St Matthew's Curriculum 
A child only has one chance of childhood, so it is vital that we get these formative years right for them. We aim to see the world through their eyes. What motivates them? What inspires them? What builds up their self-esteem? What makes them run into school each day, eager for new challenges and successes?
At St Matthew's, all members of the school community are encouraged and inspired to know, understand and reflect on our School values of:
Respect, Courage and Hope.
Intent:
At St Matthew’s we provide a rich, inclusive and diverse curriculum linked to our Christian vision, designed to enable each child to be the best that they can be, living life to the full (John 10:10).
Our school plans and teaches lessons using the National Curriculum. Parents may find the following document useful, to give them more information on the curriculum and how to support children at home Parents_Complete_Guide.pdf.
When planning and delivering our Curriculum, we know that the key elements of learning for each child should be secured, allowing them to develop their fluency, confidence and mastery of the wider Curriculum. There should therefore be a crisp focus on securing those elements necessary for progression and understanding. This is facilitated through the provision of a carefully planned, progressive curriculum, where subjects are discretely based with purposeful links which are meaningful. We believe that knowledge is as important as the development of skills in our pupils, so they can actively engage, question and develop their understanding. There is a strong emphasis on richness of content, relevance of material and great rigour in the teaching and learning of this material.
We believe that a well-planned curriculum that promotes a love of learning and a willingness to explore and challenge children’s thinking is of upmost importance. We use the National Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage as a starting point for our curriculum but have adapted the content to ensure it is relevant and relatable to the children who attend St Matthew's. This enables our children to deepen and master their knowledge and skills in multiple subjects and make meaningful links across the curriculum.
Each subject has a coherent sequence to the learning of knowledge, skills and vocabulary so children can recall the detailed content outlined in the curriculum and make links between the learning. We encourage the children to explore and challenge their thinking, whilst embedding a sense of respect for ourselves and others and a sense of wonder for the world we live in.
St Matthew's provides a broad and balanced curriculum that focuses on the development of the whole child. Our curriculum is inclusive and our focus on quality first teaching ensures it is accessible to all learners. We have a set of school values which weave through our curriculum and our language rich lessons ensure that all children are equipped with the skills they need to be successful.
Our curriculum provides balanced and progressive education with the highest expectations of all pupils and aims to promote a lifelong love of reading and learning. It is delivered through subject specific learning, developing knowledge and key skills, courageous advocacy and individual confidence. The children’s spiritual, moral, social, emotional and academic development is at the heart of school life. Well-being and mental health are key elements and ensure that our children are well prepared to be confident, educated citizens in a global world.
At St Matthew's, our children are at the heart of everything we do.
Implementation:
Our curriculum is delivered through subject specific teaching and learning, developing knowledge and key skills in line with National Curriculum expectations.
Subject Leaders map out curriculum overviews for their subjects ensuring that there is progression both within and between year groups and that knowledge and skills, are taught sequentially within a subject area and fulfil the high standard of our curriculum intent.
Subject Leaders promote and monitor their subject carefully, coordinating professional development, resources and support for staff. Quality first teaching ensures pupils remain eager to learn and are able to access the learning, show progress and remain lifelong learners. Working together with other schools allows us to moderate and assess our provision.
Visiting speakers and off-site educational visits contribute to the implementation of our engaging curriculum. A range of after school clubs available for all pupils ensures the curriculum offer to pupils is rich and creative and that pupils are offered every opportunity to develop their unique gifts.
Impact:
The strength of our curriculum is seen in the pupils’ enjoyment and engagement within each subject. We are proud that they know WHY they are learning things, from timetables to gardening skills, as well as understanding WHAT they are learning.
We constantly focus on placing the learning in context. We aim to develop an understanding and appreciation of the value of each subject in the context of, for example, our global history, personal wellbeing, creative and cultural industries and career possibilities.
The curriculum contributes to our pupils’ personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. This is seen when they talk confidently to others about their work and learning.
Progress will be shown through outcomes and through the important record of the process leading to them. Evidence for impact will be from looking at pupils’ work as they gain skills and knowledge, observing how they perform in lessons and talking to them about what they know.
Further Information
Should you require any further information on the curriculum, please contact the school office.
