Robin Walker MP, Minister of State for School Standards, visited North Worcester Primary Academy on Friday 5th November for his very first ministerial visit since being appointed at the Department for Education on 16th September 2021.

Robin officially opened North Worcester Primary Academy back in September 2019, so was looking forward to seeing how the school has developed.

As Minister of State for School Standards, Robin was interested to find out about the Rivers’ curriculum and the trust’s investment in digital technology.

Following a tour of the school, which included a visit to the newly built pre-school extension and ‘high-tech’ immersive room, Robin met a group of year 6 children from St Clement’s CofE Primary School and Cranham Primary School, who talked to him about the curriculum.

North Worcester Primary Academy, St Clement’s CofE Primary School and Cranham Primary School are 3 schools in The Rivers C. of E. Academy Trust, a group of fifteen good and outstanding primary, first, pre-school and nursery settings, with a thriving teaching alliance.

The trust has recently launched an enhanced curriculum, which has the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) embedded throughout.

The enhanced curriculum is one that considers equality, climate change, clean energy, recycling, quality education and wellbeing as key elements of focus. This ensures that sustainability and equality become an integral part of children’s learning.

The trust’s vision statement is ‘to teach children to love, learn, live as a global citizen in an ever-changing world’ as encapsulated in its vision ‘love, learn, live’.

Robin voiced how the Rivers curriculum was “Really exciting”. He told staff and pupils that he has had previous discussions with colleagues about the need for there to be more about sustainability in curriculum subjects such as science and geography and he was particularly excited by the way Rivers had “pulled the whole thing into a coherent curriculum”.

Within the trust, SDGs are not just taught in science, they are taught across every subject including languages, P.E, art and design.

Robin was asked by Year 6 St Clement’s pupil, Sam, what he did to make a difference and be more sustainable. Robin replied that he has done lots of litter picking, as it’s a good thing to do to make a difference in the local environment. He also suggested that people should buy local produce and, although he still drives a petrol car, he is hoping his next car will be an electric one.

Kerry Rochester, Director of Education for the Rivers C.of E. Academy Trust, invited Robin to visit again at the end of the academic year to see how the curriculum has been further embedded and to see how it has empowered children to think about how they can make a difference to the world.

Find out more about our enhanced curriculum.