Please click here to see our Parent Guide to our curriculum.
Intent
The breadth of our curriculum is designed to allow our children to be the following:
- Successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
- Loving individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
- Team players who make a positive contribution to society
- Prayerful individuals who are able to recognise God’s love and support to drive them forward.
We have developed drivers that shape our curriculum, bring about the aims and values of our school, and respond to the particular needs of our community. Please see our Driver pyramid.
Implementation
Underpinned by our core aims (including British values), curriculum drivers, learning habits, our academic curriculum uses either the EYFS or the National Curriculum as the basis for content and expectations. We have structured this so that each curriculum subject has a detailed skills progression grid. The staff then use these grids to plan thorough, progressive, inspirational, broad and balanced Long Term Plans for each year group.
Our curriculum design is based on an interweaving approach, where pupils are provided with opportunities to make links and connections. We also provide the opportunity for retrieval, by ensuring skills are revisited at intervals, which increases storage and retrieval strength. Some of our content is subject specific, whilst other content is combined in a cross-curricular approach, with the opportunity to practise previously learned content. English and Maths skills are taught throughout the curriculum and contextual learning is seen as crucial to developing children’s understanding. As a school, we use a mastery maths approach and recognise the importance of children going deeper with their learning. Through equal opportunities and inclusion, the school ensures that all learners in the community have a valuable educational experience, which is enhanced by memorable experiences, visitors and trips.
Independent learning is promoted and the school takes account of preferred learning styles and the needs of their children. We value the place of the arts and creativity in the curriculum and this can be seen, celebrated across the school.
RE is taught using the ‘Come and See’ programme for Religious Education. The teaching and learning of RE is not seen as merely a subject for learning, but a way of life. Through it, schools endeavour to provide experiences in which pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith, develop spiritually and morally, experience rich liturgy and reflect on the life and mission of Jesus by studying the Gospels.
As a school we follow government guidelines for teaching systematic, synthetic phonics. Our Reception and Year 1 children get a daily lesson lasting 25 minutes to teach them the skills required for reading, spelling and writing.
Fundamental to the curriculum is the quality of teaching and learning. OLICAT looks for ways to improve the quality of teaching based on agreed qualities, standards and a reflective collaborative approach.
Each term, the whole school will have a launch day of our overarching topic. This is to inspire and motivate our pupils and to provide them with an immersive environment. Each class will then have a specific focus linked to the topic. At the end of the topic, the classes will have a Curriculum Celebration, where parents are invited into school to celebrate all their incredible learning.
Our whole school topics are –
We can’t wait to share with you some of our learning!
Themed Week Overviews
Healthy Me 1 – Speak Out and Stay Safe
Healthy Me 1 – Mental Health Awareness
Health Me 1 – Celebrating Difference and Black History
Healthy Me 2 – Clever Never Goes
Healthy Me 2 – Digital Citizenship
Impact
The impact of our curriculum is that by the end of each year, the pupils have sustained mastery of the content and that some pupils have a greater depth of understanding. We track pupils to ensure they reach expectations of our curriculum. Our curriculum also allows for pupils to leave our school as fully rounded individuals, who are confident citizens of our world.
If you would like further information, please ring the school office on 01536 512112 and ask to speak to Mrs. Sophie Howes, our Curriculum Lead. If you have year group specific questions, please look at their class page on the website, or speak to your child’s class teacher.