Wirksworth Juniors’ Guerrilla Curriculum Intention and Implementation

As a school we wanted our curriculum to fit the needs of the pupils; developing the values and attributes of our school motto:

Creative. Caring.  Curious.  We make every moment count. 

We believe our curriculum, which has been continually adapted and refined since September 2020, does that. It is based on philosophical thinking, posing questions, and facilitating a scheme of work where pupils make links across projects, subjects and year groups. We intend to ensure the curriculum is deep and immersive, allowing the pupils to achieve a greater depth of learning in a more focused and purposeful way.

Examples of our enquiry questions/projects are:

• Should we always do as we are told?
• Does migration always lead to conflict?
• Is it better to stand out or fit in?
• What do the arts tell us about our diverse society?

Each project leads to an authentic outcome, which motivates the children, such as a presentation to a critical audience who are in the real world of work.

Below you can see how the subjects are grouped.  The children will cover each project area only once throughout the school year, and these will be linked through the school values and concepts. The Long-Term Plan at the bottom of the page details when the projects are being led and what the questions are within the year groups 3/4 and 5/6 and how the key concepts are linked across the subjects and big philosophical questions.

Discovering and Caring - History

• Practical communication through: role play, hot seating and using artefacts.
• Critical thinking.
• Taking chances building resilience.
• Expressing opinions about other actions in a sensitive manner.
• Understanding others' views.

Creativity and Imagination – Art, Music and Drama

• Communication by speaking and listening.
• Courage to stand out and be different (risk-taking).
• Individuality and independence.
• Appreciation of themselves and others.
• Awareness of the global world.
• Inspiration

Exploration and Curiosity– Geography and DT

• Start with exploring issues.
• Taking risks and keeping safe.
• Inquisitive asking questions.
• Researching.
• Using the outdoor space.

Our key concepts linked across the curriculum subjects and year groups to help sequence the learning. (From September 2023)

** RE, Spanish, Computing, Science and PSHCE are taught separately; however, the planning is linked through skills taught which have been matched across subjects; explicitly referred to during teaching. **

Equal Opportunities

At Wirksworth Junior School, all teachers are responsible for providing an inclusive curriculum that is differentiated and scaffolded for those with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND). We have high expectations for all pupils and are committed to ensuring our curriculum complies with the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014. For further information on our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision, please see our SEND page.

If you have any further questions about our new curriculum, please speak to your child's teacher or contact the School Office.