Ethos and Values

Curriculum at St. Leonards CE Primary Academy

Vision and Values

At the heart of our curriculum and school life is a clear foundation built upon our Christian vision and values. These values guide everything we do, shaping our ethos, our relationships, and our aspirations for every member of our school community.

Through our Christian values, we acknowledge our responsibility to all, to enrich lives and show love and respect within our school family. We believe in lifelong learning, aiming to equip our children to live life today and for tomorrow, rooted in Christian values.

Ethos and Values

Within our caring Christian community, we provide a broad, balanced and creative curriculum, which gives everyone the opportunity to learn to be independent, resilient, life-long learners.

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Be Safe, Be Determined, Be Respectful, Be Faithful

Our core values are not just words—they are guiding principles for our pupils. At our school, we do not rely on a list of rules. Instead, we use our values to help children make positive choices, understand right from wrong, and grow into respectful, responsible individuals. These values shape behaviour, support wellbeing, and create a nurturing environment where everyone can thrive.

Our Christian values are deeply embedded in our curriculum intent. They guide the design and delivery of learning experiences that promote personal development, character education, and spiritual growth. By fostering qualities such as resilience, respect, determination, and faithfulness, our curriculum prepares children not only for academic success but also for life beyond school. We aim to nurture lifelong learners who are equipped to make thoughtful choices, contribute positively to society, and live with purpose and compassion.

It is bespoke to the needs of the children at St. Leonard’s not only by focussing on appropriate subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum, but by encompassing Christian values and by developing individual and collaborative learning experiences and challenges that take them beyond the classroom and prepare them for life in modern Britain.

We are a two form entry primary school with a diverse community. Our curriculum is constantly evolving to respond to the needs of our children and our community. It is designed to inspire enthusiasm for learning, to ensure achievement and to support pupil well-being and happiness.

We provide first hand learning experiences that allow children to develop interpersonal skills and build resilience.

We celebrate our own special school identity through experiences that our curriculum provides. We have developed a rich and varied menu of enrichment opportunities to engage learning and recognise individuality.

Our curriculum enables us to build strong relationships, celebrate diversity, encourage respect and build a sense of community. It provides and acknowledges success for all children, in all aspects of their development and it recognises, encourages and celebrates all types of talent.

Principles and Purpose

The curriculum at St. Leonard’s is driven by our agreed principles.

General Principles

Our curriculum will give the children the opportunity to:

• Explore learning through a curriculum that is broad and balanced and encourages independence through a variety of experiences
• Learn indoors and outdoors, experiencing challenge and enjoyment of learning
• Develop new skills in different context to support pupils becoming life long learners
• Provides pupils with challenge, encourages perseverance and supports pupils in becoming resilient
• Understand the value of learning and reach their full potential

Well-being Principles

Our curriculum will give the children the opportunity to:

• Develop self-esteem and confidence in their own ability
• Flourish in their learning in an environment that is supportive and built on praise
• Enables pupils to have a deeper understanding of core values and how they use them in their everyday lives.
• Give pupils the time to reflect on their learning, and encouragement to recognise that people are good at different things

Pupil Voice Principles

Our curriculum will give the children the opportunity to:

• Provide the opportunity for pupils to express their own ideas and opinions on a range of topics and issues
• Promote children’s physical, mental and emotional well-being.
• Support pupils to be confident to make informed decisions about what they like or dislike in their learning.
• Help pupils to become active citizens making a positive contribution to the school and local community

Pedagogy Principles

Our curriculum will be taught through a pedagogy that:

• Excites pupils and motivates them in their learning sustaining their interests.
• Provides challenge that will support building resilience.
• Enables pupils to guide their own learning, reflecting on their learning as they go.
• Promotes creativity, problem solving and communication through a range of subjects

Enrichment Principles

We will enrich our curriculum by:

• Providing on and off-site subject-related activities
• Offering opportunities for children to learn outdoors
• Giving pupils the opportunity to enrich a topic through off-site visits and in school visits
• Welcoming parents/carers and people in the local community to share in pupils learning experiences

Equality in the Curriculum

Our curriculum approach adheres with the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014. Our adaptive approaches prioritise making the curriculum accessible for all learners, including those with disabilities or SEN. We strive to ensure equal opportunities for every pupil, valuing their needs and supporting their learning journey.