: moving to receive a service, how to develop power when serving/clearing, rally from further back, basic overarm service/clear.

    • Invasion games/ outwitting opponents: More advanced rules, using space for passing/receiving skills, apply skills tactics and strategies consistently.

    • Accurate replication aesthetics: choreograph more inventive and complex routines using more advanced techniques.

    Summer Term:

    • Strike and Field: Fielding positions and bowling consistency, developing resilience and a range of skills.

    • Performing of maximum levels: understanding or more advanced skills to improve performance, developing resilience and a range of skills.

  • See the dedicated PSHE Homepage for detailed information.

Year 9 Learning Journey

  • Year 9 students will explore ‘understanding ourselves in the wider world: beyond English’, leading to exploring the power of the individual towards the end of the year. The skills of speaking and listening will be developed through the year 9 programme of study.

    Autumn Term:

    • A modern novel: Teacher’s choice (Author study)

    • Tragedy genre: A modern play by Arthur Miller

    Spring Term:

    • Poetry: exploring poetry from different cultures and ethnicities.

    Summer Term:

    • Victorian context: research project into Victorian contexts and novels.

    • The power of structure: stories with a twist.

  • In KS3, maths is taught through Ark Mastery.

    Autumn Term

    • Probability

    • Sets, Venns and sample space diagrams

    • Solving algebraically

    • Solving graphically

    Spring Term

    • Constructions, congruence and loci

    • Pythagoras’ Theorem

    • Similarity and enlargement

    • Trigonometry

    Summer Term

    • Quadratic expressions and equations

    • Indices

    • Growth and decay

  • Science in KS3 works on a rotation and therefore students may not follow these topics in this exact order.

    Autumn Term:

    • Biology: variation and natural selection.

    • Chemistry: reactivity series and extraction, material science - polymers and ceramics.

    • Physics: motion on Earth and space.

    Spring Term:

    • Biology: cloning, inheritance, extinction.

    • Chemistry: sustainability, rock cycle.

    • Physics: Energy transfer

    Summer Term:

    • Biology: Drugs, disease, defence against disease, vaccination.

    • Chemistry: C14 Earth’s resources

    • Physics: P3 Energy resource

  • Autumn Term:

    • Use of Observation/ Photographs from Barbara Hepworths Hospital Drawnings- Barbara Hepworth

    Spring Term:

    Cubism : Observational skills – drawing linear boxes

    Adding tone to shapes to create an analytical cubism

    Summer Term:

    • The figure: Observational skills: Use of tone: The figure.

    • 3D sculpture: Giacometti figures.

  • Autumn Term

    • ‘Teechers’: Bringing a script to life

    through observational comedy.

    Spring Term

    • Practitioners and devising: The devising process and how it can be used to create theatre.

    • Practitioners and devising: Different theatre practitioners and their context.

    Summer Term

    • Performing Shakespeare: Exploring stage types.

    • Performing Shakespeare: Shakespearean themes relevance to today’s audience.

  • Autumn Term

    • Band Skills

    • Songwriting

    Spring Term

    • Composition

    • Star Wars

    Summer Term

    • Culture and Music

    • Planning a music project

  • In Geography, students build on their learning through key questions that explore the ‘what, why, where and how’.

    Middle East

    Tectonic Hazards

    Frozen Planet

    The Geography of Food

    A Global Warning

  • Autumn Term:

    • Origins of WWI: Causes of WW1, Conditions on the Trenches, The Somme, Art and poetry of WW1,

    • Suffragettes: Attitudes in Edwardian time and How women got the vote.

    Spring Term:

    • Rise of Hitler: The Versailles Treaty, Wall Street Crash, Propaganda, Hitler the orator.

    • The Holocaust: Origins and forms of persecution, The Final Solution, The Ghettos and the camps.

    Summer Term:

    • World War 2: Dunkirk, Stalingrad and D-Day.

    • Cold War: Communism vs Capitalism, Origins of the Korean war, 1950-51: The beginning, 1951-53: Stalemate and Why it ended & impact.

  • In RE, students will develop their knowledge and understanding through a number of philosophical questions to explore religion and ethics.

    Autumn Term:

    • ‘Medical ethics?’

    • ‘Big questions in philosophy and ethics’

    Spring Term:

    • ‘What did the Buddha teach about happiness?’

    Summer Term:

    • ‘Ethics in human relationships’

    • ‘Does religion have a place in today’s world?’

    • Project: Creative and technical drawing skills: Creative and Technical Drawing Skills - Skills/knowledge: 3D drawing techniques, hand rendering skills, key designers, design movements, smart materials, ‘blue sky’ thinking.

    • Project: Celebration light - skills/knowledge: research skills, cultures and diversity, 2D design, CAD skills, CAM, finishing techniques.

    • Project: Pewter casting - skills/knowledge: social responsibility, hand rendering, metal classifications, casting method, CAD, CAM, abrading techniques, polishing.

    • Project: MP3 speaker: Skills/knowledge, CAD, shading, specification, components knowledge, electronics, laminating, product analysis, tap and die, target markets

    • Project: Balance toy: Skills/knowledge, annealing, braiding, braising, bending, tap and die – threading, heat forming, jigs.

  • Autumn Term:

    • Project 1: Computer Science Theory 5

    • Project 2: Sketch-Up

    Spring Term:

    • Project 3: Coding (Python)

    • Project 4: Google Sites

    Summer Term:

    • Project 5: Computer Science Theory 6

    • Project 6: Microsoft PowerPoint

  • In KS3, product design and food technology work on a rotation and therefore will follow this sequence at different points throughout the year. Students will learn how to apply and demonstrate their key knowledge, skills and techniques throughout the year 9 programme.

    Year 9 food projects:

    • Diet and Nutrition - a look into what our body needs and the nutrients that can provide it.

    • Food from around the world - looking at differing cuisines and new trends such as street food.

    • Recipes for year 9 include- bread, chicken skewers, Thia curry , mini cheesecakes and lemon drizzle.

    Demonstrate your knowledge of Nutrition and Food Preparation throughout four different projects, that show sustainability, food science and preservation methods, food styling, culture and different cuisines.

    Apply your knowledge of Nutrition and Food preparation through designing and adapting recipes.

    Demonstrate skills and techniques in a range of different dishes and cuisines.

    Analyse and evaluate results from a range of experiments carried out and through evaluation of dishes.

  • Autumn Term:

    Things We Enjoy

    • Irregular verbs in the present tense

    • Narration with the present tense

    • Opinions in the near future tense

    • Review of preterite tense

    • Narrating in three tenses

    Getting Work

    • TENER QUE

    • ME GUSTA + AGA

    • Near future tense in context

    • Using three tenses to describe

    Spring Term:

    Staying in Shape

    • Direct object pronouns

    • Stem changing verbs

    • Reflexives in detail

    • SE DEBE + infinitive

    • ME DUELE + noun

    • Extended writing

    Youth Action

    • PODER + infinitive

    • Expressing more complex opinions

    • SE DEBERÍA + infinitive

    • Introducing the Imperfect tense

    Summer Term:

    An Adventure in Madrid

    • TENER expressions

    • Superlatives

    • Comparatives in context

    • Introduce simple future tense

    Vlogging

    • Consolidation of verbs of duty, tense work and narration

  • Autumn Term

    Health

    • Modal verbs

    • Discussing habits for healthy living

    • Narrating events and discussing being (un)healthy in the past and future

    Music

    • Discussing music genres

    • Using ‘weil’ to justify opinions

    • Using ‘seit’ with the present tense

    • Comparatives

    Spring Term

    Jobs

    • Talking about and applying for jobs

    • Using the past tense to talk about skills and work experience

    • Creating a European-style CV in German

    • Speaking practice: mock job interview

    Environment

    • Continuing with modal verbs

    • Talking about being environmentally friendly in the past and future

    • Exploring the social impact of recycling in UK vs. in Germany

    • Business & presentation skills

    Summer Term

    Rights and Responsibilities

    • Expressing viewpoints and debating in German

    • Learning about the Gastarbeiter and discussing the social impact

    99 Red Balloons

    • Exploring significant historical events and their impact on art and politics

    • Using 3 tenses to narrate, analyse and create an artistic piece of work

  • Throughout Term 1 and 2, students will work on a rotation of activities within PE.

    In the summer students complete activities in athletics, rounders/cricket and tennis.

    Autumn and Spring Term:

    • Central net: awareness of tactics, double positions, playing to an opponent’s weaknesses, forehand and backhand, advance service skills

    • Invasion games/ outwitting opponents: understanding how tactics, strategy and formation impact the game.

    • Accurate replication aesthetics: understanding a range of choreographic dances to improve and develop performance, selecting and applying advanced skills and choreographic devices.

    Summer Term:

    • Strike and Field: Advanced fielding and bowling techniques, tactics and orders.

    • Performing of maximum levels: achieving full potential and demonstrating advanced skills, understanding and identifying weakness in skills performance and how to improve.

  • See the dedicated PSHE Homepage for detailed information.

GCSE (Years 10 and 11) Learning Journey

Year 10 and 11 students follow a core curriculum of Mathematics, English, Science, PSHE & Careers and Physical Education.

In addition to these subjects students will choose from further GCSE courses including Art, Business Studies, Computing, Creative Media, Design and Technology, Drama, Engineering, Food and Nutrition, Geography, German, Spanish, Health and Social Care, History, Music, Philosophy and Ethics, Physical Education and Work Related Learning.

A Level (Years 12 and 13) Learning Journey

Click here to visit our dedicated Sixth Form pages.

Curriculum and Learning: