Curriculum

At St Mary of the Angels, we are proud to deliver a curriculum that is cumulative, well sequenced and builds on prior learning experiences. Our inclusive curriculum covers all areas of the National Curriculum and is ambitious for all.

Our curriculum is sequenced to ensure the children are building on their prior-learning and experiences (cumulative learning – building on blocks we have accumulated).
End Points are specific and have been refined to be pertinent to each year group. They progress in difficulty and challenge as the children move through the school.
We follow a topic approach to foundation subjects. We believe that this cross-curricular approach allows the children to draw better links between subjects and develops a more secure understanding.
Our curriculum broad and balanced for all learners. Teaching is adapted to ensure that children with SEND or who are disadvantaged are able to access the curriculum at a level that challenges them.

English is the life-blood that flows through all areas of our curriculum and teachers will plan, where possible, for the children’s reading and written work to be based upon a text closely linked to the topic content. We also pay close attention to how we teach new vocabulary, and oracy is another aspect we are developing this year, as we want to ensure the children are confident and articulate.

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 within our locality and 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 an adaptive curriculum which has building blocks for all, challenging 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)

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. Experiences can range from sporting opportunities and links with our local basketball team; visits to local museums and historical sites of importance; workshop visitors and our three-year rolling residential programme.

2024-2025 Curriculum Maps

Here you will find, by year group, a full overview of the school curriculum. More details 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.

For more subject specific information on what your child will be learning, please use the drop down menu and select a subject area of your choice e.g. Geography or PE. Each curriculum page will give you a taste of how we map out End Points against the National Curriculum, subject specific vocabulary and the Intent, Implementation and Impact statements which are revisited yearly.