Curriculum

Our school follows the National Curriculum. For each of our curriculum areas, we consider what we want our pupils to know and remember. This allows us to build on pupils’ skills and knowledge each year.

Our Early Years Unit – Nursery and Reception – follow a bespoke curriculum which explores 7 areas of learning:

The areas of learning are:

• communication and language;
• physical development;
• personal, social and emotional development;
• literacy;
• mathematics;
• understanding the world;
• expressive arts and design.

For Years 1 – 6 the curriculum is organised and delivered with:

• a focus on English, maths and science;
• a structure through which all other curriculum areas are taught as discrete subjects;
• 10% of our allocated teaching time dedicated to RE;
• an appreciation of the benefits of enrichment opportunities such as visits, including residentials trips for our older pupils, welcoming visitor to school to share their knowledge and expertise and a range of after school clubs.

Early Reading

Phonics is a way of teaching children to read and write by blending and segmenting individual sounds. Written language is like a code. Knowing and being able to use the sounds represented by letters and groups of letters will enable children to be able to unlock this code and to become confident readers and writers.

Research shows that when phonics is taught in a structured way, starting with the easiest sounds and progressing through to the most complex, it is the most effective way of teaching children to read. At St. Joseph’s, we use Read, Write Inc. as our phonics programme in order to provide all children with high-quality phonics teaching.

To find out more about the School Curriculum please view our school policies or contact the school office.