Our Curriculum
Our Curriculum at St. Wilfrid’s Church of England Primary Academy
‘A literacy-rich curriculum’
About us…
Our Vision:
‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ Philippians 4:13
At St. Wilfrid’s Church of England Primary Academy, we want our children be rooted in strong faith and academic foundations to thrive and succeed, knowing that Jesus is with them, every step of their journey. We have the highest expectations and aspirations for our children, knowing that together, we can achieve anything through Christ. St. Wilfrid’s is a place where children can grow in strength, to be unique and flourish in the presence of God.
Our Mission Statement:
We will ensure that our children achieve exceptionally well.
We will nurture our children to believe in themselves and each other.
We will create a culture of love, care and respect for one another.
At St. Wilfrid’s, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.
Our Christian Values, which are rooted in scripture, are threaded through our school,our decision making and everything that we do. Love is at the heart of our Christian Values and all members of our school community aim to ‘live out’ our Christian Values in our actions and choices.
Intent
At St. Wilfrid’s Church of England Primary Academy, we aim to provide a literacy-rich curriculum that is broad, balanced, and tailored to the needs of the children in our Church community. We aim to motivate and inspire through a curriculum that engages and challenges all learners, regardless of their background, giving them firm foundations to flourish in their primary education and succeed in life.
Our ambitious curriculum is designed to deepen knowledge and develop skills, with literacy at its heart. It ensures effective progression within each subject and across all year groups. We aim to develop the whole child, nurturing individual talents and celebrating achievements both academically and in areas such as the Arts, PE, and Sport.
We implement an inclusive curriculum that meets the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum. Our curriculum is carefully planned to provide literacy-rich, cross-curricular opportunities, alongside high-quality mathematics teaching that is underpinned by fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving.
Through our broad and ambitious curriculum, we inspire all children to aim high and pursue their dreams; our St. Wilfrid’s Spotlight, where former pupils share their journeys and careers, further motivates and encourages our children to see the possibilities for their own futures.
Our Christian values and distinctiveness, alongside our vision of “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), are at the heart of our curriculum and underpin everything we do at St. Wilfrid’s.
Implementation
Each term, all year groups have a ‘focus theme’ that links English to the wider curriculum. Teachers use carefully selected, high-quality focus reading texts connected to the theme in History, Geography, or Science, or in Early Years to ‘Understanding the World’ and ‘Expressive Arts and Design’, to deliver elements of the English curriculum.
For each ‘focus theme’, teachers plan an inspiring stimulus, an exciting home learning project and a celebratory showcase event, to hook and engage children and parents and make learning purposeful and relevant. Parents and carers are provided with ‘knowledge mats’ at the start of all History, Geography and Science units, to encourage discussion with their child and deepen their knowledge and breadth of vocabulary.
‘Related Reads’ supplement and enhance the termly focus themes, giving children a wide range of rich reading experiences, including poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, which they can explore independently.
Children also engage with ‘Reflective Reads’, a collection of texts that reflect the world we live in today. These books are chosen to promote discussion, empathy, and understanding, while celebrating equity, diversity, inclusion and justice. They often address current issues, represent a variety of cultures and backgrounds, and encourage children to reflect on their own experiences and the experiences of others.
Within the wider curriculum, teachers plan regular opportunities for children to further develop their literacy skills, including cross-curricular reading and writing, to ensure that high standards are maintained across all subjects.
Knowledge and vocabulary are fundamental to our literacy-rich curriculum. Lessons are carefully planned to build upon children’s prior learning, deepen their knowledge, and make meaningful connections across subjects. Children are immersed in a rich diet of high-level, subject-specific vocabulary designed to broaden and strengthen their language skills.
Children are taught to “read well, quickly” through the effective implementation of our Department for Education-validated synthetic, systematic phonics programme, Essential Letters and Sounds.
Our curriculum is delivered through highly effective ‘quality first teaching’, supported by specialist teachers in PE, Music, and Computing.
Teachers apply our 12 Principles of ‘Great Teaching’ at St. Wilfrid’s, which are evidence-based and research-informed. Knowledge and skills are accurately assessed against ‘Age-Related Descriptors’ and knowledge-based learning objectives.Our curriculum is continually reviewed and developed to reflect children’s interests and needs, underpinned by practices grounded in credible research.
Our curriculum actively promotes children’s Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development, helping them to become reflective and responsible citizens. Fundamental British Values are embedded throughout, preparing children for life in modern Britain and for their future role as citizens in a global world.
At St. Wilfrid’s, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Justice (EDIJ) are not taught as stand-alone concepts but are threaded throughout our curriculum. We ensure that children learn to respect and value differences, challenge stereotypes, and recognise inequality. Teaching and learning provide opportunities to explore the protected characteristics, fostering an understanding of how to treat everyone fairly, with dignity and respect. In this way, our children develop the knowledge, empathy, and confidence to contribute positively to an inclusive and diverse society.
At St. Wilfrid’s, we believe spirituality is within everyone; we are all created in the image of God and valued for who we are. Spirituality is about how we connect with ourselves, others, the world around us, and with God through love. We nurture spiritual development through daily collective worship, our curriculum, reflection, creativity, and by living out our Christian Values. Through worship, children experience opportunities such as singing, prayer, stillness, and reflection, helping them to flourish and live life in all its fullness. (John 10:10).
Enrichment opportunities, such as inspirational visitors and exciting educational visits, bring learning to life and help children connect classroom knowledge to the wider world. These experiences deepen understanding, broaden horizons, and show the relevance and purpose of learning. From visits to museums, theatres, and places of worship, to meeting authors, scientists, athletes, and community leaders, children are inspired to think critically, ask questions, and explore new ideas. Such opportunities also develop confidence, cultural awareness, and a sense of belonging, ensuring all children experience learning in ways that are engaging, dynamic, and truly brought to life.
A broad menu of extra-curricular clubs is offered to all children, providing opportunities to explore a wide range of interests and develop new skills. Clubs cover areas such as sport, music, languages, wellbeing, cooking, craft and computing, allowing children to pursue their passions, build confidence, and engage in collaborative and creative activities beyond the classroom.
In addition, carefully chosen experiences provide children with unique and meaningful opportunities to broaden their horizons and develop their Cultural Capital. St Wilfrid’s offers opportunities for children to participate in inclusive sporting events, such as cheerleading, Boccia, and aquathlon, as well as residential trips and year group Trust Experiences, including live music performances, contemporary circus, and winter sports. These activities enrich the curriculum, inspire new interests, and provide memorable, real-world learning experiences.
During their journey through school, all children will have the following experiences, in additional to curriculum related educational visits:
Nursery—A den making experience
Reception—A country walk with outdoor entertainment
Year 1—A visit to a contemporary circus
Year 2—A visit to watch live music
Year 3—A visit to an art gallery
Year 4—An experience of water sports
Year 5—An experience of a Winter sport
Year 6—A University visit.
Impact
Rooted in our Christian Vision, our literacy-rich curriculum ensures that children are knowledgeable and skilled, achieve well, and make excellent progress at each stage of their education. Through the breadth and depth of our curriculum, children have opportunities to grow in faith and spirituality, develop strong character traits, grow in confidence and resilience, and become articulate and enthusiastic learners, creative and physically competent, with high aspirations and ambition. They are ambassadors of our Christian Values, ‘Agents of Change’ in both the local community and the wider world, and are well-equipped for the future.