Our Curriculum Journey
At St Luke's, the curriculum is the framework through which we structure, sequence and deliver the knowledge, skills and experiences that enable every child to flourish. It sets out what pupils should learn, why they should learn it, and how learning builds progressively over time.

It is our belief that a strong curriculum not only reflects statutory requirements but responds meaningfully to the needs, backgrounds and aspirations of the community it serves. Our curriculum is therefore a response to our context. Our school vision and LIFE Principles have been developed directly in response to the lived experiences, strengths, and challenges within our community, while remaining firmly rooted in our Church of England foundation. These principles also align meaningfully with Ofsted’s core principles: Achieve, Belong and Thrive. In practice and when reviewing our curriculum we are using these principles as a basis for review by asking: 

• What do we do to ensure that every pupil, regardless of background and need, is helped to achieve good academic outcomes? 
• What do our outcomes look like in their broadest sense, and do those with differences and disadvantages achieve in line with their peers?  
• What do we do as a school to foster a sense of belonging for all, so that every pupil is seen, heard, valued and respected?  
• How do we ensure our school, its social and emotional environment and its curriculum, teaching and assessment methods, reflect our pupils’ own lives and experiences?  
• What impact does the school’s ethos, culture and practice have on pupil attendance, behaviour, and wellbeing?  
• What do we do as a school to ensure every pupil can flourish?  
• How do our policies, procedures, systems, structures, attitudes and daily actions combine to create an environment where children develop the knowledge and skills needed to be successful citizens of the world?  
• How do we ensure that each and every pupil develops as a person so that they are prepared for the next stage of their journey and what type of extra-curricular activities might we offer?

We fully follow the National Curriculum, ensuring that all pupils access a broad, balanced, and academically ambitious entitlement. This national framework provides consistency, high expectations, and clarity regarding the essential knowledge and skills pupils need to progress successfully.

Our curriculum development is also informed by the latest review led by Dr Becky Francis, whose recommendations emphasise the importance of:

• A knowledge-rich curriculum, where subject-specific skills are developed in tandem with secure knowledge.

• Ensuring pupils master core concepts, with sufficient time to build understanding in depth.

• Designing a curriculum for all children and young people, reflecting the richness and diversity of society and recognising contributions from people of all backgrounds.

These recommendations reinforce our commitment to excellence and equity for every learner.

Curriculum Drivers:
1. Oracy

We are committed to strengthening oracy across our school. This includes embedding high-quality speaking and listening practices within our Teaching & Learning and Marking & Feedback policies. We are developing an oracy framework that complements the more established Reading and Writing frameworks and approaches, to enable children to communicate confidently and effectively.
 

2. Strong Foundations

We are prioritising the secure foundations children need for the next stage of their education. This means ensuring that essential knowledge and skills are taught explicitly, practised regularly, and embedded securely. In our school, strong foundations  include:

• Early Reading: Providing high-quality, systematic phonics teaching (ELS) that enables all pupils to decode confidently and develop fluency. Early reading is prioritised so children quickly gain the skills needed to access the full curriculum. Our expectations are that reading is at the heart of the curriculum, with effective intervention for pupils who need additional support.
• Handwriting: Developing fluent, legible handwriting that allows pupils to record their ideas efficiently and confidently. This supports writing stamina, accuracy, and overall academic success. We expect handwriting to be explicitly taught and practised to automaticity.
• Spelling: Ensuring pupils have a secure understanding of phonics, spelling patterns, and morphological knowledge so they can spell accurately and independently. We highlight the importance of systematic teaching that enables pupils to apply their spelling knowledge across the curriculum.
• High quality interactions: Establishing high-quality verbal interactions between pupils and adults, supporting language development, reasoning, vocabulary growth, and conceptual understanding. We expect learning environments where talk is purposeful and where adults model rich language to deepen understanding. We recognise communication development as the gateway to learning

Together, these elements form the essential building blocks of learning, enabling pupils to progress confidently and successfully throughout the curriculum.

3. Inclusion – Living Well Together

Inclusion sits at the heart of our curriculum. We promote equality, respect, and understanding across all protected characteristics, ensuring that all pupils experience fundamental British values in action. Our curriculum supports:

• Emotional literacy and self-awareness

• Social belonging, enabling children to build friendships, positive relationships, and a sense of community identity

• Physical and emotional safety, creating a nurturing and secure environment where pupils feel safe to take risks and grow

4. Aspiration and Ambition

We provide an aspirational and engaging curriculum that opens doors to future pathways. Regardless of background, every child deserves access to the highest standard of education. Our curriculum is designed to inspire ambition, raise expectations, and support all pupils to reach their full potential.

5. Spiritual Development

As a Church of England school, spiritual development is integral to our curriculum. We create meaningful opportunities for spiritual reflection, practice, and growth, strengthening children’s sense of purpose, identity, and connection to others. This also includes rich Cultural Capital, ensuring pupils access experiences, knowledge and opportunities that broaden their horizons and deepen their understanding of the world. You can read more about this aspect of our provision here.