St. Finian's Catholic Primary School

As a Catholic school, we are committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in a nurturing, faith-filled environment. We focus on developing key virtues that guide our interactions, enrich our learning, strengthen our faith and shape our relationships. In their simplest sense, these virtues are:

• Being grateful
• Being attentive
• Being compassionate
• Being faith filled
• Being truthful
• Being curious
• Being wise
• Being intentional

We use these virtues to help us grow spiritually, emotionally, socially, and academically. Our personal and character development programme at St. Finian’s weaves through every aspect of school life and provides an opportunity to live out these virtues, enabling all to rise to our school mission- ‘to reach our potential and live life to the full’. We are proud to walk alongside our children as they grow into confident, caring, and capable individuals, ready to use their talents to make a positive impact in the world

Our Catholic PSHE teaching programme, delivered through Ten Ten Resources, is at the heart of our approach. Rooted in Gospel values, this programme, inspires children to develop in character and self-awareness. They learn to identify their gifts, to celebrate differences, to explore other faiths and to build strong and positive relationships through empathy and understanding of others. Children become confident individuals, with a grounded and balanced understanding of important issues in today’s society, for example how to stay safe online, and how to look after their physical and mental health.  

Our school prayer times and assemblies provide daily opportunities to come together in worship and to reflect on our learning; to consider our role as citizens of Britain in a Christian setting, founded on upholding human dignity and developing respectful attitudes and relationships. (link to British Values).

Empowering our children through leadership opportunities at school, forms the foundation of our character development programme and has so many wider benefits; building self-esteem and self-worth, developing important life skills, harnessing talent, promoting positive behaviour and serving others. At St. Finian’s we encourage leadership skills through a range of opportunities as pupils progress through the school, including YR-Y4 buddies, school eco-council, sports leadership, reading ambassadors, lunch time helpers in the hall (Bistro Buddies), chaplaincy team, altar servers, worship leaders- all of these enable children to develop responsibility, teamwork, and important decision-making skills. (link to Pupil Leadership).

Our Emotional Literacy programmes, provide whole class as well as targeted support for pupils in small groups or one-to-one settings. Regular sessions led by our school ELSA, address friendships and relationships at school, as well as helping to build emotional resilience, self-esteem, and confidence, enabling children to navigate challenges they may face, for example the important transition to secondary school.

In the centre of our school building is a Nurture Space called The Nest- a welcoming hub offering therapeutic interventions and pastoral care. We also have an adjoining  ‘Bubble Room’ (link to ELSA section). Both serve as multi-purpose spaces that can be adapted to children’s needs, for example: a space to regulate emotions, talk through anxieties and worries or reflect on events with adult support.  Such spaces are a fundamental and key part of our therapeutic Behaviour Curriculum; an approach founded on respect and dignity for everyone in our community; here, restorative approaches are used by trained staff to help re-build self-esteem and promote well-being of the whole child.

We provide a wealth of extra-curricular opportunities to help children explore their interests and talents, build resilience and discipline, and widen their outlook on the world:

• After-School Clubs:
  • Competitive sports (e.g. football, netball, gymnastics, hockey)
  • STEAM (e.g. robotics, coding challenges, 3D imaging)
  • Art (e.g. painting, creative writing)
  • Musical theatre- Glee Club
• Lunch Clubs:
  • Table tennis
  • French
  • Chess
  • Craft activities
  • Sewing
• Musical Instrument and Singing Lessons: During the week, children learn to play instruments and participate in ensembles (we have Good Vibes and Berkshire Music Trust in school on a weekly basis, teaching group and individual lessons- piano, guitar, bassoon, clarinet)
• Performing Arts Opportunities: Each year, children in KS2 have the opportunity to perform locally, regionally, and nationally, showcasing their talents in concerts, drama productions, and competitions (Hexagon Theatre Reading, Arlington Arts & Corn Exchange Newbury, O2 London).
• Public Speaking; selected children in upper KS2, compete in a rotary style public speaking competition at our local Catholic secondary school, choosing a social issue of interest research and present e.g. global warming.
• Competitions; children regularly enter national competitions linked to their curriculum which serves as a huge motivator for learning e.g. Blue Planet Reading Challenge.

Outdoor learning is of huge importance to us at St. Finian’s. Our natural setting bordered by woods and meadows with private access to a local farm, allows for an outdoor approach to learning- a perfect playground for exploring the natural world. Every classroom opens out onto a large terrace area, extending the learning space beyond the classroom walls. We have an extensive recreational field looking over onto Thatcham town, towards Greenham Common; this is accessed daily for PE and other curriculum activities.

Years 5 and 6 attend an annual residential trip (Y5 Grittleton Manor, Cotswolds, Y6 Yenworthy Lodge, Devon Moors) providing hands-on experiences which greatly enhance their curriculum learning and personal growth.

Each class takes part in an educational trip linked to their curriculum learning that year, examples include: Ufton Court Historical Manor House, Reading YR, Broadview Farm, Cold Ash Y1&2, Butser Anglo Saxon Farm, Hampshire Y3, Boscombe Beach Bournemouth Y4, Harwell Science Centre, Oxford (Appleton Rutherford Laboratories) Y6, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Reading Y5.

Our pupils actively contribute to the wider community through fundraising projects and by participating in events such as the annual school fete, community coffee mornings for elderly or new parents, Fair Trade breakfasts, school carnival, and school Masses led by our local parish priest. These events help children develop a sense of service, responsibility and connection with others. Our school PTFA, provide a fantastic programme of activities throughout the year, all supporting our children’s journey of growth, often enabling children to build their entrepreneurial skills e.g. making items and goods for the Christmas Fayre to raise money for charity, serving food and drinks at events to raise money for school (Colour Run, School Fete).

We invite professionals from the community, industry, and beyond into St. Finian’s to inspire pupils through their experiences, career choices and voluntary work, providing children with real-world insights, encouraging them to think about their own aspirations and future place in God’s world. Recent examples include visits from: community police officers, relatives of world war veterans, paramedics, homeless charity workers, scientists, authors and artists. Our science curriculum ‘Developing Experts’ links specifically to the world of work, helping children to consider their own potential role in the world of science in the future. 

Open Fridays every week, offer parents a regular opportunity to engage with their child’s learning, to walk around their classroom and talk with their child’s teachers. Class assemblies, school Masses and other curriculum events provide further opportunities for parents and families to engage in school life.