Our Curriculum - Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust
Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust (BHCET) is a community where every child is given the opportunity to achieve their full potential, rooted firmly in the values of the Gospel.
We are committed to delivering a purposeful, progressive and inclusive curriculum with Christ at the Centre and Children at the Heart.
Our Curriculum Vision
Our curriculum celebrates our local heritage and nurtures pupils’ understanding of the communities in which they live, while preparing them for their next steps and opening doors to the wider world as lifelong learners.
At the heart of everything we do are our curriculum drivers, which underpin our shared belief that education should:
- Help children understand their role as global citizens
- Encourage aspiration and ambition
- Broaden horizons
- Enable pupils to live the Gospel through Catholic Social Teaching
Our curriculum is carefully planned to provide academic, spiritual, social and cultural opportunities, supporting character development through a strong focus on virtue and moral purpose.
Values and Virtues
The following virtues are woven in to our curriculum:
- Respect and responsibility
- Justice and compassion
- Confidence and resilience
- Honesty and self belief
These virtues enable pupils to develop a strong sense of self and move confidently into the next chapter of their education.
To promote British Values and Citizenship, democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs are embedded throughout sequences of learning.
Careers, Aspiration and Future Readiness
Careers education is woven throughout our curriculum, enabling pupils from the earliest age to develop an understanding of pathways into further education, employment and independence.
Our ambitious curriculum provides:
- Clear progression from EYFS through to Key Stage 2
- Seamless transition to secondary education
- Defined end points aligned with the National Curriculum
Strong collaboration between primary and secondary phases ensures learning is coherent, continuous and aspirational.
Curriculum Design and Learning Approach
Individual subject disciplines are taught explicitly, with coherent links across subjects. The curriculum is carefully sequenced so that learning is cumulative, with:
- Substantive and disciplinary knowledge at the heart of each subject
- Opportunities to revisit and secure key concepts over time
- Explicit connections made between areas of learning to strengthen understanding
We are proud of our evidence informed practice and our commitment to high quality professional development. We recognise that memory lies at the heart of learning, and so opportunities for retrieval and recall are deliberately planned to help pupils know more and remember more.
Teaching for Understanding
Our curriculum is purposeful and responsive, aiming to:
- Create a positive, supportive environment for all pupils
- Build a holistic understanding of individual needs
- Ensure access to high quality teaching across all subjects
- Secure strong foundations in reading, writing, oracy, listening and numeracy from EYFS onwards
- Expose pupils to the richness of language and knowledge
- Promote metacognition, debate and critical thinking
Rolling programmes and cycles of learning ensure pupils meet threshold concepts relevant to their year group without repetition.
Enrichment and Experience
We value the power of authentic experience, bringing learning to life through:
- Educational visits and excursions
- Carefully planned in school events
- Balanced exposure to coastal, urban and rural environments
- Curriculum continuity with partner secondary schools
These opportunities support smooth transitions and broaden pupils’ cultural capital.
Consistency and Quality
Consistency of teaching approach is a priority across our school. While content is age appropriate, the methods and pedagogical principles remain consistent.
Our teaching is guided by evidence based practice, including Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction. We understand learning as an alteration in long term memory; therefore, progress means knowing more and remembering more.
Our approach is built on:
- Clear long term curriculum intent
- Carefully sequenced short term learning goals
- Building on prior knowledge
- Adaptive teaching and effective scaffolding
- Timely intervention to remove barriers to learning
Assessment and Quality Assurance
Curriculum and assessment are intrinsically linked. Assessment is:
- Purposeful
- Valid
- Reliable
- Valuable
Its purpose is always to improve learning and inform teaching. Robust quality assurance processes support professional development and ensure sustained impact on pupil outcomes.
Outcomes for Our Children
Children leave St. Joseph’s knowing that they belong, that they matter, and that they can make a positive difference in the world.
From their starting points to the end of each phase, pupils develop the academic knowledge, personal resilience and moral awareness needed to thrive in the next stages of their life and education.