Curriculum

At St Mary of the Angels, we are proud to deliver a curriculum that is broad, enriched, relevant and purposeful. We were delighted that our visitors from Ofsted agreed and praised our curriculum so highly when they visited in Autumn 2019.

Our current position, post pandemic, is one of tentative steps as we move from recovery mode to regrasping our long-term curriculum focus.  Where gaps are found, teachers are skilled in revisiting prior learning and engaging with parents to support children in making accelerated progress.  Where possible, additional support has been afforded to the classes most impacted by the pandemic, however safeguarding will always be our key priority.

Our Curriculum Intent Statement

  • To keep safety at the fore of our learning at all times
  • To base all our learning on Gospel values, such as the Eucharist; love; justice; prayer; and inclusion
  • To secure skills for life (physical, mental, social, spiritual)
  • To nurture a love of literacy and create lifelong readers
  • To place a high focus on expertise and fluency in mathematics for all learners
  • To make natural links with the world around our children, so that their learning is meaningful, deep and purposeful
  • To prioritise learners’ fitness and health, keeping them active, alert and resilient
  • To provide enhancements for all learners, developing self-esteem and enjoyment in what they do
  • To develop citizenship & an international dimension, so pupils have a broader, tolerant mindset, beyond their locality 

 Our Curriculum Implementation Statement

  • To transcribe our good intent into a FULL national curriculum narrative, built on our pupils’ experiences and locality
  • To develop cumulative knowledge, through subjects/schemes where lessons build firmly on pupils’ prior learning, over time
  • To deliver curriculum which has building blocks for all, which challenge every pupil’s ability level
  • To use clear planning, which gives pupils what they need to know, to move to the next phase of their education
  • To ensure that gaps in knowledge and skills for disadvantaged pupils are addressed, via Quality First Teaching strategies, Adaptive Teaching and early intervention
  • To include excitement and pace, in every area of learning, so that children enjoy and embed their outcomes
  • To use assessment systems which critically chart pupil progress - but also to evaluate curriculum impact: and revise implementation, if necessary, to improve outcomes for pupils
  • To make natural links between core subjects and other curriculum areas, to enable a real synthesis of knowledge and understanding, across our everyday experiences.

Our Curriculum Impact Statement

  • To hand on the gospel to every child - as a spiritual, unique soul in the likeness of God.
  • For each child to leave St Mary’s with a rich body of skills and knowledge, acquired from an unforgettable curriculum
  • For our cumulative learning experience to give children a thirst for more; a desire to become inquisitive minds and independent learners
  • To know that core skills like reading and mathematics, at the heart of our curriculum, have helped pupils to learn incrementally & attain their God given potential ready for the next stage of their learning journey
  • For the broadness of our curriculum to facilitate rounded individuals, with a social, moral and emotional interaction to the world around them
  • To guarantee that pupils have learnt a body of knowledge and skills which will set them up for a choice of careers and a level of economic wellbeing in their lives

 

For details of how each curriculum area has been shaped and an overview of the progression of skills and knowledge please see individual curriculum subject pages.

"Leaders have designed a well-structured plan for learning. They keep a focus on mathematics and English, while making sure that pupils study all subjects of the national curriculum until the end of Year 6. They do this by linking learning in individual subjects to other areas of the curriculum. Staff skilfully teach what leaders expect in each subject.... Pupils in this school really enjoy their education. They find lessons interesting and full of fun. They work very hard and behave well. "

(Ofsted inspection, 2019-2020)

“The school uses its Mission Statement as the central focus of school life. The religious education curriculum supports the aims of the school, and helps to develop in pupils values based on clear, Christian principles.”

(Diocesan Inspection)

2023-2024 Curriculum Maps

Here you will find, by year group, a full overview of the school curriculum, which meets - and indeed exceeds -  the statutory requirements of the revised version of the National Curriculum. 

There's also a term by term plan of our EYFS - Early Years Foundation Stage (the Reception class)... with simple ideas for parents to help their child's learning.

More information can be obtained in school, on request; and the school regularly sends out complementary information, such as our homework policy, guidance on how we teach reading, advice sheets for parents etc.

Cultural Capital

At St Mary's we strive to ensure our curriculum is enriched as much as possible.  Our belief is that in broadening the learning opportunities our young people they will flourish into life longer learners with skills that transcend the classroom.  We have been nationally recognised with a Silver Award from the CLOtC for our work in embedding outdoor learning and through our cultural capital offer, we ensure that each year group has a range of additional experiences each year.  These can range from sporting opportunities and links with our local basketball team; visits to local museums and historical sites of importance; workshops onsite on the Ancient Greeks and even our three year rolling residential programme starting in Year 2.

Files to Download

St Mary of the Angels Primary School, Rossall Grove, Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH66 1NN