Our Ofsted Inspection found that, 'The school’s extremely              well-designed and carefully organised curriculum ensures that pupils learn a broad range of subjects and achieve exceptionally well, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2.

The curriculum exceeds the demands of the national curriculum in several respects and pupils are taught by highly skilled adults.'

All that we do at St Joseph’s is shaped by our commitment to our Faith. The choices we make and the expectations we nurture in our children emanate from a guiding desire to live our lives according to gospel values. In the words of our Mission Statement, written by the children:

• We are God’s family, here to learn and try our best.
• God is at the heart of everything. Prayer is behind us in all that we do.
• We are called to serve others.
• We treat others with respect, as we would wish to be treated ourselves.
• We want everyone to be the best person they can be.
• We are all amazing in our own way.
• We look after the wonderful world that God created for us.

We aim to develop a strong moral compass in our children, exemplified by a high level of respect for people, a desire to help the less fortunate and the confidence to stand up for the equal rights of all. 

Our curriculum is broad and balanced, designed to lead children towards mastery in all subjects, providing children with the cultural capital they need. 

It ensures that children appreciate the responsibility they hold to contribute and to be good and active members of their community and wider society.

We help children develop a positive attitude to learning from their first days in school. We want all children to experience success, but equally for them to know that making mistakes is an important aspect of how we learn.

We have high expectations of children and expect them to be engaged in their lessons, to demonstrate a desire to challenge themselves and to know what more they need to do to improve further. 

Our curriculum is inclusive, and we expect all children to have full and equal access.

Interrupting the Forgetting 

Our approach is based on our understanding of how children learn most effectively. Initially, pupils secure strong foundational knowledge in each subject.  They go on to link new ideas to prior learning across all subjects.   ​

Learning is regularly revisited through lots of retrieval practice. Quick low stakes quizzes, revisiting content and our 'Power Pages' all help to embed knowledge in the memory of the children. 

We ensure full access to learning for children of all abilities, either through support which is carefully scaffolded or by providing extension challenges.

We value highly the importance of each child’s emotional and social development; our Education in Personal Relationships programme of study covers this exceptionally well.

We are committed to ensuring that children learn to take care of their physical and mental health, with a programme of learning specifically in place to ensure this happens.

Building resilience and self-awareness are key aspects of the work we do. Our school trips, including two outward bound residential, add significantly to this area.

We provide a school counsellor and two ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) for any child who needs an extra boost to bring them back to their best self.

The curriculum provides a rich cultural experience with music, drama, dance and art valued alongside other subjects.

Our Framework for Learning 

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Reception	Me and My Location Toys Follow the Star!	Pirates People Who Help Us	The Animals Came in Two by Two Dinosaurs Seaside
Year One	St Joseph's Epsom The Three Pigs	Neil Armstrong Barnaby Bear Travels the World Van Gogh’s Sunflowers	Ourselves and Other Animals Henry V111 and Elizabeth 1
Year Two	Trains, Planes Automobiles Autumn Florence Nightingale Moving Christmas Card	London’s Burning Materials Epsom Mapping	Changing Seasons Habitats Equal Rights -Greta Thunberg
Year Three	Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch Settlements Magnets Equal Rights - Ermeline Pankhurst	The Prehistoric Age Skeletons Weather Forecast Making Playgrounds	Let There be Light Romans Plants London Skyline
Year Four	Disasters and Human Impact Ancient Egyptians Sound	Changing State Hola! Equal Rights - Mulala	Ancient Greeks Teeth and Digestion Eco Project  Waste
Year Five	Chile Sayers Croft Life Cycles Light	Forces Mayans Equal Rights - Rosa Parks	Materials Anglo Saxons/Vikings/1066 Rivers Gears and Levers Impressionism
Year Six	Hampton Court to Greenwich The Heart Electricity Icons	Mountains To Boldly Go! Equal Rights - Martin Luther King	Evolution Save Our Coasts WW2 Eric Ravillious

All in all, we are preparing our children to live life successfully as well-rounded citizens of the United Kingdom and the wider world. We prepare children well for their next steps in education at secondary school.

Achieving High Standards

On a daily basis we see children who are keen to learn, self-driven to succeed and making great progress.

We know that outcomes for them in terms of end of year and key stage assessment results indicate that this is the case.  At the end of Year One, children are assessed through a national phonics test for which we are usually in top 5% of the country.  Our outcomes for KS1 assessment and for Year 6 SATs are always strong.

Our children tell us in regular surveys that they feel happy and safe. They relish all the additional opportunities we provide to help them reach their best selves.

Our community tell us in feedback following key events. The messages of gratitude received at the end of academic years are a good indication that parents recognise that the curriculum offer at St Joseph’s is both special and effective.

The quality of the work evidenced in children’s books is testament to the breadth and depth of learning they do. Children take pride in their work. From the day each child starts school, we keep their Special Books and when they leave in year six, we hand them back, tied in a ribbon as a memento of the journey they made with us. This celebrates their perseverance and determination to do well.

Outward Looking

We are involved in a number of outreach initiatives, helping to shape the development of other professionals. Until recently, we were a Teaching School, leading several other primary schools in CPD and collaboration.

Our Deputy Head is a Maths and Mastery Specialist, working on a weekly basis for the NEHS MathsHub.  A second teacher is now also a Mastery Specialist.

We also train a cohort of Early Career Teachers from across Surrey, who are in their first and second year of teaching.

We are asked to provide these services because the quality of the education offered at St Joseph’s is regarded highly.

Please contact the school office if you require any further information about our curriculum offer.