Curriculum Overviews

At Diamond Wood Community Academy we have designed an ambitious, flexible, spiral curriculum which allows all pupils to create a broad range of opportunities and memorable experiences which are underpinned by our five core values, alongside our chosen key themes. Overarching whole school topics have been planned to ensure the progression of skills, knowledge, experiences and vocabulary across school. This also allows pupils to develop strong links and connections between the things they learn. In turn, this allows them to ‘remember more’, ‘know more’ and ‘do more’.

The curriculum is topic based, however subjects are explicitly taught. This is obviously different in the Early Years, where children focus on the Prime and Specific areas of learning. However, the knowledge and skills that pupils are taught within the EYFS underpins all of this learning and is carefully planned to ensure progression across school and beyond.   

Click here to download our Whole School Topic Overview. 

Each year group creates their own Long-Term Plan (LTP) for the academic year. This details what will be taught in each Area of Learning (EYFS) or Subject (KS1) across the year. To create this, they work in collaboration with our specific subject leaders to ensure coverage of content. Year group leaders also work together to support this planning process and ensure progression of knowledge, skills, experiences and vocabulary across school.

Alongside these long-term plans, our teams also create Medium-Term Plans (MTP). These are also known as our half termly overviews. These plans show in more detail what is planned to be taught each week within the half term.  Again, year groups work alongside subject leaders to do this and use the progression maps to guide them.

The Long-Term Plans for this academic year (2021-2022) are available below. Each half term we will also make the MTP/ half termly overview available to access. If you would like any further information on the curriculum please email office@diamondwoodacademy.co.uk and address the email to the relevant Year Group Leader who will be able to help you further:

• Nursery and Reception - Emma Gee Robinson

• Year 1 - Rachel Booth / Johanna Lillie

• Year 2 - Jessica Fox

Learning through Experiences

Diamond Wood Community Academy serves a community around 80% of the children speak English as an additional language. Language development and providing high quality experiences are therefore at the heart of all that we do and are an integral part to our topics. We pride ourselves on providing our children with as many meaningful experiences as possible during their time with us. Topics are launched with an exciting “hook” to create awe and wonder and allow children to become ‘immersed’ and engaged. This often is in the form of an educational visit off site or a visit from others coming into school. Throughout the year children also become involved in additional projects and initiatives which enrich our subject curriculum offers. For example, visits from refugees provide extensive opportunities for extended story writing as part of the Carry My Story project.

The information below highlights the planned trips and visitors to support delivery of our curriculum throughout this academic year (2021-2022).