Intent

At St Mary’s Academy we have designed our curriculum with the intent that all of our pupils encounter, engage with and study content which is considered integral to a well-rounded and holistic education.

We have designed our curriculum with the whole child in mind. It aims to:

• Encourage children to be curious about the world around them and have an outward looking approach
• Foster a passion and love for learning
• Develop resilient learners
• Provide opportunities for all to succeed
• Meet the needs and interests of our pupils
• Promote STEM subjects 
• Ignite a love for reading, writing and maths
• Grow imaginative, creative children who value the arts
• Promote pupils who are school, community and wider world
• Nurture kind, helpful and emotionally literate children who understand their integral value
• Cultivate an understanding of right and wrong so that pupils understand their responsibilities within their community.

Implementation

We have chosen to use Kapow Primary Curriculum alongside Jigsaw, Language Angels and The Emmanuel Project. 

Our broad and balanced curriculum offers:

• Full National Curriculum coverage
• A knowledge rich curriculum
• Carefully sequenced and cohesive units of work with year groups and across Key Stages
• Clear progression of skills across KS1 and KS2
• Subjects that have a clear rationale
• An increased focus on STEM subjects to open up a world of opportunities
• Varied and enjoyable lessons
• Vocabulary development
• Assessment for learning and retrieval opportunities
• Engaging and inspiring lessons which are varied and inclusive
• An understanding of different faiths as well as exploring children’s own faith and/or spirituality
• Exploration of the diverse, multicultural, multi-faith world in which live

Our Spiritual Mission

Our mission is to build a community of joy and love providing an excellent education in which every child develops their full potential safely in the context of Christian belief and practice.

• Committed to developing JOY in the lives of our children.  By becoming well-rounded, happy, nurtured children, set in an environment where the whole child matters and a playful delight in learning is encouraged.  
• Being recognised as a place of LOVE, with caring nurturing relationships, respecting others and allowing each individual to develop emotionally, socially and spiritually.
• Providing a broad and diverse child-centred curriculum that encourages a reflective WISDOM where children have curiosity and courage to face new challenges.  A curriculum with an awareness of our natural world and the impact we have on it.  
• Encouraging children to think ‘BIG’ and progress to the next chapter of their lives with the skills, knowledge and experiences to achieve. Having a concern for those who are vulnerable in our community, society and globally, realising our responsibility as stewards of creation.  Living with HOPE and integrity.  Working together with families as partners to raise standards of achievement and wellbeing.

Our spiritual capacities allow us; self knowledge, curious reflection, creativity and a sense of wonder and a sense of something / someone beyond us.  Our Christian grounding helps us to respond to moral challenges.  Our Christian wisdom points us to the way of acting in the world.  Our Christian community is shaped by tradition, worship and story.