St Thomas' CE (VC) Junior School
Curriculum
School Context
St Thomas’ serves a community that is steeped in history. There has been coal mining in Featherstone from the 14th century until the 1984, but more recently it has become well known for the War Horse Memorial which commemorates the soldiers who died in WW1. Featherstone Rovers RLFC (formerly Featherstone Trinity RUFC) was formed in 1889, the club has grown in strength and popularity. They work in partnership with the children at St Thomas’, and through sport, they help the children here grow in confidence, work as a team and build resilience.
Our school vision states that we are a proud community that flourishes together. Our curriculum is key to realising this vision, which celebrates the proud history of Featherstone and endeavours to build links with our local community. We are determined that all pupils will be able to read fluently and develop a love for reading as they move through school. This will help them to unlock their potential and enjoy all that our curriculum has to offer.
What is taught
Curriculum Leaders use The National Curriculum as a benchmark to ensure a broad and ambitious scope for curriculum coverage. Sequencing of topics ensures that learning is systematically developed over time, building on what the children already know and feeding into future learning.
Our curriculum is being developed through an ongoing focus on:
• The development of vocabulary and teaching children how to use it, speaking clearly and fluently for a range of purposes.
• Providing concrete experiences and models to provide a firm foundation for learning over time.
• The importance of social and emotional development and wellbeing to ensure children are ready to learn.
• Valuing and celebrating our rich community.
How it is taught / Pedagogy
At St Thomas’ we believe that achievement is likely to be maximised when children when teachers:
• Share overviews of learning and sequences of learning so that links can be made (within a unit, and across units over the year).
• Regularly review main ideas
• Recognise that learning need to be built on secure practical and concrete experience.
• Use high quality modelling effectively to demonstrate expected outcomes
• Use effective scaffolding materials to support learning
• Introduce, teach and use appropriate subject specific vocabulary
• Build in independent enquiry based over learning and practice to cement deeper learning
• Carry out regular checking to enable children to recall material .
• Build in opportunities for time to stop, wonder, question, think and reflect.
• Plan for regular opportunities for discussion throughout the curriculum to learn through talk and to learn to talk.
Impact
At St Thomas’, we want the children to:
• Leave with a broad wisdom and an articulate voice.
• Grow in confidence, both in their skills/abilities and in their voice/ opinions/ whole self.
• Have hope and resilience to overcome challenges
• Apply their skills and abilities to contribute to their community locally, nationally and globally both now and in future challenges.
• Be ambitious about what they can achieve.
