The curriculum at St. Anthony’s is carefully configured to enable all pupils to excel in their learning and meet their full potential. Stretch and challenge are built into the curricula across all subject areas from Reception to Year 8. One of the key principles underpinning our curriculum design is to enable opportunities for ‘exploratory’ learning, meaning that our boys are empowered as active agents in their learning, as opposed to passive recipients.
To achieve this, the curriculum has an emphasis on collaborative learning opportunities in order to develop key ‘learning behaviours’ such as relishing, rather than fearing, challenge; recognising the links between different subject areas and fostering critical and enquiring minds rather than a ‘blind’ acceptance of received knowledge and the status quo. We believe that promoting these behaviours will equip our students not only with in-depth subject knowledge but also the key skills to ensure that the learning experience is rich, vibrant and embedded.
We also place a great deal of emphasis on valuing differing interpretations and points of view. Reflective opportunities are built into the curriculum to ensure that pupils are able to adapt or enhance their approaches in order to build successful outcomes and ultimately accelerate their progress. How far could it be said…? and How might an alternative case be put…? are the types of questions boys are encouraged to ask both within their learning generally and at carefully identified intervals within the curriculum.
We believe that teaching and modelling positive learning behaviours, alongside the delivery of an engaging, robust and ‘fit-for the-21st Century’ curriculum, ensures that our boys are put in the best possible stead for their educational journey.
