Curriculum Rationale
At Corpus Christi Primary School and Nursery Class,
in partnership with parents and the school community we aspire,
through a caring approach and high quality learning and teaching,
to create an ethos which ensures a positive, respectful and stimulating environment
thus nurturing every child towards reaching their full potential
and enabling them to have the skills and confidence
to embrace the faith community and the world in which we live.
To achieve this vision it is essential that we develop a structured curriculum which ensures that all children are provided with learning opportunities that recognize and celebrate their uniqueness, develop their full potential, allow them to fulfill their aspirations within and beyond the school gates and prepare them to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
We aim to deliver excellence in learning and teaching and expect all learners to be actively engaged in their own learning. Our curriculum focuses on each child as a learner and allows for breadth and depth of learning. Our differentiated curriculum offers challenge and enjoyment. We offer personalization and choice as well as progression through levels, allowing the opportunity for attainment at the highest level. At every level, an ethos of high aspirations and ambition for all our learners is fostered and attainment, achievement and participation are recognized and celebrated. Our curriculum recognizes the need to support personal development and empowerment so that each child within our care is able to develop as a healthy, balanced, self-confident individual and fulfill their educational potential.
Curriculum for Excellence identifies key values for life, four contexts in which learning takes place, six entitlements for all learners, seven principles for curriculum design and eight curriculum areas in which learning is organised.
Learning and Teaching
The success of our curriculum is through the delivery of high quality learning and teaching. We use a variety of teaching methodologies and approaches to learning and assessment are varied and pupil centred. Assessment is for Learning techniques, direct teaching, self and peer assessment, individual and group work, text based work and practical work, the use of IT to support learning, outdoor learning, educational visits and visiting speakers are examples of approaches and methodologies designed actively to engage our pupils in their learning.
The Whole Curriculum
In addition to the formal curriculum, the value of other educational experiences is recognized and given emphasis within Corpus Christi Primary. We wholeheartedly embrace Curriculum for Excellence in that we are continuously improving and extending the learning opportunities we provide to ensure delivery of the best possible curriculum for our pupils.
Skills Development
The development of skills is essential to learning and supports our pupils to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. The skills and attributes which our pupils develop will provide them with a sound basis for their development as lifelong learners in their adult, social and working lives enabling them to reach their full potential. We place a strong emphasis on the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills.
The Ethos and life of the school as a community
Our curriculum offers a broad range of learning experiences for our pupils. Our pupils are encouraged to contribute to the school community at every stage, where they have opportunities to lead their own learning and participate in the pupil council to bring about change and improvement. Shared values are communicated and promoted through assemblies, monthly church celebrations and through Personal and Social Education. A wide variety of opportunities take place regularly throughout the year to promote our school identity – Pupil Council, Buddy Programme, Eco- Committee, JRSOs, leading the liturgy at monthly Masses, charity events during Advent and Lent. These opportunities allow pupils to grow, develop and support the work of the school.
Inter-disciplinary Learning (IDL)
Inter-disciplinary Learning (IDL) is a key feature of Curriculum for Excellence. We believe that this approach towards delivering the curriculum brings about rich rewards allowing for increased and improved collaboration across subject areas. IDL opportunities exist across two or more subject areas to support and enhance learning e.g. the teaching of Scottish Wars of Independence in Social Studies, Scottish Dance in Expressive Arts ad Scots Poetry in Language.
Personalisation and Choice
As our pupils progress through the levels there will be opportunities for personalization and choice in relation to their learning. Allowing our pupils to make informed choices about their learning encourages and motivates them to become successful learners. Personalisation and Choice takes many forms including what pupils will learn from and within lessons as well as to approaches to learning and assessment. There will also be opportunities for choice as to how pupils will demonstrate learning through making, saying, writing or doing, thus offering a range of assessment approaches.
Opportunities for Personal Achievement
Children are encouraged to share their wider personal achievements at assemblies and in class. Our charity work involves the whole school and nursery community and develops the aspect of giving. Our Eco work and Gardening Club promote social responsibility. Our extra curricular activities offer opportunities for our pupils and support wider achievement. Our monthly Masses and Sacramental Celebrations provide our children with opportunities to participate more fully and make a contribution to the wider faith community.
January 2016
