The Curriculum
The Curriculum
The school’s intentions and purposes, taken together with the wider mission, form an ‘ecology’ of the fullness of life, each in interplay with all the others. We call this our curriculum.
The choices we make – about what to teach and how to teach it – are underpinned by a robust, evidence-based process of curriculum design, where the aim is always to help learners to realise the intentions and purposes of the mission. Our curriculum is therefore broad and balanced, suitable for learners of differing ages, abilities and aptitudes and provides for appropriate progression.
To enable learners to develop in the way described in the intentions and purposes, and to bring about lifelong flourishing, each Area of Learning and Experience takes the school’s ‘Character Practices’ as their inspiration. These are: compassion, love, perseverance, justice, gratitude, hospitality, gentleness, integrity, trust, liberation, humility and creativity.
Consequently, our curriculum takes the following structure:
- The Programme Of Learning describes the breadth of learning that will enable learners to make progress towards the four purposes during an academic year.
- A Learning Series describes the experience, knowledge and skills that sum up the ‘big ideas’ or key principles within the Programme of Learning.
- Learning Episodes describe the specific topics, activities and contexts that enable learners to explore the big ideas or key principles within the learning series.
Our curriculum meets all required elements of the Curriculum for Wales, including the concepts set out in the statements of what matters, the cross-curricular skills of literacy, numeracy and digital skills, Relationships and Sexuality Education and Religion, Values and Ethics. It is supplemented by the school’s alternative, enrichment and complementary curricula.
Supporting learner progression
Our assessment arrangements contribute to developing a holistic picture of each child – their strengths, the ways in which they learn, and their areas for development, in order to inform next steps in learning and teaching.
Assessment has three main roles in the process of enabling learner progression:
- Supporting individual learners on an ongoing basis.
This is achieved by embedding formative assessment into day-to-day practice in a way that engages the learner and makes it indistinguishable from learning. This allows teachers to respond to the individual needs of learners within their classroom. [Typically daily]
- Identifying, capturing and reflecting on individual learner progress over time.
This is achieved by using diagnostic assessment to support teachers in identifying the progress being made by an individual learner, and recording this, where appropriate, to understand the learner’s journey over time. [Typically termly]
- Understanding group progress in order to reflect on practice.
This is achieved by using summative assessment to support the school in ensuring our curriculum and pedagogy helps raise the achievement of all and, in particular, the achievement and attainment of vulnerable learners. [Typically annually]
St Teilo’s works across schools and settings to ensure that there is a shared understanding of learner progression.
Curriculum for Wales
The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 requires schools to design a new curriculum with due regard to Curriculum for Wales statutory guidance.
The curriculum must:
- Enable learners to develop in the way described in the four purposes
- Provide for appropriate progression (as set out in the ‘Progression Code’)
- Be suitable for learners of differing ages, abilities and aptitudes
- Be broad and balanced
- Encompass the concepts set out in the statements of what matters (as set out in the ‘Statements of What Matters Code’)
- Provide for learning and teaching that encompasses each of the Areas of Learning and Experience
- Include: Welsh; English; Relationships and Sexuality Education (as set out in the ‘Relationships and Sexuality Code’); Religion Values and Ethics; and the cross-curricular skills (literacy, numeracy and digital skills).
The four purposes are defined as:
- ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives
- enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work
- ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world
- healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.
Year 7 Curriculum
The following serves as an example of the Year 7 curriculum. Curriculum design is never complete: it should be an ongoing conversation for the whole school and beyond. Always informed by our objective of being agents of God’s mission in the world, St Teilo's designs and adapts the curriculum to reflect our location, surroundings and individual context each year.
Science
- The battle of cells - who wins?
- Is your mobile phone ‘good’?
- What's in space?
- Does your state matter?
- Do acids only attack?
- Will energy ever run out?
- Do you look before you leap?
Design Technology:
- Are humans ruining the planet?
- What's the impact?
- When is healthy eating bad?
- Where does our food come from?
Information and Communication Technology:
- Who does the internet belong to?
- How is reality distorted in the digital world?
- How real is the world around you?
Character:
- What is the basis of a healthy human relationship?
- What ‘makes’ and maintains me?
- What bonds humans?
Physical Education:
- How will PE benefit me?
- Am I fit for my future?
- How can we become comfortable with the uncomfortable?
- Does hard work beat talent, when talent doesn't work hard?
Art:
- Am I true to myself?
- What is art? What type of artist am I?
- Can all beings live in harmony?
Music:
- What is the purpose of music?
- What does Welsh music mean to those in Wales?
- Why use music in TV, film and animation?
English:
- Why do we tell stories?
- How is the supernatural influential?
- What is love?
- What is the real cost of war?
- What makes someone remarkable?
Modern Foreign Languages:
- In development.
Cymraeg:
- In development.
Geography:
- What makes a place ‘fantastic’?
- Is there enough water in the world?
- Is weather the biggest threat to humanity?
History:
- Can justice ever be achieved after war?
- What makes a just leader?
- What does freedom look like?
Mathematics:
- What do you reckon?
- Where am I?
- Can numbers lie?
- Is maths natural?
- What's the real cost?
- What's the risk?
Religious Education:
- What do people believe in?
- Why was Jesus a big deal?
- What value is there in a book?
- What's the matter with ethics?
Young Leaders:
- What is Servant Leadership?
- What does it mean to have hope in the future?
- In what ways am I a servant leader?
Year 8 Curriculum
The following serves as an example of the Year 8 curriculum. Curriculum design is never complete: it should be an ongoing conversation for the whole school and beyond. Always informed by our objective of being agents of God’s mission in the world, St Teilo's designs and adapts the curriculum to reflect our location, surroundings and individual context each year.
Science:
- Are babies parasites?
- Who holds the power?
- Light or sound: which would you prefer to live without?
- Does gratitude have magnetic powers?
- To whom should we be grateful?
- Microbes - friend or foe?
Design Technology:
- What are our needs?
- Are we healthy?
Information and Communication Technology:
- In development.
Character:
- Is having morals beneficial?
- What makes successful relationships?
- What makes the best human conduct?
- What makes a sustainable world?
Physical Education:
- Does it matter how we solve a problem?
- Who is a winner?
- How can I be Healthy?
Art:
- Am I Enough?
- How can we celebrate cultural differences?
- What qualities do I bring to the team?
Music:
- Why is music important in the world?
- How did the music of the slave trade contribute to the music we listen to today?
- How does film music express and heighten our emotions?
- Why are skills important in music and the wider world?
- Why do pop musicians use music of the past and what does it teach us?
English:
- What makes a hero?
- What does love look like?
- Why do monsters exist?
- Why are we drawn to imaginary worlds?
- Where do we belong?
- How do words change the world?
Modern Foreign Languages:
- In development.
Cymraeg:
- In development.
Geography:
- Is the rainforest a resource for everyone?
- Is Africa a continent of contrasts?
- Asia - Boom or bust?
- Does money bring happiness?
- North America - United or Divided?
History:
- How hospitable were the empires of Europe?
- How has the experience of displaced people changed overtime?
Mathematics:
- Can we trust technology?
- How average are we?
- When will I ever use this?
- Deal or no deal?
- Who is the Maths G.O.A.T?
- When should we stop?
Religious Education:
- Is any punishment fair?
- What has had the biggest impact on humanity: peace, war or forgiveness?
- Is speaking out about issues of justice easy?
- Where does 'truth' come from?
- Do humans really need to celebrate big life events?
Young Leaders:
- In development.