We understand that academic success alone is not enough and that pupils need a progressive enrichment curriculum as well as an ambitious academic one. 

Our Character Curriculum is built on three key concepts, which are central to our shared vision. 

Three Concepts  

The three concepts are: New Interests, Courageous Advocacy & Cultural Capital. 

The concepts embody the ethos that permeates the culture within Milldown Academy. They provide a framework for our enrichment curriculum which is designed to develop cultural and social capital by providing opportunities for all pupils that they may not otherwise have.  

Examples of our Character Curriculum include Pupil Leadership Groups, Forest School, Let Grow Projects, Educational Visits, and Extra-Curricular Clubs. 

Wider Curriculum Opportunities & Cultural Capital 

Our curriculum extends beyond the National Curriculum and includes a wide range of enriching experiences and opportunities both within and beyond the school day. This includes an extensive programme of after-school clubs, that support the core curriculum offer, as well as those which develop specialist skills, such as French, computing and art, whilst also extending the range of children’s experiences (Cultural Capital).  A primary focus of our curriculum is to raise aspirations, engender a sense of personal pride in achievement, and provide a purpose and relevance for learning. 

The school takes pride in providing a highly inclusive environment, where learners demonstrate high levels of enjoyment in their education and make very good progress across the curriculum. Children at all levels are helped to achieve their potential. Those who are most able are challenged and supported through being offered tasks that provide opportunities for greater depth and those who can struggle are encouraged and given targeted support to embed skills, to develop at their own pace or simply to learn in a style that best suits their individual needs. 

In addition to our exciting and stimulating curriculum, we also provide further enrichment opportunities to enhance children’s learning wherever possible. These include: 

Promoting Positive Mental Health & Wellbeing 

At Milldown Academy, we aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing of every member of our school community and recognise how important mental health and wellbeing is to our lives, as is physical health. We recognize that children’s mental health and overall wellbeing can affect their learning and achievement. 

A proactive, key aspect of our role in school is to ensure that children can manage times of change and stress, and that they are supported to reach their potential or access help when they need it. We also have a role to ensure that children learn about what they can do to maintain positive mental health, what affects their mental health, how they can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and where they can go if they need help and support. 

Positive wellbeing is promoted through the wider curriculum and all school activities. Through a carefully planned approach to PSHE, RSE and Citizenship our pupils are helped to acquire the knowledge and develop the skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives, and to become resilient, informed and responsible citizens. 

In addition, whole school approaches such as collective worship, PSHCE, spirituality and breathing sessions are used to further develop the pupils’ knowledge of strategies. For example, peaceful problem solving is taught in PSHCE sessions to help pupils learn to control and manage feelings when there are disputes on the playground. Whole school events are held including our Mind Body Soul focus, Mental Health Awareness Week, World Mental Health Day, and Anti-bullying Week. During these events, the focus is on mindfulness and resilience; teaching strategies for dealing with anxiety; and coping with change and transition. 

What do we do at MIlldown to support children’s emotional well-being and mental health? 

Milldown Academy is committed to creating a happy, caring and supportive environment. As well as a learning environment, the school ensures there is a positive, supportive and inclusive ethos where children can thrive and achieve their personal best. Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) is a central to the curriculum across the whole school.  

• PSHE & RSE assists pupils to cope with the changes at puberty, introduces them to a wider world, manage transitions and enables them to make an active contribution to their communities.  The concepts covered in PSHE include identity, managing feelings and emotions, relationships, change, resilience and being healthy, which includes physical, emotional, and social well-being.  

• Nurture Provision. Children who experience domestic violence, bereavement, anxiety, and any other life experiences that may affect their emotional well-being are identified and supported by two fully trained ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) teachers who will offer regular 1:1 or small group nurture support. The school supports the child in their specific needs, meaning the pupil is at the heart of the school focus and their learning is understood developmentally. 

• Physical Education at least two hours weekly. We strive to ensure most pupils attend at least one sport-related after-school club, and many take part in inter-school sporting competitions. 

• Extensive range of After-School Clubs support children’s social and emotional development, and their well-being all with a view to increasing the range of experiences that children have, enabling them to make informed choices for adult life.  Activities are designed to be fun and cater for a wide variety of interests. 

• Healthy eating is promoted throughout the school. We have the Community Garden with green house, potting shed and raised growing beds. Parent volunteers support children working in the garden. The children and school community grow a variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs and when harvested use these in cooking activities. 

• Disadvantaged and vulnerable children are closely monitored through a ‘Championing’ approach and ensuring barriers to learning are removed and enrichment opportunities are encouraged and supported. 

• World Mental Health Day and Mental Health Awareness Week is celebrated across the school and ongoing events and activities are planned for the whole school community. 

• National Wellbeing Award Accreditation demonstrates our commitment to gaining a fuller understanding of mental health and supporting the needs of identified children. 

• Staff are trained in supporting children’s wellbeing through ‘Developing Practices around Mental Health and Wellbeing’, including accessing outside help and support when required. 

Whole School Theme Days/Weeks 

Throughout the year, themed days/weeks are woven into the curriculum to extend and enhance the breadth and balance of opportunities we offer our pupils. These include, Anti-Bullying Week and Safety Day, Creative Arts Week, World Book Day, Black History Month, Sport & Health Week, Fair Trade Fortnight, European Day of Languages, RE Days and much more.  

Forest School & Outdoor Learning 

Forest Schools is a Scandinavian initiative designed to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through an innovative, long term, educational approach to outdoor play and learning in a woodland environment.  As a school we are very fortunate in having our own woodland area and a teacher trained to deliver the Forest Schools programme. 

Forest Schools is offered to all children annually.  Sessions are designed around the needs of the group to ensure that they are learner-led.  Sessions are designed around a theme, themes are sometimes subtle such as evolving or exploring the site or more obvious such as butterflies, spies, fairies or nature investigators.  Many areas of the National Curriculum are intrinsically covered, in the Forest Schools experience without the programmes needing to be curriculum led. Teamwork skills are developed through games and activities.  Individual skills and self-esteem are heightened throughout activities such as hide and seek, shelter building, tool skills, lighting fires or environmental art, the list is endless.   Each activity develops intra and inter-personal skills as well as practical and intellectual skills. 

We are an Eco school and value the benefits of outdoor learning.  Children are stimulated by the outdoors where they can undertake a range of practical activities to support and enhance learning across the curriculum.  

Educational Visits and Residentials 

School trips and visits are an integral part of the education of children at Milldown.  We value the opportunities such visits offer our pupils and the commitment of staff and adults undertaking them.  Trips include class visits aimed at bringing learning alive and providing first-hand experience; extra-curricular outings such as activities with the school choir, orchestra or sporting events; and attending or taking part in performances or competitions.   

Children in Years 4 and 6 take part in residential visits. These are planned to provide new and exciting experiences.  

Children in all year groups will experience one educational visit a year.  Our Sports Week also offers children a number of new experiences for example, orienteering, climbing, abseiling, archery, canoeing, bowling and lots more. 

Links with Private Schools 

Our close links with Canford and Bryanston broaden our children’s perspectives. Saturday sessions in DT labs, science labs or on stage for drama workshops, as well as lessons on gender and divisibility not only aid our children’s personal development but also help set their aspirations.   

Visitors to School & Workshops 

Visitors have a valuable role to play and can contribute to many aspects of the life and work of the school.  They deliver talks, workshops and full day activities across a wide range of subjects, giving pupils access to outside experiences and expertise. Visitors provide a link with the wider community – children have the opportunity to work alongside artists, musicians, authors, health professions and others. 

Half-termly STEM presentations introduce children to the world of work, develop career-related learning and breakdown gender stereotypes.  Presentations introduce children to different career options and aim to increase aspirations while also raising self-esteem and breaking down barriers.  Talks are wide-ranging reflecting different employment sectors and delivered by both men and women. Speakers have included nurses, authors, illustrators, and an earth scientists.  

After-School Clubs 

At the heart of our vision is our commitment to providing the very best for all children to flourish. This includes having the widest possible range of opportunities both within and beyond the curriculum.  We offer extra-curricular opportunities through various types of provision delivered by school staff, external providers, and independent clubs – all with a view to increasing the range of experiences that children have, enabling them to make informed choices for adult life. Activities are designed to be fun and cater for a wide variety of interests. 

We want to offer the scope for each child to find a passion, develop a talent, spark an interest, or simply find pleasure in doing an activity with others. After-school clubs are a fantastic way of achieving this, and we are excited to offer a wide range of clubs, including sport, art and craft, choir, coding and drama etc. 

Music, Art & Drama 

Milldown provides opportunities for children to take part in a wide range of musical activities and performances in partnership with Dorset Rural Music School (DRMS) Children are encouraged to sing, compose, and work creatively with sound. Through active listening, pupils’ awareness, understanding and appreciation of a wide variety of music are developed. A range of opportunities are provided within and beyond the curriculum for children to showcase their musical skills and talents, for example every year our choir take part in Young Voices where children from across the country come together to sing at the O2 Arena in London.  Our Year 4 children also participate in a Trust Wide singing event called iSing Pop, which culminates in a performance with all Trust schools at Salisbury Cathedral.   Visits by theatre production teams further enriches pupils’ cultural development. 

As a school we appreciate and understand the importance of drama within our curriculum. Research reveals that drama had a positive impact on children’s physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. Drama is developed across the whole school in a variety of ways including storytelling, various performances, and assemblies. 

One of our external after-school club providers ‘Atori’ provide opportunities for children to dance and act, which is then performed to parents, the children and parents thoroughly enjoy their performances. 

Homework 

Homework can make an important contribution to a child’s progress at school.  As well as reinforcing learning in the classroom, homework helps children to develop the skills and attitudes they will need for successful independent lifelong learning. 

Homework is set in-line with the school’s policy, with tasks planned to appropriately challenge all pupils.  Weekly activities focus on English and Maths to reinforce and consolidate skills taught.  Often whole-school homework is set which provides an opportunity for children to think creatively and produce their own form of response.  A comprehensive Homework Policy outlines further our approaches to homework.  All of our homework is paper-based to reduce children’s screen time.   

Pupil Leadership Groups & Voice of the Child 

Volunteering is an activity that everyone can get involved in and benefit from.  At Milldown we promote and encourage pupils’ active citizenship and positive contribution to the school and wider community. Our Leadership Groups offer lots of opportunities for pupils to take on new responsibilities and be involved in successfully supporting the life and work of the school.   

Involving children as volunteers is very empowering: 

• It helps them to develop self-confidence. 

• It promotes self-esteem. 

• It develops their skills as leaders. 

• It involves them in making their own decisions. 

• It gives them a voice in the life and work of the school. 

• It offers them opportunity to take responsibility 

• It enables them to make a positive contribution to the work of the school and wider community. 

• It helps to prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of adult and working life. 

Pupils tell us that they enjoy the opportunity to volunteer to help make their school an even better place to be and rising to the challenge that additional responsibility brings. 

Eco & Environmental Work  

Eco-Schools is a scheme, which supports schools to raise pupils’ awareness of environmental issues through curriculum work and specific environmental projects.  Click here to visit the Eco-Schools website.  The eco-schools programme links to most if not all curriculum areas.  Many cross-curricular issues such as citizenship, enterprise and personal, social and health education can be tackled through involvement in Eco-Schools. 

It is an accredited award scheme.  Schools who achieve eco-school status receive a Green Flag to display in their school.  If a school achieves four Green Flags, then they can be awarded permanent eco-school status.  Milldown Academy is very proud to say that we were awarded the Green Flag Accreditation for our eco work. 

Global & International Citizenship 

This work is the basis of our Bespoke Milldown Curriculum that runs weekly across the whole school. 

Through our bespoke MiIlldown Curriculum offer, children engage in a range of experiences that enhance their learning and raise awareness of their national and international identity. Through termly themes we have a commitment to both gender and racial equality. This global dimension is reflected in the attitudes and values of our school community, the ethos and the curriculum of our school.  We recognise that global issues are an important part of children’s lives today. We are living in a world where economies are increasingly interdependent and global communication is a daily reality. Children have access to the Internet, increased opportunities to travel and to watch news stories from around the world, as they develop. A global dimension helps children to understand their role in creating a fair and sustainable world in the future and enables learners to explore links between their own lives and people, places and issues throughout the world.   

Spirituality 

Each week, throughout school, children improve their spiritual awareness and understanding via reflection time. Each week the children reflect using our 4 spiritual areas Appreciation of Self, Appreciation of Others, Appreciation of the World and its Beauty and finally an appreciation of the unknown and mysterious.  

Daily Breathing sessions also promote the importance of time for self and clarity of thought.   

Charity & International Aid Support 

Children at Milldown are actively involved in charity work and fundraising for various local, national and international charities.  We work with schools within our Trust to raise funds for nominated charities: Children in Need; Comic Relief and Sport Relief.  Often children will approach teachers with ideas to further raise money for different causes, in particular responding to an international issue.  Recent fundraising events have included a fundraising event for Christian Aid in support of global disasters.  

Let Grow Project  

This project gets children at Milldown practicing social skills inside and outside of the school day, benefiting them and their parents, and the wider community, too. It focus on five key areas; self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making.  

Self-awareness 

The Let Grow Experience provides opportunities to succeed—and fail a bit— allowing the chance to identify strengths, build self-confidence, and cultivate a growth mindset not only for students but also for their parents. Varying emotions will come up, each one a learning opportunity. Experience is a great way to figure out interests and find a passion.  

Social-awareness 

The strength of a person’s social awareness is demonstrated through their words and actions, especially in spontaneous situations. Let Grow projects can be powerful opportunities to develop their social awareness capacity through their participation in activities that expose them to all kinds of diversity and that help others.  

Self-management  

Trying something new on your own can be stressful. Let Grow projects require goal-setting and self-motivation and can put children in new situations that create opportunities for impulse control and stress-management.  

Relationship Skills 

The Let Grow Experience fosters the development of relationship skills in an environment closer to the real world, in the out-of-school contexts of children’ independence projects. Children communicate, cooperate and negotiate with constantly shifting groups of multiple ages, creating their own rules and handling conflicts. Projects that involve public places often require impromptu communication with strangers. What’s better for relationships than building them in real life?  

Responsible Decision Making  

Let Grow projects are to be done without adult help, which means that children have the opportunity to analyse situations, identify and solve problems, and evaluate consequences for themselves in real-life, not just hypothetical situations.