Curriculum Enrichment

At The Wells Free School we will provide further enrichments as a timetabled part of the school day:

Modern Foreign Language Teaching from R to Y6

TWFS curriculum is distinctive in its commitment to enrich children’s learning through the addition of regular MFL sessions. Tunbridge Wells plays host to a wide number of small immigrant communities, whose experiences and language skills we look forward to capitalising on.

10% Facilitated Child-Led Learning

10% of the timetable will be given to the children to lead their learning in the direction of their own choice. This will be a time for children to develop their own interests and may involve working individually or in small groups. Of course what the children will really choose to work on will be up for them to decide, but might be along the lines of:

  • Taking part in local or national competitions - art, poetry, creative writing, dance, design
  • Developing a database of dinosaurs
  • Raising money for charity
  • Creating a tapestry, mural or sculpture
  • Developing a recipe book
  • Producing a detailed work of reference on World War II fighter planes
  • Producing a fanzine for the pop star of the moment
  • Writing and rehearsing music, drama or dance
  • Developing a computer programme
  • Model making

There will be very high expectations of the children's outcomes in these sessions and children will be expected to present their work to the class on completion.  Exceptional work will be presented in assembly.

Extensive use of Outdoor Space

In line with much recent research, TWFS believes in the importance of having an active indoor/outdoor policy, with busily used outside classroom areas.  We will provide excellent, well-resourced outdoor space, fully kitted-out for any kind of activity, and partially covered to enable year-round usage

Frequent exciting and relevant school trips

These may take place at the start of a project, to provide the 'wow' factor, and to stimulate children’s interest and inquisitive, questioning skills. Equally, trips may occur at any phase throughout topics to enhance the learning at the time, or indeed at the culmination, to provide a satisfactory or eagerly anticipated conclusion.

Trips will be made manageable and affordable, wherever possible using our own community as a base from which to explore. We are extremely lucky that within a 30 mile radius of our locality we can access a wide range of sites to visit; from castles and museums, to the coast and even London.

Community-led enrichment programme

We want things that are important to our community to have a place at our school. This may be in the form of shaping our curricular themes, or as a focus for the curriculum enrichment programme. For example, Tunbridge Wells is hoping to re-instate the town carnival to promote community spirit. This could present a wonderful chance for our children and we would devote time and resources through the enrichment programme.

We will also encourage a strong emphasis on activities and skills to be taught by experts in their field from the community whether to support curricular themes or to enrich our curriculum.  There will be a number of benefits to this, both for the children and for the school as a whole.

  • Activities taught by experts are delivered in a passionate and inspiring manner, which is more likely to connect with the children
  • Children are exposed to a wider range of activities than would usually be the case in primary schools

Whole School Productions

Frequent whole-school productions will be held as a purposeful culmination to children's learning. These will be produced to a high standard and performed to, and in conjunction with the whole community.