Overview
Curriculum Overview
Intent:
Mission Statement:
To Follow Jesus and Improve Lives through an Exceptional Catholic Education
Our curriculum is designed to improve lives daily, empowering every child through an outstanding educational experience. It is rooted in our Catholic mission to Follow Jesus and Improve Lives and guided by our values of Compassion, Service, Integrity and Resilience. In the spirit of our motto Non Excidet (shall not fail), we hold the highest expectations for every pupil and member of staff.
Our curriculum takes inspiration from — and is a response to — the needs of our community, our duty as a Catholic school and the requirements of the National Curriculum. We aim to nurture independent, aspirational, confident and resilient learners who develop the knowledge, skills and habits to make a positive contribution to society.
Learning is carefully sequenced and coherently structured across all subjects. Each curriculum area builds progressively through subject-specific threads that strengthen pupils’ ability to connect prior learning with new knowledge, ensuring retention and readiness for future learning. Alongside this, coherence is maintained across the curriculum through our five essentials, which underpin planning, teaching and assessment:
- Acquisition & Retention of Knowledge – Knowledge and skills are planned and revisited so that staff and pupils are clear on what must be known, understood and applied by the end of each year.
- Enriching Experiences – Learning is enhanced through meaningful and varied experiences, both within and beyond the classroom, deepening engagement and real-world understanding.
- Independence – Pupils are encouraged to take ownership of their learning, developing the characteristics of a good learner through perseverance, reflection and self-motivation.
- Oracy – Speaking and listening are embedded throughout, enabling pupils to articulate ideas confidently through discussion, debate and presentation.
- Understanding – Pupils demonstrate depth of understanding by applying what they know to justify opinions, make comparisons, explain contrasts and link to wider contexts.
Our curriculum is inclusive and ambitious for all, ensuring every child, including those with special educational needs or disabilities, can access, engage with and succeed within it.
Implementation:
At St Francis de Sales, our curriculum is brought to life through purposeful sequencing, expert teaching and a shared commitment to high expectations for every child. Our Curriculum Top View, Medium/Long-Term Planning and Curriculum Knowledge Book clearly outline what pupils are expected to know and remember. These are used by staff and pupils to support learning, retrieval and assessment — ensuring that progress is understood as “what pupils know and can do now that they couldn’t before.”
We take pride in the expertise across our curriculum. Specialist teachers in Music, Art, MFL, P.E and Computing work alongside class teachers to deliver rich, high-quality learning experiences. This specialist input ensures that pupils receive exceptional teaching rooted in deep subject knowledge and creative practice.
While work is adapted appropriately when necessary, we operate a “Challenge Without Limits” approach. All classes are mixed ability and pupils are encouraged — and supported — to push themselves. This model removes barriers, raises aspiration and fosters self-belief, enabling every pupil to experience success through effort and determination.
In our local context, where access to wider opportunities beyond school can be limited, we ensure our pupils’ education is enriched through Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC). We maximise every opportunity to extend learning beyond the classroom — through trips, residentials, workshops, visitors and creative outdoor experiences. These authentic experiences bring learning to life, helping pupils to make meaningful connections, deepen understanding and build confidence, independence and resilience.
Characteristics of a Good Learner
We actively promote independence and meta-cognition through a focus on the Characteristics of a Good Learner, which are included in our school reports. Pupils are encouraged to show these characteristics in everything they do:
- Attendance – Have excellent attendance and punctuality, recognising that every lesson matters.
- Respectfulness – Show good manners, listen attentively and follow instructions, treating others with kindness and consideration.
- Resilience – Attempt work even when it is challenging, act upon feedback and keep going when things get tough. Embody our school motto, “Non Excidet” — Shall Not Fail.
- Behaviour & Attitude – Demonstrate expected behaviour both in class and around school, showing a positive attitude towards learning and a commitment to doing their best.
- Homework – Take responsibility for learning beyond the classroom by completing homework set by the teacher each week to a high standard.
Through these shared expectations, we aim to nurture independent, motivated and reflective learners who take pride in their achievements and strive to fulfil their potential in all aspects of school life.
Oracy & Vocabulary
At St Francis de Sales, we believe that confident communication underpins success across the curriculum and beyond. Speaking and listening are explicitly taught and purposefully threaded through every subject, enabling pupils to think, reason and articulate ideas with clarity and precision.
Pupils are expected to use Standard English at all times and to adapt their language appropriately for different audiences and purposes. Our carefully sequenced progression of oracy skills ensures that learning is cohesive from Year 3 to Year 6, with deliberate opportunities for structured talk, presentation, questioning and debate.
Through this, pupils not only develop their spoken language but also strengthen their writing, critical thinking and self-confidence. They learn to express and justify opinions, to listen actively and to use persuasive and rhetorical techniques effectively — preparing them to engage thoughtfully with the world around them.
Our approach to oracy is encapsulated in the words of George Orwell, a quotation we share regularly with pupils as our guiding mantra:
“If people cannot write well, they cannot think well. If they cannot think well, others will do the thinking for them.”
By nurturing articulate, thoughtful communicators, we empower every pupil to find their voice — and to use it for good
We recognise that a rich and varied vocabulary is essential for pupils to speak, read and write with clarity, precision and confidence. Words empower thinking — they shape understanding, communication and creativity across all areas of learning. We also know that in our local context, pupils’ vocabulary experiences can vary considerably. Therefore, we make vocabulary development a whole-school priority. Teachers actively plan for and seize opportunities to explore new and challenging words in every lesson — expanding both the range (breadth of words known) and the depth (understanding of synonyms, antonyms and nuance) of pupils’ language.
This consistent exposure and reinforcement help pupils to use ambitious vocabulary accurately and purposefully, enhancing both their spoken and written expression. One proud example of this can be seen in the pupils’ creative writing published annually in our school’s Published Poets Book where children confidently apply and celebrate their growing command of language.
Through our approach, we ensure that every child develops the linguistic tools to articulate ideas effectively and to access the full richness of the curriculum.
Raising Aspiration and Broadening Opportunity
We are committed to raising aspirations and ensuring that all pupils are equipped to pursue ambitious futures. We recognise that widening access to high-quality experiences is essential in increasing the number of pupils who go on to achieve higher qualifications and professional occupations.
Our policy of identifying and nurturing exceptional hard-workers, enthusiasm and potential ensures that pupils benefit from a range of additional opportunities beyond the classroom. This includes tailored support with applications to high-achieving secondary schools, participation in external sports and arts clubs, enrichment visits to places of cultural and historical significance and attendance at specialist workshops and masterclasses.
These carefully selected experiences ignite curiosity, build confidence and open doors to new possibilities. By broadening horizons and raising expectations, we inspire our pupils to see themselves as future leaders, innovators and contributors to society.
Personal Development, Values and Wellbeing
We are deeply committed to promoting the spiritual, moral, cultural and mental development of every pupil, preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in modern Britain. Our curriculum is enriched through diverse, meaningful opportunities that enable pupils to learn about themselves, others and the wider world.
The promotion of British Values is woven throughout school life. Staff and pupils are encouraged to live out these values daily, while subject leaders identify links within their subjects where democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance can be modelled and explored.
Our inclusive ethos ensures that every child is known, valued and supported to achieve their full potential — academically, socially and emotionally. This commitment to equality and opportunity for all has been recognised through the achievement of the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) Award, celebrating St Francis de Sales as a school where inclusion is not an initiative, but a way of life.
Through our carefully mapped PSHE and RSHE provision, we address both the specific needs of our local community and wider national priorities. Pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe, make informed decisions, and build positive relationships. Topics such as mental health, healthy lifestyles, online safety, road safety, gangs, protected characteristics and the dangers of drugs and alcohol are planned for thoughtfully — through themed weeks, cross-curricular links, assemblies and partnerships with external agencies and other schools, including the Manchester Muslim Prep School.
This approach ensures our pupils grow into compassionate, resilient and respectful individuals who understand their place in the world and their responsibility to contribute positively to it.
Global Learning and the International Dimension
In our school, we are deeply committed to developing pupils’ global competence — their ability to understand the wider world, communicate across cultures and act with empathy and responsibility. In an area with a significantly higher proportion of White British pupils than the national average, we see it as vital to open horizons and broaden worldviews through meaningful global learning experiences.
Our International Dimension provides exciting opportunities for pupils to study languages (Spanish) enriching their understanding of communication, culture and identity. Through our Global Scholars programme and joint projects with our partner schools, pupils explore history, geography, traditions and daily life in contrasting regions. These authentic collaborations help pupils to develop curiosity, respect and friendship while learning to see global issues through multiple perspectives.
Global competence is woven through our curriculum, empowering pupils to think critically about the world around them and to consider how their actions can make a difference. This international outlook, alongside our partnership work and language learning, has earned St Francis de Sales the British Council International School Award — recognising our sustained commitment to nurturing outward-looking, compassionate and informed global citizens.
Physical Health and Wellbeing
We believe that a healthy body supports a healthy mind and that this principle is particularly important within our local context, where levels of poor health are statistically higher than the national average. We are therefore committed to promoting lifelong physical wellbeing as part of our whole-school approach to personal development.
Every pupil receives a minimum of two hours of high-quality Physical Education each week, delivered through a varied and progressive curriculum that encourages enjoyment, participation and personal challenge. Our specialist PE teacher ensures that teaching is of the highest quality and that all pupils — regardless of ability — are motivated to take part, develop skill and value the benefits of an active lifestyle.
The importance of physical activity and healthy living is consistently reinforced across the wider curriculum, particularly through PSHE and Science, where pupils learn about fitness, nutrition and the long-term impact of healthy choices. Our commitment to physical health and wellbeing has been formally recognised through the achievement of the Healthy Schools Award, reflecting our dedication to nurturing resilient, energetic and health-conscious learners who are ready to thrive both in and beyond school.
Creativity and the Arts
Creativity is at the heart of our curriculum. We believe that artistic expression, imagination and performance are essential in nurturing confidence, self-discipline and joy in learning. Our carefully sculpted Arts curriculum reflects this belief and provides pupils with rich opportunities to explore, create and perform across a wide range of disciplines.
Our commitment to excellence in the Arts has been recognised through the achievement of the Artsmark Gold Award, celebrating our high-quality provision in Art and Design, Music and Design and Technology. All pupils are taught by specialist artists and musicians, ensuring expert teaching and authentic creative experiences. In addition, music and choir sessions are offered free of charge, allowing every pupil to participate and discover their talents.
These sessions form the foundation of our school orchestra and choir, which regularly take part in local and regional performances and competitions. Such opportunities foster confidence, resilience and teamwork, while encouraging pupils to share their gifts with others. The choir is especially dedicated to performing publicly for the enjoyment of our local community and beyond, embodying our belief that creativity should both inspire and serve others.
Pupils perform at various parts of the year for the school and wider community, culminating in our annual end-of-year show at a professional theatre — a celebration of talent, collaboration and the creative spirit that defines life at St Francis de Sales.
In addition to the exciting learning that takes place within the curriculum, pupils at St Francis de Sales are encouraged to pursue their interests beyond the school day. Throughout their time with us, children enjoy a wide variety of after-school clubs and enrichment activities, offering opportunities to develop new skills, build confidence and deepen enjoyment of learning.
Our programme includes academic, creative, sporting and practical clubs, carefully designed to extend classroom learning and promote personal growth. Many of these clubs are free of charge or subsidised by school, ensuring that all pupils can take part regardless of background. Through this inclusive provision, we aim to inspire curiosity, nurture talent and strengthen the sense of community and belonging that defines our school.
Impact:
“Feedback is the rocket fuel that propels the acquisition of knowledge and without it, no amount of practice is going to get you there.”
(Matthew Syed, Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice)
Pupils are continuously encouraged to apply their acquired knowledge and skills to demonstrate depth of understanding. Teachers use a range of assessment approaches — including direct questioning, practical demonstration and extended reasoning tasks — to elicit what pupils know, understand and can do. Feedback is timely, purposeful and designed to move learning forward, enabling pupils to close gaps and refine their thinking.
Both formative and summative assessments are used to measure progress against curriculum expectations. This ensures that teachers can identify misconceptions, celebrate successes, and adapt teaching to maximise learning outcomes. Through this cycle of responsive teaching and meaningful feedback, pupils develop secure, connected knowledge and the confidence to apply it independently.
Feedback:
This is the foundation of our assessment strategy and is the engine for driving learning forward. Formative assessment and verbal feedback on how to improve is given at the point of learning or as soon after as possible during the lesson. This can be to individuals, groups or the class as appropriate. All lessons are assessed afterwards through a review of the work done and any knowledge, concepts, skills or understanding that need to be readdressed, consolidated or developed are noted in the teacher's personal assessment and feedback books and planning is adapted appropriately.
Feedback is summarised at the start of the next lesson and addresses important points that have been noted from the previous lesson as well as looking forward to the components required to achieve the composite of the upcoming lesson (in the Knowledge Checkback).
Summative Assessment: R.E.is assessed and recorded in accordance with Archdiocese guidelines and recorded in keeping with our tracking system.
Pupils complete NFER standardised tests in Reading, Spelling, Grammar and Mathematics at the end of each term (as well as upon entry for a baseline). Writing is Teacher Assessed and moderated across the year group as well as by the Writing Leader. Pupils are assessed as Below the Standard, Towards the Standard, At the Standard or at Greater Depth.
This gives us clear, reliable data as to how effective teaching and learning has been and formative analysis of the tests enables us to identify anything that requires particular attention and respond by adapting planning for future learning.
Foundation subjects:
Knowledge retention and conceptual understanding are assessed upon entry, throughout the year and at the end of the topic/year using Mastermind assessments. These are aligned with National Curriculum objectives and support teacher judgements on attainment and progress. Where specialist teachers or external experts contribute to the delivery of a subject, assessment outcomes are agreed collaboratively to ensure reliability.