Curriculum Intent

Rooted in the teachings of Jesus, our curriculum is designed to inspire a lifelong love of learning within a nurturing, faith-filled community. We strive to provide a rich and ambitious academic experience that enables every child to flourish intellectually, spiritually, and socially. By weaving our Christian values into all subjects, we empower our pupils to discover their God-given talents and become respectful and responsible stewards of the world

Curriculum Ethos

At Pilling St John’s CE Primary School and Nursery we are a community where all are welcome and encouraged to flourish as individuals. We are a place of excellence which maximises an individual’s potential through faith in God, creative and innovative teaching, and strong partnerships between children, parents, staff, governors and the wider community. We are able to express our own views, listen to others and ask questions to challenge and strengthen our self-belief. We encourage hard work and perseverance within a caring and stimulating environment. Our entire community is made strong through collaboration: learning, supporting and challenging each other.

We challenge and support children in:

• taking risks, leading their own learning and developing critical thinking to become life-long children.  

• having a strong sense of belonging

• feeling safe and secure and are nurtured and supported

• follow our positive behaviour aspirations of being  ready, responsible and respectful

• being motivated and praised for both their effort and achievement 

• making mistakes and see them as learning opportunities

• Challenging children to work hard, be determined and have a positive attitude

• motivating our children to be aspirational, ambitious and to strive for personal excellence

Aims 

• We offer a curriculum which is broad in content, rich in possibilities, instils a love for learning and a strong grounding in mastering the basics for future success, with Christianity at its foundation.

• We offer children high quality and inclusive teaching and learning by holding the highest expectations of all our pupils and knowing our children well and meeting individual needs.

• We promote an ethos and christian values of Love, Respect, Responsibility and Perseverance, where diversity is valued and celebrated – both within the school and in the wider world.

• We strive to build strong relationships with children, parents and carers and the local community, based on trust and mutual respect. 

• We celebrate perseverance, resilience and risk-taking, ensuring children welcome challenges and are not frightened to make mistakes.

• We strive for all children to leave PSJ as independent children with self-belief and an abiding respect for one another, our neighbours and the wider global community.

• We are driven to ensure our school is a place where aspirational children, responsible citizens and confident individuals are ready for their next step in their education, their personal Christian journey and their future lives.

Our Curriculum Drivers

• Christianity

• Aspirations

• Community

• Resilience

Our curriculum drivers shape our curriculum breadth. They are derived from an exploration of the backgrounds of our children, our beliefs about high quality education and our values. They are used to ensure we give our children appropriate and ambitious curriculum opportunities. 

Curriculum breadth is shaped by our curriculum drivers, christian values,  subject topics and our ambition for pupils to study a progressive, balanced and bespoke curriculum.

Christianity

At PSJ we aspire to bring the joy of Jesus to all, offering the love of Jesus in both word and action. Through our curriculum and wider school offer we encourage our pupils to be curious and responsible advocates of God’s creation. We support and guide pupils in developing perseverance and commitment during their Christian journey, both in the present and in the future.  We strive to instil respect for one another, our neighbours and the wider global community.

Aspirations 

Children cannot aspire to something they have not encountered or know little about.  Therefore our curriculum offer is rich in breadth, experience and opportunity which supports their knowledge of the world around them.  We aim to make connections with the world of work to offer our children insight and inspiration for their futures. Our children will make the connection between what they are learning in school and the possibilities this will open for them in later life. 

Community 

We want our children to develop a sense of pride in themselves, who they are and where they come from. Our curriculum teaches them about the importance of membership of the community as an active and responsible global Christian citizen and advocate.

We connect what is being taught in school with our surrounding community including local people, Church, institutions, history, literature, cultural heritage, technology and the natural environment, using this as a resource to support our curriculum. 

Resilience

We believe in our commitment to cultivating resilience, ensuring that every child develops the inner strength to face challenges with confidence. We aim to foster a supportive culture where mistakes are viewed not as failures, but as vital stepping stones in the learning process. By encouraging a growth mindset, we empower our pupils to persevere when tasks become difficult, 'bounce back' from setbacks, and take calculated risks in their learning. Ultimately, our intent is to equip children with the emotional tools, adaptability, and perseverance they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.

PSJ Curriculum Policy Here