Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent

The curriculum at the Federation of St Bede’s and St Bernadette Catholic Schools puts the child at the centre of our caring, sharing, achieving school, where positive relationships, based on the Gospel Values and mutual trust and respect are at the heart of everything we do.

 It exposes pupils to enriching experiences, immersing them in progressive knowledge and skills and provides the building blocks from Nursery to Year 6, giving opportunities for pupils  to develop as independent, confident and successful learners, with high aspirations, attributes required to succeed in life and equip them with the knowledge to make a positive contribution to their community and the wider society.

The curriculum ensures that academic success, creativity and problem solving, reliability, responsibility and resilience, as well as physical development, well-being and mental health are key elements that support the development of the whole child and promote a positive attitude to learning.

The curriculum celebrates the diversity and utilises the skills, knowledge and cultural wealth of the community while supporting the pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, ensuring that pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their education and life in modern Britain.

Implementation

The broad and balanced curriculum takes account of the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Framework and the National curriculum for KS1 and KS2, as well as other experiences and opportunities which best meet the learning and developmental needs of the pupils in our schools. 

Through our curriculum we aim to raise aspirations, engender a sense of personal pride in achievement, and provide a purpose and relevance for learning.

A creative and skill based curriculum approach has been implemented in both our schools to ensure coverage and progression across the curriculum. This approach enables project based learning, fostering each pupil’s curiosity and interest throughout each topic and also enabling the achievement of depth in knowledge and skills. 

The curriculum provides pupils with memorable experiences, in addition to diverse and rich opportunities from which they can learn and develop a range of transferable skills.  The pupil’s own community, its heritage and traditions are frequently used as a starting point to engage interest. The outdoor environment and the local community are considered an opportunity for active learning for all our children.

A varied timetable for extra-curricular activities is offered by the schools, with clubs that develop specialist skills, such as music, football and ballet, whilst also extending the range of pupil’s experiences. 

The school takes pride in providing a highly inclusive environment, where pupils demonstrate high levels of enjoyment in their education and the majority make very good progress in most subjects and areas of learning. 

Pupils at all levels are helped to achieve their potential from their starting points. Those who are most able are challenged and supported through tasks which provide opportunities for greater depth and those who struggle are encouraged and given targeted support to embed skills, to develop at their own pace or simply to learn in a style that best suits their individual needs.

Subject leaders play an important part in the success of the curriculum by leading a regular programme of monitoring, evaluation and review and the celebration of good practice, contributing to the ongoing commitment to develop and improve further.

Impact

Practice across both our schools provides a strong foundation and opportunities for pupils to collaborate and develop social skills both indoors and out. This curriculum design ensures that the needs of individual and small groups of pupils can be met within the environment of high Quality First Teaching, supported by targeted, proven interventions where appropriate. In this way it impacts in a very positive way on children’s outcomes.

Enjoyment of the curriculum promotes achievement, confidence and good behaviour. Children feel safe to try new things. High quality visits and visitors to the school enhance the curriculum and provide opportunities for writing for a purpose.

Pupils have opportunities to share their learning with each other, their parents and carers and other learners through school-based and external performances, assemblies, competitions and events involving other schools.

Developing pupils’  independence and motivation as learners and their sense of responsibility as future citizens is at the heart of all our teaching and learning.

We want our pupils to:

*demonstrate confidence, independence, resilience and a real thirst for learning.

* to be able to form meaningful relationships based upon mutual respect and trust, recognising and celebrating difference, not only within the school community, but in the wider world as well.

*have access to a wide and varied curriculum, allowing each of them to excel as individuals and be the best they can be now and in the future.

*achieve at least the expected standard across the entire curriculum by the end of Foundation Stage, Key Stage One and Key StageTwo.

*to be well prepared to access the challenges of the secondary school curriculum and beyond.

*have aspirations for the future and know that these can be realised with hard work and determination.

*grow up being able to make a positive contribution to the world in which they live.