Curriculum Intent

CURRICULUM INTENT

At Our Lady and St Edward’s Catholic Primary School, Christ is at the centre of our curriculum. We believe that every child is made in the image and likeness of God, is valued and unique, and should be given every opportunity to discover their gifts, develop their talents and flourish. Our curriculum is rooted in the teachings of Jesus and the values of the Gospel, developing children who are compassionate, respectful, courageous, hopeful and ready to serve others.

Our curriculum is ambitious, engaging, broad and purposeful, and is shaped around the children and community we serve in Birkenhead. We understand that our pupils come to school with different experiences, knowledge, strengths and needs. We therefore design and adapt our curriculum with our children in mind, ensuring that their starting points never become a ceiling for their achievement.

We have high expectations for every pupil. We believe that all children can learn, achieve and succeed when they receive excellent teaching, appropriate support and sufficient challenge. Our curriculum is designed to build knowledge, skills and understanding progressively, enabling children to make meaningful connections, deepen their learning and become increasingly independent learners.

Our curriculum is based on the EYFS Framework and National Curriculum, while reflecting the particular context, needs and aspirations of our school community. Subject leaders and teachers carefully consider what pupils need to know, understand and remember, ensuring that learning is sequenced logically and builds securely on what has come before. We value the integrity of individual subjects while creating purposeful opportunities for children to make connections across their learning.

We recognise that reading, language and vocabulary are fundamental to educational success. We place a strong emphasis on developing confident readers, effective communicators and a rich vocabulary. We explicitly teach the language children need to access the curriculum, while providing opportunities for them to talk, listen, question, explain and articulate their ideas. Alongside this, we ensure that children develop secure foundations in mathematics and the wider knowledge and skills needed to succeed across the curriculum.

Our curriculum is inclusive and responsive. Teachers know their pupils well and use assessment to identify what children have understood, where misconceptions or gaps remain and what they need to learn next. High-quality teaching is the foundation of our provision, with appropriate adaptation, scaffolding, modelling, resources and targeted support used to enable pupils to access ambitious learning. This includes pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those who require additional support, while ensuring that support promotes independence rather than dependency.

We believe that children should experience a curriculum that extends their understanding of the world beyond their immediate experience. We therefore enrich learning through educational visits, visitors, workshops, residential experiences, sport, the arts, outdoor learning and opportunities to engage with the wider community. These experiences help children to develop confidence, curiosity, creativity and a sense of possibility, while building cultural capital and widening their aspirations.

We want our children to become curious and reflective learners who ask questions, think critically, solve problems and are willing to persevere when learning is challenging. Through carefully planned teaching, regular retrieval and opportunities to practise and apply knowledge, children develop secure learning that they can remember and use in new situations. Assessment is an integral part of this process, helping teachers to respond to pupils' needs and ensuring that learning continues to move forward.

We recognise that education is about the whole child. Alongside academic achievement, our curriculum develops spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding and promotes physical health, emotional wellbeing, positive relationships, resilience and self-belief. Through our Catholic ethos, collective worship, PSHE and wider curriculum experiences, children are encouraged to understand their responsibilities towards themselves, others and the wider world.

We want every child to leave Our Lady and St Edward’s with high aspirations and a belief in their own potential. Our curriculum seeks to remove barriers, open doors and provide children with the knowledge, skills, experiences and confidence they need for the next stage of their education and for life beyond primary school.

Above all, we want our pupils to flourish as children of God: confident in who they are, curious about the world, respectful of others, determined in their learning and equipped to use their gifts positively in the service of others.