‘Bringing Learning To Life: No Limits. No Barriers.’
For further details on specific learning per year group, please refer to our learning journey maps page.
At Ocean Academy, our inclusive curriculum will challenge and nurture each child to develop a strong sense of self through a purposeful, engaging and authentic learning journey; preparing resilient and confident learners who have the knowledge, skills and cultural awareness to embrace an ever-changing world.
Our curriculum ensures the development of the knowledge, skills and qualifications required for success by ensuring that all children at Ocean Academy learn in a challenging and supportive environment through a well-developed, progressive curriculum which encourages creativity, celebrates diversity and utilises knowledge, skills and cultural experiences to become active citizens in modern Britain.
Our curriculum has been designed to:
Ocean Academy, as part of the Aspirations Academies Trust, shares a common philosophy and a distinctive approach to education. There are three guiding principles that all Aspirations Academies adhere to and are central to the curriculum:
If you wish to contact any curriculum leads to discuss any further information, please email our school office.
Choose a year group to see what is taught each half term.
Scroll sideways to see every half term.
| Year 3 | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Guiding Principles | Self Worth | Engagement | Purpose | |||
| 8 Conditions of learning | Belonging | Heroes | Spirit of adventure | Curiosity & creativity | Leadership & responsibility | Confidence to take action |
| Whole School Power Skills | Introduction to Power Skills | Creativity | Communication | Collaboration | Critical Thinking | Character |
| No Limits Topic, Driving Question & AL Assignment | Time Cop: Stone Age Britain Communication: | Water, water everywhere! Critical Thinking - Problem Solving | Fantastic Forces Communication: | Destination: Poole Collaboration & Creativity: | Ready, Steady, Grow! Critical Thinking - Problem Solving: | Time Cop: Ancient Egypt Collaboration & Creativity: |
| Reading Lesson Text | Stig of the Dump, Stone Age Boy, DK Find Out (Non Fiction Text) National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | The Hodgeheg, The Girl Who Became a Fish, The Wind in the Willows National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | Leonora Bolt, Ada Twist Scientist, Troll Stinks, Sir Isaac Newton (biography) National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | The Twits and Dorset Folk Tales for Children & Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning of Lyme Regis National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | The Boy Who Grew Dragons, It Starts with A Seed and Under the Canopy, The Wild Robot National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | Tutankhamun (Non Fiction Text), The Legend of Osiris and Iris, Fables, Egyptian Fact File, The Boy Who Stole the Pharaoh's Lunch National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus |
| Writing | Stone Age Boy Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | The True Story of the Three Little Pigs: Jon Scieszka Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | The Day the Crayons Quit: Drew Daywalt Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | The Twits: Roald Dahl Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | The boy who grew dragons: Andy Shepherd Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | Ancient Egyptian Texts Covered in Reading Lessons Grammar Focus Oracy Focus |
| Spelling | words with <aigh> and <eigh> | words with /j/ spelled <g> <ge> and <dge> | words beginning with /n/ spelled <kn> and <gn> | words beginning with <re> | words ending in <tion> | words ending with suffixes <ed> <ing> <y> <er> <est> and <ly> |
| Maths | Place Value | Addition and Subtraction | Measurement | Fractions | Fractions | Measurement: Time |
| Science (weekly) | Rocks & Fossils | Animals inc Humans | Forces and magnets | Animals inc humans | Plants | Light |
| History | Stone Age Britain | Local History: Poole Then and Now | Ancient Egypt | |||
| Geography | Coastal Erosion and Management | Poole in the UK (local study) | Geography including fieldwork | |||
| Religious Education | Christian Beliefs | Christian Beliefs - Advent | Sikh Beliefs | Sikh Beliefs | Sanatana Dharma (Hindu) | Sanatana Dharma (Hindu) Beliefs |
| Computing | Digital basics and Chromebook Skills | What is the internet? How does technology help us? | Staying Safe, searching and communicating online. | |||
| Music | Beginner Ukulele Introduction | Ukulele Development - First Access (C, G, Am and F) | Ukulele Development (3 chords Am, C G) - Shake it Off | |||
| Art | Painting - Blending colour | Pencil and charcoal - shade and tone | Natural materials - shape, pattern and colour | |||
| DT | Structures - 3D nets - dice. | Simple mechanisms - pop-up books | Textiles - Bookmark | |||
| STEM (Creator Space) | KNEX: Mechanical systems - flying disks - build with lego | TinkerCAD and 3D printing - | Incorporating electrical circuits | |||
| PE | Throwing and Catching Invasion games | Kicking and Dribbling Invasion games | Dodging and Running games | Net and wall games | Athletics and Outdoor Adventurous Activities | Striking and Fielding Games |
| MFL | Alphabet & Sounds | Countries | Days of the week | Months of the year | Classroom objects | Classroom commands |
| PSHE | Being me in my world | Celebrating difference | Dreams and goals | Healthy me | Relationships | Changing me |
| RSE | Online relationships | Respectful relationships | Families and people who care for me | Being safe | Respectful relationships | Relationships and sex education |
| SMSC | Social | Moral | Spiritual | Cultural | Moral | Social |
| Safeguarding in the curriculum | Staff who can help me | Anti-bullying week Firework Safety | Safety provided by forces (e.g. brakes) | Healthy choices including food choices, drug awareness and attitudes | Building healthy relationships | Beach Safety |
| Trips, Visits and Enrichment Employability focus: Gatsby 2 & 4 (Linking curriculum learning to careers) Employability: Gatsby 5 (Encounters with employers/employees) | Ukulele Taster Sessions | Wessex Water | Gatsby 2 & 4 - Local Church Visit | World Book Day | Careers Day | World Music Day |
| Year 4 | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Guiding Principles | Self Worth | Engagement | Purpose | |||
| 8 Conditions of learning | Belonging | Heroes | Spirit of adventure | Curiosity & creativity | Leadership & responsibility | Confidence to take action |
| Whole School Power Skills | Introduction to Power Skills | Creativity | Communication | Collaboration | Critical Thinking | Character |
| No Limits Topic, Driving Question & AL Assignment | Electricity Critical Thinking - Problem Solving: | Destination: Italy Communication & Creativity: | Timecop: Romans in Britain Collaboration: | Extreme Survivors How can we solve survival problems using our knowledge of volcanoes ? Critical Thinking - Problem Solving & Creativity: | Time Cop: Ancient Greece and its legacy Collaboration & Creativity: | Wanted: Scientists! Communication: |
| Reading Lesson Text | Marcus Rashford information text (non fiction) National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus: | Italy (non-fiction) National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | A Gladiator Stole My Lunch Box (fiction) National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | Ice trap: Shackleton's Incredible Expedition (fiction) National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (fiction) National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | How to Train your Dragon (fiction) National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus |
| Writing | Thomas Edison - Nonfiction Text Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan To entertain Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K Rowling To inform Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | Ice Trap: Shackleton's Incredible Expedition by Meredith Hooper To entertain Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | The Olympic Games – are they worth it? To persuade Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell To entertain Grammar Focus Oracy Focus |
| Spelling | words with elision | words with /ar/, /or/ and /a/ spelled <al> | words beginning with <pre> | words beginning with <e> and <ex> | words beginning with <ship> | words ending with <sion>, <ssion> and <tion> |
| Maths | Place Value | Addition, subtraction and multiplication | Division and fractions | Decimals, measures, perimeter and area | Money and time | Statistics, Properties of shape, position and direction |
| Science (weekly) | Electricity | Sound | States of Matter | States of Matter | Living Things and Their Habitats | Animals incl. Humans |
| History | Iron Age | Roman Britain | Ancient Greece and Theatre as a historical theme | |||
| Geography | Europe: Italy | Mountains & Volcanoes | Geography: Fieldwork | |||
| Religious Education | Jewish Beliefs | Jewish Beliefs | Christian Beliefs | Christian Beliefs | Islamic beliefs | Islamic Beliefs |
| Computing | Online Communication and Digital Behaviour | Technology makes decisions and spotting fake information. | Password Security and Digital Footprints | |||
| Music | First Access - Ukulele | Creating Music through Technology - Charanga - YouStudio | Ukulele Performance skills - Counting Stars | |||
| Art | Paint - colour & emotion | Pencil - crosshatch, stipple, scribble, circle hatch | Clay - balling, rolling, pinching, coiling | |||
| DT | Food technology - Pizza | Structures - Photo frame | Mechanisms-hinges | |||
| STEM (Creator Space) | KNEX: Building and testing a golf club to complete a set criteria | TinkerCAD and 3D printing - | Incorporating electrical circuits - | |||
| PE | Throwing and Catching Invasion games | Kicking and Dribbling Invasion games | Dodging and Running games | Net and wall games | Athletics and Outdoor Adventurous Activities | Striking and Fielding Games |
| MFL | Age; Numbers to 20 | Numbers to 30 | Seasons & Weather | Colours; Euros & Cent (counting and making whole amounts) | Body parts | Common words |
| PSHE | Being me in my world | Celebrating difference | Dreams and goals | Healthy me | Relationships | Changing me |
| RSE | Online relationships | Respectful relationships | Families and people who care for me | Being safe | Respectful relationships | Relationships and sex education |
| SMSC | Social | Cultural | Moral | Spiritual | Social | Spiritual |
| Safeguarding in the curriculum | Staff who can help me | Firework safety Anti-bullying week | Online Safety - Internet Safety Day | Being safe whilst on trips, including residentials. | Building healthy relationships | Understanding consent |
| Trips, Visits and Enrichment Employability focus: Gatsby 2 & 4 (Linking curriculum learning to careers) Employability: Gatsby 5 (Encounters with employers/employees) | Hengistbury Head | Gatsby 2 & 4 - Judaism visitor | Gatsby 2 & 4 - First Access Music | Gatsby 5 - Visit to local church | Gatsby 2 & 4 - Wessex Water visit | World Music Day |
| Year 5 | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Guiding Principles | Self Worth | Engagement | Purpose | |||
| 8 Conditions of learning | Belonging | Heroes | Spirit of adventure | Curiosity & creativity | Leadership & responsibility | Confidence to take action |
| Whole School Power Skills | Introduction to Power Skills | Creativity | Communication | Collaboration | Critical Thinking | Character |
| No Limits Topic, Driving Question & AL Assignment | Destination: South America (Rainforests) Communication: | Timecop: Ancient Maya Communication & Creativity: | Rocketman: Fly me to the moon! Critical Thinking - Problem Solving: | Rocketman: Life on Mars Collaboration & Creativity: | Wateraid Communication & Critical thinking - Problem Solving: | Timecop: Invaders or Settlers? Critical Thinking - Problem Solving |
| Reading Lesson Text | Ocelots non-fiction text National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | Hero Twins myth National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | The River - Valerie Bloom National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | Tim Peake biography National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | Rivers of the World non-fiction text National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | Eyewitness Viking - DK National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus |
| Writing Purpose | To Entertain | To Entertain | To Inform | To Persuade | To Entertain | To Inform |
| English | To Entertain Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | To Entertain Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | To Inform Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | To Persuade Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | To Entertain Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | To Inform Grammar Focus |
| Oracy | Debate: Deforestation is necessary to maintain the lifestyle of the current population of the world. It can't and shouldn't be stopped. | Discussion: What did the discovery of Chichen Itza teach historians about the Ancient Maya? | Explaining our designs and justifying the design decisions we have made | Presenting television programmes, recorded in front of green screens | Presenting pitches to the board for their solution to a water problem | Debate: Were Vikings civilised settlers or bloodthirsty invaders? |
| Spelling | words with /oo/ and /yoo/ spelled <eu> | words ending with <re> | words beginning with <ab> | adjectives ending with <ant> and <ent> | words ending with <ary>, <ery> and <ory> | words with <trans> |
| Maths | Place Value | Statistics | Short Division, remainders & problems | Adding, subtracting & multiplying fractions | Angle measuring and calculating | Revision of issues from the year |
| Science (weekly) | Living things and their habitats | Changes of Materials (Separating mixtures & dissolving) | Forces Oracy Focus | Earth and Space Oracy Focus | Properties of Materials (insulators, conductors etc) and revision of changes | Animals incl. Humans |
| History | Ancient Maya Oracy Focus | Local History - Smuggling in Poole | Anglo Saxons & Vikings in Britain up to 1066 Oracy Focus | |||
| Geography | South America: Brazil (Amazon Rainforest) Oracy Focus | Geography: Fieldwork | Rivers and the water cycle Oracy Focus | |||
| Religious Education | Christian Practices | Christian Practices | Sikh Practices | Sikh Practices | Sanatana Dharma (Hindu) Practices | Sanatana Dharma (Hindu) Practices |
| Computing | Research Skills - Comparing Sources | Fake news, Media Literacy & Introduction to AI. | Online Identity, Reputation, Privacy and Data. | |||
| Music | Creating music in a digital world. | Ukulele development - (Ho Hey - The Lumineers) | Ukulele performance- (Walk the Moon - Shut up and Dance) | |||
| Art | Paint - Tint, shade and tone | Pencil - Proportional drawing (faces) | Collage - Variety of materials to deliver a message | |||
| DT | Structures - Bridges | Textiles - bag | Mechanisms - pulley systems | |||
| STEM (Creator Space) | KNEX: Building and testing a car to complete a set criteria | TinkerCAD and 3D printing - | Incorporating electrical circuits - | |||
| PE | Throwing and Catching Invasion games | Kicking and Dribbling Invasion games | Dodging and Running games | Net and wall games | Athletics and Outdoor Adventurous Activities | Striking and Fielding Games |
| MFL | Family | Places | Numbers to 50 | Clothes | Hobbies | Food & Drink |
| PSHE | Being me in my world | Celebrating difference | Dreams and goals | Healthy me | Relationships | Changing me |
| RSE | Online relationships | Respectful relationships | Families and people who care for me | Planetarium - Awe and Wonder / Spirituality | Respectful relationships | Relationships and sex education |
| SMSC | Moral | Cultural | Cultural | Spirituality | Moral | Social |
| Safeguarding in the curriculum | Staff who can help me | Types of bullying and managing them | Online safety | Dangerous substances and age restrictions | Understanding consent | Puberty and Feelings |
| Trips, Visits and Enrichment Employability focus: Gatsby 2 & 4 (Linking curriculum learning to careers) Employability: Gatsby 5 (Encounters with employers/employees) | Lighthouse Poole Performance - Armonico Consort Choir | Living Museum creation and delivery | Gatsby 2&4 - Design cycle (rockets) | Gatsby 2 & 4 - Planetarium visit, exploring careers involved in STEM | Gatsby 2 & 4 - Wessex Water visit | Viking experience at school |
| Year 6 | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Guiding Principles | Self Worth | Engagement | Purpose | |||
| 8 Conditions of learning | Belonging | Heroes | Spirit of adventure | Curiosity & creativity | Leadership & responsibility | Confidence to take action |
| Whole School Power Skills | Introduction to Power Skills | Creativity | Communication | Collaboration | Critical Thinking | Character |
| No Limits Topic, Driving Question & AL Assignment | Earthquakes Communication: | Timecop: World War Two Communication & Creativity: | Evolution and inheritance Critical Thinking - Problem Solving: | Timecop: The English Civil War Communication: | Enterprise: Make £5 grow Critical Thinking - Problem Solving & Creativity: | Trade & Economics Collaboration & Creativity: |
| Reading Lesson Text | The Alps fact-file (non-fiction) National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | Secrets of the Staffroom (fiction) Benjamin Zephaniah - Talking Turkeys (poem) Remembrance Day Information Text (non-fiction) National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | The Legend of Podkin One-Ear - Kieran Larwood National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | Revision: SATS Practice Papers National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: Oracy Focus | Revision: SATS Practice Papers National Curriculum Focus: Viper Focus: | The Short and Bloody History of Pirates - John Farman (non-fiction) National Curriculum Focus: Playscripts - Year 6 Production Viper Focus: Oracy Focus: |
| Writing purpose & focus text / English | To inform: guide; newspaper report; non-chronological report Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | To describe and entertain: diary; flashback; letter Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | To persuade: creating an advert for Camp Green Lake; letter writing; debating whether school uniform should be banned Grammar Focus Oracy Focus | Various purposes: Building a writing anthology of different genres Writing to Describe Writing to Entertain Writing to Inform Oracy Focus | Various purposes: Building a writing anthology of different genres Writing to Describe Writing to Entertain Writing to Persuade Writing to Inform Oracy Focus | Various purposes: Building a writing anthology of different genres Writing to Entertain Writing to inform Writing to Persuade Oracy Focus Performance: Year 6 end of year show |
| Spelling | Basic Homophones | Words ending in -ise | Words ending in -ing / -ed / -er / -est, including when to double consonant | Words ending in -ible, -able | Words containing 'i' spelt 'y' | Words containing spec, spect, spic |
| Maths | Place Value | Fractions | Ratio | Measure: converting units | Revision | Life Skills Maths - Budgeting, Salaries, Best value shopping |
| Science | Living things and habitats | Light | Evolution and inheritance | Electricity | Animals including humans | Revision of science taught in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 |
| History | Beyond 1066: World War Two | Local History Study: English Civil War | Local History - Trade triangle including links to Victorians | |||
| Geography | Plate boundaries and earthquakes | Geography: Fieldwork | Geography: Trade and global commerce | Trade and global commerce | ||
| Religious Education | Christian Practices - Parables | Christian Practices | Humanist Beliefs and Practices | Humanist Beliefs and Practices | Islamic Practices | Islamic Practices (Hajj) |
| Computing | Online safety (4) | Create a digital presentation using Google Slides (3) | Coding with microbit (3) | |||
| Music | Develop our singing voice whilst learning more chords on ukulele (Count on Me - Bruno Mars) | Creating a track using digital technology using multiple instruments for a purpose. | Ukulele development for performance. (Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver) | |||
| Art | Paint - blending, colour for a purpose, tint/shade/tone | Clay - using tools to carve | Pencil - Proportional drawing (bodies) | |||
| DT | Food technology | Mechanical - Moving toy (cams) | Mechanical - Moving toy (cams) continued | |||
| STEM (Creator Space) | KNEX: Bridging the gap to match a set criteria | TinkerCAD and 3D printing - | Incorporating electrical circuits | |||
| PE | Throwing and Catching Invasion games | Kicking and Dribbling Invasion games | Dodging and Running games | Net and wall games | Athletics and Outdoor Adventurous Activities | Striking and Fielding Games |
| MFL | Animals | Transport | Numbers to 100 | Time | Revision | Holiday & Beach |
| PSHE | Being me in my world | Celebrating difference | Dreams and goals | Healthy me | Relationships | Changing me |
| RSE | Online relationships | Respectful relationships | Families and people who care for me | Being safe | Respectful relationships | Relationships and sex education |
| SMSC | Moral | Spiritual | Cultural | Moral | Social | Spiritual |
| Safeguarding in the curriculum | Staff who can help me | Fire safety | Keeping healthy inc. healthy eating | Mindfulness and wellbeing | Rail safety | Bikeability (cycling proficiency) |
| Trips, Visits and Enrichment Employability focus: Gatsby 2 & 4 (Linking curriculum learning to careers) Employability: Gatsby 5 (Encounters with employers/employees) | Digital presentations | Bovington Tank Museum Visit | Online Safety Day | World Book Day | Careers afternoon | Future Thinking - Trip to Bournemouth University |