‘We are inspired by the teachings of Christ and our Franciscan Values to create the best Catholic education now and for generations to come, creating a diverse, inclusive and rich curriculum that cherishes every child in our care as a unique thumbprint of God.’

St.Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust

“A Catholic school should place Christ at the centre of all that it does. This will mean integrating Gospel values and the teachings of the Catholic Church into every aspect of learning, teaching and the totality of school life.” “Rooted in the teaching of Christ, these Gospel values should constitute the targets and outcomes of the educational enterprise in every Catholic school. For this to be possible, these Gospel values need to be explicitly named, their meaning unpacked and pupils helped to understand how they relate to their lives both at school, at home and in society. This enterprise is not in addition to the quest for high academic standards and vocational excellence but integral to it.”

 - Bishop Marcus Stock, Christ at the Centre

Our curriculum at Sacred Heart is knowledge rich, with Christ at the centre of all we do.

We want our children at Sacred Heart to be independent thinkers, resilient, enabled to solve problems whilst following the Gospel Values.

The Three Rs of decades past — reading, writing, and arithmetic — are not enough in education today, say the authors of a National Education Association (NEA) report “Preparing 21st Century Students for a Global Society.”

“If today’s students want to compete in this global society … they must also be proficient

• communicators, creators, critical thinkers, and collaborators.”

 Students need these 21st Century skills to flourish as thinkers, problem-solvers, and leaders.”

The above concepts have been used when developing our curriculum wheel at Sacred Heart.

The three areas which are key to providing our children with the skills needed to access a wide range of learning are:

• our teaching of the Gospel Values.
• the core areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening, maths and science well and  
• the wellbeing of each child.

All aspects of the curriculum have been designed with progression in mind; this ensures that children build on existing skills and knowledge, which, over time, enables them to know more and remember more. 

Our curriculum is built around the objectives set out in the National Curriculum, which covers the core subjects: English, Mathematics and Science, and the foundation subjects: Computing, History, Geography, Art and Design, Design Technology, Music, Physical Education, Languages (Spanish), Citizenship (including PSHE and RSHE) and Religious Education.

Foundation subjects are delivered using a mastery model where children are able to explore content in increasing depth and complexity as they move through school.

This approach allows us to make connections across the curriculum, whilst also developing the children’s understanding of what makes each subject distinct and unique.   

How we learn is important, and our learning behaviours are emphasised to each child to maximise their potential and enabling a growth mindset.

To find out more please read our Teaching and Learning Policy