This is St Paul’s CE Academy

To create a Christian school which ignites a thirst for knowledge in every individual, where curiosity and talent are cultivated, and children are empowered to channel their love of learning to achieve their God-given potential. 

Love    Respect      Honesty      Service     Patience     Thanks     Forgiveness

 "Where love and learning meet."

Psalm 32:8  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

CURRICULUM INTENT STATEMENT

WE ARE PROUD

At St Paul’s, we are committed to delivering the right curriculum for our unique and wonderful learners. We believe that building a love of reading is the cornerstone of learning and enables children to access all areas of the curriculum and the world beyond. Children are equipped with the skills to manage their mental health and well-being in a positive way, as well as, seeking support if needed. We recognise and encourage children to actively engage and be creative through Art, Sports, Dance, Gymnastics and Music. Adults are committed to sharing their skills and knowledge with the children. Our Christian values underpin everything we do and are reflected in the children’s behaviour, attitudes and respect for all. Our children tell us they are happy learners, and outcomes tell us that they leave exceptionally well prepared for the next phase of their lives. We are very proud of them.

OUR CHILDREN HAVE A RICH CURRICULUM

Our curriculum is carefully designed to ensure coverage and progression for high academic achievement. We encourage our children to try new things, in a supportive ‘I can’ environment so that they develop into confident, self-assured learners. Importantly, we train, educate and upskill our children to keep themselves safe both in 'real life' and the 'virtual world'. Integral to the success and the engagement of our children, is the richness provided by a minimum of three memorable educational experiences and extra-curricular opportunities per year.

These include:

• Themed weeks and days, allow children to develop their knowledge and skills through immersive experiences
• Educational trips which bring to life classroom learning and widen children’s life experiences where they are encouraged to question and be curious about the world around them.
• Visits from musicians, historians and artists which brings expertise into the classroom
• A wide variety of sports and activity clubs before, during and after school hours, which take into account children’s physical and mental wellbeing.
• BMXing, skateboarding, drumming, gardening – an enhanced curriculum to meet the needs of our community.
• Wraparound care of purposeful extended school provision.

WE ENSURE A CURRICULUM FOR ALL

The academy provides a highly inclusive environment where all children make progress. Children, of all abilities, are supported to flourish and achieve their full potential.

• Subject leaders play an active part in the success of the curriculum by leading a regular programme of monitoring, evaluation and review. This curriculum design ensures that the needs of individuals and small groups of children are being met within an environment of high quality first teaching, supported by targeted interventions, where needed.

• Teachers adapt lessons to meet the needs of all abilities.

• Our outstanding pastoral team, led by our SENCo, enable our children to flourish in a nurturing environment.

WE KNOW OUR CHILDREN, WE KNOW OUR COMMUNITY

We work from, and develop the National Curriculum to meet the needs of our unique children. In knowing our children and our community, we are always aiming to:

• Provide REAL EXPERIENCES – We believe that children learn by doing, so we take them on educational visits, invite speakers into school, bring in artefacts and interesting objects, use our environment to spark learning.
• Encourage CHILDREN TO TAKE A LEAD - We discuss with children what they want to find out about a topic, and once the basics have been covered, we ensure that there is time for children to direct how the learning will flow. This isn’t to say that any of the rigour of the learning is lost, quite the opposite – if the children really want to discover more about a topic then the quality is of work produced is often exceptional.
• Develop PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS – We want children to be able to think creatively and question. We believe problem solving is key to their future success and the ability to tackle problems in a range of ways will help them succeed.
• Make the most of LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY – St Paul’s is a unique and exciting place to come to school and learn; we want children to be aware that they are a central part of our community and have a role to play in that community. They are also part of a bigger national and international community building on our existing link with Hastings township in Sierra Leone. We also have strong links with the local church, and as part of the DCAT family of schools, our children participate in a range of inter Trust events.