Curriculum Intent

St. Aidan's Curriculum Overview

Our school motto is: Living and Growing in Christ

This is the fundamental principle that underpins the design, implementation and ongoing review of the St Aidan’s curriculum.  It is at the very core of our 'why' and defines us as a school; we seek to create a supportive and friendly environment where each child has the opportunity to develop the highest possible standards of achievement fulfilling their academic, moral, physical and spiritual potential where Gospel values infuse daily life and we strive to use our skills and talents for the good of all.

We use our school values of Kindness, Resilience, Respect, Self-Belief, Diversity and Honesty to enrich our curriculum and these core values are what the children will take with them through life.

It is our intent that all our pupils reach their full potential and have access to engaging lessons which build upon skills and knowledge. Our aim is to give children experience to ensure they can leave St. Aidan’s believing they can be anything they want to be.

Our curriculum puts the child at the centre of our caring, sharing, achieving school, where positive relationships, based on mutual trust and respect, are at the heart of everything we do.

 Our ambitious curriculum has been designed for our children. It exposes our children to enriching experiences, immersing them in progressive knowledge and skills; equipping them with personal characteristics required to succeed in life.

The key principles behind the design of our curriculum are for our children to:

- be confident, independent and resilient; displaying a thirst for learning
- be kind; showing empathy and compassion whilst valuing diversity
- achieve academically across the entire curriculum, meeting at least the national expectation by the end of their primary education
- be culturally knowledgeable about our country and our world
- have aspirations for the future and know that these can be reached through hard work and determination
- be well prepared for the challenges of the secondary school curriculum

Ultimately, we want all of our children, to be the best they can be, making a positive contribution to the world they live in.

Learning

Our curriculum usually starts with a Humanities (History/Geography) driver, which includes an over-arching concept beneath which key vocabulary, knowledge and skills are organised. Carefully chosen texts are used within English lessons, connected to the theme/topic. The cross curricular nature of our curriculum facilitates our children with making relevant links across curriculum subjects so that learning is meaningful, connected, purposeful and organised. 

These cross-curricular links are not contrived, but include relevant progressive learning objectives from the national curriculum to develop pupils as readers, writers, artists, geographers, historians, scientists, linguists, technologists, mathematicians, musicians, global citizens, philosophers and sportspeople.

The language used within our curriculum mapping and delivery reflects this ambition for our pupils. Where learning in some curriculum subjects does not lend itself to the main driver, links are not forced.

The previous years' knowledge organisers are passed to the subsequent teachers, who use these to refer back to prior learning with pupils, and ensure that new learning builds on what has come before - particularly making use of previously learned knowledge. This helps make sequencing more explicit to our pupils, and facilitates retrieval of prior learning, supporting it in becoming firmly lodged within long- term memory.

We ensure we take full account of the writing process ensuring that writing always has a clear purpose, and that pupils have lessons focussing on planning writing, writing, revisiting/editing and redrafting, and then using the writing for a specified purpose. We ensure that prior to pupils writing, they have acquired the relevant knowledge of the subject so that pupils' writing is adequately underpinned.

Experiences:  pupil's initial experience/hook/experience lesson/stimulating new text all help to ignite excitement for new learning. The experiences we offer our pupils are paramount to their personal as well as their academic development.

Implementing Our Curriculum

In order to maximise the potential of pupils as readers, writers, artists, geographers, historians, scientists, linguists, technologists, mathematicians, musicians, global citizens, philosophers and sportspeople, we have subject leaders in position, responsible for quality and standards in that subject across the school.

Having leaders appointed for each subject area, enables us as a school to ensure that when these areas are taught, that there is strong subject specific pedagogy underpinning the teaching of each subject. In addition to this, our subject leaders ensure resourcing, staff cpd, monitoring of quality and standards informing development planning, and consulting with pupils take place regularly. Our subject leaders then present to the governing body via a presentation day, at the end of each academic year - where governors receive reports from each curriculum leader.

The Staff meetings are a key ingredient in ensuring that curriculum leaders have strong capacity to lead, and that teachers have the knowledge and skills necessary to implement the curriculum to the best effect.

Measuring Our Curriculum Impact

We gather achievement data (focussing on 'point in time' assessment - is the pupil on track?) at two points in the year.  These assessments are quality assured via standardised tests across the school in reading and maths.  Across other subjects, evidence e.g. books, formative assessment underpin summative assessment. At St. Aidan’s we have collaborative book looks - where relevant leaders sit down with teachers to co-monitor pupil books and evidence.

Senior leaders, in addition to subject leaders, monitor lessons either via formal lesson observations, learning walks, or informal observation.

Leaders regularly join school council meetings to consult with, and survey pupils, taking account of their views in order to shape next steps and curriculum development.

Please see our Curriculum Development Document: St. Aidans Curriculum Development