Humanities, MFL and Computing
Humanities
Humanities encompasses history, geography and religious studies. From an early age, our pupils are encouraged to explore the world around them and ask questions about themselves and others. With this in mind, we aim to engage with the child’s curiosity and sense of wonder from the very start of a topic exploring themes including: festivals, British values, commemorative events and worldwide events such as Remembrance and the Olympics. Imagine coming to school one day and finding a scroll from a knight, discovering huge, mysterious footprints in the classroom or being sent on a metal detector mission in the school grounds! Learning is child-centred and makes use of the outdoor environment. In addition, pupils enjoy relevant field trips to support their learning including Marwell Zoo, The Bluebell Watercress Line, The New Forest Wildlife Park and Tuppenny Barn.
Modern Foreign Languages
Exposure to an additional language from a young age increases the likelihood of a strong interest in other languages and cultures. At Oakwood all our pupils have the opportunity to learn a modern foreign language (MFL) from 2 1/2 to 11 as part of the normal school curriculum taught by our Head of Languages. Our school community benefits from having some international families with varied language backgrounds and we welcome opportunities to learn more about the languages and cultures of those in the Oakwood family. Pupils in the Pre-Prep all have the opportunity to begin to learn French and Spanish via games, songs, role play and simple stories. We aim to provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries in the future.
Computing
From Year 1 Oakwood pupils have specialist computing lessons which take place in the computing suite. Children in the Pre-Prep are encouraged to develop their mouse control and typing skills and are introduced to the fundamentals of programming, online safety, use of digital cameras, Publisher and coding. In addition to the computing suite, children have access to Learnpads to support their literacy and numeracy work. There are computers in every classroom as well as interactive whiteboards used to enhance and develop children’s digital learning.