Wellington Eagles Primary Academy celebrates first year with the opening of their welly wall

Staff and pupils at Wellington Eagles Primary Academy are making a lasting mark on the school with their unveiling of their Welly Wall – a permanent collection of wellies that have been decorated by all pupils and members of staff.

Now at the start of their second year open, the latest pupils to join the school will be decorating their own wellies to add to the wall, which each year will see more of the decorative footwear added.  Entitled ‘Belonging’, the wall symbolises how each person belongs to the Wellington Eagles family and each step that everyone has made to come together at the school, which was built as part of the Army Rebasing Plan.

Head of School for The Wellington Eagles Primary Academy, Sarah Johnson-Motyl said: “Our school is unique in that our foundations lie in such diverse beginnings due to the Army Rebasing Programme and for many of our pupils, this will be the first time they’ve ever lived or have gone to school in the UK.  We wanted something that symbolised belonging, as well as something that would give us the ability to grow and develop as the school continues to grow.  The wellies, with ongoing addition of the mini wellies, is the perfect choice.”

Forming the central point at the main entrance to the school, the wall also frames the school’s innovative and child-centred approach to learning.  The approach harnesses and nurtures each child’s natural sense of curiosity, as well as teaching them resilience and emotional awareness from a young age.

Part of The Royal Wootton Basset Academy Trust, Wellington Eagles Primary Academy’s ‘The Curious Child’ curriculum also forms the basis of the school’s book, The Journey to the Beginning of the World, by Virginia McLean.  The main character, Sophie, is a curious girl who is full of questions who together with her brother Kit, goes on a journey to find answers to big questions.  The book encourages children to think deeply, ask questions and find the answers they’re looking for

Sarah added: “We believe that every child is naturally curious about the world around them and so should be truly inspired by an engaging and purposeful curriculum.  By harnessing this through our ‘The Curious Child’ approach, we actively encourage our children to be enthusiastic, resilient, collaborative and aspirational and believe that this supports them on their path to becoming life-long learners.

“We use Einstein as an example of the power of being passionately curious, and this together with our Trust-wide approach of Aristotle’s excellence being a habit, helps us to show our pupils that learning is a journey and that their curiosity gives them the skills they need to succeed.”

For more information on Wellington Eagles Primary Academy, visitwww.wellingtoneagles.org.uk.