Skills and knowledge progression in our Curriculum
English
At St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School, English permeates every aspect of our curriculum and school life. We believe that strong language and literacy skills are the foundation for successful learning, communication, and personal growth. Our carefully designed English curriculum encourages enthusiasm, curiosity, and confidence, promoting a love of reading, writing, speaking, and listening from the very start of a child’s learning journey.
We believe that reading and writing float on a sea of talk. High-quality oracy is at the heart of our English curriculum, providing children with the language, confidence and vocabulary they need to become successful readers, writers and communicators. Through purposeful discussion, collaborative learning and rich dialogue, pupils develop the skills to articulate ideas, deepen understanding and make meaningful connections across their learning.
Our curriculum is built around the principle that reading is the inhale and writing is the exhale. We teach our pupils that reading and writing are interconnected processes that continually enrich one another. We want every child to read like a writer and write like a reader, drawing inspiration from high-quality texts while developing their own authorial voice, creativity and understanding of language.
To ensure all children achieve success, we have adopted the ‘I Do, We Do, You Do’ gradual release model, providing carefully structured teaching that moves pupils from expert modelling, through guided practice, towards independence. Alongside this, we prioritise the 3 E’s of foundational skill development: Explicit Teaching, Extensive Practice and Effective Feedback. This approach helps pupils secure essential knowledge and skills while developing confidence and fluency in both reading and writing.
Above all, our aim is to foster a lifelong love of English. We want our children to leave primary school as enthusiastic readers, capable writers and confident communicators who understand the power of language and the joy that reading, writing and talk can bring.
Maths
At St Bernard’s we are committed to developing confident, capable mathematicians through a mastery approach, ensuring every child is supported to succeed. Our teaching is guided by the NCETM Five Big Ideas—Coherence, Representation & Structure, Mathematical Thinking, Fluency, and Variation—which underpin deep and connected understanding. Aligned with the National Curriculum, we aim for pupils to become fluent, reason mathematically, and solve a range of problems through secure conceptual understanding and rich practice.
We use the White Rose Maths scheme as our curriculum spine, with progression clearly planned so knowledge builds securely over time. Lessons follow a carefully sequenced small-steps approach, making learning accessible, manageable, and inclusive for all. To secure deep understanding, we embed a CPA (Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract) approach, supporting pupils to move confidently from practical exploration to visual models and then abstract methods. We supplement White Rose with high-quality additional resources where needed to deepen or extend learning.
Above all, we want children to develop a love for maths, recognising it as an essential life skill that empowers them to understand the world and approach challenges with confidence.
Our aim is simple: every child thinking, reasoning, and thriving as a mathematician.
Science
Our Science Curriculum provides pupils with an engaging, exciting and hands-on approach to discovering more about the world around them. It secures the fundamentals of science in a logical manner, allowing pupils to access a much higher level of subject knowledge towards the final stages of school. Pupils are exposed to a deep level of science content and all elements of ‘Working Scientifically’ are embedded throughout every topic. This equips them with the ability to ask questions, be resourceful in finding answers and thus make informed decisions and apply their knowledge to real life and unfamiliar situations.
The science curriculum is enriched with workshops, trips, field visits, after school clubs and events, competitions and an annual Science Week and Science Fayre. Staff build a real love for science with the pupils and encourage curiosity. We learn through research, exploration, investigation and fun.
We want our children to have a scientific understanding of the world, be able to appreciate the impact they have on the environment and understand the responsibilities this brings. Every strand of science is linked closely with our Catholic Social Teaching, which deepens understanding of how each and every one of us can make a difference in the world in which we live.
History
At St. Bernard’s, we want to provide our children with an ambitious and diverse education which will inspire children’s understanding and curiosity about the past. We want our children to have secure knowledge, not just about world history, but also about the history of Great Britain and their local area. It is our aim that they will learn about the key people and events of the past, which have shaped their very own lives today.
In addition to this, we also want to equip our children with vital skills such as historical enquiry and understanding of chronology; we want them to see themselves as true historians as they use sources to find out about the past. We want to encourage children to seek out answers to their own questions and make their own educated conclusions based on reliable sources they have chosen.
Geography
Primary geography at St. Bernard’s Catholic Primary School aims to inspire curiosity about the world and develop children’s understanding of places, people, resources, and environments. It helps pupils understand key physical and human processes and how landscapes and environments form and change over time.
Over time, pupils will develop locational knowledge of globally significant places, both terrestrial and marine. They will also understand physical and human processes and how they create spatial variation. Finally, pupils will use geographical skills such as collecting and analysing fieldwork data, interpreting maps, diagrams, aerial photographs, and GIS, and communicating geographical information in various ways.
Music
The aims of our Music curriculum in St. Bernard’s are:
That children leave St. Bernard’s School with a wide range of fulfilling and rich experiences, grounded in the Technical, Constructive and Expressive pillars of Music.
Our high-quality Music provision aims to enthuse and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.
The Charanga Model Music Scheme will be the primary vehicle used to enable Saint Bernard’s children to meet the National Curriculum expectations in Music.
Children will develop self-confidence and cooperative teamwork skills through performance. They will have opportunities to sing as a class, in smaller and larger groups and as a school community.
In partnership with SFE Music Service, Children will have opportunities to learn to play a musical instrument during their time at St. Bernard’s.
Children will develop their understanding of Catholic Virtues and British Values, as they relate to Music, through a study of Music from across the world.
Children will listen to, review and evaluate Music from a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including contemporary music and the works of the great composers and musicians, using subject specific vocabulary relating to the musical elements; rhythm, pitch, dynamics, tempo, texture, structure and melody.
When available, opportunities for children to experience learning beyond the classroom will be welcomed. This will allow them to enrich their knowledge by, for example, attending performances by professional musicians and participating in school productions. Other opportunities include visits to concerts, meeting amateur and professional musicians visiting school to work with pupils.
Physical Education
At St Bernard’s, we strive to offer a broad and balanced curriculum that combines gross and fine motor skills, developing progressively from fundamental skills. We aim to enable our children to become physically literate and to understand how being active affects their thinking, movement, emotions, and connections with others.
In addition to curriculum PE lessons, we want the children to develop resilience and determination to achieve their personal best, rather than comparing themselves to others. Children are recognised for their individual successes and improvements, as well as their teamwork. As part of PE, children are encouraged to reflect on and assess their own performances, gaining a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.
Through our PESSPA, we offer a range of extracurricular opportunities to encourage children to participate in various sporting activities that they may enjoy and excel in. To cater to all our children and ensure inclusivity for their diverse needs, we attend regular competitions and festivals, allowing everyone to participate and represent the school in ways that suit them.
Our aim is for children to understand the importance of being physically active and the health and social benefits that activity can bring. We encourage children to embody the School Games values by demonstrating respect, self-belief, passion, resilience, honesty and teamwork.
We strive to provide our children with opportunities to enjoy being active. Our fantastic year 6 Play Leaders have been selected and trained to maximise engagement and enjoyment for younger pupils during lunchtimes.
In addition to regular intra-school house competitions, we participate in festivals and inter-school competitions organised by our local school games organiser, Catholic sports competitions (BCSSA), the South Birmingham Football League (for both boys and girls), as well as a touch rugby league organised by Moseley Rugby, our local rugby club.
PE Skills and Knowledge Ladder
Design and Technology
Our design and technology curriculum at St Bernard’s is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject, where we encourage all pupils to develop their creativity and imagination.
The children follow a research, design, make and evaluate process during a sequence of DT lessons. Through a variety of practical activities, they will have gained the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to design and create working models.
The food and nutrition element of design technology provides the children with opportunities to understand and make choices about what they eat based on values such as source, seasonality, and nutritional value. This understanding is built upon as the children design and make healthy and affordable dishes, which aims to support the children in developing and enjoying the crucial life skill of cooking, now and in later life.
Where relevant, the design and technology curriculum has been planned in line with the content of other curriculum subjects. The design and technology skills children acquire across the school are then applied to their cross-curricular topics, allowing children to use their design and technology skills to reflect on and explore curriculum content in greater depth.
Spanish
At St. Bernard’s we are proud to offer our pupils the opportunity to learn Spanish from Year 3 to Year 6. Our children learn Spanish, the second most spoken language across the globe, in a fun and creative way, expressing their ideas and thoughts in spoken and written communication.
We believe that a high-quality language education should foster children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the different cultures in the world. Culture and language are inseparable. Understanding this cultural-specific contexts along with linguistic principles is central to effective language acquisition.
Competence in another language enables children to interpret, create and exchange meaning within and across cultures. It also helps children develop skills that will open further opportunities later in life.
At St. Bernard’s Primary School, we provide a well-balanced curriculum of spoken and written Spanish. Children leave our school with solid foundations and knowledge ready to develop their language skills further in KS3.
Art
At St Bernard’s, our art curriculum inspires creativity and builds confidence. Children develop strong skills in drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media, building on their learning year by year.
In Key Stage 1, pupils build on their EYFS experiences by exploring a range of artists and developing new techniques, ideas and reflection. In Key Stage 2, art is linked across the wider curriculum, enabling children to draw on their experiences and ideas to create meaningful work.
Art sketchbooks and ROA books are used to capture learning, with children’s work celebrated and displayed across the school. Pupils evaluate their own and others’ work using age-appropriate art vocabulary, which is revisited, extended and built upon each year.
Through exploring artists, materials and techniques, children learn to experiment, refine and evaluate their ideas, expressing themselves confidently through art. The formal elements of art—line, shape, tone, texture, pattern and colour—are revisited and developed progressively, ensuring every child grows as a confident, creative artist.
Computing
At St Bernard’s, our computing curriculum equips children with the knowledge, skills and confidence to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Through a carefully sequenced programme of learning, pupils develop their understanding of computer science, information technology and digital literacy, building on their knowledge year by year.
In Key Stage 1, pupils build on their EYFS experiences by exploring technology, algorithms, programming and digital creativity through engaging, hands-on activities. In Key Stage 2, children deepen their understanding of coding, data handling, networks and digital media, applying their skills across the wider curriculum and real-life contexts.
Using the Kapow Computing scheme, learning is carefully structured to ensure progression and coverage of the National Curriculum. Children explore a range of digital tools and technologies while developing problem-solving, logical thinking and computational skills.
Online safety is at the heart of our curriculum. Pupils learn how to use technology responsibly, respectfully and securely, developing the knowledge and understanding needed to stay safe online and become positive digital citizens.
Through creating, programming, investigating and evaluating, children learn to think critically, work collaboratively and approach challenges with confidence. By revisiting and building upon key concepts each year, we ensure every child leaves St Bernard’s as a capable, responsible and confident user of technology.
RHE
At St Bernard’s, our Relationships and Health Education (RHE) curriculum supports children’s personal, social, emotional and spiritual development. Rooted in our Catholic faith, it helps every child understand that they are created, chosen and loved by God, while developing the confidence and skills needed to build healthy, respectful relationships.
Using the Life to the Full programme from Ten Ten Resources, learning is carefully structured and age-appropriate, building progressively from the Early Years to Year 6. Through engaging lessons, stories, videos, prayer and discussion, children explore their identity, relationships, physical and emotional wellbeing, online life and personal safety.
In Key Stage 1, pupils build on their EYFS experiences by learning about their uniqueness, feelings, friendships, healthy choices and the importance of treating others with kindness and respect. In Key Stage 2, children deepen their understanding of emotional wellbeing, personal responsibility, healthy relationships, online safety and the changes they experience as they grow.
Key themes are revisited through a spiral curriculum, allowing children’s knowledge, understanding and vocabulary to develop as they move through the school. Learning is organised around three central themes: being created and loved by God, being created to love others, and being created to live responsibly in the wider world.
Through RHE, children learn to value themselves and others, make responsible choices and seek help when they need it. By working closely with parents and carers, we aim to ensure that every child leaves St Bernard’s with the values, knowledge and confidence to lead a healthy, safe and fulfilling life.