THE SCHOOL'S CURRICULUM STATEMENT / INTENT

St Mary’s RC High School exists to serve the Catholic communities of Hereford, Ross, Ledbury, Leominster and surrounding areas. We are here to educate the children in a community which has Gospel values, traditions and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Faith as the kernel of its ethos.

We strive to ensure that the community of the school is a happy and inclusive one, where all members are able to work together to achieve their full potential. It is vitally important that provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development should promote tolerance of and respect for people of other faiths, cultures and lifestyles.

We place emphasis on good teaching in a broad and balanced curriculum, underpinned by an effective approach to the SMSC development of children and young people, to help to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

THE CURRICULUM INTENT AT ST MARY'S IS:

Broad: St Mary’s will introduce pupils to a wide range of experiences, knowledge and skills. The curriculum will include the teaching of Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Art, Design & Technology, History and Geography, Music, Physical Education, Science and Modern Foreign Languages.

Balanced: The curriculum will be organised to enable each area enough time to make its unique contribution to the educational development of each pupil.

Relevant: The curriculum will be designed and delivered in relation to pupils’ own experience and to help prepare them for life in modern Britain.

Differentiated: The curriculum will be sufficiently differentiated in response to the age, ability and aptitudes of all pupils.  It will be designed to motivate and challenge pupils of all abilities.

TRANSITION FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL

We work closely with our feeder primary schools to ensure that our curriculum will build upon the work achieved by the pupils in the primary phase.

KEY STAGE 3

During years 7, 8 and 9 the curriculum will be largely common to all pupils, although varied in pace and depth to reflect individual differences in ability and maturity. 

KEY STAGE 4

The curriculum will offer some choice in Years 10 and 11based on our option block structure. Care is taken to ensure that individual programmes are sufficiently broad and balanced.

CAREERS EDUCATION

Careers education and guidance is very important in promoting the personal and social development of pupils as they prepare for the transition to adult life in modern Britain.  The curriculum will make provision for careers education and guidance for all pupils aged 14-16, and will include Work Experience.

CURRICULAR OBJECTIVES

• To promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of all pupils at the School
• To prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life in modern Britain.
• To enable all pupils to set their life and society in a relevant cultural, historical and geographical context and understand the nature of the world in which they live.
• To help pupils acquire the knowledge, concepts, basic and transferable skills, values and attitudes which will serve them now and in the future
• To help pupils acquire lively and enquiring minds, the ability to question and argue rationally and to apply themselves to a variety of tasks and physical skills using logical processes in investigating problems.
• To help pupils learn to communicate effectively using a variety of media and techniques, including oral skills.
• To pursue and recognise achievement and development in every individual’s personal growth and academic results, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• To provide opportunities for aesthetic and creative development, including interpreting, performing, designing, making and problem solving.
• To reflect sensitivity to issues of gender and culture, and commitment to whole school action in the pursuit of good practice in these important areas.
• To develop social, political, economic and environmental awareness.
• To emphasise the acquisition of study skills for lifelong learning, notably the use of information technology through the whole curriculum.
• To develop in our pupils the ability to function as contributing members of co-operative groups through tutorial work, Learning4Life, residential experience and work experience, and to make informed, realistic and responsible decisions with respect to their immediate future