Our Curriculum
Intent
Our mission in Saint Patrick’s is to develop each child’s talents and potential in a caring Catholic community inspired by the teachings of Jesus Christ.
‘LIVE, LOVE AND LEARN LIKE JESUS’
(Pupils’ translation of the Mission Statement)
The Mission statement is central to everything that we do at Saint Patrick's Catholic Primary. It is our starting point for creating policy and procedure, as well as informing whole school strategy and Curriculum planning.
Our curriculum is intended to meet the needs of all children at Saint Patrick’s and reflect a range of cultures and traditions to further the children’s skills, knowledge and understanding.
At Saint Patrick’s we will ensure that children are happy, stimulated and challenged so that they can make good progress across the curriculum and achieve the highest standards possible. All staff in school have high expectations and plan a curriculum that is interesting, relevant, extends children’s understanding of the subject and ensures high quality work.
We intend to develop independent learners who can also work cooperatively with others. The encouragement of positive attitudes and a growth mindset lead to our children achieving well in terms of their personal and academic successes.
Implementation
There are three key stages in school:
Saint Patrick’s Catholic Primary School curriculum is based on the September 2014 National Curriculum for Key Stages 1 & 2 and the Early Years 2021 framework in Foundation Stage. It also plans activities which promote learning, personal growth and development; and includes extra-curricular activities that enrich the pupils experiences.
Please refer to each individual class page on our school website to review the yearly overview and termly curriculum newsletters which detail topics and objectives that will be covered.
- Saint Patrick’s curriculum prepares children for life in modern Britain and ensure that the fundamental British Values are introduced, discussed and lived out through the school’s mission.
- Saint Patrick’s curriculum teaches respect for our world, and how we should care for it for future generations.
- Where possible subjects can be taught following a ‘theme’ for each term. These may organised into sequences of lessons or it may be more appropriate for subjects to be taught more discretely.
- Teachers and TAs actively model appropriate and acceptable behaviour, valuing differing strength, opinions and beliefs.
- Where possible, Curriculum workshops held to increase families’ capacity to support learning.
We have outlined below just a few examples of how the school will enrich the curriculum in order to give all pupils the opportunity to excel and to ensure that they are stimulated by their learning and motivated to learn more:
Experiences
- Regular opportunities to share their achievements in assemblies and other whole school events.
- Regular opportunities to contribute towards his/her learning and be involved in decision-making that effects the whole school either through the School Council, Eco Council, Sport Council etc and through regular pupil perception surveys etc.
- Opportunities to represent the school through sporting events and musical/dramatic performances.
- A range of clubs and extra-curricular activities both after school and during lunchtimes.
- A close relationship with our parish with regular opportunities to work with the local community.
- The opportunity to undertake ‘bikeability’.
- Opportunities to perform in plays and other dramatic and musical performances and the support for those who find that challenging.
- On-going opportunities to learn through practical, hands-on, investigative activities – growing fruit and vegetables, cooking, etc.
- Regular ‘themed’ weeks, (e.g: STEM Week, 'Big Me' Week)
Visits and Visitors
During the seven years at Saint. Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, each child can expect to experience the following visits and visitors to the school at a minimum:
- A residential visit – Year 5 and Year 6
- Visits or visitor linked to topics – at least one visit per year
- The opportunity to play in local sports tournaments across the year
Impact
The curriculum at Saint. Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, plays a significant part in the progress that our children make in their own formation both spirituality, academically and morally.
We want children to leave us having been:
- Given continuous opportunities to develop their relationship with God as they grow in his image
- Challenged to develop their strengths and acknowledge their weaknesses
- Valued and respected for who they are
- Given a wide range of opportunities to stay healthy in mind and body
- Encouraged to be the best they can be and reach their full potential
- Given a love for learning and a wide range of interests
- Prepared with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need for secondary school and beyond