Our curriculum intent, implementation and impact

Curriculum Intent

At Christ the King Catholic Primary School, we create rich and diverse learning experiences that inspire achievement across all areas while fostering each child's personal, emotional, and spiritual growth, with our Christian values at the heart of all we do. Our curriculum equips our children the knowledge, skills and cultural capital to prepare them for the wider world. We are driven by our ‘3-5-7’ ethos that is underpinned by our Catholic beliefs, our holistic approach to education and our drive to ensure that our children are ready for 21st Century life.

Our educational journey begins in Early Years, where children explore seven key developmental areas through a blend of guided and independent learning. As children transition to Year 1, we thoughtfully adapt our approach using the Early Excellence model to ensure a smooth progression into more structured learning.

Throughout Key Stage 1 and 2, we deliver a knowledge-rich curriculum that aligns with National Curriculum standards while reflecting our school's unique vision. We understand that deep knowledge forms the foundation for developing practical skills – for example, mastering number bonds and times tables enables students to tackle more complex mathematical challenges with confidence. Our inclusive approach ensures every child can access learning opportunities, in full compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.

Our curriculum delivers essential knowledge through carefully structured subject-specific units. Each unit builds knowledge systematically, breaking complex concepts into manageable components that allow students to develop deep understanding over time. This sequential approach helps pupils to forge meaningful connections and retain information in their long-term memory.

We embrace direct instruction as part of our teaching methodology, which provides clear guidance for both experienced and new teachers in delivering our curriculum effectively.

Language development stands at the heart of our educational approach. Many of our pupils begin school with limited vocabulary and speaking experience, so we prioritise strong communication skills across all subjects. We believe students should be able to discuss their learning with confidence and clarity. This emphasis on language development, particularly in early reading and vocabulary, opens doors to learning across all subjects.

Our commitment to inclusive education is reflected in our targeted support strategies. Our Pupil Premium Strategy focuses on reading, vocabulary, and communication skills to ensure our disadvantaged students can fully access the curriculum. We also provide carefully planned support for pupils with special educational needs, equipping them with the knowledge and skills essential for future success.

We enrich our pupils' life experiences through diverse cultural experiences, both locally and nationally. By introducing them to these outstanding creative experiences and achievements, we help build their confidence and prepare them for future educational challenges.

SMSC development is woven throughout our curriculum, extending beyond traditional PSHCE and Religious Education. We nurture resilience and personal growth through varied experiences in sports, creative arts, performance, career exploration, and community involvement. These opportunities help pupils develop resilience and strength to face life's challenges.

Our goal is to develop compassionate, balanced, lifelong learners who embody British Values and contribute positively to society.

For detailed information about our curriculum:

• Visit our Curriculum Gallery for subject-specific details
• Review our Curriculum Map for a year-by-year overview
• Check our Class Curriculum Information for termly updates and parent/carer guidance

Look at the Class Curriculum Information for Parents/Carers to see termly information about our curriculum and how parents/carers might support children with their learning at home.

Curriculum Implementation

The implementation of our curriculum is greatly supported by carefully structured unit plans, leading pupils through component knowledge and skills to composite knowledge and skills in all subjects.

Our pedagogical approach is based on Rosenshine’s Principles of Direct Instruction. The brilliant clarity and simplicity of this approach supports teachers to engage with cognitive science and the wider world of educational research.

The Principles of Direct Instruction

1.        Daily Review

2.        Present new material using small steps

3.        Ask questions

4.        Provide models

5.        Guide student practice

6.        Check for student understanding

7.        Obtain a high success rate

8.        Provide scaffolds for difficult tasks

9.        Independent practice

10.      Weekly and monthly review

Impact of the curriculum

We constantly review our curriculum through regular subject-based monitoring activity to ensure sequential, layered knowledge acquisition and check that pupil outcomes are of a high quality.

Children love to show what they know and what they can do. They make very good progress using this approach as evidenced by our pupil achievement data year on year, the work in their books and their attitude to learning.