Co-op Academy Oakwood was nominated for a Global Learning Award relating to the work that staff and pupils have completed on the curriculum. The core aim of Co-op Academy Oakwood's curriculum is to provide insight, creativity and experience in all subjects. These three main themes dictate how the curriculum has been designed to provide all children with a broad, exciting and ambitious curriculum that will develop their knowledge and cultural capital so that they are able to succeed in life. At Co-op Academy Oakwood, the staff team work hard to ensure that all pupils and their families are represented in the curriculum and beyond. The academy is extremely privileged to have families from across the world and this is celebrated through the choices that have been made in their curriculum design. 

The award was given due to the work completed on the curriculum linking to our celebration of multilingual learners and those identifying as Black, Asian or another non-White-British origin. The development of the reading spine has been created and the books chosen have been bought in both English and home languages so that all pupils and their families are able to enjoy them. The books purchased in the class libraries and main school library are chosen so that each and every pupil is able to identify with the characters who they are reading about. Books about migration and travelling to new places and homes have been purchased so that pupils are able to reflect on their own journeys and those that their friends or wider families have made. This allows pupils to develop understanding of themselves and others. 

The award also recognised the work completed in other areas of the curriculum such as PE. 37% of our children identify as having Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Kashmiri and Indian backgrounds and heritage. Cricket is the most popular sport in these countries and is followed by many families. The children have expressed wanting to play cricket for their country. Co-op Academy Oakwood's PE curriculum has been designed to embrace and celebrate the love of cricket that many of our families have. The joy of cricket is so strongly felt that one of the Year 6 pupils has organised a cricket competition for the pupils to enjoy. The pupil petitioned the PE leader and Senior Leadership Team for this opportunity, which was gladly granted. 

The academy is proud of the children and families that they serve. The award builds on the Ofsted report from May 2023 which recognised the community links build and included the statement 'The way in which leaders engage with the community is a strength of this school. The pastoral team establishes positive relationships with families.... Leaders arrange for visitors to speak to pupils about potential future careers. This raises pupils’ aspirations.' The raising of aspirations is key to the academy's goal of ensuring that all pupils are able to be successful and to quote the school's motto 'Be the Best you can be'. 

We are incredibly proud to receive the Global Learning 'Highly Commended' award for decolonising the curriculum and continue to strive to ensure that our pupils are citizens of the future and encompass the values of the academy and Co-op Academies Trust.