Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School

Learning Challenge Curriculum

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School

Our Curriculum Aims and Key Principles

At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School we offer a curriculum which is broad and balanced and which builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills of all children, whatever their starting points, as they progress through each Key Stage. Our curriculum incorporates the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum 2014 and other experiences and opportunities which best meet the learning and developmental needs of our pupils. Through the curriculum, we aim to prepare our children for the opportunities, experiences and responsibilities of adult life and to lay a firm foundation for future learning.  We seek to provide a broad, balanced differentiated curriculum and offer a wide range of exciting, challenging activities and experiences to all pupils irrespective of ability, background, ethnic origin or gender.Through our unique approach of teaching and living out Christian Values, children are also equipped with the social skills and understanding to become good citizens in the future.

Aims:

· That all pupils are provided with outstanding learning experiences that lead to consistently outstanding levels of pupil achievement.

· That all teachers and other professionals possess expert levels of knowledge in the subjects they teach.

· That all teachers and other professionals are “lifelong learners”, committed to an ongoing development of their own knowledge and skills to optimise the pupils’ learning experiences.

· That a positive, caring attitude, where achievements at all levels are acknowledged and valued, is prevalent throughout the school.

· That all pupils from the earliest opportunity, are encouraged to develop independence, self-discipline, responsibility and the ability to build resilience

EYFS Curriculum

In Reception, we follow the Early Years Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, published in March 2014 by the DfES. This Framework specifies the requirement for learning and development in the Early Years and provides specific areas of learning we must cover in our curriculum. These areas are:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Communication and Language development
• Literacy

• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

We have also included the learning of a modern foreign language, music, Come and See and Computing  skills in our curriculum.

We acknowledge that pupils learn in many different ways and we recognise the need to develop strategies that allow all children to learn in ways that suit them.  Opportunities are planned to cater for a range of different learning styles to ensure that all children can access the curriculum and learn in a way that is best for them. We ensure that our curriculum reflects children’s interests and their world in order to make learning meaningful and purposeful. In addition to this we endeavour to deliver lessons which are interactive and fun, encouraging creativity and collaboration. Whilst the core subjects are taught on a regular basis the foundation subjects may sometimes be taught as blocks of work over a matter of weeks. Termly history and geography maps are produced by teachers to show how each area is carefully planned. This ensures that knowledge and skills are taught explicitly and there are many opportunities for links to other parts of the curriculum.

At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School we seek to create opportunities for children to experience and excel in a range of activities that enhance and extend the National Curriculum. Children have opportunities both inside and outside the classroom e.g. residential trips, enrichment workshops, theme weeks, a variety of sporting events and visiting speakers, in addition to a range of high quality after school clubs. The outdoor environment and the local community are also considered an opportunity for active learning for all our pupils.

As well as our own staff, we employ some specialist teachers and instructors which support music, physical education and Spanish. All subject leaders are given training and opportunities to keep developing their own subject knowledge, skills and understanding so they can support curriculum development and their colleagues throughout the school.

We believe that the school/parent relationship is key to promoting learning beyond the school gates and crucial in ensuring children make the best possible progress. We pride ourselves on our open, friendly and approachable nature that encourages parents to be involved in their children’s learning. Furthermore, we host regular evenings to inform parents about how they can support their child or even to allow them to work alongside their child. Pupils have opportunities to share their learning with each other, their parents and carers and other learners through school-based and external exhibitions, performances, competitions and events involving other schools. Developing their independence and motivation as learners and their sense of responsibility as future citizens is at the heart of all our teaching and learning.

October 2017