Curriculum Approach
Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement
Curriculum Intent
At St Philomena’s, we are committed to providing an ambitious, broad and enriching curriculum which enables every child to achieve their full potential academically, spiritually, socially and personally. Rooted in our Catholic faith, our curriculum places Christ at the centre of all that we do. We nurture children who strive for and achieve excellence, act with respect and serve their community, making a positive contribution to the wider world.
Our curriculum is designed to provide all children with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to succeed. It is carefully planned and sequenced so that children build a rich body of knowledge over time. New learning builds upon prior knowledge, allowing children to make meaningful connections, develop deeper understanding and apply their learning with increasing independence. Through each subject, children develop the essential knowledge and skills needed to make strong progress, achieve high standards and prepare for future success.
St Philomena’s takes pride in providing a highly inclusive environment where all children are supported and challenged to achieve their very best. Through carefully adapted teaching, appropriate support and consistently high expectations, all children, including those with additional needs and those from different starting points, are enabled to access an ambitious curriculum, make strong progress and achieve highly.
Our curriculum develops the knowledge, understanding and cultural capital required for children to succeed. Our ambition is that every child leaves St Philomena’s with the academic knowledge, confidence and skills required to succeed at the next stage of their education and beyond. Through our commitment to excellence, children are equipped to achieve their ambitions and make a positive contribution to society.
Curriculum Implementation
Our curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced to ensure that children acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding required for future learning. Subject leaders carefully design progression pathways which identify how knowledge and skills develop across each year group and ensure that learning builds systematically over time.
Continuing Professional Development for all staff is a priority to ensure that teachers develop strong subject knowledge and deliver the highest standards across the entire curriculum. Teaching is inspirational, purposeful and consistently ambitious. Lessons are meticulously planned using skilful assessment of prior learning to ensure that teaching is precisely matched to children’s needs. Teachers use expert questioning, rich opportunities for discussion and purposeful speaking and listening activities to deepen understanding, develop vocabulary and encourage children to think critically.
The learning ethos within lessons is exceptional. Children are motivated, engaged and confident learners who demonstrate curiosity, resilience and a willingness to challenge themselves. Teachers create classrooms where all children feel valued, supported and inspired to achieve their very best.
We recognise the importance of securing knowledge in children’s long-term memory. Retrieval practice is embedded across the curriculum to strengthen recall and help children make connections between new and prior learning. Teachers regularly revisit key knowledge, vocabulary and concepts through questioning, review activities and opportunities for children to explain and apply their understanding.
We use Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction to support effective teaching and learning. Teachers:
- begin lessons by reviewing previous learning;
- present new material in small, carefully sequenced steps;
- provide clear explanations, modelling and worked examples;
- ask purposeful questions to check understanding;
- provide opportunities for guided and independent practice;
- identify and address misconceptions;
- provide scaffolding where needed to enable all children to succeed.
Assessment is an integral part of our curriculum approach. Teachers continually assess children’s understanding and use this information to adapt teaching, address misconceptions and provide appropriate support or challenge. Assessment enables teachers to identify next steps and ensures that all children make progress from their individual starting points.
Reading is prioritised throughout our curriculum. We aim to develop confident, fluent readers who develop a love of reading and recognise the importance of reading as a gateway to learning. High-quality texts are carefully selected to enrich children’s vocabulary, knowledge and understanding of the wider world.
Our curriculum provides meaningful opportunities for children to develop cultural capital through enrichment experiences, including visits, visitors, the arts, sporting opportunities and community involvement. These experiences enable children to develop confidence, broaden their horizons and understand their role within the local, national and global community.
Through our curriculum, children are encouraged to live out our values by achieving excellence, showing respect and serving their school and wider community. They are given opportunities to develop leadership, responsibility and independence, preparing them to become active, compassionate and responsible citizens.
Curriculum Impact
The impact of our curriculum is evident in the exceptional outcomes achieved by our children. They develop secure, deep knowledge and skills, achieve highly from their starting points and produce work of a consistently high standard. Our children are confident, independent and resilient learners who are able to apply their knowledge creatively across a range of contexts. They leave St Philomena’s exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education, with the ambition, skills and confidence to succeed.
The effectiveness of our curriculum is rigorously evaluated through a rich range of evidence, including pupil voice, book scrutiny, lesson visits, learning walks, assessment information, curriculum reviews and discussions with staff, children and parents. This enables leaders and teachers to continually refine and enhance provision, ensuring that the curriculum remains ambitious, inclusive and responsive to the needs of every child.
Our broad and carefully sequenced curriculum provides children with the powerful knowledge, academic foundations and transferable skills needed to excel. It extends beyond the classroom by developing cultural capital, broadening children’s experiences and nurturing curiosity, creativity and a lifelong love of learning. Through exposure to rich texts, diverse perspectives, the arts, sporting opportunities, visits, visitors and meaningful experiences, children develop confidence, aspiration and a deeper understanding of the wider world. They recognise their own potential and understand how they can make a positive contribution to society.
Rooted in our Catholic values, our curriculum develops children’s character alongside their academic success. They learn to respect and celebrate difference, show compassion, serve others and make a positive contribution to their community and the wider world. Children leave St Philomena’s as knowledgeable, articulate and empathetic young people, equipped with the confidence, resilience and moral purpose to achieve their aspirations and succeed throughout their lives.
