The Trust uses Cornerstones across all of its primary schools for EYFS, science, history, geography, art, and D&T, helping establish a coherent curriculum from the early years through to Year 6.
“The implementation journey required careful leadership but the clarity provided by Cornerstones meant that staff quickly understood the why behind the changes. The consistency bought by Cornerstones is evident in the quality of learning we see across classrooms with pupils demonstrating stronger knowledge retention and deeper understanding. Implementing the Cornerstones curriculum has enabled us to establish a shared language of curriculum design across the trust, bringing clarity, coherence and consistency to what our pupils learn. The move to a centralised curriculum has reduced variability across schools and strengthened our ability to articulate a clear and ambitious curriculum intent.”
A shared vision for every child
At the heart of Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust is a simple but ambitious belief.
Washwood Heath believe that the young people in their care are entitled to the highest quality learning experience. They promise them a curriculum which enables each and every one of them to:
- excel academically and be inspired across their full entitlement of subjects
- learn how to be safe and healthy
- receive a guarantee of cultural and societal experiences
- be an effective, life-long learner and participating global citizen who celebrates diversity and can address prejudice
- use language effectively and be a confident and respectful advocate for good
- collaborate and develop knowledge and skills for learning and for life
When reviewing their curriculum, the Trust wanted a framework that aligned with its own teaching, learning, assessment and inclusion principles while remaining flexible enough to meet the needs of each school.
After four years of working with Cornerstones, they chose to continue the partnership.
We like the flexibility offered and feel that they align with our Trust teaching, learning, assessment and inclusion frameworks.”
Consistency without compromise
One of the biggest challenges for trusts is reducing unnecessary variation between schools.
Washwood Heath MAT wanted every child to receive a coherent, high-quality curriculum, while still allowing schools to reflect their local communities.
Rather than replacing the curriculum, schools adapted it thoughtfully.
For example, Year 1 geography includes both Bright Lights, Big City – Birmingham and Bright Lights, Big City – London, allowing pupils to compare their own city with the capital while maintaining curriculum consistency across the Trust.
This approach has enabled schools to retain their individuality while sharing a common curriculum language.
Supporting curriculum conversations across the Trust
Implementing a shared curriculum required more than resources.
It required collaboration.
Cornerstones worked closely with Trust leaders, providing bespoke curriculum updates, professional dialogue and support to refine long-term curriculum planning.
Our Regional Curriculum Leaders work with Cornerstones Curriculum Advisers to support changes to our long-term plans. This professional dialogue has supported us to meet our curriculum aims.
Building confidence across schools
Perhaps one of the biggest impacts has been the confidence of curriculum leaders.
During inspection, leaders were questioned about:
- Sequencing
- Progression
- golden threads
- knowledge retention.
Subject leaders were confident to articulate the curriculum at their school.
Implementing the Cornerstones curriculum has enabled us to establish a shared language of curriculum design across the trust, bringing clarity, coherence and consistency to what our pupils learn.
Recognised through inspection
The impact has not only been visible internally.
It has also been recognised during inspection.
Across multiple schools, Ofsted praised:
- ambitious curriculum intent
- clear progression from the early years
- effective sequencing strong knowledge retention
- collaboration across Trust schools
- high-quality subject leadership.
The curriculum intent for all subjects is ambitious and ensures progression in knowledge and skills from early years through to Year 6. The school has maintained a continued focus on improvement. It has established an ambitious and broad curriculum. It has defined the knowledge pupils need to learn in each subject and the order this is to be taught. There is a clear progression from the start of the early years. In many subjects, the way that the curriculum is taught helps pupils to know and remember more.
Better outcomes for children
Ultimately, curriculum success is measured by the children.
The Trust regularly gathers pupil voice, with children speaking positively about:
- practical learning experiences
- making connections between topics
- enjoying new learning
- remembering more
We use pupil voice to capture the impact of the curriculum. Pupils talk positively about their learning. They like the practical elements of the curriculum, they enjoy new learning and can talk confidently about links.
Advice from one Trust to another
We decided in 2022 that it would be beneficial for all of our schools to work within a shared curriculum, initially building on the five subject areas already identified. Over the last four years, we have developed a common curriculum framework that has created greater consistency across our schools, ensuring that all settings deliver content that is coherent and of high quality. This has reduced variability between classrooms and year groups and enabled the trust to articulate a clear curriculum intent and progression across all schools. Our focus on a centralised curriculum has provided well-structured projects, progression maps and clear subject coverage, making it easier for leaders to plan a balanced curriculum while ensuring the sequencing of knowledge and skills from the early years through to the end of primary. The impact of this work is evidenced strongly in the range of Ofsted inspection reports since 2023, which highlight a well-sequenced curriculum rooted in the needs of our pupils, with clear intent, implementation and impact, and strong coherence across all schools. This impact is further reinforced through the findings of our annual external quality assurance reviews across the trust. Cornerstones provides a wealth of resources. Like any curriculum resource it is about choosing what is best for you and making the relevant adaptions.
Thinking about a shared curriculum across your Trust?
For many Multi Academy Trusts, the challenge isn’t simply choosing a curriculum. It’s creating a curriculum that provides consistency without sacrificing flexibility, supports subject leaders, and gives every child access to a coherent, high-quality education.
Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust demonstrates that with the right curriculum partner, it’s possible to achieve all three.
If you’re reviewing curriculum provision across your Trust, book a free curriculum conversation with one of our advisers. We’d love to explore how the Cornerstones Curriculum can help you build a shared vision for every school and every child.
