ST. FINIAN'S CURRICULUM
Education is the key to unlocking a brighter future for all.
- Michael Rosen
At St. Finian’s, we have high ambitions for every child and are dedicated to providing a rich and engaging curriculum that builds a love of learning and prepares children to be knowledgeable, compassionate and just members of society.
Knowing that every child is unique and ‘made in God’s image’, our curriculum is designed to encourage, support and challenge every learner, so they can flourish in their learning. We ensure that regardless of background or ability, everyone has access to high-quality teaching, tailored to meets the skillset they need to achieve their highest potential.
Children are taught important learning habits- resourcefulness, resilience, organisation skills and communication. With these firmly in place, they become reflective and independent learners who can collaborate effectively with their peers and are empowered to take responsibility for their own progress. As citizens of the future, we want our children to develop a social conscience and use their unique gifts and talents to make a positive contribution in the world. The principles of Catholic social teaching (CST) weave through our whole school curriculum, encouraging children to develop an appreciation of human dignity, social justice, diversity, culture and to develop a respectful appreciation of differences; this stems from an understanding of their own self-worth and from the positive relationships they build with those around them.
Our rural setting, creates boundless opportunities to embrace outdoor learning and to contemplate our role as caring stewards of God’s creation. We broaden children’s horizons through educational visits, and by inviting professionals and organisations into school to engage children in new ways of thinking and to open their minds to potential career choices. In turn they develop a wider appreciation of important British values and a deeper understanding of their future role in society as children of God.
We recognise the importance of a knowledge rich curriculum in shaping well-rounded learners who can thrive and make a contribution to modern society.
Our curriculum encompasses:
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Procedural Knowledge: Skills and techniques that pupils need to know in order to complete a procedure or task.
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Substantive Knowledge: Key concepts or Big Ideas.
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Disciplinary Knowledge: Understanding how knowledge is created, validated, and communicated within disciplines.
We follow a spiral model curriculum where key concepts are revisited and expanded upon over time. This ensures that pupils build upon their prior knowledge, reinforcing and deepening their understanding as they progress through the school.
The Big Ideas run through individual curriculum subjects. These big ideas are the building blocks or holding baskets for learning; pupils go back to key concepts repeatedly as they journey through primary school, making connections and fostering a deeper and more integrated understanding of important recurring themes. One example from the history curriculum is the big idea ‘democracy’ or from the geography curriculum 'place' or 'location'. These are the foundation stones for learning at every stage; pupils make connections from previous learning and engage in a more in depth understanding of its meaning as they mature and progress through year groups following the same substantive knowledge.
Task Design and Pedagogy
Effective task design is a cornerstone of our teaching approach. Tasks are thoughtfully crafted to be purposeful, engaging, and tightly aligned with learning objectives.
Our pedagogy is informed by evidence-based practices, ensuring that teaching methods are effective and pupils make progress.
We draw upon the work of Rosenshine (Principles of Instruction), Tom Sherrington, Dylan William and Mary Myatt to underpin our practice, ensuring that the curriculum is cohesive and our instruction is clear, focused, and scaffolded to best support children’s learning.
At St. Finian’s, our commitment to delivering a high-quality education is unwavering. We strive to create an environment where every child can flourish academically, socially, and spiritually, supported by a curriculum, founded on Christian principles through delivery of lessons that are dynamic, inclusive, and deeply rooted in our faith.
Home Learning
Home learning focuses on fluency in the core subjects of Reading, Writing and Maths. Secure fluency is crucial for children to be able to progress in line with expectations in the core subjects, as it frees up their working memory to learn new and progressively trickier concepts and ideas. We prioritise fluency in reading, spelling and number.