Our Values and the Curriculum
Our curriculum is underpinned by our WAVE values, which also serve as powerful and unique drivers for our curriculum:
Be positive: We have the highest expectations of what our pupils are capable of, no matter what their starting points, and no matter how many fresh starts. Through our Curriculum offer, we will strive to develop unique talents; build confidence; aspiration; attainment and at KS4, also qualifications.
Show empathy: We seek first to understand, then to be understood. Through our curriculum, we will develop empathetic learners who have an awareness, understanding and are considerate of themselves; their peers; our communities; as well as of the world around us all.
Have respect: Our curriculum will support of students to respect themselves, each other and teach an understanding and awareness of diversity.
Work as one team: Our curriculum gives our students opportunities to work collectively together, through opportunities to talk, listen, and create. We will draw on every opportunity for learning, both planned and unplanned, to develop pupils’ ability to reflect, engage and relate positively to one another.
Be inclusive: We will strive to ensure our curriculum is accessible and meets the needs of all our learners. Not one size fits all, but skilfully adapted to meet individual need and SEND/SEMH need.
Our Curriculum Will..
- Be engaging, enjoyable, and enriching so that pupils enjoy coming to school where they feel safe and ready to learn
- Be broad and balanced in line with context and need, to enable pupils to access a wide range of academic and vocational learning opportunities as well as opportunities for curriculum enrichment. We will make intelligent choices about curriculum content, so that we do not sacrifice quality in the drive for ‘coverage’.
- Be ambitious-high expectations that all pupils can achieve. All pupils will have the offer to sit GCSE qualifications (in English, English Language, Maths, Science and at least 1 other GCSE subject), and other L1/2 academic and vocational qualifications so that pupils are not disadvantaged and leave us with qualifications to enable them to take their next steps. In Special APA, there may be some variation in Level 1/2 awards and accredited courses appropriate to academic ability.
- Be relevant-address each pupils’ own level of need and unique starting point, and help them reengage with learning and prepare them effectively for the next stage in their educational journey.
- Be enabling and nurturing-through placing value on social aspects of learning; addressing SEND and SEMH needs, and through a therapeutic approach, our curriculum will be accessible and needs driven.
- Be dynamic-responding to need, and through bespoke packages, our curriculum will be flexible enough to adapt. We also recognise and celebrate the ability to draw learning from unplanned opportunities within our settings.
At WAVE, we recognise that learning is happening at all our pupils experience as a member of the academy community, delivered both formally within a lesson or informally outside the classroom, throughout the whole school day. This therefore encompasses the taught subject timetable, our approach to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, enrichment learning outside of the classroom and the activities that we organise in order to promote learning, personal growth, emotional literacy, resilience and development of our pupils. Our staff aim to structure these experiences to ensure that they have the most positive effect on the attainment, progress and personal development of all WAVE pupils. However, they are also dynamic and responsive to need, recognising the ability to draw learning from unplanned opportunities. This holistic approach is summarised in the four parts around the Pupil in the diagram below, and more details can be found in the Trust Curriculum policy:
Academy Curriculums
You can find out more about the Curriculum offered at each AP here:
- More information coming soon.
