Cultural Capital
At Oakengates Nursery, we believe every child deserves opportunities that inspire curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning.
Cultural capital is the knowledge, behaviours, and skills that children gain over time through a wide range of experiences. These build their cultural awareness, understanding, and competence, helping them succeed in society, education, and later in the world of work.
Cultural capital empowers children. It helps them set goals, achieve success, and aspire to a brighter future – regardless of their background. It is not about wealth, but about giving children the tools, experiences, and confidence to achieve social mobility and fulfil their potential.
Our understanding of “knowledge and cultural capital” comes from the national curriculum:
“It is the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.”
How we build cultural capital at Oakengates Nursery
Within the Wrockwardine Wood Infant School and Oakengates Nursery Federation, we provide a curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. We place great importance on exposing children not only to culture, but also to new experiences they may not otherwise encounter.
As children progress, we gradually widen these opportunities to create rich, engaging, and memorable learning experiences. Carefully planned activities and visits include:
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Trips to local places of interest such as shops, places of worship, museums, and sports venues
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Educational visits that build understanding of the wider world
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Year 2 residential visit to Edgmond Hall
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Theatre trips, including a Christmas pantomime
Through these experiences, children develop the confidence, knowledge, and curiosity that will support their success in school and beyond.