Curriculum

Curriculum

“Leaders have put together a coherent and well-ordered curriculum across all subjects. The curriculum identifies what pupils will learn when this content will be taught. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is broad and balanced from Year 7 to Year 11. The curriculum is ambitious.” Ofsted, July 2022

Vision and Rationale

At St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School, our curriculum is underpinned by our core mission to enable every student to ‘live life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10).

We believe that education is a work of love and a means to human flourishing. The curriculum is a vehicle for transforming lives, raising aspirations and forming character. Our curriculum reflects our Catholic identity and our core values of Courage, Commitment, Compassion and Community. We are committed to providing a rigorous, inclusive and high-quality education that prepares students to thrive academically, socially and spiritually. Every student is valued as a unique individual with God-given potential, and our curriculum is designed to ensure they acquire the knowledge, skills and cultural capital needed to succeed in modern Britain and beyond.

Curriculum Intent

Our curriculum is purposefully constructed to be ambitious, broad and balanced. It is designed to:

• Provide a coherent, knowledge-rich and well-sequenced journey through each subject discipline.
• Ensure that all students ‘know more and remember more’ over time.
• Promote high standards of literacy, numeracy and communication across the curriculum.
• Build resilience, confidence and intellectual curiosity.
• Support inclusion and remove barriers to success, particularly for SEND, disadvantaged and vulnerable students.
• Promote social mobility and reflect the diverse world our students are growing into.
• Empower students to think deeply, act ethically and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Implementation of the Curriculum

Curriculum implementation is driven by expert subject leadership and consistent high-quality teaching in line with our Teaching and Learning Policy.

• Curriculum maps, schemes of learning map and end points map out clear progression and sequencing.
• Teaching is informed by Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction, focusing on explanation, modelling, scaffolding, questioning, retrieval and responsive teaching.
• Teachers plan learning through the lens of “Where are students starting from? What do I want them to learn? How will I know they’ve learnt it? How will I help them get there?”
• Retrieval practice, low-stakes testing and interleaving support long-term retention.
• Adaptive teaching ensures that learning is accessible but not diluted.
• A clear focus on vocabulary, and disciplinary literacy underpins lesson design.
• Knowledge-rich home learning consolidates and extends classroom learning and is communicated via Class Charts and planners.

Our approach to the curriculum ensures that we are complying with our duties in the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 – our curriculum is accessible for those with disabilities or special educational needs. Please see our Equalities and SEN Policies on our policies page.

If any parents/carers or other members of the public would like to find out more about the curriculum followed by our school, please contact Miss D Anderson, Deputy Headteacher

Useful Resources and Downloads

• Curriculum Policy 2025-2026
• Curriculum Structure
• Accessibility Plan
• Curriculum Overview for Primary Transition
• Knowledge Organisers