Our Cultural Capital is about preparing children at Springfield Academy with the knowledge and skills for what comes next.

What is it that children at SPA need that will prepare them for what comes next?

V.E.K.

V.E.K. stands for the three areas that encompass

Springfield’s curriculum vision, our Cultural Capital and OFSTED’s three I’s:

          Vocabulary, Experiences and Knowledge

This thinking underpins our curriculum planning:

 Developing vocabulary  

This is crucial for the needs of our children.

Providing experiences

Getting creative about the curriculum and taking the children to places that will open them up to life outside of Bulwell and beyond.

Embedding knowledge

 Ensuring we are clear about what we want the children to learn.

V.E.K. features heavily throughout our curriculum

and supports our children in becoming 

imaginative thinkers and curious learners.

What else do we provide for the children at SPA need that will prepare them for what comes next?

First hand experiences where possible:

• School visits, particularly Year 6 (where we ensure a memorable experience), the Djanogly Dozen (including their passport) day trip to London, Warwick Castle, the Black Country Museum, the Butterfly Park, Birmingham Sealife Centre.
• Adam Pepper days, where each class gets to create and take part in films which are then used to stimulate writing and embed concepts.
• Competitive PE experiences
• Visitors e.g White Post Farm, Fire engine, Guide dogs, Opticians, African drumming workshop
• School performances: Springfield's Got Talent, Bulwell Music festival, whole school productions twice a year

Structure , scaffolding and boundaries which allows children

to feel secure enough to take risks:

• We provide a breakfast club that every child could access in order that they are ready for work
• There is a lunchclub designed to support those children who find free play and positive friendship groupings a challenge
• Our Springy Family is unique to our school. The Springy characters underpin our school values and makes explicit the kinds of positive behaviour we expect in school.

• Our behaviour management system creates explicit boundaries based on positive reinforcement.
• We work hard to apply our school expectations fairly and consistently, whilst still acknowledging that there will be times when some children will require additional support to acquire certain social skills.
• Behaviour for learning is strong at Springfield.
• Delivery of the curriculum is through Core Skills which enables the children to have high levels of adult support and feedback.

We implement activities that extend the children’s knowledge beyond Bulwell:

• Our yearly changes of class names to reflect topical events and expand the children’s knowledge of famous people eg Musicians artists, Scientists, famous athletes.
• Music from around the world (African drumming workshops)
• Yearly 6 week blocks of Ice Skating Year 1 - Year 6
• Camping at Bulwell Academy and Wollaton Park
• Use of stimulating resources eg Google Earth, Google expeditions, VR kits, Now Press Play drama
• School visits, particularly Year 6 (where we ensure a memorable experience)

These are the ways in which our Cultural Capital is demonstrated through our School values:

Responsibility

• Year 6 Prefect system with Head Boy and Head Girl

• Mentors for younger children
• Lunchtime helpers in the hall
• Children trained to support with the hall media system

Aspirations

• School displays to motivate and challenge
• Our Year 6 graduation and speech written by the children reflecting on their time here and considering where they aspire to go in their lives
• Links with other schools and further education establishments

Honesty

• A culture of owning up to our mistakes, whilst being supported to make poor choices right.
• Acknowledgement within WOW service of children who have been honest. Holding up good role models.

Co-operation

• Development of our lunchtime play zones
• Different method of delivery of the curriculum to encourage independence and peer collaboration
• Skipping Leaders

Determination

• Times Tables Rockstars Challenge/Spelling Shed. Personal best and competing against others.
• PE targets. To swim, skipping moves personal best.
• Singing, rehearsing difficult songs that involve challenging melodies and words

Respect

• Celebration assemblies to recognise achievement, recognised by all
• The connections made to British Values, through the curriculum, assemblies and the ideals of our “Springy Family”.
• The language of term, respecting and celebrating other children and other cultures
• ALL children’s achievements are celebrated