Curriculum Design and Intent
‘Shine like stars in the world.’
Philippians 2:15
Our Curriculum
At St Paul’s we want to equip our children with the knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to achieve highly and develop awareness, compassion and respect for others. The curriculum is both broad and inspiring, designed to offer exciting learning experiences shaped by our Christian vision and values which are at its heart.
It is our intent to provide a curriculum which is relevant to the 21st Century - one which prepares the children for the world in which they will live and work. We want our children to enjoy personal success, to be enthusiastic learners and develop skills such as resilience and team working which will support their love of learning as they progress through school. For us, the curriculum is the total experience of learning. It encompasses aims, content, pedagogy and assessment and is based on cognitive science and research. The children’s learning is underpinned by the National Curriculum, with a focus on the progressive acquisition of knowledge and skills, embedded into the long-term memory through spaced repetition over time. In each year group there are many links for cross-curricular work. We believe that children learn best when engaged with meaningful, creative and practical activities and we seek to encourage the children to be inquisitive, exploring subjects to gain greater understanding, and to think for themselves. Learning is enhanced by many educational visits, which provide wonderful opportunities for the children to immerse themselves in practical learning.
We are very proud of the specialist teaching provided at St Paul’s. All children learn a musical instrument in Years 3 and 4 and can enjoy being part of a thriving orchestra and choir; Spanish and PE are also taught by subject specialists. As a Church of England school, RE and Collective Worship are important times of the week for us. We follow the London Diocesan Board for Schools RE syllabus. Children are taught about other world religions and views, their impact on society, culture and the wider world so they can discuss and express their ideas with perception and clarity.
Curriculum drivers
We have developed three drivers that shape the breadth and depth of our curriculum. Our drivers are designed to ensure that the children are personally successful, independent thinkers and ready for their journey of lifelong learning. Alongside these three drivers our Christian vision and values are at the heart of all we do to grow children who care for their community and the planet.
Resilience:- children at St Paul's will be resilient. They will learn to recognise that challenge and failure are part of the learning process. They will be mentally and emotionally strong and able to manage change positively. They will grow as young people, who are given opportunities to be challenged and to take risks within a safe environment.
Independence:- at St Paul's we foster independence and responsibility in our learners. Pupils are encouraged to take control of their learning and develop a positive attitude in all areas of the curriculum. Work is carefully planned to enable all children to achieve independently. Using a growth mindset technique, we encourage children to set their own challenging goals and to monitor and evaluate their own development.
Aspiration:- children will leave St Paul’s knowing there is no ceiling to their aspirations, ensuring that they can be the best version of themselves. Our curriculum will present them with inspirational ideas and open their horizons. As they live out the schools values, our children will understand the importance of community and be committed to playing an active role in society.
