Curriculum Statement
At St Paulinus, our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and rooted in our Catholic mission:
“Love one another, as I have loved you.”
We believe every child is a unique creation of God, with their own gifts, talents and potential. Our role is to nurture these fully, so that each pupil can flourish academically, spiritually, morally and socially.
Intent
Our curriculum is designed to:
- Inspire ambition and perseverance – setting out the precise knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need to achieve success.
- Celebrate uniqueness within the community – enabling children to understand the world through the lens of faith and service, whilst preparing them for life in modern Britain and beyond.
- Build character and empathy – developing resilience, compassion and responsibility, so pupils leave us as confident, caring citizens ready to make a positive difference in the world.
- Ensure excellence for all – providing equity of access to a rich, knowledge-led education that is carefully sequenced, coherent and connected.
Our approach aligns with the highly-regarded CUSP curriculum, ensuring learning is cumulative, ambitious and inclusive. It allows pupils to revisit, refine and deepen their knowledge over time, building firm foundations for future learning.
Implementation
- Coherence and progression: Each subject is carefully mapped to ensure clear progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary across year groups.
- High expectations for all: Teachers deliver lessons that are rigorous, engaging and accessible, with carefully chosen scaffolds and challenges so that every pupil can achieve their personal best. Pupils working at greater depth are stretched through opportunities for critical thinking and independent application, while those with specific SEND needs are supported with adaptive teaching, targeted interventions and personalised provision. All pupils, no matter their learning stage, are encouraged not only to recall knowledge but to think critically, make connections and apply their learning to new contexts.
- Assessment for learning: Progress is checked continually through questioning, discussion, retrieval practice and formative tasks. This enables teachers to identify gaps, revisit concepts and adjust teaching swiftly. Summative assessments at key points ensure pupils’ knowledge and understanding are secure, and that they are ready for the next stage of learning.
- Faith and values in action: Our Catholic ethos underpins all that we do, shaping pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development alongside their academic journey.
- Beyond the classroom: A wide range of enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities, including our passport of learning experiences, broaden horizons and develop leadership, teamwork and creativity.
Impact
The impact of our curriculum is seen in pupils who are:
- Knowledgeable and articulate, with the confidence to reason, explain and question.
- Inclusive and compassionate, demonstrating perseverance, ambition, community and empathy in their learning and relationships.
- Supported and stretched: every child leaves St Paulinus having achieved their very best.
- Well-prepared for the next stage, with the character, skills and aspirations to thrive in secondary education and beyond.
- Rooted in faith, inspired to use their God-given talents in service of others.
At St Paulinus, our curriculum is more than what we teach – it is how we form lives ready to face the future. It is our aim that every child will leave us equipped to succeed academically, enriched culturally and strengthened morally and spiritually.
