CURRICULUM

At St. Michael’s we offer a broad and balanced curriculum that provides high quality teaching relevant to the needs of the children. 

Intent

St. Michael’s is committed to providing an exceptional, broad and balanced curriculum, which is informed by the 2014 National Curriculum, for all our children to enable them to become secure, well-rounded citizens. Our children are able to transfer the skills and knowledge learnt in English, Maths, RE, Science, Foundation Subjects and extra-curricular activities, consistently, across the whole curriculum. We provide all children with the knowledge and skills that they require to be able to take part in opportunities and experiences in later life. Our curriculum is broad and balanced showing progression through knowledge and skills with clear end points. We provide a curriculum that is designed to meet the needs of all children, whilst considering the varying needs of every pupil, creating an environment and ethos of respect, tolerance, acceptance, and diversity.

We are constantly evaluating the way the school operates, the environment we provide and the curriculum range that is on offer. It is fundamental to the life of the school that there shall be no discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 informs the way we plan our curriculum to ensure that the nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, and sexual orientation are fully integrated into our teaching and learning.  Our Mission and Vision are central to our curriculum when pupils leave St Michael's they are equipped with how to make a positive contribution to God's world.

We also believe that it is important to have a curriculum that actively promotes the fundamental values of the society in which we live. We are very proud of the meaningful ways in which we do this. Click here to see how:

• British Values

Implementation

Reading: A high priority for our school and we want to ensure that we foster a love of reading. The tools for reading are taught in small groups from the Reception year through the LIttle Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Program. We also provide discrete reading activities within lessons, whole class reading (WCR), individual reading along-side opportunities to listen to adults read and have a dedicated time to read for pleasure each week (RFP).

English: We use the Big Write model with a writing cycle which focuses on discrete reading activities, comprehension and texts as well as spelling, punctuation and grammar to ensure high quality writing.

Maths: We us a Mastery approach to Mathematics in conjunction with the NCETM and White Rose Maths planning to resource and inform our maths mastery micro steps. In conjunction with this we use the Mastering Number program in Key Stage 1. As we move into Key Stage 2 children have specific times tables lessons. This provides our children with a consistent and high quality coverage of the 2014 National Curriculum.

RE: The SDBE schemes of work inform our planning for Religious Education along with the Church of England vision for education to ensure that we have a thematic approach to our lessons and worship opportunities. Big questions begin each unit of work and are broken down into Theology (believing), Philosophy (thinking), Human and Social Sciences (living) to guide children through answering, suggesting and reflecting on these questions.

Science: Our Science lessons are planned and delivered through careful sequencing and with clear links to the National Curriculum.  The key focus will be on devleoping Scientific Enquiry, knowledge and Working Scientifically.

Our foundation subjects ensure that all the children enjoy high quality lessons and have clear links to the National Curriculum. This includes more opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge and skills in an engaging way that stimulates high-quality learning in preparation for the next stage of their education. Through these subjects we develop the children's characters with the focus on the 5cs: collaboration, creativity, confidence, courage and caring for others. 

Computing: We use the Kapow Computing scheme Kapow which aims to develop a sense of enjoyment around using technology and to develop pupil's appreciation of its capabilities and the opportunities technology offers to: create, manage, organise and collaborate. We also have a specialist teacher 

PSHE: We use the Jigsaw scheme of learning, which is a unique, progressive and effective approach to PSHE, which prepares children for life, helping them know and value who they truly are and understand how to develop healthy lives and relationships in our ever-changing world. 

MFL: Using engaging songs and games French lessons are taught as a stand-alone subject, fortnightly, to all children in Key Stage 2 by teachers with specialist skills. Modules of learning are covered each half term and recapped through starters, key vocabulary and phrases.

Music: Music at St Michael’s is taught by a specialist teacher and is celebrated across the school. All children have access to play instruments, sing, and participate in regular performances and concerts for both pupils and the parent/school community, and also the wider community. Our high-quality music education engages and inspires the children to develop a love of music and increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As the children progress, they develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, perform and listen with discrimination to a wide range of music across different styles and cultures.

PE: PE is an important part of our curriculum and is taught by a specialist teacher who provides high-quality values-based Sports Coaching. In addition, our curriculum is further enhanced by our work with Kick London who provide Street Dance provision, gymnastics, Solutions Focused Mentoring & Sports Chaplaincy within Infant, Primary, Secondary, PRU & Special Schools across London. The schemes of work have been produced to provide exposure to a number of sports, which are rotated each half-term. 

Feedback to pupils is highly important to us, we have worked hard to develop a feedback policy that is clear, time-efficient and effective. Feedback policy

Enrichment: There are a range of clubs and activities to provide children with character education. Children can experience a wide range of clubs and activities to help them experience new interests and develop existing ones.

We are also working with The Sport and Health Academy to provide and promote active movement during lunch times and in extra curricular opportunities after school.

Impact

Children learn how to study and work effectively on their own. They contribute as part of a group; listen in lessons, but also to speak and present. They are confident in the new technologies of tablet, cloud and programming language as they are with book, paper and pen. They know how to collaborate without copying, how to debate while still listening and learn that enthusiasm and curiosity are the best tools they have. They Growth Mindset characters of: Persistence, Innovation, Collaboration and Reflection support these ideals and instil the right attitude to learning across the whole school.

This section of our website gives an overview of our curriculum areas but please do contact us if you have any questions at all.

For more information on our Curriculum, please visit our Curriculum Offer Page

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5