Our first project with the University of Sheffield explored how to tailor our curriculum to reflect and respond to children’s interests, funds of knowledge, and working theories. By working closely with key families, we gained deeper insights into each child’s individual interests as well as the shared interests and activities of their families. This understanding allowed us to determine not only what interests children but also the context behind those interests.

We used this knowledge in two key ways:

1. Creating a Sense of Belonging: By incorporating children’s interests and family experiences into the curriculum, we ensured every child saw themselves and their families represented in their learning. This approach fostered a strong sense of belonging and value within the classroom.
2. Using Interests as a Springboard for Learning: Children’s interests served as entry points for engaging them in areas of the curriculum they might not have otherwise explored. Activities were intentionally designed to connect with these interests, making learning more engaging and meaningful.

Our case studies demonstrated the power of this approach. Children showed heightened enthusiasm and confidence when participating in activities tied to their interests. This confidence also extended to trying new experiences, as they felt empowered by their familiarity and mastery over the topics.

Parents played a crucial role in this process. Through our online system, Tapestry, parents regularly shared photos and videos of their children’s interests and weekend activities. This ongoing collaboration allows us to align teaching with emerging interests and encourage classroom discussions based on children’s experiences. Home visits further enhance our understanding of each child’s unique context, enabling us to tailor the curriculum right from the start.

Our curriculum is intentionally child-centered and broad, allowing children to bring their experiences and knowledge into the classroom. Alongside planning interest-based activities, we provide teaching and enrichment experiences that immerse children in captivating new opportunities, nurturing the development of fresh interests and ideas.

Our second project with the University of Sheffield focused on embedding children’s interests and fostering a sense of belonging within our outdoor learning environment. The aim was to ensure that our outdoor areas offered the same rich learning opportunities as indoor environments while catering to children who thrive outdoors.

We collaborated with parents to gain insight into children’s experiences and interests, tailoring outdoor activities to reflect these preferences. This approach ensured children accessed all areas of the curriculum in a way that resonated with their learning styles.

Case studies highlighted how aligning outdoor activities with children’s interests encouraged them to engage with parts of the curriculum they might otherwise avoid. For example:

• Outdoor mark-making activities, adapted to the environment, led to increased independent participation in writing tasks.
• A treasure hunt with written clues encouraged children to develop reading skills in an outdoor setting.
• A travel agents role-play encouraged children to engage in discussions based on family experiences and create travel tickets and brochures for their friends.

By using interests as a stimulus, children were more likely to engage with and enjoy outdoor learning. Our curriculum is now thoughtfully sequenced, integrating indoor and outdoor activities to create a seamless learning experience. Importantly, our outdoor environments reflect children’s interests and needs, cultivating a sense of ownership and belonging.

These projects have transformed our curriculum, teaching practices, and environment. Children are more engaged, confident, and open to exploring new areas of learning. Parents are active contributors to the learning process, and our outdoor spaces are now as dynamic and reflective as our indoor ones. By centering learning around children’s interests, we continue to build a curriculum that inspires, supports, and empowers every child.

Wingfield Primary School, as part of Compass Eko Trust, is a development partner for the Embers Programme and was among the first in the country to teach Embers. From those first classrooms the programme has grown to reach thousands of pupils each year, with the accompanying home programme carrying the same stories, language and strategies to families. Wingfield's work has been instrumental ahead of the programme's forthcoming national rollout. Its teachers have supported the drafting and testing of every resource in the EYFS and KS1 programme, with their feedback directly shaping the versions now in use across all partner schools. For the KS2 programme the school has taken a leading role in writing the classroom resources in coordination with the Embers team. 

Our teachers are currently collaborating with BBC Bitesize to create a short information film about teaching PSHE in primary schools.  More information to follow.

What does a genuinely rich curriculum look like for children with the most complex needs?  Mary Myatt explores the collaborative work of Wingfield teachers to answer this question.

The Minister for Education, Skills and Employment from St. Helena, a British Overseas Territory , visited Wingfield with a particular focus on digital technology. The Minister toured the school, observed lessons and met with leaders. During her visit to the UK, the Minister also met Keir Starmer and King Charles!

Hopefully, this will be the start of a working relationship between our Trust and St. Helena

A group of CEOs from the UK and Singapore visited Wingfield, organised by the British Council. The CEOs toured the school, observed lessons and met with leaders.  

“I was so impressed with the depth of pedagogical knowledge and research based learning at Wingfield and the calm, focused classrooms I visited.”

Willy Tan Headteacher, Singapore