Curriculum Intent Statement
Our vision explains who we are as a church school and why we are here:
For with you is the Fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalm 36 vs9)
Inspired by God’s love for us, we illuminate the goodness in others, we care for and protect His children and reach out to help others flourish in their journey to the fullness of life.
St Paul’s C of E Primary School welcomes children from all faiths and no faith. We pride ourselves on being fully inclusive. We have been in a cycle of curriculum change and enhancement over the past two terms.
We have developed our own bespoke assessment system called our Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to help assess the impact our curriculum has upon learning. These now include a cross curricular set which aim to improve our children’s skills for life and future opportunities in the world of work.
Our curriculum is underpinned by our vision. We aim for all members of our school community to:
We intend to help others flourish in their journey to the fullness of life by encouraging children to acquire a love of reading and a wide vocabulary enabling them to communicate effectively.
We intend to care for and protect children, tending to their spiritual development and mental health, encouraging them to protect the environment for future generations.
We intend to illuminate the goodness in others using an assessment system that measures the acquisition of life skills.
One of the primary reasons St Paul’s has chosen to shape its curriculum is because it emphasises the importance of developing the depth of children’s learning. In essence, this means providing children with increased cognitive challenge, allowing them to apply the skills which they have learnt independently in a range of contexts.
During our curriculum review, we found that children were motivated and excited to learn. We questioned whether life skills required for the next stage of their learning journey and the world of work were actively promoted and measured. Key skills and activities to promote and refine these skills such as resilience, team work, independence and inventiveness are now fully embedded and assessed through our curriculum.
The assessment of these life skills follows our KPI structure and takes into account how we develop pupils’ language and cultural capital. It is very important that our pupils appreciate the wealth of experiences and opportunities that life presents, knowing that not everyone has a chance to experience these. Each year group has trips, visitors and a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. Year 5 & 6 pupils take part in residential visits to London and an Outdoor Adventure Centre.
As a church school we use the curriculum to find ways to explore pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and culturally development. Subject leaders ensure that all pupils can access the curriculum especially the most disadvantaged and SEND pupils. We are in the process of creating subject specific knowledge acquisition questions to help subject leaders and teachers measure the impact their teaching is having on their pupils’ learning.
We aim to provide opportunities to ensure pupils acquire knowledge which they can retain in long term.
Curriculum Implementation at St Paul’s Primary School
St Paul’s C of E Primary School is an inclusive community in which every child is entitled to a broad and balanced academic and social curriculum that is accessible and enables full participation in school life. We strive to sustain a loving and caring environment where everyone feels welcome, secure and valued. Inspired by God’s love for us, we illuminate the goodness in others, care for and protect His children, and reach out to help everyone flourish on their journey towards life in all its fullness.
The curriculum at St Paul’s encompasses a wide range of planned experiences in and beyond school, including lessons, themed days, school council, collective worship, clubs, sport, WOW! experiences, trips and visits, workshops, residential visits, fundraising and community work. These experiences meet the requirements of the National Curriculum while also developing the knowledge, skills and personal qualities pupils need for learning and for life. Our approach focuses on the whole child and recognises the importance of every aspect of a child’s development.
Our vibrant and ambitious curriculum is designed so that subject-specific knowledge and skills can be developed within meaningful cross-curricular themes and contexts. To secure progression and balance, programmes of study are translated into medium-term plans that identify learning objectives, assessment opportunities, appropriate adaptations and links with other subjects. Topics are planned with clear outcomes in mind, often leading to a final project, performance or event for families. Teachers then develop these plans into half-termly, weekly and daily sequences that respond to the specific needs of their pupils.
Through carefully selected key performance indicators (KPIs), we identify pupils’ needs and evaluate the impact of teaching on progress and attainment. Teaching is then adapted carefully to meet the needs of all learners.
The aspirational outlook and vibrant curriculum combine with a commitment to cherishing each individual, enabling all pupils to flourish. (SIAMS 2019)
Religious Education
Religious Education at St Paul’s follows the current Herefordshire Agreed Syllabus. Teachers use Understanding Christianity to support planning, alongside learning about a range of world faiths and worldviews throughout the school. As a Church of England school, we nurture pupils’ understanding of Christianity while respecting the integrity of every child’s beliefs. Religious Education encourages curiosity about spirituality and develops respect for people of all faiths and none. RE is an entitlement for every child; parents and carers retain the right to withdraw their child, in which case suitable alternative provision will be arranged.
Collective worship is the keystone of the school; there is an outflowing of spirituality that resonates across the school, reflecting its strong links with the church. (SIAMS 2019)
RE is innovative and interesting; children relish and rise to the high expectations. As a result, religious literacy and spiritual development are of high quality. (SIAMS 2019)
Our curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, enabling them to become reflective, responsible citizens. Fundamental British values are actively promoted so that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
English
English is central to our curriculum. The ability to communicate effectively through speaking and writing, and to understand spoken and written language, underpins success across the curriculum, in future employment and in everyday life.
Our aims in teaching English are for all pupils to:
- develop the foundational knowledge and skills needed to use English confidently, appropriately and accurately, enabling them to enjoy life in all its fullness;
- speak clearly, fluently and coherently, using kind words;
- listen attentively and with understanding, enjoyment and empathy, seeking and illuminating the goodness in others;
- read a wide range of texts fluently and with understanding, both for enjoyment and for information, using literature to broaden their horizons and deepen their understanding of life in all its fullness;
- write effectively for a range of audiences and purposes, applying spelling, punctuation and grammar accurately and confidently.
Speaking and Listening
We believe that progress across the curriculum is accelerated when pupils learn with and from one another. Opportunities to develop as confident speakers and attentive listeners are embedded across subjects and throughout school life. These range from daily collective worship, where pupils listen to clergy, visitors and staff in a formal setting, to lunchtimes, when they are encouraged to enjoy purposeful conversation with friends.
Active and participatory approaches enable pupils to explore ideas through whole-class discussion and small-group work, consolidating their knowledge and understanding. We recognise that opportunities to talk about a subject strengthen pupils’ ability to write about it.
Opportunities for drama and public speaking arise both within and beyond the classroom. These include annual class-led worship for the whole school and families, as well as productions involving Early Years, Key Stage 1, Years 3 and 4, and Year 6.
Reading
Excellent library provision and a rich selection of age-appropriate texts in every classroom help to foster a lifelong love of reading.
Rigorous phonics teaching in Reception and Key Stage 1, using a government-validated approach, underpins pupils’ early reading and decoding. Across all year groups, teaching develops pupils’ ability to retrieve, infer, summarise and analyse meaning from increasingly complex texts, including through guided reading where appropriate.
Writing
Active, participatory and creative teaching inspires pupils to write. Progress is supported through clear, measurable targets appropriate to each child. High-impact strategies—including demonstration, modelling, explanation, questioning and discussion—are woven through teaching. The school also draws on selected approaches promoted by Alan Peat, including his range of sentence types.
Accurate spelling is a key component of effective writing. Weekly spelling checks are complemented by explicit teaching that enables pupils to investigate and apply spelling patterns and rules. Phonics scheme – Supersonic Phonic Friends approach supports pupils to become independent spellers and is introduced in Reception, with continued focused teaching in Years 1 and 2. We also recognise the value of teaching handwriting alongside phonics; pupils begin to develop a fluent, joined style from Reception.
Mathematics
Mathematics is essential to everyday life. At St Paul’s, our curriculum develops pupils’ ability to solve problems, reason mathematically, think logically, and work systematically and accurately.
All pupils are challenged and supported to excel in mathematics. New concepts are introduced through a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach, giving pupils practical experience before they move towards visual representations and abstract notation. This develops secure understanding and provides clear models and images to support learning.
Arithmetic and core mathematical skills are practised regularly so that key concepts become embedded, fluency develops and pupils can make connections across different areas of mathematics.
Science
Children are natural scientists, eager to observe, explore and ask questions. We extend their curiosity about the world by enabling them to develop and evaluate explanations through observation, experimentation, evidence and modelling. Pupils learn to question and discuss science-based issues that may affect their own lives, society and the future of the planet.
Whole-school science experiences help to nurture pupils’ enthusiasm for the subject. Working in mixed-age groups, pupils explore themes such as machines through practical investigations involving levers, pulleys, pneumatics, flight, slopes and cams. Younger pupils investigate the science of playground equipment, while older pupils benefit from opportunities to work with specialist teachers at Bishop’s School.
In Key Stage 1, pupils ask simple questions and recognise that questions can be answered in different ways. They observe closely, use simple equipment and carry out practical tests. The school garden supports first-hand study of common wild and garden plants, including deciduous and evergreen trees, while observations and diagrams help pupils notice changes over time. Pupils classify animals, explore habitats and food chains, and learn about the basic needs of animals, including humans. Investigations of everyday materials enable them to compare properties and explore how solid objects can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.
In Key Stage 2, pupils study a wider range of living things, materials and physical phenomena. They make connections between ideas, explain processes using models and theories, and apply scientific understanding to familiar situations, everyday life and personal health. Pupils consider the impact of scientific and technological developments on the environment and wider society. They plan and carry out increasingly systematic investigations, independently and collaboratively, and communicate findings using precise scientific vocabulary, diagrams, tables, charts, graphs and digital technology. Areas of study include rocks, magnets, light, sound, states of matter, space, forces, the human body and evolution.
Geography
Geography helps pupils understand how the world shapes our lives and how our choices shape the world around us. At St Paul’s, we aim to inspire curiosity and fascination about places, people and environments. Teaching develops knowledge of locations, resources, physical and human processes, and the formation and use of landscapes. Pupils also build geographical skills by collecting and analysing data; using maps, globes, aerial photographs and digital mapping; locating countries, continents and oceans; and communicating information in different ways. Fieldwork and educational visits complement classroom learning so that pupils become knowledgeable inhabitants of our planet who value its diversity and are committed to its protection.
Our geography curriculum is carefully sequenced to secure progression across the school. Geography is taught through termly or half-termly topics that develop the knowledge and skills set out in the National Curriculum.
Pupils’ understanding of location and place expands progressively: from using maps of the local area in Key Stage 1, to comparing environments and communities in lower Key Stage 2, and debating global issues such as pollution in upper Key Stage 2. As their knowledge grows, pupils become increasingly aware of the threats facing our planet and of their responsibility as global citizens. They leave St Paul’s equipped with the geographical knowledge and skills needed for Key Stage 3 and for life in the wider world.
History
History helps pupils understand who they are and where they have come from. Our curriculum fulfils the requirements of the National Curriculum and equips pupils with knowledge of Britain’s past, its relationship with the wider world, and the histories of ancient civilisations and empires. Careful planning secures progression in historical knowledge, concepts and disciplinary skills, while inspiring curiosity about the past.
In Key Stage 1, pupils learn about changes within and beyond living memory and study the lives of significant people. They begin to understand methods of historical enquiry and to ask and answer questions about the past. In lower Key Stage 2, pupils explore British history from the Stone Age to the Norman Conquest, establishing a chronological framework into which later studies—including Ancient Greece and the Second World War—are placed in upper Key Stage 2.
History is taught through half-termly or termly topics that build secure knowledge of significant periods and deepen pupils’ understanding of continuity and change. Historical themes often provide a strong context for cross-curricular learning in English, art, music and RE, enabling pupils to develop a richer understanding of each period.
We want pupils to enjoy history and develop a lasting curiosity about the past. Classroom learning is enriched through educational visits and first-hand experiences. This approach equips pupils with the historical knowledge and skills needed for Key Stage 3 and for informed participation in the wider world.
Computing
Computing and digital technology enrich learning across the curriculum and can accelerate pupils’ progress. Pupils develop practical skills in research, word processing, editing, digital art and the purposeful use of technology. They apply these skills across subjects and learn the foundations of computer science through programming activities using tools such as Scratch and Espresso Coding. Online safety and responsible digital citizenship are integral to our provision.
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)
PSHE is a responsive subject that reflects the needs of pupils and wider society. At St Paul’s, our provision meets statutory requirements and is adapted to the context of our school community. Through Jigsaw PSHE, pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to stay healthy and safe, build positive relationships and contribute actively to their communities. We promote mutual respect, resilience, pride, independence and self-esteem within a happy, caring environment. Our school values provide a half-termly focus and underpin the curriculum, while spiritual, moral, social and cultural development helps to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.
PSHE is a vital element of the curriculum at St Paul’s and supports pupils’ personal development across school life.
PSHE education provides opportunities to learn about:
- Relationships: developing and maintaining positive relationships and responding appropriately to unhealthy or harmful behaviour.
- Independence, resilience and responsibility: preparing pupils to face challenges and make the most of opportunities.
- Health: understanding healthy lifestyles, nutrition, exercise, and mental and emotional wellbeing.
- Managing risk: developing awareness of personal and online safety, financial choices and the appropriate management of risk.
- Economic wellbeing: understanding money, the influences on financial decisions and the world of work.
Alongside the taught curriculum, themed days and weeks—including Mental Health Day and Anti-Bullying Week—bring important issues into sharper focus. These experiences equip pupils with practical strategies to look after themselves and one another in a changing world.
Design and Technology
In Design and Technology, pupils design, make and evaluate purposeful products, from items created with recycled materials to nutritious food. They learn to select and use tools, materials and techniques accurately and safely, and have opportunities to develop enterprise skills by creating products for sale.
Art and Design
In art and design, pupils learn to draw, paint, print, create collages, work with textiles and use clay, supported by specialist teaching. They are taught key skills and techniques, given time to practise, and encouraged to create individual and collaborative work. Pupils evaluate their own work and that of others so that they can reflect, refine and improve. We celebrate the quality and variety of artwork produced at St Paul’s through projects such as Mini Money Makers.
Physical Education
Physical Education at St Paul’s fosters a culture that inspires pupils to be active, enjoy participation, support one another and achieve their best.
PE promotes physical activity, wellbeing and healthy lifestyles. Pupils learn the principles of fair play, honest competition and good sporting behaviour as individuals, team members and spectators. They participate in games, gymnastics, dance and athletics using indoor and outdoor spaces where appropriate. After-school clubs and inter-school competition extend this provision, while Key Stage 2 pupils take part in a residential outdoor-activities experience. Swimming begins in Reception and continues annually through to Year 5.
Beyond curriculum time, a broad programme of extracurricular clubs enables pupils to develop their interests and sporting skills. Opportunities include gymnastics, football, fencing, netball, dance, cricket, rounders, yoga and athletics.
Playtimes are an important part of helping pupils to be happy, healthy and ready to learn. Well-staffed and well-equipped outdoor spaces include playgrounds, a sports field, separate adventure play areas for Key Stages 1 and 2, skipping equipment and a dedicated Early Years outdoor area. The Early Years trim trail supports the development of fundamental movement skills. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 can also become Young Sports Leaders, encouraging younger children to be active during playtimes.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
At St Paul’s, every child is entitled to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. Pupils with additional needs are supported to achieve their full potential and to participate fully in the social, sporting and academic life of the school. We provide learning experiences that reflect individual needs and build from each child’s starting point.
We work closely with families and colleagues to identify additional needs promptly and provide appropriate support. Where pupils are not making expected progress, carefully selected interventions are used to address identified barriers to learning.
Support becomes increasingly personalised as pupils move through the school. The SENDCo monitors provision and coordinates support for pupils on the SEND register, while class teachers remain responsible for the day-to-day teaching, learning and progress of every pupil in their class.
Teaching is adapted to help pupils with SEND make progress towards their next steps in ways that motivate them and build confidence, independence and pride in their achievements.
Music
Music at St Paul’s is highly regarded for both vocal and instrumental achievement. Pupils experience and perform music from a wide range of genres from the earliest years onwards. Our choir has an excellent local reputation and regularly performs at community events. Throughout the year, pupils perform for friends and families through concerts, productions, collective worship and church services. Many pupils receive peripatetic instrumental tuition during the school day on instruments including piano, guitar, drums, violin, cello, flute, oboe and trumpet. Year 3 pupils also take part in Wider Opportunities sessions led by specialist teachers from Herefordshire Music Service.
Modern Foreign Languages
At St Paul’s, pupils gain a strong foundation in learning a modern foreign language. French is the main focus in Key Stage 2, with regular opportunities to develop speaking, listening, reading and writing. Lunchtime and after-school French and Spanish sessions are also available through specialist La Jolie Ronde teachers for pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2. Through this provision and the wider curriculum, pupils develop curiosity about other languages, countries and cultures, together with respect for different ways of life.
Measuring the Impact:
Alongside the statutory assessments in Year 1 phonics, the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check and Key Stage 2 SATs, we use NFER assessments to measure pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics, reading and grammar.
Key performance indicators support accurate assessment of pupils’ knowledge and skills in religious education, science, life skills and writing.
By closely tracking and monitoring the development of essential foundational knowledge and skills from the Early Years Foundation Stage through to Year 6, we identify gaps promptly, provide targeted support and ensure that every pupil is appropriately challenged.
This robust and comprehensive approach enables us to maintain high expectations and supports all pupils to leave St Paul’s as confident, resilient and kind individuals with strong academic achievement and the knowledge and skills needed for the next stage of their education.
