Curriculum

Art will encourage you to use your imagination and to see the world differently. Art is an important subject as it teaches you about different perspectives and fosters your curiosity.

In lessons, you will learn and develop skills in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques. You will also study great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

Students live in a digital world, the devices they use are useful if the user is competent, therefore we believe it is essential to empower young people to become digitally literate, developing skills that are not only applicable in the subject but in the real world.  We will equip students with the problem-solving skills to become resilient digital citizens who can positively and confidently navigate the digital world. In Computing, we aim to develop pupils’ transferable skills including problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, perseverance, analysis and evaluation. We want to empower pupils to learn from their mistakes and develop problem solving skills by supporting them to understand that failure is a key feature of any learning process. 

Drama is an important subject as it teaches you empathy, compassion and important life skills such as communication and cooperation. Drama at Edgar Wood Academy is all about building and boosting your confidence.

In Drama you will develop skills in creating, performing and responding. You will learn how to work as a part of a team and how to communicate effectively. You will study different styles of theatre and have a go at performing as different characters, some from your imagination and others from studied scripts. You will discover how theatre has evolved through time and you will learn how to review performances as a part of your response to theatre you have watched.

Abraham Lincoln praised the residents of Middleton and Lancashire for their “sublime heroism” when they stood in solidarity with the slaves in America. This example of resistance and solidarity forms a wider narrative of the commitment of Middleton to social justice even if it comes with a great sacrifice. Another such narrative includes Edgar Wood’s father, Thomas Broadbent Wood an accomplished mill owner, who actively sought to provide relief for the people of Middleton as they stood in solidarity with the slaves in America during the cotton famine. These local narratives of resistance, rebellion, social justice and revolution are interwoven throughout the English curriculum at Edgar Wood Academy. By studying a variety of literature we aim to develop and foster critical and empathetic individuals. Through carefully chosen texts pupil are invited to explore a variety of themes including: the hubristic nature of man; ambition as a fatal flaw; the dangerous allure of science and the power of the sublime. These concepts allow pupils to not only broaden their academic horizons but to develop themselves and their ability to interact with the wider world. There is a significant focus on the development of vocabulary and discussion within the curriculum as this is vital in terms of pupils being able to articulate and develop their own ideas. Pupils will also learn to master their writing skills and this in turn will give learners the confidence to explore their own unique voice and allow them to appreciate writing as a specialised craft. Through a curriculum rich in powerful knowledge, we aim to celebrate diversity, develop each individual’s voice and enable learners to empathise with a range of perspectives.

Food is an essential part of our daily lives. Learning how to cook and implement a healthy diet can improve both your quality of life and life expectancy. 

At Edgar Wood Academy, we believe Food Technology should be a challenging, exciting, and engaging learning environment. Therefore, students take part in a range of theoretical and practical based learning, building up a bank of essential skills whilst developing a curiosity and passion for food. Students develop knowledge of, and apply the principles of nutrition, through cooking a range of predominantly savoury dishes. 

Food Technology theory lessons at Edgar Wood Academy closely link to practical lessons, where students explore Hygiene, Health & Safety; Principles of nutrition; Diet and good health; The science of food; Where food comes from; and Cooking and food preparation.  

Cooking is a crucial life skill that enables people to feed themselves and others throughout life. Due to this, we believe that nobody should be left behind, which is why we are passionate about providing ingredients and equipment to enable all to take part in activities. However, on the day of practical lessons, we may ask students to bring in additional items or a container to bring their food home. 

The Edgar Wood Academy Geography curriculum will equip students with a balanced understanding of the physical and human world. They will view the world with a critical and understanding eye to break barriers and make passionate change. Students will become empathetic individuals by improving their knowledge of key geographical processes and how human actions impact on these processes. Students will gain the knowledge and skills to influence them to be active local and global citizens. They will confidently identify and respond to the complex current issues our planet faces which will shape them to be better individuals. Students will have opportunities to engage and excel geographical skills through fieldtrips, so they are able to personally experience the geography taught in lessons.  

History at Edgar Wood Academy is ‘every story’. Pupils will learn about a diverse range of histories and to empathise with local, national and global communities. They will learn to be critical thinkers and question their assumptions and information that is given to them. Pupils will explore how history has shaped the country and the world around them.

Our curriculum is centred upon learning and understanding mathematical knowledge; it’s at the heart of daily maths lessons at Edgar Wood Academy. We want to develop students’ character, including resilience, confidence and independence. This will enable students to have a full understanding of mathematics in order to contribute positively and successfully to the life of the school, their local community and wider environment.

Our curriculum is knowledge rich with mathematical literacy at its core.  Our curriculum allows pupils to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics. Key terminology can be seen in every lesson and this encourages pupils to argue, prove and justify using mathematical vocabulary. We empower students through mathematical literacy to be confident readers to understand and process key information when starting to tackle difficult mathematical problems.

An important focus within our curriculum is the ability to recall and apply prior knowledge to a variety of mathematical problems. Students will then become proficient at remembering a wide range of mathematical facts and be able to apply these to more complex problems. They will also develop disciplined systematic procedures to solve complex problems in algebra, geometry, statistics, probability, number and ratio.

Ultimately, Edgar Wood students will be confident and empathetic young adults, who can respect and enjoy the disciplines of mathematical studies.

Our curriculum aims to develop pupils’ oracy skills and help students become confident and articulate speakers who can use the language in a wide a range of contexts. We aim to develop pupils’ competencies within speaking and listening, reading and writing. A pupil’s command over vocabulary is absolutely essential and we strive to ensure that pupils are exposed to appropriate vocabulary that empowers them in their learning. Pupils will explore the vast differences between the UK and other countries and as such will come to appreciate the cultural diversity within the Francophone world. We strive to ensure that pupils understand and respond to language from a variety of sources. This in turn will allow pupils to manipulate language to express their thoughts within three time frames. We aim to ensure that pupils use a variety of grammatical structures that allow them to communicate with confidence.

Music will inspire you and help you to develop your skills in creativity and confidence. Music is an important subject as it is in everything we do; it surrounds us in films, TV shows, adverts, on the radio and even on our phones!

In Music you will perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians. You will learn to sing and to use your voice, to create and compose music on your own and with others and you will have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument.

At Edgar Wood Academy, the PE Department believes that regardless of a pupil's economic circumstances, they are not a predictor for their outcomes, rather a motivator for them to achieve and excel. We endeavour to support our pupils by contributing to their lives through the introduction of sports and activities that are not widely participated in throughout our catchment area, which will broaden their experiences and aid their social mobility. The curriculum is designed to give pupils wide experiences of sports and physical activities, whilst focusing on the core skills of the sport to ensure high quality performance. This will allow for a transfer of principles between sporting activities, promoting our learner’s confidence in participation, coaching, leadership and officiating, leading to a lifelong passion for physical activity and healthy lifestyles. We strive to foster a culture of intrigue and interest by providing a variety of sporting activities. This in turn will motivate pupils to achieve the best outcomes within the subject. Our main intent, as physical educators, is to produce competent and confident individuals who will all be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to go on and lead a healthy and active lifestyle, and hopefully inspire the next generation to follow their examples.

Students of Religious Education at Edgar Wood Academy will be religiously literate based on respect and academic rigour.  It will help pupils understand the world and people around them both globally and locally; whilst allowing the pupils to ask philosophical, ultimate and challenging questions. 

The Resistant Materials curriculum at Edgar Wood will develop students with a clear understanding of the impact of technology on our lives and the environment. Everyone will embrace the understanding and impact of effective design whilst considering its effect on both consumerism and the natural environment. Students will develop their understanding of effective design by continuously developing and always pushing the boundaries of their product ideas. Our students will have a clear understanding of the issues within our consumerism lifestyle and become empathetic individuals towards people’s working conditions as well as the depletion of natural resources and pollution we cause. Our curriculum will also facilitate students to develop their creativeness and to show their passion and personalities within their design ideas. The Resistant Materials curriculum will also guarantee that students have the knowledge and skills to thrive in their community, Greater Manchester and beyond.  

Science at Edgar Wood Academy embodies Albert Einstein’s quotation "The important thing is to never stop questioning". Our students will use knowledge from the 3 key disciplines (biology, chemistry and physics) to help answer global, regional, historical and personal questions. They will also use a wide range experimental skills to answer such questions, similar to those that helped scientist such as Lavoisier to discover oxygen, Miescher to isolate DNA from cells and Curie to understand more about the radioactive properties of substances. We want all students to feel that science is ‘for them’ and so representation is an important part of the science curriculum at Edgar Wood Academy. Including not only stories from historical scientists but modern-day scientists who are shaping the world around us that we live, just like our students may do in the future.”