Connected Curriculum
The Connected Curriculum ensures Foundation Subjects are delivered in a connected and thematic way in order to provide exciting, engaging and motivating learning opportunities.
Each Learning Journey has one or two key projects which offer opportunities to ‘get under the skin’ of the skills and deepen understanding of that subject area. For example, when exploring the Key Question: What does it mean to be a hero? Year 5 students discover Ancient Greece in History and Modern Greece in Geography to innovate the modern-day Olympics in Design and Technology.
Connections between subjects are clearly mapped, whilst providing adaptability and flexibility so that the lives and cultures of learners and their communities can be distinctively embedded. Importantly, the Connected Curriculum ensures a balance of thematic and discrete teaching with an emphasis on both knowledge and skills. Connected Curriculum includes the following subjects:
Geography
The Academy's Geography education inspires pupils’ curiosity and fascination of the world and its people. Teaching equips pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
History
Our History education helps children gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Teachers inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching equips pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Our lessons help pupils understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as developing their own identity and identifying challenges of their time.
Design and Technology
Our Design and Technology Curriculum allows children to use their creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world.
Art and Design
Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. The Academy's Art and Design lessons engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they will be able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of Art and Design. They should also know how Art and Design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation
Computing
Computing equips our students to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology safely to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
Moral Education
The UAE Ministry of Education Moral Education Curriculum is divided into four core areas:
- The Character and Morality curriculum is centred around developing each student as honest, tolerant, resilient and persevering individuals.
- The Individual and the Community curriculum ensures that children understand a true citizen is one that takes care of themselves in addition to caring about the good of society and participating actively to make things better.
- Civil Studies ensures that whether a student was born in the UAE or moved here with their family, it is essential to understand the fundamentals of how the UAE was formed and how it is governed today.
- Culture is an inherent part of a society and the programme wants to highlight UAE’s shared human culture that encapsulates the traditions and symbols that help define who we are.
Physical Education (specialist)
The Academy’s high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. It provides opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect. Our state-of-the art PE facilities enrich the curriculum for students from FS1 to Secondary.
Music (specialist)
Our specialist Music lessons provide an opportunity to develop a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. The high-quality music education at WEK should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.
French (specialist)
Weekly specialist French lessons provide an opening to other cultures. Our high-quality language education fosters children’s curiosity and deepens their understanding of French speaking cultures. Our teachers enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in the French language while providing opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes. The Primary Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) Curriculum is broken down into the following areas: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.