Our Curriculum Intent

Intent

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School’s vision is: ‘PROUD of our children; PROUD of our School; PROUD of our faith’. Through our curriculum, we strive to develop the knowledge, skills and learning attitudes of our pupils so that they may become the best that they can be, enabling them to make maximum PROGRESS, develop RESILIENCE, be OPEN to new ideas and experiences, celebrate their UNIQUENESS and DEMONSTRATE their faith through their words, actions and relationships with others.

 

All that we do at Sacred Heart is underpinned by our Christian foundation. We are a Catholic Primary School and, as such, we believe that every child is special, unique and loved by God. Through our Christian ethos and Gospel values, we encourage everyone to treat each other with dignity, kindness and respect, and to develop in their own personal journey of faith, learning and life. Our mission permeates every aspect of school life and inspires us to nurture the ‘whole child’, recognising and celebrating the talents, gifts, achievements and successes of every individual.

 

We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive Catholic community. Our children come from a range of cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds, with a high proportion of pupils learning English as an additional language. We see this diversity as a significant strength and a rich source of learning. The different languages, cultures, experiences and perspectives within our school community provide opportunities for children to learn from one another, develop curiosity and openness, and gain a deeper understanding and respect for the diverse world in which they live.

 

At Sacred Heart, we aim to inspire and motivate children through a curriculum that engages, challenges and reflects the world around them. Our curriculum is designed to deepen knowledge and understanding and develop the skills and personal qualities that pupils need to be successful, confident and responsible citizens. Pupils develop their understanding of their local and national heritage, multicultural Britain and the global world, and are encouraged to recognise their responsibilities towards others and to play an active part in shaping their community and the wider world.

 

To create a richness in learning, we provide a broad range of exciting, relevant and creative experiences that inspire pupils to be ‘bothered’ about their own learning and the world around them; to be curious, passionate, resilient and open to new ideas. We encourage pupils to ask questions, think deeply, take risks in their learning and reflect on their experiences.

 

Our curriculum is designed to be broad and balanced, with literacy and numeracy at its heart. We aim to ensure that all pupils are able to read and therefore access the curriculum with confidence and independence. Language and vocabulary development are central to our approach, recognising the importance of developing communication skills for all pupils and celebrating the linguistic diversity within school. Effective and deep learning, over time, is gained through carefully constructed progression objectives and the sequencing of concepts within each subject discipline and across all year groups.

 

We recognise that families are our children’s first and most important educators, and that strong relationships with families are essential to successful learning and wellbeing. We begin building these relationships from the point of transition into school, listening to families, understanding their children’s needs, experiences, strengths and aspirations, and ensuring they feel welcomed, valued and informed. We work in partnership with families throughout their child’s journey with us, for example through our ‘breakfast for learning’ parent workshops, providing clear communication, shared expectations and meaningful opportunities for families to contribute to and support their child’s learning.

Implementation

At Sacred Heart, we implement an inclusive curriculum that meets the statutory requirements of the Early Years and National Curriculum. Our curriculum is well planned and delivered through high-quality and effective ‘quality first teaching’, ensuring that all pupils, whatever their starting point, background or individual needs, are supported and challenged to achieve their best. There are literacy-rich, cross-curricular opportunities, outdoor learning, inspirational visitors and exciting educational visits which broaden pupils’ experiences and deepen their understanding of the world.

 

From the first foundations in our Nursery, high priority is given to the development of early reading and writing, for example through ‘Helicopter Stories’, ‘Drawing the Write Way’ and phonics development. This continues into Reception, where children develop their phonics knowledge through our scheme, ‘Read, Write Inc’.

 

Knowledge about language, communication skills and vocabulary development are given high priority throughout the school. Lessons are well planned to systematically increase children’s knowledge by building on prior learning, revisiting ideas, embedding concepts and making meaningful links in learning. Children are immersed in and exposed to a rich diet of ambitious and subject-specific vocabulary to extend their breadth and depth of language. Our multilingual community is celebrated and pupils are encouraged to recognise the value of their home languages and the different languages spoken within our school.

 

We give high priority to teaching the fundamentals of reading, writing and Mathematics every day, to ensure that all pupils acquire the basic skills they need for learning and life. In Maths, pupils follow ‘Singapore Maths No Problem’, while writing and reading skills are developed through a focus on the enjoyment and appreciation of high-quality literature.

 

From Year One, our curriculum is carefully structured to build pupils’ knowledge and understanding through a consistent lesson model. Drawing on CUSP-style pedagogy and our seven lenses, lessons are designed to help pupils make meaningful connections to previous learning, encounter new knowledge and concepts, and develop increasingly secure understanding over time. Teachers deliberately revisit and retrieve prior knowledge so that pupils can connect new learning to what they already know and understand.

 

Our approach recognises that learning is a process and that pupils benefit from opportunities to think, discuss, explore and have a go before being expected to work independently. Through an ‘attempt before’ approach, pupils are given opportunities to rehearse and develop their thinking, address misconceptions and build confidence before applying their learning independently. Carefully planned modelling, guided practice and questioning support pupils to move from supported learning towards increasing independence.

 

The seven lenses (Content and knowledge, Teaching sequence, Vocabulary, Explanation and modelling, Tasks, Questioning and retrieval and Feedback) provide a consistent pedagogical framework through which teachers consider how pupils encounter, develop and apply knowledge. They support teachers in planning for depth, identifying meaningful connections and ensuring that pupils are not simply exposed to new information, but are given repeated opportunities to retrieve, connect, practise and apply their learning.

 

Across the curriculum, teachers use high-quality texts, resources, vocabulary and subject-specific experiences to deepen pupils’ understanding. Learning is sequenced carefully so that knowledge and skills build over time, with opportunities for pupils to revisit and strengthen prior learning. Pupils are encouraged to articulate their thinking, make connections, ask questions and reflect on their learning, developing the confidence and resilience to tackle increasingly challenging tasks.

 

Religious Education is at the heart of life at Sacred Heart, woven throughout our curriculum and school community. We dedicate a minimum of 10% of curriculum time to RE across Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, following To Know You More Clearly and, currently in Year 6, Come and See. By 2027, all year groups will follow To Know You More Clearly, in line with the requirements of the Bishops’ Conference and the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Our RE curriculum inspires pupils to think critically, deepen their faith and spirituality, and consider how the teachings of Jesus and the Church shape their daily lives. Through learning, discussion, prayer and worship, our children are encouraged to build the Kingdom of God, care for our common home, Live Simply, Live Sustainably and Act in Solidarity. Inspired by Catholic Social Teaching, our pupils learn to put their faith into action each day through acts of service, compassion, stewardship, justice and solidarity, making a positive difference within our school, parish and wider world.

 

Learning about relationships, sex and health education is developed across the whole school from Nursery to Year Six. There are many opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to ask questions and search for meaning about their relationships with others. Our programme, ‘A Journey in Love’, enables pupils to understand personal and physical development through age-appropriate sex education. We use a range of other resources, for example, Coram Education, SCARF and ‘No Outsiders’, to explore RSHE themes and to promote respect, inclusion, equality and understanding.

Catholic values and our school mission help children to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural knowledge, understanding and appreciation. British Values are woven through cross-curricular work, assemblies and the wider life of the school. Through these experiences, pupils are encouraged to understand their responsibilities to others, appreciate diversity and demonstrate the values of kindness, respect, compassion and service.


Impact

The impact of our curriculum is reflected not only in pupils’ academic achievement, but also in the knowledge, skills, attitudes and personal qualities they develop throughout their time at Sacred Heart. Knowledge and skills are regularly assessed against age-related expectations and knowledge-based learning objectives. Assessment is used to identify gaps, inform teaching and ensure that pupils build securely on prior learning and make appropriate progress.

 

Our literacy-rich curriculum ensures that children develop the knowledge, vocabulary and communication skills they need to access learning across the curriculum and become increasingly confident and independent learners. We recognise that language is central to learning and celebrate the positive linguistic diversity of our school community, enabling pupils to communicate effectively and appreciate the languages and cultures of others.

 

Through Pupil Book Studies, learning walks, assessment information and the work produced by pupils, we monitor the effectiveness and impact of our curriculum and identify areas for further development. Our Pupil Book Studies, informed by the work of Alex Bedford, enable us to look beyond the completion of work and evaluate the richness, depth and security of pupils’ knowledge over time. We consider whether pupils are able to connect new learning to what they already know, articulate their understanding, make meaningful connections, address misconceptions and increasingly apply their knowledge and skills independently. This provides valuable evidence of how well our curriculum enables pupils to remember, understand and use what they have learned.

 

The breadth and depth of our curriculum experience enables pupils to become well-rounded, resilient, independent and confident individuals who are well equipped for the next stage of their education. They develop a sense of curiosity about the world, an openness to different ideas and perspectives, and an understanding that their individual gifts, talents, cultures, languages and experiences contribute to the richness of our school community.

 

Our curriculum enables pupils to be ‘bothered’ about their place and impact in the world and provides them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to achieve their dreams and ambitions. Above all, we aim for our children to leave Sacred Heart PROUD: proud of the progress they have made, proud of the resilience they have developed, proud of their openness to others and the world around them, proud of their own uniqueness, and proud to demonstrate their faith through the way they live and treat others.