St Kentigern's Curriculum Intent
Curriculum Intent
At St. Kentigern’s, we promote the holistic development of each child and provide the best education within a supportive, Catholic environment. We nurture each person in our school community to allow them to grow socially and emotionally, secure in the knowledge that they are loved by God and respected by all who share our school life. We strive to ensure that each child attains the highest academic achievement. We do not limit the attainment or aspirations regardless of home circumstances, academic or medical needs. Opportunities are offered to our children to understand our faith, worship in the Catholic tradition, and discover and develop a personal faith that respects people of other faiths and none. Tolerance and respect are the keystones of school life and are reflected in a curriculum influenced by the multi-cultural nature of our school community. Children at St. Kentigern's are provided with rich experiences through a stimulating, creative and varied curriculum. We have a high focus on developing children’s spiritual, moral, social, emotional, and cultural understanding. Children at St. Kentigern’s are taught to be stewards of creation. Bishop John’s words echo our ethos. “We are all part of one rich tapestry and we are responsible for it. We are stewards of God’s gift to us, our planet Earth, and everything that belongs to that planet.”
We take a holistic approach, building self-esteem, resilience, and independence. Children will develop transferable skills to enable them to become aspirational, articulate, and confident individuals, knowing their worth within society. Our children leave us with the knowledge and skills to take their place in the modern world with an enthusiasm for learning.
Implementation
Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and supplemented in more depth by themes and topics which we believe are relevant to our pupils and reflective of our school community:
Democracy and the Rule of Law: the key to enabling children to understand their place in society and how every person can impact in a positive or negative way;
The Environment and Climate Change, a challenge they need to understand and face as they grow into adults, and how we can all make positive changes to the way we live;
Love of and interaction with nature. We believe that this can help to alleviate the stress of modern life. We do this through half-termly school trips, residential visits, and an experience-rich curriculum. We have a close partnership with Dunham Massey, and regular visits there by Reception and Key Stage 1 classes are a delight for children and teachers alike.
The 5 areas included within British Values (Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Respect, and Tolerance) are taught across a variety of curriculum areas. The purpose of this is to help to ensure that the children are valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background.
Talk is central to our pedagogy across Early Years and beyond. Equally, exposure to books and reading is prioritised by daily sharing of rich texts, prompting discussion and development of vocabulary and thought. We are committed to ensuring that children acquire knowledge and develop skills to enable them to meet and exceed national expectations. The Senior Leadership Team actively reviews a very organic curriculum provision that responds to the needs of the children at any specific time.
Impact
Our pupils over the years grow in the knowledge that they are valued and their needs are important to those who lead the school. Because of the high level of nurture, children are able to achieve well across the curriculum as they feel secure and supported in their learning. At the upper end of the school, pupils debate and consider ethical questions with maturity and understanding. Success at the end of Key Stage 2 gives children confidence as they move on to high school in their ability to face challenges with resilience and determination.
