Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Primary School

Prayer, worship, Liturgy and the Gospel message are central to our daily lives. The value and importance of our Catholic faith is reflected in our attitudes, relationships and charitable responses. Every person within our school community matters and has the opportunity to achieve their full potential and exceed their expectations. We aim to deliver a broad and rich curriculum, appropriate and accessible to all pupils.

We encourage respect for self and others by promoting positive attitudes and relationships within our school community. As individuals we recognize each others gifts, needs and contributions. As a school we aim to develop a trusting and supportive environment in which everyone feels valued and appreciated.

By working closely with the home and parish we seek to prepare our pupils for their lives in the wider community. We help them develop as responsible and caring citizens, who are able to take ownership of their choices and actions in society as lifelong learners. In a caring and sharing environment we offer friendship and welcome to all. We seek to journey together with Christ as his disciples, learning from him how to live well.

We are a school community within the community of the Roman Catholic Church. The church has the mission of helping to build God’s Kingdom. We play our part in this by being a community of education. We understand education to involve all the broad dimensions of human potential – academic, spiritual, social, physical and emotional potential and through the provision of a broad and balanced curriculum to recognize and to celebrate each person’s uniqueness. In our school community we seek to live the Gospel Values - Faith, Hope, Love, Justice, Service, Forgiveness, Witness, Respect etc. – all of which we understand as part of living like Christ in loving relationships with each other. As a Catholic school we seek to form our pupils in Catholic faith through Religious Education, the general life of the school, the prayer life and liturgies of the community and service and witness. We aim to make prayer, worship and liturgy a living experience for every member of the community.we seek to encourage good relationships between Home, School & Parish and with the wider local and world community.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage children learn from their experiences and activities in enabling environments. The EYFS is made up of the three prime areas: Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development which underpin all aspects of the curriculum. The children also follow specific areas of study in Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design. Children participate in a wide range of activities, both inside and outside, and have the opportunity to follow their own interests as well as working in small groups supported by adults. Some topics are set but they will often evolve into areas of particular interest to the children in the class.

The national curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

The national curriculum is just one element in the education of every child. There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the national curriculum specifications. The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of
the wider school curriculum.

Pupils of compulsory school age in community and foundation schools, including community special schools and foundation special schools, and in voluntary aidedand voluntary controlled schools, must follow the national curriculum. It is organised on the basis of four key stages3 and twelve subjects, classified in legal terms as‘core’ and ‘other foundation’ subjects.

The Secretary of State for Education is required to publish programmes of study for each national curriculum subject, setting out the ‘matters, skills and processes’ to be taught at each key stage. Schools are free to choose how they organise their school day, as long as the content of the national curriculum programmes of study is taught to all pupils.