Our Curriculum
Curriculum Statement
Our motto, ‘Love God, Love Ourselves, Love People’, resonates throughout school and in our partnership with our families and wider community. This is reflected throughout our curriculum planning and delivery, in order to help all children achieve in their academic and personal development.
To ensure the most disadvantaged pupils in our school have the best opportunity to thrive academically, our Pupil Premium Strategy focuses on number fluency, reading, vocabulary acquisition, speaking & listening and being ready and prepared for learning, so that all pupils can access the curriculum. Similarly, we closely map out our provision for our SEND pupils, so that they gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life. Overleigh St Marys is an inclusive school and as such, do not believe in narrowing the curriculum for any learner. Our curriculum is designed with inclusion of all, and our curriculum intent is therefore the same for all children including those with SEND. However, we are mindful that there are an abundance of factors which need to be considered in order for all learners to be able to access learning according to their individual needs. Therefore, whilst our curriculum intent is the same for all learners; our implementation of the curriculum may well look different for different groups of children including those with SEND. Teachers will plan, scaffold, challenge and embed learning through activities which are amended to meet individual children’s needs. If a child’s needs are best met by following an alternative plan, including coverage of the content from a previous year, this will be discussed with the SENCO. Children are supported through a multi-sensory approach to their learning based on the outcomes written in their SEN support plan or EHCP.
Our curriculum aims to promote the following values in our children:-
Curiosity
Through our stimulating curriculum, our aim is to provide opportunities for all children to foster a love of learning and be successful and reflective learners. When selecting our programmes of study, we strive to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for our children that has clear progression of knowledge, skills and abilities throughout each key stage and their whole journey through school.
Community
This is inclusive of local, national and international issues which enable children to develop the courage to be respectful individuals that make reasoned, positive, unbiased and informed choices.
Christianity
As a church school, the traditions and values of the Christian church are woven into school life and tolerance, respect and understanding of other's beliefs is promoted. We understand the significance of faith and children developing an awareness and understanding of different beliefs. Our school celebrates and embraces difference which nurtures children to become tolerant, respectful and empathetic individuals. Christian values underpin the journey children embark on throughout our school and are embedded within our curriculum.
The values run in biannual cycles: Christ and Spirit.
C Christian love S compassion
H Hope P Peace
R Respect I Wisdom
I Integrity R Friendship
S Service and stewardship I Justice
T Thankfulness T Trust
Intent
At our school we provide a rich and varied learning environment that allows all children to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities to their full potential through being informed, articulate and empowered learners.
The intent of what we want our children to gain in our curriculum comes from being informed, articulate and empowered learners:-
Informed:
- Understanding of the learning journey they embark on and how it links to the wider world community around them.
- Access to a knowledge engaged curriculum, that is structured to build upon and extend prior learning.
Articulate:
- Daily opportunities to gain and develop key skills in reading, writing and arithmetic are the foundations of our curriculum, helping to prepare our children to be lifelong learners. Regular problem-solving and reasoning activities are built in across the curriculum to allow the children to use their speaking and listening skills and apply these in other curriculum areas.
- Planned opportunities for language development including key vocabulary, links to prior learning and discussion points are embedded in all subjects
- Understanding and being able to verbalise the historical and geographical significance of our local area in Chester, our place in Britain and the wider world around us
- Developing our sense of belonging in our local community, celebrating the diversity amongst us and embedding a culture of inclusion.
Empowered
- Nurturing our spiritual, moral, social and cultural values through our Christian ethos.
- Inclusive design to ensure all pupils can access, benefit from and relate to their learning.
- Reading is the gateway to pupils learning. To ensure all our pupils are able to access the full curriculum, we place a strong focus on early reading and vocabulary development right from the start.
- Developing resilience through the acquisition of strong behaviours for learning.
- Creating opportunities to spark interest and enthusiasm to enable children to acquire the key skills of reading, writing and arithmetic which can be applied confidently and effectively across all subjects.
- Encouraging curiosity in expanding their own learning into areas which capture their interest and imagination.
- Igniting children’s learning through purposeful and enriching experiences that enhance their enjoyment of all that they learn.
- Exploring democracy, the rule of law and tolerance to gain an understanding of fundamental British Values.
Implementation
All subjects are taught discretely at Overleigh. Where possible, knowledge and skills are applied through cross-curricular links. Previous knowledge and vocabulary is reviewed and built on through each new strand of work.
In order to achieve our intended outcomes each member of staff takes responsibility for contributing to, maintaining, monitoring and enhancing our curriculum for the children:
Each subject leader takes responsibility for ensuring that the curriculum offered to our children within their subject provides clear progression of knowledge, skills, vocabulary development and understanding throughout the school. They create, monitor and adapt, long and medium term planning across all key stages in line with national curriculum expectations to maintain a vibrant, diverse and inclusive curriculum for all our children. Subject leaders support teachers in the implementation of planning through providing training where required or with general support with quality first teaching. They identify key learning outcomes for each strand in order to inform ongoing informal assessment of children’s learning.
Each teacher within the school takes responsibility for developing short term learning sequences for all subjects in line with the long and medium term planning. They ensure that children are being taught the appropriate knowledge, skills and vocabulary identified on a daily basis. Throughout all strands, teachers find enriching learning experiences that ignite and enhance the children’s enjoyment of learning. Planning is adapted to include all children in line with their developmental expectations ensuring inclusion for all. At all times, teachers act as a positive role model, encouraging children to make their own unbiased, reasoned and informed choices in line with our Christian ethos.
The senior leadership team are responsible for holding to account, motivating and supporting subject leaders and teachers in maintaining a high quality learning environment throughout the school that embraces all. They are responsible for monitoring both the quality of provision and learning outcomes to ensure that all children are receiving an inclusive and progressive education that embraces diversity. Throughout all this work, the senior leadership team are accountable for inspiring, promoting and maintaining a curriculum that is underpinned by the Christian values that are embedded in all learning across school.
The governors are responsible for working alongside the senior leadership team and subject leaders to monitor and enhance the quality of the curriculum and learning environment provided to the children. They will understand the expected curriculum outcomes and both support and challenge staff to ensure that these outcomes are achieved.
Impact
To ensure that the implementation has matched the intention of the curriculum, the quality of provision and outcomes are monitored in a variety of ongoing ways;
- Termly book scrutiny of selected children’s work by subject leaders and SLT.
- Termly inclusive pupil voice.
- Learning walks by subject leaders, often in partnership with SLT.
- Continual assessment for learning by teachers.
- Summative termly outcomes in reading, spelling and mathematics.
- Termly moderation of children’s writing in year group teams under the guidance of the English subject leads.
- End of Key Stage 1 and 2 SATs.
- Phonics screening in Year 1.
- Multiplication in Year 4.
- Baseline assessments in EYFS.
- Learning walks for classroom environments.
- Monitoring the amount of time allotted to individual subjects.
- Valuing and celebrating the achievements.
Teachers, subject leaders and SLT will continually review individual units of work and discuss changes that will enhance future learning within those units including;
- the quality of rich learning experiences/school outings/visitor interactions that the children engage in:
- the impact and learning outcome responses formed by the children from special curriculum learning days/weeks;
- the quality of teaching and learning within a strand of work;
- the impact of daily planning across a strand of work;
- the accessibility to, and quality of, resources;
- children’s feedback opinions and suggestions;
- teacher’s feedback from individual year groups.
All analysis, review, scrutiny and feedback will be evaluated against outcomes and, if deemed to enhance future learning, subject leaders will then amend and update planning in line with feedback, continuing to ensure that new intentions and implementations fall in line with national curriculum expectations.
Overleigh St. Mary's Enrichment Offer
Our Vision
Our vision, ‘Love God, Love Ourselves, Love People’, resonates throughout school and in our partnership with our families and wider community. This is reflected throughout our curriculum planning and delivery, in order to help all children, achieve in their best academic and personal development.
Enrichment is at the core of this commitment and is carefully planned, monitored and evaluated with adjustments considered at least annually. Enrichment is seen as integral to the way we work at Overleigh and is planned in partnership with leaders at all levels within:
- All curriculum subjects
- Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE)
- Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural education (SMSC)
- Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
- Overleigh bespoke awards and programmes that recognise and celebrate achievement in each of the main strands of enrichment and with embedded academic learning links
- Programmes of clubs and inter and intra sporting events as well as residential and day visits
- Leadership development and planned opportunities to seek justice and make a difference to the children’s own lives and that of others in the community and beyond (courageous advocacy)
- Pastoral support and development
Just as with our wider subject provision, Curiosity, Community and Christianity are the pillars that run through the core of our offer. Enrichment is not a separate or lesser concern it is an essential part of ensuring a rich and varied learning environment that allows all children to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities to their full potential through being informed, articulate and empowered learners.
We provide Pupils multiple and varied opportunities to engage in purposeful enrichment activities that are fun and support a thriving childhood and successful transition to adulthood, including through supporting wellbeing and social skills.
These largely group around 5 strands:
- Civic engagement – for example, volunteering, debating, school and college democracy, and community engagement
- Arts and culture – for example, taking part in and having live experience of music, art, dance, theatre and other expressive arts, and visits to museums and galleries
- Nature, outdoors and adventure – for example, time outdoors, climate education and sustainability projects, gardening, residentials and camps.
- Sport and physical activities – for example, participating in individual and team sports, physical activities like dance, fitness activities or cycling, representing the school or college, attending live events
- Developing wider life and future skills – for example, digital literacy, STEM clubs, enterprise, cooking and managing finances.
A Bespoke Commitment
Our offer is informed and shaped by the precise needs of our children and wider community. This means we consider our unique circumstances and location, with a catchment that draws from English and Welsh authorities, being within walking distance of a city that is steeped in history, the breadth of countries our children enjoy cultural and family links to (over 40 nations) as well as our Christian Distinctiveness and links to St Mary’s Without Walls church in Handbridge.
Our offer is inclusive and for all and especially ensures children are not inhibited by the financial circumstances of their family, additional learning needs or those who have communication barriers such as EAL or who are nonverbal. We are creative with the timing and style of our offer e.g., using lunchtimes for staff to run clubs where they have very strong relationships and draw on the interests of the children, can promote their talents and expertise and where there is no additional cost.
We also recognise that financial constraints for families have increased significantly in recent years and indeed school budgets and reduction in charitable and voluntary donations have also impacted on our decision making regarding the enrichment we offer. However, our creative and layered approach that this does not compromise our experiences for children. Rather we are judicious in our choices, complementing external visits with visitors to school, staggering our residential offer across the children’s journey through school and drawing on the talents and expertise of our staff, families and community to ensure a diverse and stimulating offer that supports enjoyment, provides memorable experience and enriches our academic and wider planned curriculum.
Our Core Offer 2026-2027
(We call it a core offer, because this is what has been planned based on evaluation from the previous year. However, we are flexible and due to our strong links in community we recognise that new opportunities may arise or a specific need or interest may emerge. Where possible and where the intent remains true to our vision, we are able to adapt and personalise our offer.)
- Twelve before Twelve Award
These are the 12 core experiences that we wish to ensure every child has before they leave us and move onto secondary school.
This encompasses all of the 5 enrichment strands and more.
Each term children review their records with their teachers and set their own goals for the following term. Staff sensitively challenge children to try new experiences and grow in confidence each time they meet one of the 12. We ensure our children move onto secondary school with the experience and some confidence in these varied skills so that they are much more likely to engage with similar and new activities in their new setting.
- Perform to an audience and watch a professional performance.
- Explore future career opportunities and meet professional and skilled role models.
- Learn to play a musical instrument and work alongside an expert to create music.
- Develop resilience through participation in our Secrets to Success Award.
- Represent the school at an event.
- Participate in a democratic process.
- Make a practical difference to the lives of others in the Overleigh family and beyond.
- Be a leader.
- Participate in competitive activities.
- Grow produce to eat and share.
- Spend a night away from home.
- Understand how to navigate a museum, art gallery and city and cross the border into Wales!
- Secrets to Success
This is an award that initially was based on the Chris Quigley learning skills to build resilience approach. We have run the reward for a number of years now and refined it to an Overleigh approach over time. All children are invited to complete 6 challenges across a year, one for each half term, that encourage them to try new experiences, show dedication to work, demand sustained concentration, encourages them to push beyond their immediate comfort zone, encourages creativity and sparks the imagination, highlights the importance of practicing and perfecting a newly learned skill, promotes connectivity in community and overcoming challenge. Staff support and encourage the children to complete the programme and offer time in school to prepare and plan tasks but the completion of each challenge is made largely outside of school to emphasis our commitment to life long learning that impacts beyond the school day. Once challenges are completed, they are shared, celebrated and recognised in school. Any child who manages to complete all 6 challenges is invited with their family to a special awards event with guest speakers who share their own journey of resilience and hard work.
Challenges for 2026:
Autumn 1 Challenge: Build a Bivouac—an outdoor shelter
Build a ‘Bivouac’ (an outdoor shelter built from things around you).
Only use rope or string and natural objects around you such as leaves, sticks, stones, etc.
Autumn 2 Challenge: Start a Business
Think of something you could make to sell to raise money for charity.
It could be handmade cards, painted pebbles, decorated bookmarks, Christmas decorations, etc.
Spring 1 Challenge: Speak a new Language
Learn 5 – 10 words or phrases from a different language. Practise these and record yourself saying them.
Spring 2 Challenge: Grow a Plant or Vegetable
Grow a plant or vegetable. Choose something that will grow within 4—6 weeks such as: cress, radishes, lettuce, spring onions, sunflowers, etc. Record progress either in a chart or through photographs.
Summer 1 Challenge: Perform a Poem/Rhyme/Song
Learn a poem/rhyme/song and perform it to your family, friends or your class.This could be something you already know or something you teach yourself.
Summer 2 Challenge: Walk a Mile a Week
Walk 1 mile every week for 3 weeks. If you want you can record what you see during your walk and think about all the beautiful things in our immediate environment and the world around us.
- Overleigh Core Values
Our 12 values run on a biannual cycle of 6 per year and are at the heart of our lived experience at Overleigh and provide enrichment for civic engagement as well as certificates recognising achievement in other strands of enrichment against the values.
At the start of each half term the value in focused is re launched and the whole school complete activities around seeking justice, speaking out and contributing to the community carefully planned by our curriculum leads. These challenges are appropriately challenging by age and success is shared and celebrated with families and the wider community.
The 6 values for 2026-2027 are below and we begin with an enrichment, PSHE and diversity week focused on Love.
C Christian love
H Hope
R Respect
I Integrity
S Service and stewardship
T Thankfulness
- Curriculum Plans
Each subject leader and phase of the school work together to plan enrichment that complements, captures interest and deepens understanding of curriculum and wider learning goals. These are explicitly identified in long term planning available in each subject section for convenience.
Our aim in 26-27 is to colour code the activities against the enrichment strands to further support understanding of where these activities reach enrichment goals.
In addition, we also have a firm commitment, reviewed annually, to curriculum choices and special events to promote enrichment and celebrate effort, enjoyment and excellence linked to curriculum. For 2026-2027 this includes:
- Forest School – a bespoke and extensive area of our grounds allows for highly experienced and qualified staff to lead sessions for all year groups across the year.
- Eisteddfod Overleigh – A show case competition for all pupils. All classes enter at least one category together and then as individuals and groups the children choose other areas, they wish to perform in. Categories include: traditional dance, poetry voice and instrument.
- Communication days – focused on oracy and reading explored through texts and experience.
- Artist in residence – CDAT has arranged for an artist to lead a workshop with our cluster schools to teach new techniques and challenge talented artists. The children that go along will then lead the project at Overleigh, disseminating the knowledge and working on a collective installation.
- Learn a musical instrument – Every child will learn to play the recorder with us and also in KS2 the violin.
- Sports Programme
Our PE lead draws up an annual programme of events that includes opportunities to compete with other cluster schools in our diocese and intra events within school. These events include those adapted to enable participation, celebrating excellence in sport as well as ensuring everyone can have a go and foster a spirit of mutual encouragement and team spirit.
We understand that where a child competes externally at a significant level in their chosen sport it may be frustrating not to always be chosen for the school team or indeed that we may not always win. However, we hope to ensure understanding that primary school sports are not elete competitions and are also about having a go and gaining confidence, resilience and commiserating or celebrating together.
However, we also really enjoy sharing particular excellence and success in sport outside of school on a weekly basis in worship and in our newsletters. This also helps promote opportunity and local sporting links to other children and families.
- Clubs
Each term a programme of clubs for before and after school is published for families to engage with for their children. These are generally externally run and involve a cost. However, we ensure this is competitive and meets precise demand as far as we can. Where there is interest and cost are prohibitive, we arrange subsidised or free spaces on a case-by-case basis with each club leader.
During the school day we run a series of clubs, led predominantly by school staff, during the lunch times. Again, the programme is shared with the children each term and where tracking shows a child is not attending clubs outside of school, they are supported to explore options within school. Pupil voice is captured and staff try and adapt their offer to engage and spark the particular interests of our children.
- Leadership
As children move through school there are planned opportunities to develop leadership skills. Teachers keep careful notes of children who have participated to encourage everyone to have a go. By Y6 there is a firm expectation on all the children to carry out leadership roles for some of their lunchtimes to increase experience of responsibility and commitment.
Our offer 2026-2027 includes:
- Y5 buddies for Nursery children
- Y6 buddies for YR children
- Green Team, Pupil Parliament, Ethos Group, Wellbeing Warriors and H&S Officers
- Election process, run as closely as we can to that of government, to elect head and deputy head pupil
- Y5 & Y6 raising money to contribute to their residential events, developing understanding of resilience and creativity as well as accounting
- Archbishop’s young leader award for Y5 – externally benchmarked
- Cluster Engagement
Vision & Collaborative Cluster Strategy
As part of CDAT, we believe that education extends far beyond the traditional classroom. We are deeply committed to nurturing well-rounded, confident, and resilient young people.
To achieve this vision, our school actively collaborates within our Local Cluster Group of Schools. By sharing resources, expertise, and opportunities across our cluster, we deliver high-quality, shared pupil experiences and competitions that support every child's personal development, character growth, and overall wellbeing.
Our Core Cluster Purpose
Our collaborative cluster strategy focuses on four core pillars designed to broaden horizons and ensure equity of access across all member schools:
- RE & Christian Distinctiveness: Delivering joint events and developing resources that reflect our shared values, deepen spiritual reflection, and support SIAMS readiness across our schools.
- Arts, Culture & Music: Creating collaborative platforms for creative expression, joint musical performances, and shared cultural experiences.
- More Able Provision: Offering targeted masterclasses and extension challenges to stretch, inspire, and foster excellence among our more able pupils.
- Inclusive Sports & Competitions: Organising inter-school sports events, health and wellbeing initiatives, and inclusive physical activity opportunities.
Alignment with DfE Personal Development Outcomes
Our joint cluster activities directly align with the Department for Education's (DfE) core enrichment outcomes: building life skills, improving wellbeing, boosting attainment, and tackling disadvantage so that every child receives high-quality opportunities regardless of circumstance.
|
DfE Enrichment Pillar |
How We Deliver It Through Joint Cluster Activity |
|
Civic Engagement |
Multi-school student councils/ pupil parliaments, joint volunteering initiatives, and inter-school debating opportunities. |
|
Arts & Culture |
Shared performance opportunities including music, voice, dance and poetry, cross-school art enrichments and exhibitions, and theatrical experiences. |
|
Nature, Outdoors & Adventure |
Collaborative outdoor learning opportunities and ideas and environmental cluster initiatives. |
|
Sport & Physical Activity |
Inclusive cluster sports events, festivals, and physical health challenges. |
|
Wider Life & Future Skills |
More Able masterclasses, enterprise challenges, life-skills days and engagement of experts in their field providing inspiration to our children. |
In addition, as opportunities present, we extend the offer ensuring balance across school and, where possible, targeting particular strands where more opportunity would be welcomed.