At St Augustine’s School we offer our children rich, vibrant experiences that develop a thirst for learning, curiosity in the world around them and skills that will prepare them for every stage in their future lives. We use cross-curriculum links in our Discovery Learning Curriculum that are strong and appropriate to help the children make links between a range of subjects, interact with a variety of ways of learning and use different skills. Christ is at the centre of all we do at St. Augustine’s and is evident throughout our lessons. At the core of our outstanding curriculum is Religious Education; our reason for being; to teach children about God, His World, the way He wants us to live and how we can develop and gain the skills, knowledge and understanding to fulfill His vocation for us in our lifetime. At St. Augustine’s the children will “love and learn together by growing in friendship with Jesus.”

Foundation Stage
We are dedicated to doing our very best for every child, providing an education where they feel happy, safe, and cared for. We strive to create a stimulating, supportive, and challenging learning environment where each child can thrive — with Christ at the centre of all we do, as we love and learn together, growing in friendship with Him. Our intent is to achieve this by delivering a rich and diverse curriculum that excites, stimulates, and challenges every learner. Our goal is to spark a lifelong love of learning, where curiosity, wonder, and awe are at the heart, enabling every child to reach their full potential.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)

There is a rigorous long-term plan based on the Birmingham Archdiocese Scheme “Discerning Disciples". This is enhanced by the Virtues, Catholic Social Teaching, vocational statements, Class Saints (whose feast day is celebrated by their year group) and by strong Sacramental programmes for the Sacraments of Reconciliation & Holy Eucharist (Year 3) and Confirmation (Year 6). Multicultural visits and learning opportunities support both the understanding of our faith and Christianity whilst developing knowledge and understanding of other cultures, their traditions and festivals – mainly Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism.

ENGLISH

Reading is a strength of the school with the use of the Oxford Reading Tree Scheme as the core pathway to reading. Children are given many opportunities to read to themselves, each other, adults in school and at home. Our Phonics programme is based on LIttle Wandle Letters and Sounds, with the Rising Stars programme used in Years 3-6. The school is extremely well resourced to support our strong English Curriculum with high-quality poetry books, text books, class library books and children read for pleasure, to acquire knowledge and to research. Reading and drama are well used and we have a wonderful library with fiction and non-fiction books which children can access for research, enjoyment and to take home on loan.

MATHS

A ‘mastery’ approach has been developed and implemented for the planning, delivery and engagement with mathematics. We use the White Rose Maths Scheme as the basis for our maths curriculum, supported by the NCETM Mastering number programme in Reception and Key stage 1. The schemes of learning explore mathematical concepts progressively, drawing on resources, data and suggestions from reliable sources. They comprehensively and rigorously build on children’s knowledge and understanding of how our number system works which supports with key number fact recall. We also use Times Table Rock Stars as a way to develop the children’s recall of number facts in a fun and engaging way.

SCIENCE

In EYFS Science is taught through Understanding the World area of learning. In Years 1-6 we follow the ‘White Rose Science’ scheme, which includes all the Science National Curriculum expectations in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. It builds upon pupils’ skills of working scientifically, their knowledge and vocabulary encouraging them to be curious, active, lifelong learners. The scheme also integrates core investigation types and hands-on practical ideas directly into lessons. Our school Eco-team enhance the curriculum alongside visits and visitors. We regularly participate in Science Week.

HISTORY

We have designed a bespoke History curriculum which has a clear progression throughout the school from EYFS to Year 6. In Years 1-6 we use the National Curriculum programmes of study as our guide. Our History curriculum is organised into a progression model that outlines the skills that are to be taught in a sequentially coherent way. Chronology, range and depth of historical knowledge, interpretations of history, historical enquiry and organisation and communication are all mapped out to ensure that pupils build on secure prior knowledge. Children study areas such as Local History, British History and Wider World History.

GEOGRAPHY

Our Geography curriculum is designed to have a progression throughout the school. In Foundation Stage we use ‘Understanding the world’ and for Years 1-6 we use the National Curriculum programmes of study as our guide. It is designed into a progression model that outlines the skills that need to be taught across year groups. Geographical language, enquiry, locational and place knowledge, fieldwork and map/atlas work are all mapped out to ensure that children build on secure prior knowledge. We have units of learning focused on human physical Geography, locational/place Geography, and a Local Geography unit.

ART & DESIGN AND DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY (D&T)

Children study areas of paint and colour, textiles, drawing, sewing, model making, clay, woodwork; developing and investigating the works of others, puzzles and problems and their own creativity and talents. In D&T we use the scheme ‘Projects on a Page’ to support with the teaching and skills progression.

PSHE

PSHE helps children to take responsibility for their own health and well-being and develop key life skills. They learn skills and acquire knowledge that will inform choices they make in later life and develop high self-esteem and confidence. Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) are taught using the TenTen RSE scheme ‘Life to the Full’.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

Each year group has 2 hours of P.E. every week to develop the children’s skills and abilities within gym, games, athletics and dance, following the GetSet4PE scheme. The children in Year 4 attend swimming lessons to ensure they meet the end of KS2 requirements. Across the school the children have the opportunity to participate in a range of competitions and sports coaches or specialist teachers are invited into school to develop the children skills e.g. ‘Chance2Shine’ (Cricket coaching), Tag Rugby, Tri-Golf, Dance/Gymnastics (Stardust). There are also a variety of different after-school clubs during the year, which children have the opportunity to participate in.

COMPUTING AND ONLINE SAFETY

Computing is used to support all curriculum areas and children are taught to become responsible, competent and creative users of information and communication technology using a range of devices. Children learn about computer science – exploring the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are then equipped to use information technology to create a range of content including programs. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

Online safety is built into all of the Computing Curriculum and children learn how to look after themselves and others online, using the ‘Project Evolve’ scheme of work to support this.

MUSIC

We use the Music scheme Charanga within school. The children in Year 4 are involved in Wider Opportunities sessions learning to play Ukulele instruments. Children learn how to sing, play musical instruments, read simple notation and musical appreciation. Many children from Year 3-6 learn to play a musical instrument through peripatetic music teachers (guitar, piano, violin and keyboard). We have a weekly hymn practice for the Infants and Juniors which is led by staff. We are halos proud to work with Rocksteady Music, where children learn a variety of instruments and perform as a 'Rock band' each term. 

Modern Foreign Language (MFL)

French curriculum is designed to be progressive, with formal learning commencing in Year 3, covering learning in the following core strands: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Children have weekly lessons following the Language Angels Scheme and there is an expectation to use key vocabulary over the course of the week. We also promote global citizenship/personal development by incorporating teaching about cultures and people in France.

FOUNDATION STAGE

Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum is thoughtfully structured over two cycles, with each term driven by children’s interests and an engaging and thought-provoking question designed to spark curiosity and inspire learning. At the heart of our curriculum is play-based learning, recognising that young children learn best through play. Both our indoor and outdoor classrooms hold equal importance, offering a rich and varied environment for children to explore, investigate, and learn across all seven areas of learning. Our provision is a carefully planned balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities, alongside structured teaching sessions and continuous provision. This approach enables children to: extend their skills and embed new knowledge, build confidence and independence, develop problem-solving abilities and learn to relate positively to others. We place high value on the Characteristics of Effective Learning, which are woven through all areas of the curriculum to support children’s engagement, motivation, and thinking skills. 
We strongly believe that parents are a child’s first and most enduring educators. Building strong, trusting 
relationships with families is central to our ethos. We operate an open-door policy and strive to get to know every child and their family to support each child's unique learning journey. Parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s development through: sharing achievements via ‘Wow Cards’ and informing us of their child’s interests, needs, and milestones. We also work closely with external agencies to ensure the needs of all children are fully met. 
Every member of staff is engaged in ongoing observational assessment to determine each child’s starting points and ensure they make progress. Our team meets regularly to moderate and discuss pupil outcomes, ensuring consistency and high expectations. Our daily timetable includes: direct teaching sessions, Group time to check understanding, address misconceptions, and provide immediate verbal feedback, Intervention support, such as NELI (Nuffield Early Language Intervention) and our play partner role where adults support pupils learning through their play and own interests.

In Nursery, we prioritise the Prime Areas: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development. In Reception, all seven areas of learning are given equal weighting, with a strong emphasis on developing a love of reading. We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics programme in both Nursery and Reception. In Reception, children take part in Reading Practice sessions three times per week. The same decodable book is then sent home to share with parents. All children in Nursery and Reception also take home a weekly library book, encouraging a lifelong love of reading. We use a Mastery approach in Maths. In Reception, we follow NCETM Mastering Number resources. Across both Nursery and Reception, we also use the White Rose Maths scheme, providing a progressive, hands-on and engaging maths curriculum. Christ is at the heart of all we do. 
We follow the ‘Learning and Growing as People of God’ curriculum during our RE sessions and meet together daily for Prayer and Liturgy.

We are very proud of the diverse, rich curriculum we offer our children which leads to positive attitudes to learning and outstanding outcomes. Our Curriculum places the learners at the centre and allows them to develop and make connections in the Knowledge, Skills and Understanding across all subjects.

At St. Augustine’s we endeavour to ensure that our children’s attainment in core and foundation subjects is in line with or exceeds age-related expectations. Our intention is for all children to be ready for their next stage of education and to make a positive contribution to the life of the school and wider community. The work which we do is linked to the Virtues, Catholic Social Teaching, Personal and Social development, which all lead to the children enhancing their own personal relationship with Christ, enabling them to “love and learn together by growing in friendship with Jesus”.

Foundation Stage
Our curriculum and its delivery ensure that all children make at least good progress. We attribute this success to a rich blend of play-based exploration, rigorous assessment, and high-quality teaching throughout the early years. This approach lays the foundation for all future learning, supporting not only academic achievement but also the social, moral, and spiritual development of each child. Our aim is to nurture confident, curious, and happy learners who are well-prepared to be active, responsible citizens and enthusiastic, life-long learners.