Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School – Curriculum Intent

We strive to nurture a love of learning through excellence in learning, pastoral care and faith formation.

Faith

Hope

Love

Our curriculum:

• Engages and enthuses learners
• Empowers pupils to confidently articulate their beliefs;
• Sets high expectations for all pupils so that no child is left behind;
• Encourages pupils to have resilience and faith in themselves

Our curriculum:

• Allows pupils to challenge themselves and each other;
• Encourages pupils to work collaboratively to build on existing and acquire new skills and knowledge;
• Is continually developed through effective CPD and reflective dialogue and practice;

Our curriculum:

• Promotes Gospel and British Values, loving and celebrating differences
• Promotes self-motivation for a life-long love of learning;
• Allows opportunities to serve others so pupils develop a sense of citizenship;
• Aims to develop physical and mental health

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School – Curriculum Implementation

We strive to nurture a love of learning through excellence in learning, pastoral care and faith formation.

We follow the national curriculum statutory requirements as the basis for our long term and medium-term planning. Each subject has a curriculum map that shows not only the knowledge and skills but how these are built upon each year.

Where possible, cross-curricular links are made to deepen the learning experience so that pupils ‘learn more, know more, remember more’ (Ofsted, 2019).

Staff have developed a ‘Tip Top Teaching’ approach to enable excellent teaching and learning. As a result, lessons are engaging and tailored and adapted to suit the needs of every child. A robust cycle of training, coaching and mentoring is used to strengthen the skills and subject knowledge of teachers, support staff and leaders. Where appropriate, specialist teachers are used to deliver lessons such as PE, music and Spanish.

Special curriculum days and weeks such as Book Week, Language Day, Black History Week, pantomimes etc. are spread throughout the year to enhance the curriculum as well as expand the children’s cultural capital.

Staff receive termly CPD on different curriculum areas to strengthen the implementation further. In 2021 and 2022, staff received training from, The Black Curriculum and YouBeYou in order to strengthen existing opportunities for diversity within our curriculum.

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School – Curriculum Impact

We strive to nurture a love of learning through excellence in learning, pastoral care and faith formation.

The impact of our curriculum is measured through qualitative and quantitative data.

Teachers use assessment for learning strategies to evaluate, adjust and maximise the impact on pupil outcomes.

Attainment and progress in house, as well as statutory data, is monitored closely by the curriculum and subject leads. Termly progress meetings identify pupils who need additional support. These are also used strategically to identify future CPD.

Qualitative data in the form of pupil voice or from pupil, parent and staff surveys are also used to measure impact.

These regular monitoring cycles for leaders at all levels as well as external validation such as our MEP help to triangulate the impact and are used to measure impact and adapt and refine our provision through strategic planning.

External validation:

Spring 2023 - LEA Deep Dive/Learning Review day - with a focus on Maths, Early Reading, Art, Science. 'The School Review day evidenced that SLT have a very good awareness of the strengths and areas for development within the school. There has been a considered review of the curriculum provision offered to the children with a focus on developing the progression of skills, concepts and knowledge across each subject.'

Summer 2022 - Maths Deep Dive (Maths, Curriculum & Assessment lead from LEA)

“The subject is led well and monitored thoroughly… there are clear plans for induction of new teachers…teachers are supported in terms of their CPD. Termly moderation meetings for attainment, progress and support and challenge meetings in small groups contribute to a collaborative approach to the subject….There is a clear strategy for assessment, where AfL is an important feature. There is a high level of pupil engagement in lessons and the teachers lead the pupils through the learning in small steps, modelling mathematical language, using effective questioning and referring back to previous learning…workbooks show a clear progression in small steps where learning builds on subsequent learning.  Pupils with a SEND are supported well in lessons. There are expectations that the pupils work on the same mathematical idea as their peers and are supported to understand concepts with well-designed tasks that support independence.  Adults support these pupils well and work with a variety of groups of children.”

Spring 2022 - History Deep Dive (MEP)

“It is evident that the children enjoy learning … could talk informatively about their history learning at the school…curriculum is planned across the primary school with a focus on the development of skills and a commitment to making history engaging and relevant to the children with ‘memorable experiences’ a feature of the history teaching….The importance of the History curriculum including local history and reflecting the diversity of the school community is clearly evident.”

Autumn 2021 - The Black Curriculum Audit  “An extremely engaging and thoughtful curriculum…. a very exciting curriculum”.  We are working on implementing their feedback and further strengthening this area.

Summer 2021 - Reading Deep Dive [Ewan Morrison (MEP) and Marie Butler (EYFS) and Sigi Leigh (English lead) from Merton LEA], " Key strengths:

1) Leadership of Reading and Phonics – a clear consistent approach

2) Reading opportunities across the school were rich with a variety of thoughtful opportunities for children

3) Early Years and Year 1 – strong link between phonics and writing in the environment.

4) Children at Sacred Heart spoke eloquently about positive reading opportunities. Development areas/next steps – fluency work – which is already on DJ’s action plan ‘echo’ reading intervention around developing fluency."

Spring 2021 -  MEP Deep Dive into Remote Learning – Ewan Morrison, “Good offer.  Maths/English/RE/PSHE/Sci/Foundation Subjects all being covered. A lot of work has already been done by core subject leaders e.g. Maths Leader, in particular in respect of units to repeat/consolidate etc. Some good evidence of some subject leaders leading on the subject.”

Autumn 2020 - MEP Deep Dive into Remote Learning - Ewan Morrison, “Content matches each year groups' curriculum map, MTP etc. Some lessons may be adapted depending on lessons e.g. protractors so it can be taught in school upon return. Cross-curricular/project-based activities provide creative opportunities to learn e.g. volcano models Y4”

Spring 2020 - PE Deep Dive with Merton Schools Sports Partnership, "Well-led, pupils enjoy PE."

Autumn 2019 -  Science Deep Dive with MEP Ewan Morrison, "Children enjoy Science, strong leadership."

Autumn 2019 - RE awarded outstanding in Section 48, "Excellence in leadership, high standard of Catholic education."