Cultural Capital

Cultural Capital

We are committed to empowering our students with the invaluable asset of cultural capital. We believe that every student, deserves access to a rich and diverse range of experiences that broaden their horizons, ignite their passions, and equip them with the skills necessary to succeed in an ever-changing world.

Our mission is to cultivate a nurturing and inclusive environment that fosters the acquisition and appreciation of cultural capital. We strive to provide our students with meaningful opportunities to engage with a wide array of art forms, literature, history, languages, and traditions, both within our local community and beyond. By embracing cultural diversity, we aim to inspire our students to develop empathy, critical thinking, and a global perspective.

Through intentional curriculum design, we ensure that cultural capital is interwoven into every aspect of our pupils' educational journey. We empower them to explore their own cultural heritage while encouraging them to appreciate and learn from the cultures of others. By celebrating the richness of our collective identities, we aim to build bridges of understanding and foster a sense of belonging within our school community. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth, we ensure that our students are equipped with the cultural capital they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

We are extremely proud of the peripatetic music lessons that we offer at Washwood, that are funded by the academy. A large cohort of pupils learn to play instruments such as the piano, Dhol Drums, Drum kit, Vocals, Guitar, Steel Pans and orchestral instruments from the brass and strings. Peripatetic music lessons not only teach pupils the skills to be able to play an instrument but also exposes pupils to a range of musical material and develops pupils independence, communication, resilience and their ability to collaborate. Our musicians also have opportunities throughout the year to perform both inside and outside of school.

Secondary Phase- From the beach, to the forest, to London and beyond!

Year 7: In Year 7, we visit the Black Country Living Museum. The Black Country industry played a huge part in shaping the local landscape and culture of the Black Country itself, Birmingham and beyond.  As this is local to our students, a visit to the museum provides a fantastic opportunity to contextualize their understanding of the local culture.  From the BCLM website: Beneath the smoke and glare from blast furnaces and forges, Black Country innovation, entrepreneurial and manufacturing skill established the region’s supremacy for the making of wrought iron. The Black Country also possessed important hardware and other manufactures distinctive to itself – structural ironwork, chain making, locks and keys, tube manufacture, trap making and many others – which brought fame to Black Country towns across the globe.

In year 7 we also provide an opportunity in the spring term to visit the Symphony Hall to attend the CBSO schools’ concert. Pupils step into the world-famous hall to watch and listen to the orchestra perform a varied programme of music from Classical through to 21^st century pieces, and even some film scores.

Year 8: In Year 8 we provide a fantastic opportunity to visit London. Making the trip to London is a significant day out for our students. We are not only expecting them to gain an understanding and sense of the sheer scale of the Capital, but we are also looking to stretch our students’ awareness and understanding of the cultural depth and political landscape of the country in which they live. Much of London’s architecture, city parks and historic landmarks provide excellent learning opportunities for the students and offer them a chance to contextualize their knowledge of the world around them.  Starting at the Natural History Museum, we go on a walk, taking in some of London’s most historic landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and The Royal Albert Hall and finishing at The National Gallery.  A truly culturally rich experience!

Year 9: In year 9 Pupils have the opportunity to experience the Great British Seaside at Weston Super-Mare. Pupils enjoy going onto the pier and then walking to the beach to enjoy time together playing ball games and building sandcastles. In Birmingham we do not have access to coastal environments and Weston Super-mare has a rich history as a Victorian seaside resort. Pupils learn about how the British seaside developed as a cultural and leisure destination. We explore coastal geography including tides and erosion. Experiencing new environments fosters confidence and resilience.

Year 10: We bring Year 10 up to Cannock Chase, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Cannock Chase offers a wide range of learning opportunities, alongside the benefits of walking in the countryside with friends. Cannock Chase was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1958 and remains an exceptional example of forestry and heath land. It comprises a mixture of natural deciduous woodland, coniferous plantations, open heathland and the remains of early industry, such as coal mining. Despite being relatively small in area, the chase provides a remarkable range of landscape and wildlife, including a herd of around 800 fallow deer and a number of rare and endangered birds, including migrant nightjars. We know that time in nature boosts mental health and exposure to fresh air and green spaces fosters a lifelong appreciation for our natural environment. In addition to Cannock Chase, all year 10 Geographers carry out their filed work trip, investigating rivers and measuring river processes.

Residentials: We provide a range of residential trips throughout the academic year. At Year 7 pupils have the opportunity to go to Boreatton Park (PGL) in Shropshire that is an outdoor activity park with a breathtaking mansion building nestled in 240 acres of non-stop action and adventure including abseiling, canoeing, archery, climbing, high ropes and more.

In Year 8 pupils have the opportunity to go to the Isle Of White to UKSA (UK Sailing Academy) for 5 days of water sports such as paddle boarding, sailing and windsurfing.

In year 9 pupils can go The Lake District, Ullswater. This trip involves 5 days, some of which are spent camping and many hours hiking, rowing, and exploring one the lake District’s highest peaks.  We also run the Duke of Edinburgh Award for year 9 pupils and the final expedition involves camping and learning how to be self-sufficient and resilient.

Sixth Form Phase: Duke of Edinburgh is a huge opportunity that we offer to all our Year 12 and 13 students.  On the Bronze award, students have to take on a volunteering project which is often aligned with a cause to support the local community and learn a new skill.  There is also an outdoors expedition to Long Mynd in Shropshire which consists of two nights camping and three days walking in the countryside.  This expedition is a challenging and rewarding experience for students, which really enhances their confidence, independence and resilience as they must plan routes for their expedition and use a compass and OS map to navigate. Taking turns in leadership is a key aspect of the expedition and makes sure all the students are given the opportunity to make decisions and lead.  The expedition finished in the idyllic village of Church Stretton where the students are rewarded with a well-deserved ice cream!  The DofE is an excellent way for students to build their character.

The information above is not the exhaustive list of educational visits that we provide throughout the year but these trips are the annual opportunities available to all pupils.