St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School
Curriculum
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord"
Colossians 3:23
Our Curriculum
The school aims to recognise and develop the original gifts of our young people, preparing them for service in the common good, for the transformation of society, and academic excellence for all, for the sake of the dignity of the individual.
Our curriculum aims to provide for the spiritual, academic, physical and social development of every child, within a calm and structured atmosphere conducive to effective learning that reflects St John the Baptist's Catholic School's strong Catholic ethos.
Teaching and Learning at SJB
Structure and the belief that all children can achieve is central to all learning at St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School. In every subject, recalling prior knowledge and skills forms the foundation of our approach to the curriculum. This ensures that essential, related knowledge and skills are revisited and connected to children's current learning across all subjects. Key concepts and end points for each learning journey are highlighted, with over-learning reinforced through repetition, modelling, and scaffolding. Our subject-specific Schemes of Work ensure that learning is progressive and sequential for all children. Additionally, reading and vocabulary are emphasised in every subject, helping key concepts to become embedded in long-term memory.
Our Lesson Structure: How We Help Children Learn and Grow
At our school, every lesson or learning journey follows a simple, effective structure designed to help children understand, practice, and apply what they learn. This approach ensures that learning is meaningful and lasting.
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Recall – We start by revisiting what children already know. This helps them make connections and feel confident as they build on their knowledge.
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Teach – Next, teachers introduce new ideas or skills in a clear and engaging way, so every child understands the key concepts.
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Practice – Children then have time to practice what they’ve learnt. This step is important for building confidence and mastery.
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Apply – Finally, students apply their learning to real-life situations or problem-solving tasks. This makes learning relevant and encourages deeper understanding.
Our Catholic Curriculum
At our school, learning is more than just gaining knowledge – it’s about forming the whole person. Our curriculum is built on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, which means every subject is taught with values that reflect dignity, respect, and responsibility towards others.
What Makes Our Curriculum Different?
- Faith at the Heart – Learning Journeys are shaped by Catholic Social Teaching principles, helping children understand how their learning connects to living a life of compassion and service.
- Learning with Purpose – Subjects like science, art, history, and computing are linked to themes such as stewardship, solidarity, and the common good. This encourages children to see how their knowledge can make a positive difference in the world.
- Developing the Whole Child – We don’t just aim for academic success; we nurture character, faith, and a sense of responsibility to others.
Art and Design
Art and design stimulate creativity and imagination. It provides visual, tactile, and sensory experiences and a special way of understanding and responding to the world. It enables children to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern, and different materials and processes. Children become involved in shaping their environments through art and design activities. They learn to make informed judgments and aesthetic and practical decisions. They explore ideas and meanings through the work of artists and designers. Through learning about the roles and functions of art, they can explore the impact it has had on contemporary life and that of different times and cultures. The appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts enriches all our lives.
We aim to:
- Enable children to record from first-hand experience and from imagination, and to select their own ideas to use in their work
- Develop children’s creativity and imagination through a range of complex activities
- Improve the children’s ability to control materials, tools, and techniques
- Increase children’s critical awareness of the roles and purposes of art and design in different times and cultures
- Develop increasing confidence in the use of visual and tactile elements and materials
- Foster an enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts and build knowledge of artists, craftspeople, and designers.
The SJB Art Curriculum has the National Curriculum as its basis and has ambition for all firmly rooted in it. Our Learning Journeys are reviewed regularly and are sequential, with clear prior knowledge/skills identified. Key vocabulary is emphasised to enhance children’s learning and understanding, and there are clear end goals. Art is linked to other subjects when appropriate to further enhance children’s learning. We have considered skills progression in each area of art, where art skills are broken down into their parts and built upon throughout the topics.
In Early Years, by following the EYFS curriculum and focusing on Expressive Art and Design, children are provided with regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress.
Computing
Computing is essential for all children, as it is at the heart of every modern household and therefore will be key to their journey through life. As Digital Natives, our children need to be able to use and express themselves as well as develop their ideas through technology, at a level suitable for the future workplace and as positive, active participants in a digital world. We strive for pupils who are equipped to create programs and systems which accomplish specific goals and contain a range of content, whilst instilling fundamental behaviours which will empower children to keep themselves safe online.
Design Technology
Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous, and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants, and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing, and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising, and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education make an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth, and well-being of the nation.
We aim to:-
- Develop imaginative thinking in children and enable them to talk about what they like and dislike when designing and making
- Enable children to think and talk about how things work, to draw and model their ideas
- Encourage children to select appropriate tools and techniques to make quality products, whilst following safe procedures.
- Use and explore a range of materials, resources, and equipment
- Explore attitudes towards the made world and how we live and work within it;
- Develop an understanding of technological processes, products, their manufacture, and their contribution to our society
- Use the internet to explore ideas and research products/design/designers.
- Foster enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose in designing and making things
- Engage children with the principles of nutrition and food preparation
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, design and technology form part of the learning children acquire under the ‘Knowledge and Understanding of the World' branch of the Foundation Stage curriculum. The children learn through first-hand experiences and are encouraged to explore, observe, solve problems, think critically, make decisions and talk about why they have made their decisions.
The SJB Design Technology Curriculum covers the aims and skills outlined in the National Curriculum through broad, challenging and inspiring learning journeys. The Learning Journeys aim to deliver the content within a meaningful context, and wherever possible, cross-curricular links are exploited.
Information about our approach to equality and the curriculum and how you ensure it is accessible for all pupils, including those with special educational needs or disabilities:
- Visit our SEN page
- Read our policies - see below