Curriculum Implementation

Subject Planning

Our curriculum is designed to help pupils form subject-specific schema within their long-term memories. 

Each subject is taught, following our school plans so that key knowledge is identified in each subject area so learning can progress sequentially as children grow and learn through the school.

The key learning is clear for teachers and is clear for our children as we have invested heavily into a personalised curriculum, designed by us, for our children.

The learning plans ensure that knowledge has been planned in a meaningful way; so, our children develop an appreciation of how facts are connected and the ways in which they are connected.  It is distinct from information, which is just isolated facts that have no organisational basis or links

Subject Leaders have created and developed each subject scheme, unique to our school, to ensure our curriculum helps our children make progress in all areas of the curriculum.

What does teaching look like at St.Patrick’s?

Please refer to our school’s pedagogy section on our website click here

 

Curriculum Knowledge Planning

Subject leaders have created subject plans for each area outlining the key knowledge pupils will be taught in and when this knowledge will be taught.

These support teachers to maximise opportunities to make links across topics and subjects, helping to deepen understanding.

 

Curriculum Progress

Each subject’s curriculum planning documents help pupils meet the requirements by providing:

  • clearly defined topics to study which ensure curriculum breadth
  • the knowledge needed to build understanding
  • the vocabulary needed to articulate an understanding of the subject

 

How is our curriculum delivered?

We know that learning is most effective with spaced repetition, which is why throughout the year and throughout topics we revisit previous learning.

We ensure previously taught knowledge is retrieved regularly, which increases both storage and retrieval strength. 

How do we support our teaching staff to deliver the curriculum?

Each Curriculum Leader is an experienced practitioner and, with the support of the SLT is responsible for devising subject plans. Within these plans subject leads have identified progressive knowledge, skills and vocabulary to ensure learning is progressive across the school.

CPD is provided through curriculum planning meetings between subject leaders and teachers to help to build subject knowledge and to adapt subject topic planning suitably for each cohort. We work across the schools in Thornaby and Ingleby Barwick to enable us to share expertise and to moderate standards. As a result, the curriculum can be successfully modified, designed or developed to be ambitious and meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

The teaching of subjects is monitored and feedback from lesson observations, learning walks and work scrutinies etc, as well as pupil voice feedback, informs future planning refinements and developments – under the guidance of the Curriculum Lead and Senior Leaders this ensures coherence and cohesion.

Does our curriculum remain as broad as possible for as long as possible?

The full curriculum is taught throughout the school. Subjects have been carefully timetabled to ensure coverage and progression. Each year group has a simple, standardised class timetable to maximise the use of learning time so that:

  • All subjects have quality space in the timetable
  • Opportunities for deep learning are maximised
  • Teachers and pupils can become immersed in specific topics and the learning journey does not become disjointed and fragmented
  • Workload is manageable and teachers have the time and space to focus on the topic 
  • Subject leaders can support with planning and teaching and monitor the impact of the curriculum more effectively
  • Cognitive load on pupils is balanced and opportunities for transference of learning into long term memory are increased

Professional Development

Whole school CPD is closely aligned to SDP priorities and impact in practice is then carefully monitored. Planning, pedagogy and practice are adapted to incorporate findings from research, e.g. concepts from cognitive load theory or central role of timely feedback. Monitoring feedback informs further support and CPD. Bespoke and individualised CPD is provided through planning meetings and mentoring.

How do leaders know if pupils ‘learn the curriculum’ and how do they track achievements?

A range of assessment measures are used as outlined in the Teaching and Learning Policy and Assessment Policy. Opportunities to capture pupil voice are built into the planning. The school has devised meaningful systems to track progress.  

How our curriculum reflects the culture and climate of our school?

The school offers a bespoke curriculum, designed carefully with our children in mind and also with our vision of what education should be. In creating and developing our offer, we considered:

  • Inclusion and bias- maximising opportunities for raising cultural awareness. We are an accredited International School with the British Council. Planning within our academic subjects enables our children to develop personal values so they would challenge any form of discrimination. British values are woven through our approach to PSHE.
  • Social and moral rights and responsibilities are taught in context through the academic curriculum as well as through assemblies and PSHE
  • Rich experiences – international, local and curriculum visits, visitors, theme days and weeks to not only support particular curriculum topics but also to provide wider life experiences to all and to support social mobility
  • Strong SEND provision
  • Strong personal development and character development (please see our website  

 

How does our curriculum provide for physical and mental wellbeing?

We believe that well-being needs to be taught and explored explicitly through lessons in the curriculum such as Healthy Living in Science, Cookery and PE and implicitly through the way all members of the school respect each other, listen to each other and care for each other. Our approach to behaviour encourages pupils to develop their emotional literacy and to discuss and acknowledge their feelings and emotions.

Bespoke packages of support are developed for vulnerable pupils.

What is it like to be a pupil at St.Patrick’s?

Here’s what our pupils say…

The thing that I like about my school is that I have friends and adults that are always here for me and that we all experience new things like skiing and Carlton

It’s loving caring and gentle and peaceful

Everyone is always very very friendly and helpful

The teachers always take care of us and care for us and if there is any bullying they always help with situations like that.

I can play with my friends and I get to learn new stuff every day and nearly all of us get to see our siblings if they are in this school and if we can’t see them. We get to help teachers and we get to see our favourite teachers. I like that we don’t get judged by our skin colour.

The colourful classrooms and friends. The way we learn and try to make it fun, the playground and playing.

I really geography when we learn about the world and playing with my friends.

Friends,art,dt,pe,trips,teddy and playtime

Everyone is kind to me and helps me if I need it.

I just love being here and learning

The teachers are always nice to everyone and cares for everyone

School trips

I have lots of friends that care about me and are kind and lots of teachers that I can talk to.

The good thing is that we get a lot of opportunities inside and outside of school ,such as Carlton and skiing ,not a lot of other schools get the chance to do what we do ,we also go swimming which is educational as well as fun ,I am very grateful for what we have in St Patrick’s !

That we all can make friends and see our family if they work here or if they are in a class

We have good manners

We learn, exercise and play. We meet new friends.

I love my teachers and friends.

I like all the teachers, I love coming to school it’s my favourite place. I like everyone that takes care of me including my friends being kind to me.

 

They support me in my work .They always make me feel SAFE no matter what.Staff make me happy when I am sad . They always support me and make me happy

We have nice and kind teachers. We have interesting lessons.

I really like school I have met all my friends which I hope I will be friends with forever! The lessons are not over challenging but if you are finding it hard you get help, you also get to do things outside of school.

The teachers always help me/us when we struggle and I like how the school saves money to take us on trips and build jungle gyms. The school gives us the best childhood we could/have had

That we have a school dog.

People are friends with each other and that we love one another

Get to be with friends. We learn about interesting things.

They are good at stopping bullies, they stop people fighting and getting injured.

I like learning how to keep safe. I like our assemblies and playtimes with my friends. We do fun work.

Everything

I like the IT the maths and the French also the playground

Caring,friendly and listens when i have a problem

The teachers are really caring and they are very helpful. The headteachers are just and fair but kind and loving as well. The dinner ladies always make lovely meals. My teachers always try to make each and every lesson as interesting and fun as they can. I am very glad that they try so hard to help all the children. I understand that all children in St Patricks are very lucky.

This is what Parents say…

 St. Patrick’s has always been a fantastic school ever since I attended it myself many years ago! The school has continued to thrive and improve over the years and I am very grateful to all the staff for their continued hard work especially over the past 18 months throughout the pandemic. Thank you all.

 Thank you to all the wonderful staff at st pats for making a safe, secure and happy environment for our children to learn.

An amazing school, it always feels like family

The staff are amazing they go above and beyond with everything they do my girls all love this school as do we you don’t get many schools that support a family through some very hard times making sure we are all ok offering their own time and looking out for our children we will forever be grateful.

All of the staff are amazing and always go above and beyond to make sure our children are looked after, happy and educated.

They have help us over some very tough times and continue to support us now, even offering to help out of hours.

It’s such a friendly environment and I would highly recommend this school to any parent.

It’s a really great school and would recommended to everyone my son only been there a few months as moved school but loves it

Proud to say my children attend/ed St Patricks

My child has additional needs. He is so well supported in his new class. Communication is fantastic and because he’s getting so well supported in his school work he’s so much happier and it’s even made a positive impact on his behaviour at home. Thank you so much

the best school in the area and proud to be a part of the st Patrick’s community

We absolutely love St Patrick’s and our children are so eager to come to school every day. The staff are fabulous and out children are at the heart of everything that they do. We couldn’t wish for a better school. Thank you all.

St Patrick’s is an amazing primary school.

It’s an amazing school with amazing staff they go above and beyond for everyone all my children are very happy at this school.

My children love coming to this amazing school they have many opportunities and I feel the teachers really know my children and know how to get the best out of them .

Great school always has been and I wouldn’t have my children anywhere else

Amazing school with fabulous teachers

The best school, more like an extended family

As a family with two parents who work full time, we really appreciate the school having a breakfast club and after school club (Little Leps). The staff who run these are always so helpful as often they are our main contact with the school. We particularly love the family feel that St. Patrick’s has and we always feel welcomed by the school. Staff are very friendly, supportive and approachable and both our children always speak very warmly about the staff at school when they tell us about their school day.

I have two children in this school and they have settled with ease and feel very comfortable at school. They both love going to school