Our Approach to Learning
At St Thomas More, we want every pupil to develop a love of learning and to enjoy every aspect of the curriculum. We believe that learning should be inspiring, challenging and purposeful. Guided by the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust Curriculum Principles, we design a curriculum that enables all pupils to flourish academically, spiritually and personally, preparing them to contribute positively to the common good. Drawing on our Catholic mission, we believe every child is made in God’s image and is entitled to an ambitious education that develops wisdom, knowledge and virtue.
Our curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced to ensure that pupils build secure knowledge over time. We recognise that progress is not simply about what pupils have encountered, but what they know, remember and can use. Through well-structured schemes of learning, expert teaching and high expectations, pupils are supported to develop deep understanding and lasting learning.
Every subject has its own distinctive knowledge, ways of thinking and disciplinary approaches. We celebrate the unique contribution of each subject whilst helping pupils make meaningful connections across the curriculum. Knowledge is deliberately selected and intentionally sequenced so that new learning builds on what has come before, enabling pupils to see patterns, form concepts and develop increasingly sophisticated understanding.
Language, reading and vocabulary are central to our curriculum. We recognise that reading underpins access to the entire curriculum and that strong communication skills enable pupils to organise, express and apply their knowledge effectively. Equally, we are committed to ensuring equity in curriculum entitlement, providing every pupil with access to powerful knowledge and the support they need to succeed.
At St Thomas More, we use a shared curriculum language across subjects to help pupils understand how they learn and to support them in becoming confident, independent learners. This common language reflects both our school approach and the wider Trust curriculum principles.
- Key Concepts: The big ideas that underpin each subject curriculum. These concepts provide the structure and sequence of learning, helping pupils make connections and develop secure subject knowledge over time.
- Crucial Learning: The most important knowledge and skills pupils must secure at key points in the curriculum. Crucial Learning helps teachers assess what pupils know, remember and can apply, ensuring that learning remains focused on what matters most.
- Make It Stick: Our approach to retrieval practice and memory. In line with the Trust principle that memory is a curriculum responsibility, pupils regularly revisit and interleave prior learning so that important knowledge is retained and can be used with confidence in new contexts.
- Performance Strand: The explicit teaching of examination strategies, subject-specific techniques and effective methods for demonstrating understanding. Assessment is used to support learning and curriculum development, helping pupils achieve their full potential while maintaining a focus on deep understanding rather than performance alone.
Through this shared approach, we aim to develop confident, motivated and independent learners who are ready for the next stage of education, employment and life, and who embody the values and aspirations of our Catholic community.
Trust Curriculum Principles
To learn more about the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust Curriculum Principles, please click here.