Curriculum
Intent
Our Curriculum has been designed to ensure each and every child can 'life to the fullest’ (John 10:10) by offering stimulating learning experiences with Christian values at its heart. It is bespoke to the needs of the pupils at St. Chad’s, not only by focusing on appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum, but by modelling the virtues given to us by Christ and by developing individual and collaborative learning experiences, a sense of responsibility and challenges that take them beyond the classroom.
The curriculum is formed from the Statutory Framework for the EYFS and the National Curriculum. We have used our academy freedoms to amend the schemes of work in some subjects to better reflect the community that we serve and to improve progression.
All classes at St. Chad’s RC Primary are taught through the “Come and See” Catholic Primary Religious Education Programme. All children will be taught their SMSCE (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education) and Citizenship curriculum through the Caritas in Action scheme. The first entitlement of all children is to be spiritually, morally, socially and culturally educated. This is the second of the two aims of the National Curriculum. In our Roman Catholic school, the Church insists that its beliefs and values provide the context for and substantially shape learning throughout the school.
The curriculum is knowledge-enhanced. It has reading and knowledge at its heart but we have also threaded the necessary skills for pupils to live successfully in modern Britain. The curriculum is enhanced by community projects and by experiences and visits. These help our children to getter a better understanding of where they live. We ensure that the children have an opportunity to learn additional skills to help them develop their knowledge and understanding fully
Through quality teaching of knowledge, skills and vocabulary across core and foundation subjects, all children will be challenged to be inquisitive, compassionate, courageous and creative learners. They will have opportunities to influence their own learning.
We are a small inner-city school with a constantly evolving curriculum which responds to the needs of learners and their interests by enhancing learning experiences and raising awareness to ‘think global and act local’ (Bishop John Arnold, Salford Diocese). Thus, we will develop outward looking pupils who are able to engage in learning about themselves and have an understanding of the wider world and its complex cultures.
Ultimately our curriculum is intended to:
- Develop our head and body : What we learn
- Develop our hearts and character: Who we are
- Develop our actions and attitudes: How we live and learn
- Develop our moral compass: Where we fit in the world.
We know that for the future our children will need some key skills to be successful. These are reflected in the subject schemes of work. For later life, we have identified the following as being necessary skills: problem solving, resilience, presenting and marketing skills, the skills of budgeting and economics, touch typing and key board skills, and the ability to read well and speak clearly and convincingly and to live an active lifestyle.
In each subject, the knowledge and skills have been carefully sequenced to enable our children to know more and remember more. There is repetition to help the children to retain knowledge and skills.
The subject has been planned and to develop pupils’ personal development such as their social skills, empathy, compassion, respect and British Values. The curriculum develops pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural understanding. We use experiences and practical resources to broaden children’s understanding. The scheme of work has been designed and planned to develop pupils’ practical skills and provide learning experiences they would not normally be able to access.
Equality and diversity are important to us at St Chad’s. The curriculum has been designed to give pupils an understanding of different groups in modern society such as different genders including gender identity, disability, culture, faith, ethnicity, sexuality and different ages.
The pupils who are disadvantaged and who have special needs and/or disabilities cover the same content as all pupils. Some pupils, who have specific needs or physical needs, these will be withdrawn occasionally from lessons for specific exercises or interventions. Where a pupil has severe needs, they will have a bespoke curriculum matched to their ECHP plan.