‘The child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom’ (Luke 2:40)

Our Curriculum Intent

Our curriculum has been designed with pupils’ learning at the centre and to inspire the children to achieve their goals and aspirations. Central to achieving this is our steadfast Catholic ethos which permeates all we do, as we value every member of our school community regardless of age, gender and ethnicity.   A primary focus of our curriculum is to challenge our pupils to have high aspirations for themselves; provide a context for learning and a sense of pride and achievement regardless of their starting point or the barriers to learning they may face.

We are dedicated to providing a highly inclusive environment where everyone is able to enjoy their learning and celebrate their achievements.  Adopting the principles of the ‘RESPECT’ framework, has enabled us to design a curriculum which is broad, balanced and offers pupils the opportunity to grow as individuals as well as learners. It is built on developing key skills and providing exciting learning opportunities for children to continue to apply and evolve acquired learning in a range of situations.

Following significant disruption to the children’s education in recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is essential that children continue to feel safe and secure so they are not only ready to learn but also prepared for any further challenges they may face.

Our Vision

We strive to enable every child to grow academically, socially, morally, spiritually and culturally in the knowledge they are loved by God and are safe and valued within our school community. Our core Christian values are woven throughout our curriculum and wider school ethos to fully prepare each of our children to achieve the highest outcomes.

Our Values

RESPECT:  Resilience   Empathy       Self-awareness    Passion   Excellence  Communication  Teamwork

Hope           Compassion         Thankfulness      Friendship          Wisdom        Creativity      Dignity                 

Our Objectives

To ensure children have the tools to enable them to thrive and flourish, embracing both success and challenge, prepared to ‘Live life to the full’ (John 10:10)

Share experiences which enable children to gain understanding, knowledge and empathy to become confident, caring and active members of society ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Mark 12:31)

Develop children’s confidence, independence and readiness to embrace a challenging, deep curriculum.  ‘I can do all this through him who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13)

Actively engage children to be fully immersed in experiences and opportunities for deeper learning. ‘Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding’ (Proverbs 3:13)

Ensure that, our extra-curricular offer and curriculum is accessible to all, and responsive to all children’s needs, interests and aspirations. ‘Let your light shine’ Matthew 5:16

Curriculum Implementation

Our curriculum incorporates the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum 2014 and other experiences and opportunities which best meet the learning and developmental needs of the children who attend St. Joseph’s.

 Subject leaders play an essential part in the success of the curriculum by leading a regular programme of monitoring, evaluation and review and the celebration of good practice contributes to the ongoing commitment to evolve and improve further.  Subject leaders ensure there is clear progression and that the topics taught allow for opportunities to develop a depth and wealth of knowledge through disciplinary teaching and cross curricular opportunities. Progression documents provide clarity of the knowledge and skills that children need to master in each subject. 

All subject leaders are given training and the opportunity to keep developing their own subject knowledge, skills and understanding, so they can support curriculum development and their colleagues throughout the school. Subject leaders are competently supported by senior leaders who provide advice and guidance to ensure that the curriculum is constantly changing and evolving in line with the needs of the children and the school.

Curriculum Impact

Effective practice across the school provides a strong foundation and opportunities for children to collaborate and develop social skills both indoors and out. Our curriculum design ensures that the needs of individual and small groups of children can be met within the environment of high quality first wave teaching, supported by targeted, proven interventions where appropriate. In this way it can be seen to impact in a very positive way on children’s outcomes.

Enjoyment of the curriculum promotes achievement, confidence and good behaviour. Children feel safe to try new things. High quality visits and visitors to the school enhance the curriculum and provide opportunities for extending learning. Children have opportunities to share their learning with each other, their parents and carers and other learners through learning cafés, performances, competitions and events involving other schools. Developing their independence and motivation as learners and their sense of responsibility as future citizens is at the heart of all our teaching and learning.