As a CIT School we adopt and follow all the Trust Values of:
• Honesty and Integrity
• Aspiration
• Professionalism
• Inclusivity
Alongside these we have our own school values that work within the community we serve:
At Woodlands Academy our vision is to ensure our pupils are prepared academically, emotionally and socially for their future both within Post-16 education, and within the world of work.
We want our pupils to develop their resilience, mental wellbeing, social skills and academic knowledge required to be active and worthwhile members of their local community and wider society.
This sits amongst our value statements;
Intent – To prepare pupils for life after Woodlands
Culture – Be Ready. Be Respectful. Be Responsible
Values – A place where all pupils THRIVE. Pupils show – Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Independence, Voice and Effort.
To ensure we achieve our vision, we provide the following:
Academic
– A personalised curriculum designed around the individual. Our curriculum is ambitious, engaging and responsive to the needs, interests and aspirations of our pupils. We provide a broad range of academic, vocational and practical opportunities, enabling every pupil to develop their strengths and achieve their potential.
– A strong focus on qualifications and future pathways. Pupils are supported to work towards GCSEs, Entry Level and vocational qualifications, with opportunities ranging from Entry Level through to Level 2. Where appropriate, pupils can leave Woodlands with up to nine GCSEs, alongside a range of other recognised qualifications and experiences.
– A broad and purposeful Key Stage 4 offer. Pupils choose from five option pathways, carefully designed around their individual interests, strengths and future aspirations, as well as local labour market information. Our offer includes GCSEs, vocational subjects and opportunities to develop skills within the arts and practical curriculum areas. Specialist provisions such as the woodlands, the growing garden, the animal farm, digital discovery room and the arts studio give pupils the best opportunities to acheive.
– Targeted support in Literacy and Numeracy. Carefully planned interventions help pupils to strengthen their reading, writing and mathematical skills, building confidence and removing barriers so that they can access the full curriculum and prepare for their next steps.
– Teaching that engages, challenges and inspires. Our teachers bring enthusiasm, strong subject knowledge and a wide range of teaching approaches to the classroom. Learning is adapted to individual needs, with a focus on building confidence, encouraging curiosity and helping pupils recognise what they are capable of achieving.
– Relationships at the heart of learning. Staff know our pupils exceptionally well. Positive, trusting relationships create a supportive ‘can-do’ culture, where pupils feel safe to make mistakes, take risks in their learning and celebrate their successes.
– Purposeful and alternative spaces for learning. Alongside dedicated classrooms and curriculum areas, pupils benefit from specialist spaces including our library, intervention spaces and Brew and Book, providing alternative environments for learning, reading, regulation and social interaction.
Emotional and Social Development
– Relationships before everything else. Woodlands is a small, nurturing community where staff know pupils as individuals. This enables us to understand their strengths, interests, experiences and needs and to provide personalised support at the right time.
– A trauma-informed approach throughout the school. All staff are trained in trauma-informed practice and restorative approaches, including emotion coaching. We understand that behaviour is communication and seek to understand what is happening for a pupil, rather than simply responding to what is happening around them.
– Learning through animals and nature. Our school animal farm provides a unique, calming and purposeful environment where pupils can spend time with alpacas, ducks, chickens, horses and goats. For many pupils, working with animals provides an opportunity to build confidence, develop trust and experience success in a different environment from the traditional classroom.
– Proactive, personalised support. Pupils have access to bespoke SPOT and EHCP interventions, alongside individualised support designed to develop emotional regulation, communication, relationships, resilience and independence.
– Opportunities to belong and succeed. Pupils can take part in a wide range of activities and experiences both within and beyond the classroom, including our school football team, reward trips, specialist music interventions and Outdoor Education.
– Specialist external therapeutic support. Pupils can access a school counsellor, as well as art and music therapy, providing different ways for them to explore emotions, develop self-awareness and communicate their experiences.
– Opportunities to be recognised and celebrated. Weekly House and Award Assemblies provide regular opportunities for pupils to celebrate their achievements, recognise the successes of others and develop a sense of belonging and pride in their school. Pupils gain THRIVE points by showing the school values and can return these for prizes.
– Pupil voice matters. Our School Council provides pupils with a genuine opportunity to influence school life. Pupils also run our weekly tuck shop, developing confidence, communication, teamwork and responsibility in a meaningful setting.
– A sense of home and belonging. Our Key Stage 3 classes stay in the same classroom with the same staff until the end of year nine. For us, this creates a nurturing and secure environment for pupils for which school has not quite worked previosuly. Each of these classes has a class pet, helping to create a warm, nurturing environment and providing pupils with opportunities to develop responsibility, care and connection.
Mental Wellbeing
– A school where pupils are known, valued and understood. Our approach to wellbeing begins with relationships. Staff know pupils extremely well and are often able to recognise subtle changes in mood or behaviour, allowing additional support to be offered early.
– Building confidence and self-belief. We celebrate progress as well as achievement, helping pupils recognise their strengths, develop resilience and understand that success can look different for everyone.
– A safe and supportive environment. Our small school community enables pupils to develop trusting relationships with adults who know them well and can provide consistent, familiar support when they need it.
– Specialist and responsive support. Our safeguarding and interventions team provides targeted support when pupils experience difficult or significant events. This includes bespoke resources such as bereavement boxes, alongside other individualised interventions. Our intervention team is three strong and is full time, meaning all our pupils get bespoke, outside of the classroom support.
– Access to counselling and therapeutic support. Pupils can access counselling within school, alongside art and music therapy, with staff working closely with external professionals where additional support is required.
– Preparing pupils for life beyond Woodlands. Our Learning for Life curriculum explicitly supports pupils to understand their own mental health and wellbeing, recognise when they may need help and know how to access appropriate support from external services as they move into adulthood.
– Strong partnerships with families and external agencies. We work closely with families and a range of external professionals and services, ensuring that pupils receive joined-up support and that their wellbeing remains at the centre of our decision-making.
– Frequent communication with families. Our weekly Thursday Family Forum is an open Teams call, providing families with the opportunity to meet key members of the school team in an informal and relaxed environment. Our class teams make contact with families every Monday and Wednesday, as well as whenever additional communication is needed, ensuring families are kept informed about their child’s progress, achievements and wellbeing.
– Unique whole school events. We also actively encourage families to be part of the wider Woodlands community through events such as termly assemblies, Sports Day, Woodlands Got Talent and many other celebrations throughout the year. Several coffee mornings are provided and ran by our pupils.
– Creating leaders. Our pupil leadership team consists of the school council, librarian, sports assistant and SLT assistant. These roles give pupils opportunities to lead, be heard and build confidence in preparation for their next steps.
Working in and Contributing to the Community
– At Woodlands, we believe that education extends beyond the school gates. Pupils are given meaningful opportunities to develop independence, confidence and a sense of responsibility by becoming active members of their local community.
– Real-life experiences with a purpose. Pupils contribute to local projects and organisations, including volunteering through the Duke of Edinburgh Award at Spilsby New Life Centre and supporting local environmental projects such as Snipe Dales through Land-Based Studies.
– Running our community Farm Shop. Pupils take an active role in running our weekly Farm Shop, developing practical skills including customer service, communication, teamwork, organisation, money handling and responsibility.
– Connecting with local businesses and residents. Pupils run a regular stall at Spilsby Market, providing authentic opportunities to interact with members of the public and develop confidence in unfamiliar situations.
– Giving back to others. Pupils are encouraged to support local and national charities through fundraising activities, including Children in Need, Macmillan and Genes for Genes Day, helping them understand the positive impact they can have on others.
– Being part of local traditions and events. Pupils take part in community events and projects such as Light Up Spilsby and the Planters of Spilsby, developing a sense of pride and belonging within the local community.
– Celebrating together. Our termly whole school THRIVE assemblies and our house coins provide opportunties for the whole school to celebrate each others success. Our House Team winners go on an annual house trip to Fantasy Island. Our annual Christmas pantomime provides an opportunity for pupils to come together, develop confidence and performance skills, and create shared memories as a school community.
– Developing independence for the future. Through these experiences, pupils learn practical skills that cannot always be taught in a classroom — how to communicate with unfamiliar people, solve problems, work as a team, manage responsibility and make a positive contribution to the world around them.
At the heart of Woodlands
At Woodlands Academy, we believe that success is about more than qualifications. We want every pupil to leave us with a strong sense of who they are, an understanding of their strengths, the confidence to face challenges and the skills they need to thrive in their next stage of life.
Our approach is built on relationships, high expectations, opportunity and understanding. We meet pupils where they are, help them understand themselves and provide the support and experiences they need to move forward with confidence.
