Curriculum Intent Statement

At St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, our curriculum is designed to be broad, balanced, inclusive, and ambitious for every learner, ensuring continuity, progression, and success for all. We are deeply committed to meeting the needs of SEND pupils, disadvantaged pupils, and those facing barriers to learning, ensuring that every child — regardless of background or starting point — has equitable access to the full curriculum and the opportunity to thrive.

Our curriculum aims to provide challenge, foster motivation, and ignite ambition, all within a learning environment that is safe, supportive, and caring. We recognise that each child is uniquely talented and valued in the eyes of God; therefore, we strive to deliver targeted, evidence-informed provision so that all pupils reach their potential and develop a genuine love for lifelong learning.

We offer a carefully planned and coherently sequenced curriculum, delivered through high-quality, adaptive teaching that promotes depth and breadth of learning. Teachers are skilled in identifying and responding to the diverse needs of learners, ensuring that SEND and disadvantaged pupils make strong progress through high expectations, effective scaffolding, and precise intervention. Our curriculum balances a traditional academic core with creative, practical, and vocational opportunities, allowing all pupils to experience success and develop a wide range of knowledge and skills.

Our pastoral curriculum and Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) programme, shaped by our local context, support pupils’ personal development and well-being. They are designed to prepare all pupils, particularly the most vulnerable, for the complexities of adult life in an ever-changing and diverse society.

We aim to equip our pupils with the skills essential for 21st-century living:

• New ways of thinking: creativity, critical analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making
• New ways of working: effective communication, collaboration, and resilience
• New tools for learning: the confidence to recognise and utilise emerging technologies

Ultimately, we aspire for every pupil, including those facing disadvantage or additional needs, to become active, compassionate, and principled Christian citizens who make a positive contribution to a complex and interconnected world.

Any questions regarding the Curriculum can be directed to the Deputy Headteacher, Mrs G Morris

.