Curriculum Intent

Curriculum Intent

Our intent is to serve our children with a passion for learning, an enjoyment for discovery and memorable life experiences within the Mission of our school. By knowing our children incredibly well, and by recognising and building on their prior learning, we provide them with first-hand experiences which in turn give them the confidence and skills to make decisions, self-evaluate, make connections and become life-long learners. 

Following a consultation with children, parents and governors, we use our curriculum to: develop interpersonal skills, allow an abundance of opportunities to find out and explore, instil a willingness to have a go and to keep trying. Our curriculum allows children to be involved, concentrate, enjoy, pursue their own ideas and have a sense of achievement in what they have set out to do. 

Local parish and community involvement is an integral part of our curriculum inviting families and visitors to share our love of learning and inspire us further.

Children leave St. Aidan’s, joyful in the light of their faith, with an invitation to care for our common home. They have a sense of belonging, a positive image of themselves and self-confidence. They grow together, celebrate who they are and appreciate the diversity of our world. 

We provide an inclusive curriculum ensuring social justice and equality of opportunity for all. There is an unwavering culture of high expectations amongst the children, staff, governors and parents. This gives our pupils a childhood that is happy, investigative and enquiry-based, providing them with a thirst for knowledge, no limits to their curiosity and endless fun! 

As a Catholic school we have three core aims linked to our Mission Statement. They articulate the St. Aidan’s School Curriculum.

Have a sense of responsibility and take an active part in serving our world.

Have a growing understanding of Gospel Values and gathering together in prayer and Worship

Have a passion for learning and an enjoyment for discovery and experiences of life.

Curriculum Intentions in line with our Mission Statement

Have a sense of responsibility and take an active part in serving our world

Intent - Why?

We want our children to build up a broad knowledge base of the world in which they live. We want to give our children an appreciation of where they come from, an understanding of their local areas of Winstanley and Wigan, as well as the wider world and the communities in it, enhancing their cultural capital. We want our children to know where places are, when events took place and why they happened. It is important that they know what we believe and why we believe it. There must also be an appreciation of other cultures, other beliefs, customs, and ways of life, and to be intolerant of intolerance. We are already a very welcoming community secure in the Catholic faith; however, we know the importance of guarding against ignorance. We should always seek to understand. 

Implementation – How?

We have carefully sequenced schemes of work which develops the children’s knowledge and understanding. Teachers allow flexibility to adapt quickly to relevant and highly topical issues such as Brexit and climate change. Our teachers and leaders are highly trained, knowledgeable and are thorough and rigorous in their monitoring of work. Our Come and See RE scheme of work contains carefully sequenced units of work which develop the children’s knowledge of other faiths. We all experience numerous enrichment days within the school curriculum to stimulate, excite and engage. 

Have a growing understanding of Gospel Values and gathering together in prayer and Worship

Intent – Why?

Our Mission statement is clear: we want children to grow up to be the person God intended. We believe in the dignity of the human person and that in order for a person to be fully alive, to appreciate the awe and wonder of creation, we must be educated. We want our children to have a healthy body and mind, a positive attitude towards their learning and a resilience to challenge. We know that our children are increasingly exposed to a range of factors influencing their lives. We want them to understand how to use these influences well, not be scared by them but realistic in allowing them to shape who they want to be. We want our children to understand how to deal with their emotions, to understand how to stay safe and stand with others in what they believe in. It is important that our children recognise their rights and responsibilities within the world they live.

Implementation – How?

We have carefully sequenced schemes of work which develops the children’s knowledge and understanding. A carefully sequenced set of clear expectations of what the children should know and be able to do at each stage of their development through school is evident alongside a freedom within the curriculum for teacher to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of their children. Our Growth Mindset Ambassadors, Mission Group, Senior Prefects, Seeds and Gardeners and many forms of ‘buddy’ groups support the celebration of our Gospel Values. Our P.E. premium money is used effectively to implement rigour and quality within physical education and activity across school with the same progression in knowledge and skills as all subjects. We encourage an extensive range of sporting activities and competition and see sports as ‘something everyone can enjoy’. Similarly, our PSHE/RSE/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT schemes of work show progression in knowledge and experiences in an inclusive, positive environment. Our excellent links with the early intervention team supports children and families with various mental health challenges and other vulnerabilities.

Have a passion for learning and an enjoyment for discovery and experiences of life.

Intent – Why?

We want our children to grow with an excitement for learning and an appreciation of their world. We want our children to acquire knowledge and skills that they can then apply in real life contexts, seeing the value of their learning. In an increasingly technical world it is vital that children acquire and develop a range of practical skills and that our curriculum allows this. We want to excite the historian, question the scientist, inspire the artist and challenge the sportsperson. We want our children to enjoy live theatre and musical performances which inspire them in their own performances. Our curriculum will allow our children to respect where they are from and find excitement in discovering the heritage of Wigan and the surrounding areas. 

Implementation – How?

Passionate, highly effective teachers and subject leaders drive the development of our curriculum which ensures there are no barriers for any child. Their targeted training and CPD is of the highest quality. The progress made across the fundamental subjects of Reading, Writing and Maths are embedded and underpinned by a wider curriculum. The curriculum is designed and taught using strategies to enable children to embed learning in their long term memories and build upon it. The curriculum provides a range of challenging opportunities to further apply what they have learnt. Topic organisers provide the structure to learning, specifying key knowledge and vocabulary that we want all children to understand and use fluently. These are chosen carefully to reflect on prior learning and consider what the children need to know and understand to move on, making connections in their learning. Our organisers make it clear to teachers, children and parents what is expected to be learnt and understood by the end of the topic and within the individual lessons. 

Specific subject knowledge is taught alongside English and maths which is embedded and promoted across all subjects. Ensuring the children are able to read with fluency and understanding so they are able to access all subject areas takes high priority, as does the focus on expanding the children’s vocabulary. We ae consciously aware of gaps in pupils’ vocabulary and strive, through planning and curriculum delivery, to offer an extensive range of reading opportunities and access to subject specific vocabulary.

The progress of all children, including any vulnerable groups or individuals, is closely monitored and our curriculum is designed to ensure that any identified gaps are closed. Floor Books, subject-specific books and topic books are wonderful examples of the progressive curriculum, with work often shared with parents via the Newsletter, Twitter and Seesaw. Assessment is used to embed knowledge, inform teaching and produce next steps for our children.  Discrete lessons are delivered with learning sequenced to allow for clear progression.