Curriculum Intent: Why is our curriculum designed as it is?

Our Vision for the Curriculum at St John the Evangelist CE Primary School

Our aspiration, at St John the Evangelist CE (VA) Primary School, is to provide opportunities for our children and our school community to care for others and achieve excellence within an inclusive environment. Our school curriculum is rooted in our Christian vision, where we aspire for all to grow as children of God, to be the best they can be, showing respect for themselves and each other with a wonder and curiosity for God’s creation.

At St John’s, we have shaped our school curriculum around our school values: Respect, Unity, Self-belief, Success, Responsibility and Inspire. We aspire to give all children the wings to fly; inspiring them to soar higher than they thought possible.

‘They will lift up their wings and soar like eagles’    ‘…embracing life in all its fullness.’

                                       Isaiah 40:31                                          John 10:10

The curriculum ensures that academic success, as well as physical development, well-being and mental wellness support the development of the whole child and promote a positive attitude to learning. It provides meaningful opportunities to promote children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare children for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. Through our Christian ethos, we recognise and demonstrate a culture of equality and aspiration for all, addressing any educational barriers so that every child can soar like an eagle, achieving their personal best.

The Aims of our Curriculum

Our aim is to deliver a dynamic and innovative curriculum that challenges, excites and inspires children to achieve their best. We are committed to providing a personalised curriculum with the individual child at the heart of everything we do. Learning is carefully sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught and understood before. It recognises that children will be at different stages of their learning journey and ensures that curriculum planning is tailored to individual needs. 

Our well-planned and organised curriculum aims to provide: 

• Exciting and memorable experiences to ensure children are inspired to question with curiosity
• Opportunities for all children to receive a full and varied curriculum which meets their needs and interests, taught progressively so that they can build on what they already know and understand
• Support for children to reach a high standard of literacy and maths skills through specific teaching and the application of these skills across the curriculum 
• Opportunities for children to achieve depth to their learning by applying their knowledge and skills in a range of contexts and subjects 
• Extended learning beyond the classroom through engaging enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities 
  
• Teaching opportunities for children to develop the essential social and emotional skills, as well as how to keep physically and mentally healthy 

Opportunities for children to develop personal values, qualities and attitudes so that they are respectful of other people and their beliefs, views and opinions: developing active citizens who positively contribute to the local and wider community and environment.

Reading underpins all learning at St John’s and lies at the very heart of our curriculum. It is our intention, that all children will leave our school with a passion for reading and a life-long love of books. Our vision and values at St John’s encourage all members of our school community, irrespective of needs, abilities and backgrounds – to learn to read fluently and successfully enjoy their reading journey now and in the future.

The Design of the St John the Evangelist CE Primary School Curriculum 

The curriculum at St John’s is designed to develop a love for learning, encouraging children to grow as independent and curious learners. At St John’s we seek to ensure the crucial deepening of essential knowledge and skills is embedded through our curriculum design.  We plan and organise our curriculum to ensure that children are not merely covering curriculum content but are achieving a depth to their learning which enables them to apply their skills and understanding across a range of contexts and subjects.   

Our curriculum is designed around a series of principles that reflect our school’s Christian vision and values, pedagogical approaches, and needs, which clarify the vision of our curriculum.

• Rigorous: Disciplinary knowledge as well as substantive knowledge. Encompassing a wide range of subjects and opportunities for academic, technical, creative and sporting excellence.  Supporting a culture of resilience and positive mental health and wellbeing, where every child is safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible, and included.
• Focused: Teaches the most important knowledge, skills, and key concepts.  Strengthening children’s capacity as a learner and developing their independence, initiative, determination, and love of learning.
• Sequenced: Carefully sequenced concepts, clear progression of knowledge and skills to ensure all pupils achieve well. New knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and sets the foundation for future learning.
• Coherent: Explicit connections between subjects, learning journeys and experiences.  Promoting children’s spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development.
• Appropriate: Matches challenge to each learner’s knowledge and skill level, motivates and engages all. Equipping children with the knowledge and cultural capital they need for future success.

Reflecting our school ethos and values, our curriculum has been designed to be fluid and to grow with the children and school community, taking into account our growing diversity, the changing needs of children, their interests and prior learning and experiences. At St John's, the whole school community have helped to design and shape the curriculum to what it is today.

If you would like more information about our school curriculum, please contact the school office: office.2613@st-john.oxon.sch.uk 

All aspects of our curriculum are accessible to all children, irrespective of their ethnic background, gender, disability, religious or linguistic background, in line with the Equality Act 2010. We strive to meet the needs of those pupils with special educational needs, those with disabilities, those who are more able, those with special gifts and talents and the children who are learning English as an additional language, in line with The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Regulations 2014. 

'Leaders and teachers plan exciting lessons that bring learning to life. As a result, pupils achieve highly across the curriculum.' OFSTED 2020