Our Curriculum

 If you'd like to learn more about our curriculum, you can explore our curriculum statements, long-term plans, progression documents, and knowledge organisers which you will find under each subject.

Curriculum Philosophy

Our Mission of Love of Ourselves; Love of Others; Love of learning; Love of Our World underpins our curriculum. From this starting point, we plan our curriculum with ‘the end in mind’. We aim that by the time our children leave Sacred Heart, they have become resilient, confident and self- assured individuals, recognising the gifts and talents they have to offer the world. They are curious learners with a desire to always do their best. In addition to this, our children leave us as kind, respectful young people and instilled in them is the importance of treating others how they would like to be treated. Through connecting with nature and understanding the environment around them, our children will become responsible and ethical global citizens. 

Our school mission drives our curriculum and this help us to focus more clearly on the knowledge, skills and virtues that all children require so they can flourish and lead a fulfilled life beyond primary school.

Intent

Our curriculum is evidence based and underpinned by our understanding of cognitive science around how children learn and retain knowledge in the long term. Our curriculum is knowledge rich and this is prioritised so that children can gain a deeper understanding of subjects. Using the national curriculum as a starting point, we have designed our curriculum so that it is ambitious, coherently planned and carefully sequenced. This is to ensure that children can build a mental framework of knowledge, allowing them to connect new knowledge and skills to what  they already know (schema).

 Learning is a change to long-term memory and we want our children to know more and remember more.  We have therefore designed our curriculum so that there are opportunities for repetition and consolidation of key knowledge and skills in order that learning is embedded over time. Children learn best when they feel happy and safe and we have therefore developed an environment which reflects this. 

Our classroom practice is based around Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction using daily reviews, high quality models, presenting new information in small steps, teacher/pupil guided practice followed by independent practice. More information can be found in our Teaching and Learning Policy below.  

 We want our curriculum to excite, motivate and engage our children. We offer an array of positive, cultural and educational experiences that link to our curriculum, local area and takes learning beyond the classroom.

Our curriculum is designed to cater for the range of needs that our children bring to Sacred Heart.  We adopt fully inclusive practice, which means all children are able to access the curriculum we offer, regardless of their learning requirements.  

 We aim to ensure that all children are effective communicators and are able to acquire the vocabulary, language and communication skills that are required in life beyond primary school. Appropriate challenge is planned throughout the curriculum ensuring that children’s resilience is developed. We want all children to see that making mistakes is an important part of the journey to success. 

Implementation

• Catholic Education provides the foundation for all aspects of learning throughout the curriculum.
• Children understand the importance virtues to live by so they can contribute positively to school life whilst developing a sense of belonging and identity.
• Skills and knowledge are taught discreetly in subject areas so that our children gain a deep understanding of each subject and know exactly which subject they are studying. However, we make cross-curricular links to further understanding.
• Through frequent and regular retrieval of previously learned content, children have opportunities to embed knowledge into long-term memory
• Teachers work on an A/B cycle for foundation subjects and plan a series of lessons using schemes of work and their own understanding of children’s starting points, ensuring careful consideration for revisiting knowledge, subject specific vocabulary, progression and depth.
• Teachers use knowledge organisers which outline the key knowledge and vocabulary all children must master and learn. 

• High priority is given to foundation subjects and curriculum coverage ensuring that our children have a breadth of knowledge to inspire them and fully prepare them for life beyond the classroom.

• Opportunities are taken to enhance the curriculum using educational visits, experience days, visitors, artists, actors and musicians - developing connections in their learning and aid long-term retention.
• We ensure children are able to read with fluency and understanding so they are able to access all subject areas - this takes high priority.

• The curriculum is taught with the consideration of the needs of all our learners; it is exciting and motivates children to foster a love of learning.

• Children with additional needs access the full curriculum with reasonable adjustments and scaffolding. In some cases, children may follow their own bespoke curriculum as directed by other agencies and their EHCP.
• Teaching staff are given responsibility for leading, monitoring, evaluating and reviewing their curriculum areas.
• Across subjects, we make links with our local area encompassing Ilkley, Bradford and the county of Yorkshire, helping the children to make sense of the world, their local area and their place in it.

Impact

At the end of their Sacred Heart education, our children are articulate, resilient, self-motivated learners. They demonstrate the virtues to live by in their daily actions treating others how they would like to be treated. They are able to identify and embrace their God given gifts and talents and are able to show their love of self, others, learning and the world around them.

Focused action plans within the School Development and Improvement Plan drive the continual refinement of the curriculum to ensure it remains ‘fit for purpose’ and continues to meet the needs of the children at Sacred Heart. 

Pupil progress tracking systems are in place to ensure that children can build on previous learning. All subject leaders have a hand in monitoring the curriculum.  Learning is reviewed and monitored through learning walks, book scrutiny, pupil voice and pupil progress meetings.  A mixture of summative assessment alongside low stakes testing: pre-assessments, post assessments and retention testing, allow attainment and progress to be measured over time.

The outcomes of national assessments demonstrate that when children leave Sacred Heart, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Teaching and Learning Policy