Curriculum Intent Statement
At Whitfield St James’, our curriculum is designed and built around our shared vision ‘Working together to achieve our best’ to nurture curious, confident and compassionate learners from the very start of their educational journey in Nursery through to Year 6. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive academically, socially and emotionally in a nurturing environment where everyone is Ready, Safe and Respectful.
We provide a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum that builds strong foundations for lifelong learning, ensuring every child has the knowledge, skills and values they need to flourish in an ever-changing world.
Our curriculum is underpinned by our belief that every child can achieve and succeed. Through carefully chosen, high-quality schemes and resources, we ensure teaching is consistent, progressive and inclusive across all subjects.
We want our pupils to leave Whitfield St James’ as confident, kind and capable learners who:
- Strive for excellence and take pride in their achievements.
- Respect and value the views and feelings of others.
- Approach new challenges with resilience, curiosity and a growth mindset.
We achieve this through our well-structured, inclusive and ambitious curriculum that ensures all children have access to the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to succeed.
Early Reading and Phonics
We prioritise early reading as the gateway to learning and it is at the heart of our curriculum. Through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, children develop the essential phonics skills needed to become fluent, confident readers. From the earliest stages, we foster a love of books and language, knowing that reading unlocks learning across all areas of the curriculum
English
Our English curriculum develops and progresses as children go through our school. In Reception, our English curriculum is based on Drawing Club which isa story-based approach to developing early literacy, creativity, and communication skills through drawing and storytelling. From Year 2, our English curriculum is centred around using Literacy Tree, providing a literature-based approach that immerses children in high-quality texts. Through these, pupils develop their reading comprehension, vocabulary and grammar, spelling and punctuation as well as writing skills, while learning to express themselves creatively and accurately.
Maths
We follow the White Rose Maths scheme, which ensures a mastery approach where mathematical understanding is deepened and built progressively over time. Children learn to reason, problem-solve and apply their knowledge with fluency and confidence, developing a strong conceptual understanding of number and mathematical relationships. Children are encouraged to persevere, think deeply and enjoy the challenge of mathematical discovery.
Foundation Subjects
Our foundation subjects are carefully planned to ensure progression of knowledge and skills, enriched by high-quality resources:
- KAPOW Primary supports the delivery of a broad and engaging curriculum across these subjects at Whitfield St James’: Art, Design and Technology, PSHE and RSE and Languages, ensuring children experience creativity, curiosity and challenge.
- Get Set 4 PE provides a high-quality, inclusive physical education curriculum that promotes fitness, teamwork and resilience, encouraging every child to enjoy being active and healthy.
- Sing Up demonstrates our commitment to music and performance, giving every child the chance to develop confidence, creativity and joy through singing and musical expression.
- Grammarsaurus enhances our teaching of Geography, History and Science, allowing children to develop the skills and knowledge to question, theorise and build on prior knowledge
Our Curriculum in Action
Across all subjects, we build in opportunities for real-life learning, enrichment and cross-curricular links which are engaging, inclusive and purposeful. We make meaningful links between subjects, provide hands-on experiences, and celebrate the uniqueness of every learner. Visits, visitors and enrichment activities ensure learning is memorable and relevant.
We celebrate diversity and promote equality through everything we do, ensuring our curriculum reflects our community and the wider world. We aim for all pupils to leave Whitfield St James’ as independent, reflective and resilient learners, ready to embrace the challenges of the next stage of their education.
Above all, our curriculum reflects our belief in working together—as learners, teachers, families and community—to help every child achieve their best. We teach our pupils to be Ready to learn, Safe in their choices and Respectful towards others, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and values they need to flourish in life.
Please be aware the curriculum maps that are on our school website are working documents and may change due to the needs of the pupils and our class splits.
If you need anymore information on our school curriculum please speak to Mr Ford.
We ensure that our school curriculum complies with our duties in the Equality Act 2010, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 and the National Curriculum 2014. We ensure that we meet and exceed the expectations laid out in these documents.
Accessibility Plan