Our Curriculum Intent
A Caring Christian Family Where We Grow Together
Let Your Light Shine ~ Matthew 5:16
Article 29: Children’s education should develop each child’s personality, talents and abilities to the fullest. It should encourage children to respect others, human rights and their own and other cultures. It should also help them learn to live peacefully, protect the environment and respect other people.
Our Curriculum Policy details our intent behind our curriculum, how we implement it and our desired impact.
The curriculum at RCSAT, developed over a number of years, is firmly rooted in and stems directly from our Vision, Mission and Core Values:
Our Vision – ‘Let your Light shine’ Matthew v5:16
Our Mission – ‘A Caring Christian Family Where We Grow Together’
Our Core Values:
We aim to create an enjoyable, inclusive, safe and nurturing environment that allows all children to develop spiritually, morally and socially – every child is a child of God, made to contribute to our world.
We aim to create an inspiring environment, which encourages enthusiasm for lifelong learning and establishes an expectation of high standards – knowing the way, showing the way and going the way.
We aim to encourage caring, sensitive and inclusive attitudes where individuals feel secure, valued and respected by others – like Jesus showed us through his teachings
We aim to provide a broad and connected curriculum which challenges and develops the potential of each child – as Jesus needed his disciples to support and guide, so we look to others with more knowledge
We aim to develop a positive relationship between home, school and our wider community- as a family – as brothers and sisters.
Our Intent:
The schools within RCSAT are strongly committed to helping our children grow and develop the skills required to be successful in life. Our curriculum is designed to promote every child’s individuality giving them the skills, knowledge and understanding to prepare them for the future. At RCSAT, our Connected Curriculum is planned around the development of Knowledge, Skills and Understanding. We ensure a curriculum that nurtures fascination and imagination and promotes an appreciation of creativity & individuality. One that also works in strong partnership with parents and carers to ensure high standards, engendering a strong sense of community, where all children and families are key to the delivery of a challenging, inspirational and innovative curriculum.
As a trust, we provide varied opportunities throughout their time with us, which promote independent, interactive and collaborative learning that builds on the children’s natural curiosity and eagerness to learn. We teach children to aspire to be the best possible version of themselves through our key drivers.
Our Key Drivers:
Inspirational and connected curriculum which instils a love of learning
Curiosity and appreciation of God’s world through our Christian Values
A culture of care for everyone in our community and in the world around us (RRSA, Global Learning, British Values)
Aspiring to become the best person God created us to be – Let your light shine (Matthew 5:16)
Academic success comes through creativity and problem solving; responsibility and resilience, as well as physical development, well-being and mental health all being key elements in supporting the whole child through their learning journey.
Our curriculum also celebrates diversity and utilises the skills and knowledge of the community to enhance our curriculum while supporting the children’s emotional and spiritual development.
Implementation:
Our curriculum is driven by a desire to develop the whole child and therefore delivers much more than just the National Curriculum. Our connected curriculum provides opportunities for the children to learn about managing themselves, relationships and situations.
Our curriculum is not simply a set of encounters from which children form ad hoc memories; it is designed to be remembered in detail – to be stored in our children’s long-term memories so that they can later build on it, forming an ever wider and deeper pool of knowledge. Our curriculum is connected. It is planned vertically between year groups, horizontally within the academic year and diagonally to build on prior knowledge.
Our connected curriculum stems from a key question linked to a specific concept which then underpins the children’s learning. Knowledge around this concept is delivered through primary sources such as high-quality texts, music, art and technologies, enabling connections to be made across a range of National Curriculum subjects. Our teachers skilfully plan to ensure the children in their class experience a curriculum that inspires a love for learning.
Our curriculum is predominantly organised around rich and engaging, high-quality texts, making links and connecting to all curriculum areas where relevant. Subject leads ensure progression and coverage of knowledge, skills and understanding are weaved into a meaningful and cohesive curriculum drawing in learning based on local, national and international events
Medium term plans outline the learning to take place for the term and are developed as mind maps using the phrases; As Artists, As Geographers, As Historians, As Writers, As Readers, As Mathematicians, As Musicians, As Programmers, As Designers, As Performers, As respectful, responsible citizens to frame ideas and concepts to be taught. The core basic skills of English and Maths are planned and delivered to reflect the National Curriculum 2014 changes and many elements of the new statutory orders are reflected in our practice.
We also feel that the following are necessary to support the implementation of our connected curriculum:
Learning Environment – We work hard to make sure that our learning environment supports the development of the whole child both inside, outside and beyond. Our classrooms are well organised and resourced allowing children to choose resources independently to support their learning.
Our outdoor areas have been developed to enhance our connected curriculum with developments such as: running paths, outdoor stage, mini woodland, outdoor reading provision, wilderness area and forest schools. This enables pupils to explore at break and lunch-times and gives teachers a range of resource to tap into to support teaching and learning at various points within the year.
Learning Partners – It is important that as a school we engage with external partner, locally, nationally and internationally to bring added dimensions to our curriculum offer. We partner with artists, musicians, coaches, poets, cultural organisations, engineers, other schools to bring expertise and difference to our curriculum offer. These may be short term projects over a few weeks or much longer endeavours. It is through these partnerships that we may light a spark of interest, enthusiasm and passion within our children that they may carry forward with them into their future lives and schooling.
New Pedagogies – As we continue to develop our curriculum, our approach to teaching and learning also develops. We take a blended learning approach where multiple disciplines will be touched upon within a lesson. It may be a ‘Science’ based lesson where problem solving, maths, literacy and art disciplines are enveloped within the taught session. Project based inquiry learning coupled with direct instruction ensure that our curriculum is relevant and provides children with opportunities to develop the skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, citizenship and creativity whilst also building their own character.
Impact: Through our connected approach:
Our children will have the capacity to control and express their emotions, and handle interpersonal relationships whilst keeping themselves safe.
Our children will become confident and successful lifelong learners, demonstrating the Christian Values to ensuring they let their individual lights shine as they make the right choices about their learning.
Our curriculum has an ambition for high achievement of all pupils irrespective of their background or starting point.
Our curriculum promotes and instils a love of learning.
