Curriculum

Our SMI Curriculum

At St Mary’s, we deliver a well-sequenced curriculum which is broad and balanced and meets the needs of all learners.

Children are able to learn and retain knowledge because our curriculum is mapped out for learning to happen over time. It is designed to support children’s natural curiosity and their acquisition of knowledge. Children work in depth and are given time to master learning.

Our curriculum develops the whole person – mind, body and spirit. Personal development is embedded so that our children grow up happy and healthy and in relationship with God who made us, saved us and sustains us. It develops children’s confidence, enhancing their ability to learn, helping them to grow up to become responsible adults who will contribute to society in a positive way, understanding the Common Good and building the Kingdom of God.

It engages children with their learning, it challenges them to think for themselves. It's relevant to our children, open to change and modification, so that it meets the needs of our community. For instance, there is time for children to consider current and real world issues.

You can see our termly Curriculum Maps here.

For the termly Class Newsletters click here.

For our yearly Subject Overviews look here and for reports on the progress of our curriculum click here.

For timetables (these are subject to variation and change) click here.

Click here for resources and information about Black History Month.

British Values

At St Mary’s, we actively promote Fundamental British Values in line with the Department for Education guidance, ensuring that pupils leave primary school prepared for life in modern Britain.

As a Catholic school, we believe these values are deeply connected to our faith and are lived out through our mission to grow together in love, respect and service. We teach children not only how to succeed academically, but also how to become compassionate, responsible and active citizens, ready to make a positive contribution to society and to the Common Good.

The Fundamental British Values are:

Democracy
The Rule of Law
Individual Liberty
Mutual Respect
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Democracy
At St Mary’s, we teach pupils that their voice matters. We help children understand that democratic systems are based on listening, fairness and shared decision-making.

How we promote Democracy at SMI:
School Council: pupils elect representatives to represent their class and share ideas and concerns. School Council meets regularly and supports positive change in school life.
Pupil Voice: children are encouraged to share opinions in lessons and assemblies and to contribute to decision-making.

Democratic processes in action:

School Council has been involved in real school improvements such as:
discussing feedback on a uniform trial
supporting changes to playground equipment
contributing ideas around lunch menu improvements
consulting other children and devising the school menu
producing parking safety posters
supporting wider school projects such as SMI Diversity Week and VE Day work through SMI TV
supporting charitable initiatives such as Minnie Vinnies and the CAFOD Penny Jar

Through this, pupils learn how representation works and how decisions can be made for the benefit of the whole community.

The Rule of Law

We teach children that rules and laws exist to protect everyone and to ensure fairness and safety. Pupils learn the difference between right and wrong and understand the importance of personal responsibility.

How we promote The Rule of Law at SMI:

Clear expectations and behaviour routines across the school, helping pupils understand boundaries, consequences and fairness.
Safety education and shared responsibility, including reminders and guidance shared with families such as:
Road Safety for Children (safe travel, crossings, visibility and safe behaviour near roads)
Online safety guidance and workshops for parents, helping children understand how to keep themselves safe online
Health and wellbeing awareness, including information shared through school communications such as Anaphylaxis Awareness Week, ensuring pupils understand how we keep one another safe.
By consistently reinforcing rules and responsibilities, children learn that positive behaviour supports everyone’s wellbeing and helps communities to flourish.

Individual Liberty

At St Mary’s, we encourage pupils to become confident, independent learners who can make safe and responsible choices. We help children understand their rights, responsibilities and personal freedoms within a secure and supportive environment.

How we promote Individual Liberty at SMI:
Pupils are encouraged to make choices and develop independence through daily learning and school routines.
Children learn how to manage risks safely, including through online safety education and family workshops.
Our pupils develop confidence and independence through educational visits and curriculum experiences, for example (just from Y1):
Year 1 visit to the London Eye and River Thames cruise, supporting Geography learning about London
Year 1 visit to the Natural History Museum, including the Super Stegosaurus workshop linked to learning about the Mesozoic Era
Year 1 visit to the Florence Nightingale Museum, including the A Visit with Miss Nightingale workshop
Year 1 visit to Brooklands Museum, including the Journeys by Land workshop
Year 1 Barnes Children’s Literature Festival event, enjoying a live author session at Twickenham Stadium
These experiences help pupils build resilience, curiosity, confidence and independence while representing the school positively in the wider community.

Mutual Respect
Mutual respect is at the heart of our Catholic ethos. We teach pupils that every person is made in the image and likeness of God and therefore deserves dignity, kindness and care.

How we promote Mutual Respect at SMI:
Respect is modelled and reinforced through the way pupils and adults speak to and treat one another every day.
Pupils learn to listen carefully, value different viewpoints and work co-operatively in lessons and play.
The school community promotes kindness and inclusion, and we work together to ensure pupils feel safe, supported and valued.
We strengthen respect through wellbeing support and family signposting, including guidance such as the SPEAK CAMHS helpline, supporting children and families when they need help.
Through this, pupils learn that respect is not just about manners, but about treating others with fairness, compassion and understanding.

Tolerance of Those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
As a Catholic school, we help pupils to understand their own faith and values, while also learning about and respecting others in a diverse society.

How we promote Tolerance at SMI:
Pupils learn about different cultures, beliefs and traditions through Religious Education, PSHE (TenTen's Life to the Full Plus) and the wider curriculum.
School projects and community events promote inclusion and belonging, such as work linked to SMI Diversity Week.
Pupils are taught that difference should be celebrated and that everyone deserves respect regardless of:
faith or belief
race or heritage
gender
ability or need

This supports pupils in developing a respectful, open and welcoming attitude to others, preparing them for life in modern Britain.

How British Values Are Embedded Across School Life

At St Mary’s, British values are not taught in isolation but are lived out daily through our Catholic life and curriculum. We believe education is holistic: enabling pupils not only to succeed academically, but also to become compassionate, responsible and active citizens, grounded in faith and service to others.

British values at SMI are expressed through:
Our vision and mission, rooted in Christ-centred love and service
Respectful relationships across the whole school community
A curriculum that promotes pupils’ personal, social, moral and spiritual development
Pupil leadership and engagement in the life of the school
Strong partnerships with families, our parish and the wider community

It is based on the key concepts and principles of the Gospel:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven” Faithfulness & Integrity
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” Dignity & Compassion
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” Humility & Gentleness
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” Truth & Justice
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” Forgiveness & Mercy
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” Purity & Holiness
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” Empathy & Peace
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of slander against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice for your reward is great in heaven; they persecuted the prophets before you in the very same way” Service & Sacrifice

These Gospel Values are lived out through our aims and vision statement.

Our curriculum delivers the ‘National Curriculum 2014’ in a sequenced way and is further informed by the five outcomes of the ’Every Child Matters’ which we think speak about what children need for life in our world.

1). Be healthy (including physical and mental wellbeing)

2). Stay safe (including online)

3). Enjoy and achieve

4). Make a positive contribution

5). Achieve economic well-being

It is organised into 6 key driver areas:

1). Spirituality - RE ; prayer; worship; catholicity, reflection; meditation; Gospel Values and behaviour; the Common Good.

2). Enterprise - Science, whole school skills based learning; Enabling Enterprise lead; Building Better Learners champion. Enterprise skills across the curriculum; Enterprise in the broader sense as well as co-ordinating the Enabling Enterprise work. Independent learning; resilience and philosophy for children.

3).Knowledge of the World - History, Geography and Computing; fair trade and eco awareness. School Travel Plan and Walking to School.

4). Enquiry - DT; maths ; open ended tasks; higher order thinking; independent learning; depth and mastery.

5). Emotional wellbeing, health and sport – PE and Sport; PSE; Relationships, Learning to respect; citizenship and British values.

6). The Arts – English, Music, Art, Drama and MFL; Culture; festivals.

Each of these Key Driver Areas (and EYFS) has a dedicated Middle Leader. Our Middle Leaders are the engine room of the school, they turn the schools curriculum aspirations into outstanding classroom practice on a daily basis.

Its 'What, Why and How' are:

1). What do we want our children to learn?

a. We teach the Religious Education Curriculum Directory and The National Curriculum.

b. Our curriculum is designed for Catholic Christian children living in West London. It is infused with Catholic Social Teaching and links to London.

c. We intend our children to have knowledge and skills in all of the subjects. They master the key skills of reading, writing and number.

2). Why are we teaching it?

a. Children will leave us being able to read and to have a love of reading.

b. We want children to be religiously literate and be experienced in planning liturgies and knowing what it means to be in relationship with God.

c. We prepare the whole child for the next stage of their education so that they can be successful at secondary school and make a positive contribution to society.

3). How are we teaching it?

a. Having a sound understanding of what children have previously learned, teachers talk about prior learning allowing children to make connections with other areas of the curriculum and between subjects.

b. Our curriculum (units of work) builds on prior knowledge which allows our children to retain their learning long term.

It achieves:

Curriculum creativity, enabling pupils and staff to develop opportunities to nurture their own creativity by:

encouraging imagination and originality
making time for them to reflect critically
allowing space for thinking and choice
giving freedom to fail with the confidence to try again.

A culture of collaboration, ensuring an effective and creative learning culture by:

sharing values and ethos with the whole school community
promoting the importance of talk and collaboration in consolidating learning
ensuring everyone has the opportunity to learn from others
promoting teamwork.

Cognitive approaches, promoting a creative learning experience in each classroom by:

allowing teachers to develop their own teaching styles and confidence in knowing what will make a difference for their children and have the biggest impact.
understanding that learning takes place over time
design tasks and activities that allow information to be retained in long term memory
promoting the importance of learning across the curriculum
encouraging teachers to make children active partners in their learning; and structure tasks to allow teaching for mastery.

A real commitment to the community, forging creative links between the parents, parish and school by:

promoting the importance of dynamic partnership
involving parents and carers at every opportunity
giving children and families time to be involved in after school clubs and evening activities, including sports, music, language and culture and those connected with the Parishes and Scouting organisations, by having realistic expectations of homework.
focusing on the importance of the learning environment in both physical and health/wellbeing terms.
extending involvement into the local community and beyond.

Child- centredness, celebrating the centrality of the children in the school by:

promoting the personal, social, health and spiritual aspects of the curriculum embedded in all that we to do.
promoting a culture where children are able to evaluate their learning and know their next steps so that they can effectively choose their own level of challenge (Ready, Steady, Go)
encouraging teachers to develop each child’s confidence, resilience, self-discipline and understanding of their learning through our 3/4 Bs.
encouraging teachers to make learning vivid, real and meaningful.

Each subject contains key concepts – which are developed across the years in order that children excel in that subject. These concepts run throughout the entirety of a child’s time with us from Early Years until the end of Year 6 and into Year 7. There is continuity for our children with clear stages of progression from one year to the next.

Through these key concepts we achieve progression and continuity of our curriculum ensuring mastery and depth of understanding for all children.