Curriculum

At St Laurence's Catholic Primary School we aim to offer all of our children a broad, balanced and stimulating curriculum. Ourcurriculum is planned to focus on developing the knowledge, vocabulary and skills within our curriculum areas.

St Laurence's is at the heart of our school community. All staff, children and parents are partners who work together to ensure that all of our children leave our school with the skills to be confident, knowledgeable learners, aware of their own strengths/ talents and with clear future aspirations to dream, achieve and be the best they can. We work alongside our Secondary colleagues to ensure this journey has a fluid curriculum transition based on shared values.

In Early Years, through the prime and specific areas of learning children will develop skills and knowledge to further enhance their readiness for learning as they move into Key Stage 1.

Throughout Key Stage 1 children will develop the foundations of English and Maths within a broad and balanced curriculum. Here the love of learning is embedded. Children are provided with tailored support to develop the skills and knowledge on their journey to become independent learners.

Throughout Key Stage 2 children build on the experiences of Key Stage 1 and have the skills to broaden their knowledge of the world, enhance their creative abilities, learn to become historians, have a love of scientific enquiry to become independent learners in an ever changing digital world. To also move forward in their lives within our School, Kirkby Child and British Values are clearly embedded across the curriculum so that all can  become good citizens of the future.

We use CLPE - Power of Reading texts and materials to ensure our children are exposed to a wide variety of genres, cultures and texts across their time in our school.  Please see our English and Reading Curriculum pages for more information. 

Within our school we teach phonics using Read Write Inc, a DFE validated scheme. Phonics lessons are taught daily  from Nursery to Year 2. (KS2 children who need additional phonics also receive Read, Write Inc. lessons) Our phonics teaching aims to build children’s speaking and listening skills as well as preparing them for learning to read by developing their phonic knowledge and skills. The programme is detailed and systematic with the aim of having children as fluent readers by age 7. Half termly assessments take place which inform our phonics groups in early years and KS1.

Parent Guide to Read,Write Inc

https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-schemes-oxford-levels/read-write-inc-phonics-guide/

For Maths in our school we use the Power Maths Scheme alongside White Rose Maths Hub resources.  Our children are taught fluency skills daily.  We also use TT Rock Stars to enhance their understanding of Multiplication Tables. 

Our Curriculum Intent

At St Laurence’s we provide an education that enables each child to reach their full potential by developing their gifts and talents for the good of all. Everything we do is underpinned by the Catholic Gospel values and ethos of our school and local community.

Our aim throughout the curriculum is to enable every pupil to participate fully within our school and wider communities as responsible, confident citizens. We actively promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical qualities of our pupils throughout our teaching and learning each and every day, they are with us.   We want all of our pupils to be followers of Christ, skilled readers, enthusiastic writers, mathematicians, inquisitive scientists, historians, geographers, musicians, artists, linguists, athletes, digital leaders, designers and technologists throughout their time with us.

We believe that our curriculum has been carefully designed to allow our children to become confident and fluent with knowledge, skills and enriched vocabulary. Through excellent teaching all our children are given the tools and wider experiences to prepare them for later life. Reading is at the heart of our curriculum, as we believe that texts are the window to new worlds.  All our children are given opportunities to read a range of texts in a variety of subjects across the curriculum. Having access to these variety of texts enables our children to experience a wealth of vocabulary.

With the national curriculum at the core of all we do our children are challenged to develop their independent skills so that they are able to drive their own learning forward as they progress throughout their school life.

Communication, language and vocabulary are developed throughout our curriculum from an early age. We are consciously aware of gaps in pupils’ vocabulary and strive, through our curriculum, to allow all children to become confident and fluent in using a range of powerful vocabulary, developing their understanding along the way.

Our subject leaders constantly monitor and evaluate our curriculum offer ensuring that all our children have the best possible start to their education. We believe that our curriculum is ambitious and all children will be given the chance to succeed in life, making the best start at Primary School level.

Our Curriculum Implementation

Leaders and subject leaders drive the development of their subjects throughout the whole school. This is implemented through highly effective teaching. We support this teaching through a collaborative CPD programme for all staff enabling them to develop their own knowledge and skills, transferring this back into the classroom and onto our children.

Our curriculum is monitored by our subject leads each term through book scrutinies, learning walks and questionnaires. Evaluations and changes are made when necessary.  All evaluations are shared with our SLT and governing body to ensure that all stakeholders have an understanding of our curriculum offer.

The curriculum at St Laurence’s is designed and taught using strategies to enable children to embed their learning in their long term memories. Clear and well thought out sequences of learning and ongoing assessments ensure that new knowledge and skills build on prior learning.

Reading is taught across the curriculum using a range of texts as stimuli.  Children are given opportunities to experience different cultures through not only English but Science and Foundation Subjects also. During Guided Read sessions children show a variety of skills to unpick texts and use a range of strategies to develop their understanding of meanings, retrieval skills and comparing texts.  We use Power of Reading Texts to help our children experience a wide range of genre.

The progress of all children, including those with SEND and disadvantaged children is closely monitored and the curriculum is designed to ensure that any gaps are closed.

Discrete lessons are delivered to allow for clear progression.

Children have a variety of books for foundation subjects with additional records being kept on tapestry and seesaw.

Our Curriculum Impact

Our curriculum is monitored regularly by the Senior Leadership Team and Subject Leads to ensure that all learners, including disadvantaged and pupils with SEND have:

• A depth of coverage of all subjects
• Knowledge and skills are ongoing throughout each year group
• Careful balance of all subjects
• Consistent standards across all subjects
• Engaged, creative independent learning
• Accurate assessment for learning
• Impact on standards and progress for all learners
• Feedback moving the learning forward
• can confidently recall key knowledge from current and previous areas of learning
• are confident in using and applying vocabulary across a range of subjects
• are well-rounded individuals who understand the importance of Christian values and British values
• are well prepared for the next stage of education

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