Our Curriculum

Reading at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

At St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School reading is prioritised in order to allow our pupils to access the full curriculum that is on offer. We ensure that our younger children gain the phonic knowledge they need in order to start decoding words and develop their early reading skills.  Alongside this the children develop their communication skills, reading fluency, understanding of vocabulary and reading comprehension to enable them to become confident readers for life!

Our intent is that all pupils, regardless of their background, needs or abilities will learn the skills required to read accurately, effortlessly and with expression. We aim to nurture a love of reading for pleasure in our children so that they will continue to develop this skill and enjoyment throughout their lives. Through our teaching, we aim to develop fluent skills in oracy in order for our children to express an opinion, debate respectfully with others and to speak and read to an audience, whether it be in class, during mass or as part of an assembly.

Writing at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

At St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that the children being able to write fluently in a way in which they can be understood is a vital skill to possess.  Expressing ourselves by using the written word, from e-mails and application forms to formal reports and letters, is an important skill and writing creatively is something that can be enjoyed throughout our whole lives.

Our intent is to teach children to fully express their views and opinions in written form, which makes sense, is meaningful and gives them the freedom to express themselves. We enable our children to produce high quality written texts, which show case all the skills they have learnt. We provide an engaging curriculum which encourages the children to enjoy writing and take pride in their authorship. In demonstrating the value of writing fluently, the children learn the skills in writing to enhance their lives. Through our teaching of SPAG and vocabulary, children learn increasingly complex skills for the use of words, punctuation and grammar. Our teachers help the children to use these skills within their wider writing to improve both the accuracy and quality of the writing they produce. Frequent reminders of work covered in previous years helps the children to embed these vital skills.

Curriculum Map

 

Mathematics at St-Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

The intent of the St-Teresa’s Mathematics curriculum is to ensure that all children are well prepared for the next stage of their education and for futures post-18. We aim to provide an ambitious and engaging Mathematics curriculum along with high quality teaching to produce individuals who are numerate, creative, independent, inquisitive, enquiring and confident. It is our intent to provide a stimulating environment and adequate resources so that pupils can develop their mathematical skills to the full. Our ambition is for all children not to simply do Maths, but to fully understand Maths enabling them to make substantial and sustained progress as they journey through St- Teresa’s working within their age-related expectations, or wherever possible, at greater depth.

The intent for all staff at St-Teresa’s is for all of our children to be strong mathematicians because they:

• can recall and apply their knowledge confidently and efficiently;
• are secure in using written methods for which they have a clear understanding;
• have a strong conceptual understanding of maths; its structures and its relationships;
• are able to use and apply their knowledge and skills to solve challenging reasoning and problem solving tasks.

Curriculum Map – Early Years

Curriculum Map – Primary

Learning in RE is at the Centre of the curriculum, with10% of curriculum time dedicated to the teaching of RE.

Lessons are based on the Diocesan-approved Scheme of Work, Come and See, which explores a series of topics progressing across the year and developing religious knowledge and understanding as children move through the school. The overview of these topics can be found here.

Overview

Come and See Curriculum found here:

Come and See RE Curriculum

Each unit of work follows the ‘explore’, ‘reveal’, ‘respond’ structure to delve into scripture, understand the message and respond in our lives.

Children understand what they are learning about from the clear and consistent planning of each lesson ‘Learning Focus’ which are broken down into clear target steps so that pupils recognise the key learning ‘driver words’ (targets) for each lesson). All planning is based on the End of Year Expectations for each year group set out by our Diocese, with areas of learning broken into three strands:

AT1-HEAD-what we learn from the scripture, content

AT2-HEART-how we can live this out in our lives

AT3-CLOUD-what we wonder about and pose questions in response to scripture

All lessons begin with quiet reflection, focused on the prayer table, candle and religious icon which bring the focus of the learning to the heart of the classroom.

Children practise their scripture detective skills to unpick the message of the Word and how we can live this out in our lives. ‘Big Questions’ are posed at the beginning of topics to unpack learning and develop enquiry and spiritual development.

Science at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

The 2014 National Curriculum for Science aims to ensure that all children:

• develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
• develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
• are equipped with the scientific skills required to understand the uses and implications of science, today and for the future. We understand that it is important for lessons to have a skills-based focus, and that the knowledge can be taught through this

At St Teresa’s, we recognise the importance of Science in every aspect of daily life. A high-quality Science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific scientific disciplines. Science has changed our lives and it is vital that all pupils are taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science.

Our Science teaching offers opportunities for our children to develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics and to develop an understanding of nature, processes and the methods of science through different types of science enquiries that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them.  We aim for our children to be equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses of and implications of Science, today and for the future.  Our children should develop the essential scientific enquiry skills to deepen their scientific knowledge, using a range of methods to communicate their scientific information and present it in a systematic, scientific manner.  They should develop a respect for the materials and equipment they handle with regard to their own, and other children’s safety.

Making a difference is an important element to our Science learning. We expose our children to interesting, diverse and relevant topics to which they can relate.  We encourage children to be inquisitive throughout their time at the school and beyond. The Science curriculum fosters a healthy curiosity in children about our universe and promotes respect for the living and non-living. We ensure that children build on and develop their working scientifically skills so that they can apply their knowledge of science when using equipment, conducting experiments, building arguments and explaining concepts confidently, continuing to ask questions and be curious about their surroundings

Curriculum Map

Geography at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

At St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, our Geography curriculum is designed to develop children’s curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Children investigate a range of places – both in Britain and abroad – to help develop their knowledge and understanding of the Earth’s physical and human processes. We are committed to providing children with opportunities to investigate and make enquiries about their local area so that they can develop of real sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes our local area unique and special. We also developing the children’s ability to apply geographical skills to enable them to confidently communicate their findings and geographical understanding to a range of audiences.

Through high quality teaching, we develop the following essential characteristics of geographers:

• An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like, both in Britain and the wider world
• A comprehensive understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected
• An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary
• Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills, as well as effective presentation techniques
• The ability to reach clear conclusions and explain their findings
• Excellent fieldwork skills as well as other geographical aptitudes and techniques
• The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current issues in society and the environment

A genuine interest in the subject and a real sense of curiosity about the world and the people who live here

Curriculum Map

History at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

At St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that high-quality history lessons to inspire children to want to know more about the past and to think and act as historians. By linking learning to a range of topics, children have opportunities to investigate and interpret the past, understand chronology, build an overview of Britain’s past as well as that of the wider world, and to be able to communicate historically.

We develop children with the following essential characteristics to help them become historians:

• An excellent knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from a range of historical periods, including significant events in Britain’s past;
• The ability to think critically about history and communicate ideas confidently to a range of audiences;
• The ability to support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using historical evidence from a range of sources;
• The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past by formulating and refining questions and lines of enquiry;
• A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make critical use of it to support their learning; A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics;

A developing sense of curiosity about the past and how and why people interpret the past in different ways.

Curriculum Map

Art at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

At St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that high-quality Art lessons will inspire children to think innovatively and develop creative procedural understanding. Our Art curriculum provides children with opportunities to develop their skills using a range of media and materials.

Children learn the skills of drawing, painting, printing, collage, textiles, 3D work and digital art and are given the opportunity to explore and evaluate different creative ideas. Children will be introduced to a range of works and develop knowledge of the styles and vocabulary used by famous artists.

The skills they acquire are applied to their cross-curricular topics, allowing children to use their art skills to reflect on and explore topics in greater depth; for example, by sketching historical artefacts in detail, researching geographical locations to support their work on landscape painting or using art as a medium to express emotion and thought to enhance their personal, social and emotional development. Many areas of art link with mathematical ideas of shape and space; for example, when printing repeating patterns and designs and thinking about 3D shapes to support structures.

It is paramount that art work be purposeful; be this as a means of expression or to explore the styles of other artists that inspire our own work. Pupils should be clear what the intended outcomes are and have a means to measure their own work against this.  In Art, children are expected to be reflective and evaluate their work, thinking about how they can make changes and keep improving. This should be meaningful and continuous throughout the process, with evidence of age-related verbal and written refection.  Children are encouraged to take risks and experiment and then reflect on why some ideas and techniques are successful or not for a particular project.

Curriculum Map

Design and Technology at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

At St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, we encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.  Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject.

Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. The Design and Technology curriculum combines skills, knowledge, concepts and values to enable children to tackle real problems. It can improve analysis, problem solving, practical capability and evaluation skills.  We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. The children are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers.

The curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
• build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
• critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
• understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

Curriculum Map

Music at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

At key stage 1, music curriculum takes full account of the national curriculum’s main characteristics of:

• Singing
• Playing an instrument
• Listening and Appreciating
• Creating own music

Pupils follow the Charanga Scheme.

At key stage 2, music curriculum takes full account of the national curriculum’s main characteristics of:

• Performing
• Composing
• Listening
• Use and understand
• Appreciate
• History of Music

Pupils follow the Our Lady of Lourdes (our trust) scheme of work.

At St Teresa’s, the intention is that children gain a firm understanding of what music is through listening, singing, playing, evaluating, analysing, and composing across a wide variety of historical periods, styles, traditions, and musical genres. Our objective at St Teresas is to develop a curiosity for the subject, as well as an understanding and acceptance of the validity and importance of all types of music, and an unbiased respect for the role that music may wish to be expressed in any person’s life. We are committed to ensuring children understand the value and importance of music in the wider community, and are able to use their musical skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in music, in a variety of different contexts.

Curriculum Map

MFL at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

All pupils have the right to a rich and deep learning experience that includes the learning of the basics of an additional language. The study of Languages prepares pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly carried out in languages other than English. Language learning provides liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. Pupils use language to communicate information responsibly and creatively; learning how to use languages to enable access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures across our school and wider demographic. In addition, understanding a modern foreign language increases a child’s understanding of their own language, and the building blocks which form this. The process of learning a foreign language reinforces fluency and understanding of grammar, syntax, sentence structure and verbal precision. Increased capability in the use of languages can also promote initiative and independent learning and encourages diversity within society.

We teach a curriculum that enables our pupils to become effective users of language, and show an understanding and respect of different cultures in our local, national and global communities. Through the teaching of French, we aim to:

• Ensure every child has the opportunity, throughout Key Stage 2, to study French as a foreign language; developing their interest in the culture of other nations, communities and beliefs. Ensure pupils have access to high-quality teaching and learning opportunities.
• Ensure pupils have exposure to simple commands including day-to-day French language, including days, months, numbers and classroom instructions.
• Ensure pupils develop an increased wider cultural understanding through our enriched and varied curriculum to which languages contribute.

Provide language informed by the National Curriculum and the skills expressed in this: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing and Cultural Understanding.

Curriculum Map

Computing at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

All pupils at St Teresa’s have the right to have rich, deep learning experiences that balance all the aspects of computing. With technology playing such a significant role in society today, we believe ‘Computational thinking’ is a skill children must be taught if they are to be able to participate effectively and safely in this digital world. A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems.

Pupils are introduced to a wide range of technology, including laptops, iPads and interactive whiteboards, allowing them to continually practice and improve the skills they learn. This ensures they become digitally literate so that they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information and computer technology– at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

• We teach a curriculum that enables children to become effective users of technology who can:
• Understand and apply the essential principles and concepts of Computer Science, including logic, algorithms and data representation
• Analyse problems in computational term, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
• Evaluate and apply information technology analytically to solve problems
• Communicate ideas well by utilising appliances and devices throughout all areas of the curriculum.

Curriculum Map

 

Protected Characteristics

The Equality Act became law in 2010. It covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

The Equality Act protects people against discrimination because of the protected characteristics that we all have.

Under the Equality Act, there are nine protected characteristics:

1. Age
2. Disability
3. Gender reassignment
4. Race –  including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin
5. Religion or belief
6. Marriage or civil partnership
7. Sex
8. Sexual orientation
9. Pregnancy and maternity

No form of discrimination is tolerated at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School and our pupils show respect for those who share the protected characteristics.

We do not teach about all the protected characteristics in every year group. The curriculum is planned and delivered so that our pupils develop age appropriate knowledge and understanding during their time at St Teres’s in line with the teaching of the Catholic Church. Our RSHE scheme, Ten:Ten, explores the protected characteristics at an age appropriate level.

Ten Ten – Protected Characteristics Guidance

Protected Characteristics at St Teresa’s school

Life to the Full Plus – Curriculum Map

 

PE at St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

We aim to develop pupils who will be physically active and can flourish in a range of different physical activities.

The aims of our PE curriculum are to develop pupils who:

• Are willing to practise skills in a range of different activities and situations, alone, in small groups and in teams, and to apply these skills in chosen activities to achieve exceptionally high levels of performance
• Have and maintain high levels physical fitness
• Lead a healthy lifestyle which is achieved by eating sensibly, being aware of the dangers of drugs, smoking and alcohol and exercising regularly
• Are able to remain physically active for sustained periods of time and have an understanding of the importance of this in promoting long-term health and well-being
• Take the initiative and become excellent young leaders, organising and officiating, and evaluating what needs to be done to improve, and motivating and instilling excellent sporting attitudes in others
• Employ imagination and creativity in their techniques, tactics and choreography
• Are able to improve their own and others’ performance
• Can work independently for extended periods of time without the need for guidance or support
• Have a keen interest in PE – a willingness to participate eagerly in every lesson, highly positive attitudes and the ability to make informed choices about engaging fully in extracurricular sport

Can swim at least 25 metres before the end of Year 6 and know how to remain safe in and around water.