At St Francis Primary C of E Primary School, we offer a broad and balanced curriculum for all our pupils. We expect all pupils to achieve from their individual starting points across the varying parts of the curriculum. We follow the National Curriculum 2014, which shows us the statutory objectives for knowledge and skills we teach for Year groups 1-6.

As a Church of England School, Christianity underpins everything that we do. We aim to Support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and promote a positive attitude towards learning.

The statutory national curriculum is taught across Key Stages 1 and 2 and the Early years framework across EYFS. Our curriculum is designed with knowledge at its heart to ensure that children develop a strong vocabulary base and understanding of the world. The curriculum promotes long-term learning, and we believe that progress means knowing more and remembering more. We have developed a curriculum built on current research on how memory works to ensure that children not only have access to 'the best that has been thought and said' but are taught this in a way that ensures children can remember the curriculum content in future years. We understand that knowledge is 'sticky', in other words, the more pupils know the easier it is for them to know more. Our curriculum overviews detail the topics taught in each year group for each half term. 

Roles and responsibilities

All Staff are responsible for the delivery of the curriculum in their classrooms. Each individual subject within the school is led by a subject lead. These subject leads are responsible for the monitoring, data collection, design and the future vision of the subject.

At St Francis, the deputy headteacher is responsible for overseeing the design and structure of the curriculum and maintaining a strategic vision for the teaching and learning in school. They will also ensure that this policy is adhered to. They ensure that:

• All required elements of the curriculum have aims and objectives which reflect the aims of the school and indicate how the needs of individual pupils will be met
• The amount of time provided for teaching the required elements of the curriculum is adequate and is reviewed by the governing board
• The school’s procedures for assessment meet all legal requirements
• The governing board is fully involved in decision-making processes that relate to the breadth and balance of the curriculum
• The governing board is advised on whole-school targets in order to make informed decisions
• Proper provision is in place for pupils with different abilities and needs, including children with SEN
• Other staff will ensure that the school curriculum is implemented in accordance with this policy.

Intent

At St Francis we believe that every pupil deserves the very best. We believe that every pupil should grow spiritually and academically in their time at the school. We are explicit about what we what our children to know and learn.

Our curriculum is purposeful and designed to develop lifelong learners.

Implementation

We are a research led school, who believe that no decision linked to the outcomes of our pupils can be made without this vital step. This is always our starting point.

We use schemes of work in order to support teacher in their delivery of the national curriculum and support our learners to know more over time. The schemes have been researched and chosen specifically for their impact on learners. The schemes are enhanced by our teaching staff and help to drive standards and provide enjoyment to our learners.

As Teachers we follow the Teaching walkthrus by Tom Sherrington, to aid us with our pedagogy and improve our teaching and learning. It is imperative that teachers are always striving to improve their practice.

Subject leaders are given regular time and support to assess the impact of their subject. They will use pupil voice, book looks, learning walks, planning checks to see what is going well and where improvements can be made.

Impact

Simply, we expect pupils to know more and remember more.

We expect children to develop both spiritually and academically and be ready for learning beyond the primary phase.

We expect all pupils to be able to read and write to a standard expected of their age

We expect pupils to be able to apply the knowledge and skills that they learn to any given context.

We expect all pupils to make progress from their individual starting points.

We expect pupils to develop a love of learning.

Inclusion

Teachers set high expectations for all pupils. They will use appropriate assessment to set ambitious targets and plan challenging work for all groups, including:

• Pupils with higher prior attainment
• Pupils with low prior attainment
• Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Pupils with SEND
• Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL)

Teachers will plan lessons so that pupils with SEND can study every National Curriculum subject, wherever possible, and ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving.

Teachers will also take account of the needs of pupils whose first language is not English. Lessons will be planned so that teaching opportunities help pupils to develop their English, and to support pupils to take part in all subjects.

Further information can be found in our statement of equality information and objectives, and in our SEN policy and SEND information report.

Wider Curriculum Provision

At St Francis we ensure that alongside our high-quality learning, memorable experiences are provided to aid their understanding of a given subject area. Visits to local landmarks, residentials and places of interest are encouraged.

We plan experiences and opportunities for learning that promote deep engagement and offer each child an invitation to join a learning adventure. We encourage our pupils to feel that anything is possible, to approach learning confidently and to seize every opportunity to have a go. 

Cornerstones Curriculum 22

Here at St Francis, we provide a broad and balanced curriculum for Art, Design and Technology, Science, History and Geography, based around the Cornerstones Curriculum.  This is a nationally recognised approach for delivering outstanding learning opportunities for children.

What is the Cornerstones Curriculum?

The Cornerstones Curriculum is a creative and thematic approach to learning that is mapped to the 2014 primary national curriculum to ensure comprehensive coverage of national expectations.

It is based on a child-centred pedagogy called The Four Cornerstones and is delivered through Imaginative Learning Projects (ILPs) and Knowledge Rich Projects (KRPs), which provide a rich menu of exciting and motivating learning activities that make creative links between all aspects of children’s learning. We believe children learn better when they are encouraged to use their imagination and apply their learning to engaging contexts. Our curriculum provides many learning challenges throughout the academic year that require children to solve problems, apply themselves creatively and express their knowledge and understanding effectively. Cornerstones also provide a rigorous skills and knowledge framework that outlines the end of year expectations in all subjects. These skills and knowledge are tied to activities and are age-related so that staff can track children’s progress and identify their individual learning needs.