Curriculum Rationale
at St Elisabeth’s CE Primary School
A curriculum rooted in our values
Our curriculum is at the very heart of what we aim to achieve as a school. It is the basis from which our children can discover their own talents and passions and it is our best tool in achieving the very best outcomes for every child. Our curriculum and approach to teaching & learning is rooted first and foremost in our Christian values and it is informed by principles from cognitive science, contemporary research and proven good practice.
Our Christian vision of Belonging, Believing, Becoming is inspired by the Parable of the Mustard Seed which shows us how great things grow from small beginnings (Mark 4: 30-32). Every one of our pupils has unique skills and talents and we believe passionately that strong relationships, consistently strong teaching and a carefully designed curriculum can provide every child with the opportunity to thrive and flourish.
A school where every child belongs...
We're proud of the role that St. Elisabeth's plays in our local community. We want everyone to feel welcomed into our school family and we strive to create an inclusive environment by:
- working in strong partnerships with parents and carers
- striving to narrow the gap for disadvantaged pupils, starting in Nursery
- providing an ambitious curriculum which instils a love of learning and pushes all children to reach their potential
- quickly identifying children’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and providing extra support
- adapting teaching to overcome language barriers for new arrivals and prioritising language development for all pupils
Every child deserves to have an equal chance of success and through a culture of belonging, our relationships with pupils, parents and carers set the scene for children to thrive.
...believing that every child can thrive with access to an ambitious curriculum...
Our curriculum has been carefully designed to build knowledge and skills in a secure, logical sequence from our Early Years to Year 6. Our curriculum is ambitious and the content has been chosen precisely to ensure that knowledge is revisited and built on each year. A number of principles inform the design and delivery of our curriculum:
- Important and relevant concepts are identified in each subject and revisited over time to improve retention and depth of understanding
- lessons are engaging and stimulating, providing optimal conditions for learning
- helping every child to develop their language is vital so key vocabulary is mapped out and explicitly taught in each subject
- teaching strategies are heavily informed by Rosenshine's 10 Basic Principles of Instruction
- detailed and timely assessments identify gaps in children's knowledge and teachers adapt plans to fill those gaps
...and where children become a force for good.
Our curriculum has been designed to:
- develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural wellbeing
- explicitly teach the skills required for self-regulation and executive function so children can work independently, question, think critically and be reflective
- highlight different perspectives and showcase role models from all backgrounds
- encourage a deep sense of social responsibility, including how to love our neighbour and how to look after our environment
We believe, ultimately, that the impact of our curriculum can be seen in the responsible, pro-active and well-rounded children who make up our school and who are an enduring source of pride.
How knowledge is sequenced from Early Years to Year 6
In every subject we teach, key knowledge is taught in small, understandable chunks. This is then revisited and built on over time. This provides children with a secure understanding of subject-specific concepts and helps them to make sense of new learning. As children journey through school, they can contextualise what they are taught as it follows on logically from what they already know. This makes learning deeper, more understandable and more memorable. Below is an example from the geography curriculum which shows how children develop an understanding of climate over time. This approach to curriculum design has been taken in every subject area, details of which can be found by exploring the links below.
