At St Mary’s we are continually reviewing our curriculum. We have invested in Lancashire’s themed curriculum and are making changes and enhancements tailored to the interests and relevance of our children. At the start of each half term, each new topic, or ‘Learning Journey’ is introduced as a Learning Journey question rather than a title – reinforcing the message for children that new learning stems from curiosity and a questioning, enquiry approach. Opportunities will be planned for engagement activities such as visits, visitors or a staged event at the start of the Learning Journey and will culminate with a celebration at the end – possibly with an assembly or and exhibition showcasing the range of new learning and work completed by the children and parental involvement will be actively encouraged.

We want the curriculum to maximise opportunities for children to:

• develop inquisitive minds, a spirit of curiosity and a passion for learning

• be equipped with the skills to fully participate in an ever changing world

• be respectful and productive members of the community

• have high expectations and self-belief to enable them to reach their full potential

• reflect on their learning and seek to extend themselves mentally, physically and spiritually and be aspirational

• uphold the Catholic ethos of the school whilst respecting their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people

• persevere and see any mistake making as a positive opportunity for new learning

• develop an understanding and respect for the environment and God’s creation and their role of responsibility for its stewardship

• have the courage and confidence to take calculated risks and to apply their skills, knowledge and understanding to any problem-solving task.

   

• Children will be introduced to a range of animal characters linked to attributes and qualities that will assist them to achieve and access all of the above. One or two of the characters and their attributes will be focused on each half term and will feature in our weekly newsletters:-

  CURIOSITY cat	CREATIVE spider		ADVENTUROUS monkey
  KNOWLEDGABLE owl	AMBITIOUS ant		COLLABORATIVE bee
  REFLECTIVE chameleon		POSITIVE giraffe

Please visit individual class pages to find out more about the exciting learning taking place.

Phonics and Reading

We currently use Read, Write, Inc in the teaching of phonics within our school. Children have daily, timetabled sessions where their learning needs are met by our trained Phonics Leaders. Our reading scheme, Oxford Reading Tree, supports the teaching of phonics at the different phases. Children remain on the reading scheme until they have reached the appropriate level of confidence and fluency. Throughout, children are encouraged to develop their own tastes in reading by engaging with the reading areas within their classrooms and by visiting the school library on a weekly basis. This is further enhanced by organised visits to the local library.