“A different language is a different vision of life." Federico Fellini St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School is a place that offers pupils an education rich in wonder and memorable experiences. Through our creative and inspiring MFL curriculum, it is our aim that children ‘learn to love and love to learn’ as global citizens. We believe that acquiring a foreign language and developing skills in communication are a necessary part of living in a multicultural society, essential ingredients to broadening our children’s horizons. Language lessons place a strong emphasis on developing the speaking and listening skills of the children: expressing their ideas and thoughts as they interact and communicate with others orally is at the heart of our MFL curriculum. The bespoke KS2 curriculum is organised around a wide range of engaging and relevant topics and themes; it aims to teach language that is purposeful and of high interest as well as nurture linguistic curiosity. MFL Overview Assessment Statements for MFL Intent, Implementation & Impact Statement Language Ambassadors At Saint Bernadette’s we have Language Ambassadors who promote the school’s positive ethos in language learning. These children have been chosen to represent our school as great role models, promoting the importance of language and the diverse world we live in. What an amazing job they do- thank you so much for sacrificing all those lunch times and giving your class a voice! Pupil Voice The children at Saint Bernadette’s really enjoy their French lessons and the experiences the French curriculum provides. Here are some of their comments: “I love my French lessons as there are so many activities to do and I know I am progressing because I can do the recaps without any help” Y6 pupil. “This is only the second time I have cooked in my life and now I learnt how to make crepes” Y5 pupil “I enjoyed going on the Mrs Colclough’s plane because it felt real and exciting to fly to France. I have never been on a plane before” Y1 pupil “French is important for our lives so we can meet new people, go on holiday, speak to people and not offend them” Y6 pupil French Day Every year at Saint Bernadette’s, we hold a special French Theme Day to celebrate France’s Bastille Day. Each class across school is involved in a vast range of fun and practical French related activities where they learn about the country’s geography, history, food, art and culture. All children are invited to come into school dressed in a French theme and get the opportunity to cook and taste selected French cuisine, re-create the work of well-know French artists and architects, as well as participate in a variety of workshops and experiences such as ballet, Cirque Du Soleil, pétanque, Tour de France, a Journey to Paris to name but a few. Take a look… Learning Outside the Classroom We know that reviewing and consolidation new vocabulary and grammatical structures is an integral part of learning and memorising a new language. As well as looking out for the ‘Réviser Votre Français’ section on the school newsletter, below are some web links to support your child’s language learning journey. Enjoy! https://www.french-games.net/ https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?q=french https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z39d7ty Why not join in on your child’s language learning journey by downloading Duolingo, the fun, free app for learning 40+ languages (including French) through quick, bite-sized lessons. Practice speaking, reading, listening, and writing to build your vocabulary and grammar skills. https://www.duolingo.com

Governors O W szkole podstawowej A. Williams wierzymy w pielęgnowanie młodych umysłów, aby mogły w pełni wykorzystać swój potencjał. Nasz innowacyjny program nauczania, w połączeniu z zaangażowanymi pedagogami stosującymi różnorodne metody nauczania, tworzy stymulujące środowisko, w którym uczniowie mogą się rozwijać i osiągać sukcesy. Priorytetem są dla nas zajęcia praktyczne, sztuka, muzyka i edukacja STEM, aby zapewnić spersonalizowane doświadczenia edukacyjne, dostosowane do indywidualnych potrzeb każdego dziecka. Odkryj, jak każdego dnia wspieramy kreatywność, ciekawość i sukcesy w nauce. Governor Attendance

Reading At Saint Bernadette’s, we recognise that being part of a child’s early reading journey is a privilege. We as staff understand that we are teaching and building a skill that our pupils will rely upon day after day throughout their lifetime. We encourage our children to view reading as a gift, a gateway to worlds that are different to theirs, a source of knowledge and empowerment. From Nursery to Year 6, children study the 'Five Plagues' in whole class reading sessions. These five plagues represent five different challenges presented in literature: Archaic texts (stories written in older language) Non-linear time sequence (books which treat time in an unusual way) Complexity of the narrator (stories which are challenging because of the narration) Complexity of story (books with a challenging plot) Resistance texts (texts which are written to be deliberately difficult to understand) We believe a steady exposure to these different challenges will help to prepare our pupils as life-long readers. Reading tricky texts provides our students with a toolkit for future reading. Within these lessons, children will also explore a range of non-fiction texts; develop their understanding of new and challenging vocabulary; listen to their teacher's 'thoughts' as they read and improve their fluency. Non-Fiction Texts We believe that pairing non-fiction texts with fiction books helps to increase absorption rate of both texts. Children are more likely to remember the non-fiction because they are then applying it within the story they are reading, and they are more likely to understand the story because they then have the non-fiction background. Across the school, children are given the opportunity to explore a wide variety of non-fiction texts in conjunction with their plague text on topics such as: asthma, bullying, dementia, refugees, deaf awareness, and the holocaust. They also explore non-fiction texts and poems which link to the science, history and geography curricula Reading Culture Reading for pleasure is of paramount importance and we work hard to ensure that all pupils develop a love of reading. We publish Book of the Month recommendations; have reading challenges within every year band; create links with authors, through visits and video calls; have timetabled story sessions throughout the school and build a reading community through constant book talk. Reading at Home It is vitally important that children are heard read every night at home. We recommend that parents work with their children for at least twenty minutes a day on their reading. Research states that children who are heard read at home for this length of time will hear 1,800,000 words per year and will, on average, fall in the 90th percentile. Reading at home may involve your child reading to you or you reading part of a story to them. This could involve sharing a book or reading a magazine or newspaper. Try to promote book talk as much as possible in the home. Accelerated Reader We use the Accelerated Reader system as our home-school reading system for Key Stage 2. Children will complete a 'Star Assessment' termly and are given a ZPD score. Books in our school library are organised by ZPD and pupils may choose their own books from the selection within this range. When they have finished a book, children take a quiz to see if they have thoroughly read and understood it. Passing these quizzes gives them points and they can get certificates based on their reading achievement. Accelerated Reader: Parents Guide Accelerated Reader Phonics We begin this journey with RWInc phonics and the teaching of letter sounds. Staff teach children to use their knowledge of sounds to decode and blend words enabling children to access phonically matched reading books from the RWInc programme. We develop the children’s love of stories, poems and other genres through daily story sessions and book talk. It is through book talk that we develop the children’s comprehension skills in their EYFS years before they move onto written comprehension tasks in KS1. Through the combination of learning to read with RWInc phonics and listening to and discussing a range of stories, above a level that can be independently read, we aim to foster a love and enjoyment of reading in our pupils. Comprehension At St Bernadette’s School we adopt a strategy based approach whereby pupils are exposed to a variety of texts, question types and are taught strategies (tips) to support them to fully comprehend challenging texts. While the children are reading RWInc books, they will have weekly comprehension lessons based on the RWInc book they are reading. In these lessons they will answer a range of questions including literal retrieval, inference and deduction, vocabulary and summarising. What is the two-week cycle? In week one pupils read the text and focus on identifying any links to the text, retrieving information from the text, clarifying new vocabulary as well as summarising the text. In week one pupils are also taught how to make sensible predictions based on prior knowledge. How do we ensure reading is an active process? Before reading the text, pupils are set a challenge so that they read the text with intent and are actively engaged throughout. What happens during the reading process? Strategies for following the text are modelled by the teacher -for example pupils may be encouraged to follow the text with their reading finger. A variety of approaches are used to read the text and these include the teacher reading the text aloud, pupils filling in word-gaps as the teacher reads as well as independent reading. At St Bernadette’s School we stop at key points in the text and encourage pupils to think aloud. During this process, they may consider how a character is feeling or they may even make a sensible prediction about what may happen next. After reading, pupils summarise the text . This is a key skill. Once pupils have been submerged in the text, we model how to be selective and retell the text in our own words –sequencing the events as they occurred. Did you know 1/5 of the 2018 paper tested vocabulary? After reading we return to the words pupils may have been puzzled by and clarify their meaning. We teach the pupils how to methodically skim and scan for key words or phrases and give them strategies to make this process efficient. We model how each question starter gives the reader a hint as to the response required. Pupils are encouraged to circle the key word in the question and other key words so they carry the information in their head. Pupils are exposed to all the question types. We ensure that pupils are presented with questions in different formats so they become increasingly familiar with the many question styles. Our role is not only to expose them to all the question types but to give them strategies to answer each question type, ensuring that they annotate the text first Once the pupils are familiar with the text it means that in week two they can dig deep and be text detectives (they realise the answers are not explicitly in the text) and infer information. This mind set means they grasp inference and are quite excited about the challenges ahead. In addition, pupils consider how the text is organised and discuss why the author has used certain language choices and their effect. Assessment to inform planning. During the two-week cycle, key objectives are assessed and should the need arise pupils will have a drill down lesson whereby they close the gap in a specific area to ensure the skill or strategy is secure before moving on. Reading Tips for Parents We ask that parents listen to their children read every night at home. With the younger children, this will help them to improve their word recognition, therefore building up their sight vocabulary and fluency. However, for those children who are fluent readers, parents should concentrate on developing their child’s understanding of the text. It may not be necessary to listen to fluent readers every night, but instead to question them about the text that they have read. Reading with children and helping them practice specific reading strategies can dramatically improve their ability to comprehend. We have included a number of questions that parents can use with their children to develop their comprehension skills. It is not expected that parents cover all of these questions every night, but rather that they concentrate on two or three questions each day.

Learn to love, love to learn Mathematics is a life skill. It helps us to make sense of our world, providing a precise means of communication using numbers, symbols and shapes. It is a powerful, universal language used to explain, predict and represent events and tackle problems in everyday life. At St. Bernadette’s Catholic School, our aim is for the children to Learn to Love, Love to Learn and to develop an ability to solve problems, to reason and think logically, to work systematically and accurately and most importantly to be curious and resilient learners. New mathematical concepts are introduced using the ‘Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract’ (CPA) approach; enabling all children to experience hands-on learning when exploring new concepts. This allows all children to have clear models and images to aid their understanding. Time is devoted, daily, to teach and practise arithmetic and basic maths skills which ensures key mathematical facts and concepts are embedded and children can recall them accurately. Our mathematics curriculum is designed so that it is accessible and engaging for all pupils to maximise their full potential and make rich connections across other areas of the curriculum, preparing them for their future lives and careers. Policies EYFS Calculation Policy EYFS Calculation Policy EYFS Calculation Policy EYFS Calculation Policy EYFS Calculation Policy EYFS Calculation Policy EYFS Calculation Policy EYFS Calculation Policy EYFS Calculation Policy Oracy in Maths Consistency of Approach Curriculum Structure Inclusion Intent, Implementation Sequence of Work The National Curriculum lies at the heart of Mathematics at St. Bernadette’s. We use the National Curriculum and White Rose to base medium term planning on. The National Curriculum for Mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils: become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions. The KS1 and KS2 Curriculum specifies ten strands of mathematics, namely: Number - number and place value Number - addition and subtraction Number - multiplication and division Number - fractions (including decimals and percentages) Ratio and proportion Algebra Measurement Geometry – property of shape Geometry – position and direction Statistics The EYFS curriculum specifies two strands of mathematics: Number Numerical Patterns Bar Modelling Bar modelling is a key element when considering teaching for mastery. An amazing and powerful pictorial representation for revealing the structure and patterns within a maths problem, Bar Modelling promotes profound mathematical understanding and insight. The bar model method draws on the Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract Approach — an essential maths mastery concept. The process begins with pupils exploring problems via concrete objects. Pupils then progress to drawing pictorial diagrams, and then to abstract notations such as the +, -, x and ÷ symbols. Bar modelling is a versatile maths model strategy that can be used across a wide range of concepts and topics. It gives pupils a powerful and adaptable strategy for solving increasingly challenging problems that draws on the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach.

Inspiring a Lifelong Love of Reading At St Bernadette’s, we are passionate about developing a lifelong love of reading. We want every child to discover the joy of books, develop their own reading identity and have opportunities to explore a wide range of authors, stories and texts. Our Reading for Pleasure approach gives children opportunities to choose books, discover new authors, share recommendations and experience reading in a variety of exciting and meaningful ways. Take a look at some of our reading initiatives… Our School Bookshop Each term, we run our very own complimentary school bookshop in partnership with The Children’s Book Project. Every child has the opportunity to visit our bookshop and choose two books to take home. This gives children the opportunity to build their own collection of books at home and encourages them to choose books that genuinely interest and excite them. Reading Ambassadors Our team of Reading Ambassadors are passionate about championing reading across our school. Our Reading Ambassadors: ● Help to lead and support reading events ● Promote our Author of the Month ● Recommend books and share their reading experiences ● Act as positive reading role models for younger children ● Help to develop pupil voice around reading and books ● Support the promotion of reading across the school Our ambassadors help to make reading visible, exciting and celebrated throughout our school community. Book Buzz In October 2026, we are excited to launch BookBuzz in partnership with the BookTrust. Our KS2 children will have a dedicated afternoon to explore a collection of brand-new texts and books. Children will have the opportunity to browse, discover new authors and choose the book that most appeals to them. Their choices will then form the basis of an exciting book club, giving children the opportunity to come together to share their thoughts, recommendations and enjoyment of their chosen books. Book Buzz 🧸 Story Suitcases Our Story Suitcases give our EYFS and KS1 children the opportunity to take the magic of reading home. Each week, a child takes home a Story Suitcase containing: ● 📕 A carefully chosen book ● 🧸 A teddy bear ● 📔 A reading journal ● 🎨 Reading activities ● ☕ Hot chocolate Children can enjoy sharing the story with their families before returning the suitcase for another child to enjoy. 🏫 Reading for Pleasure in Our Library Our new library space provides children with a welcoming environment where they can simply enjoy books. During our Reading for Pleasure afternoons, children have time to browse, discover and read books that interest them, without the pressure of reading for a particular task. We want our library to be a place where children can discover their next favourite book, share recommendations and develop their own reading preferences. Author Visits & Special Reading Experiences We believe that meeting authors and experiencing special reading events can inspire children to become enthusiastic and lifelong readers. We provide children with opportunities to meet authors and take part in exciting reading experiences both in school and online. Our children have enjoyed special events such as the Julia Donaldson livestream, giving our EYFS and KS1 children the opportunity to experience stories and authors in a different way. We also take part in national reading events and challenges, such as the upcoming National Literacy Trust’s Take 10 Record Attempt, encouraging children to celebrate the joy of reading together. Keep a look out on our Instagram for more events coming soon… What's next? We are continually developing our Reading for Pleasure provision and have lots of exciting ideas planned for the future. Coming soon, we hope to introduce even more opportunities for children to enjoy books and reading.

Catholic Life & Mission Our Parish Sacraments Saints Prayer & Liturgy Gospel Virtues Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Life & Mission Our Parish Sacraments Saints Prayer & Liturgy Gospel Virtues Catholic Social Teaching Our Mission At St. Bernadette's Catholic School you will find us caring, hardworking and co-operative. We follow the ways of Jesus using our talents and gifts to make our school special. We show respect to all and welcome you. Our Behaviour Expectations & Values Our Catholic ethos promotes positive relationships based on respect; pupils are helped to make moral choices about their behaviour and their contribution to the school community. Our behaviour expectations are based on Christian values. We expect children to be polite, co-operative and considerate of others. Staff are committed to creating a school environment where these qualities are seen to be important and are positively encouraged and reflected in their own conduct. Classroom behaviour is based on simple expectations and values that the children can understand and have confidence in and which relate to all aspects of school life. Below are the 8 positive behaviour statements that are displayed around the school and prominently in classrooms.

At St. Bernadette’s, we are in the process of writing and developing a bespoke curriculum based on the National Curriculum. “…careful curriculum design, where new knowledge is broken down into meaningful components and introduced sequentially, can support all pupils to learn scientific concepts. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.” Research Review Series: Science. Ofsted, 2021. Science Policy 25-26 Prior Knowledge "Assessing students' prior knowledge allows an instructor to focus and adapt their teaching plan. For students, it helps them to construct connections between old and new knowledge.” Assessing Prior Knowledge, Cornell University, 2022 Each unit with a prior knowledge check – this aids both teachers and learners. A focused flashback helps pupils to retain prior knowledge on the topic and make links between old and new content. Each planning grid outlines prior knowledge in order to support teaching. Retrieval “Sufficient curriculum time must be allocated for pupils to embed what they have learned in long-term memory through extensive practice before moving on to new content.” Research Review Series: Science. Ofsted, 2021. Each lesson begins with three flashback activities: The idea is that this: Will help to transfer information into pupils’ long term memories Will act as a ‘pre-teach’ for key concepts and vocabulary Will address common misconceptions before they arise Will lead to greater understanding as we progress through a topic as effective links can be made. Vocabulary "Vocabulary plays a crucial role in science because it is at the heart of science learning and knowledge building. To discuss and build knowledge, students need to have access to the vocabulary of science.” National Science Teaching Association, 2020 Each unit contains: A discrete lesson on vocabulary that is taught at the start of the unit, this pre teaches new scientific words. A selection of key vocabulary showcased on classroom science display boards. Each lesson contains: Scientists "Researchers have found that the sense of belonging in science matters more than grades and background when it comes to keeping students in science majors and careers. Creating a more equitable, inclusive, and leakproof STEM pipeline requires helping more students feel like scientists.” Helping students (re)think of themselves as scientists. C&EN, 2020. Each unit has a key scientist linked to it. These scientists have been reviewed to ensure our curriculum is more diverse and relevant to our pupils. Many units also have a ‘Just Like Me’ scientist also included, helping pupils learn about people like them working in different careers within the field of science today. When learning about scientists, we will focus on: the impact that scientist had on the world whose ideas that scientist built upon the barriers some scientists faced and how they successfully overcame these to make a significant difference to the world around them which of our ‘Working Scientifically’ skills these scientists utilized. Here are examples of a few modern and diverse scientists included in our science curriculum: Environmental Awareness "Environmental education promotes critical and creative thinking skills and inspires kids to become more engaged with their communities. It helps kids understand why the environment is important and provides them with the building blocks they need to live eco-friendly and sustainable lives.” Why Environmental Education is Important for Kids. Rubicon, 2021 The golden thread of environmental awareness runs through each unit in school. Each unit has a linked environmental focus – ‘Care of God’s Creation’ (linked to Catholic Social Teaching). This makes our curriculum more relevant to issues faced today, which should engage pupils and help them to see the real-world purpose of their learning. Enquiry Types Throughout school, children are exposed to five types of enquiry: Comparative/fair testing Research Observation over time Pattern seeking Identifying, grouping and classifying Working Scientifically A set of characters have been created to represent each of the ‘Working Scientifically’ skills that the children will utilise within their investigations and enquiries. These characters are displayed in every classroom and appear in many science lessons, even when the focus is not directly linked to enquiry. Reading At St. Bernadette’s, we believe that reading is a cornerstone of each and every curriculum area. As such, opportunities to share picture books, as well as fiction and non-fiction texts, have been planned into each unit. A range of books related to each science topic have also been purchased for each classroom in order to allow children to extend their learning outside of lesson time. Reading as part of the Curriculum (sample) Wider Reading Material (sample)

St. Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School is in the parish of Holy Family Church . "Greetings to all parents and parishioners, May the peace of God be with you and your families. You are always welcome to visit our church" Father Fretch Ballesteros (SDV) is our priest at Holy Family Church in Small Heath. The parish was founded in 1901. The church was built in 1928 and extended in 1966 Tuesday - Friday Mass 10:30am. Sunday Morning Mass: 10.30am. Weekend Mass times at Local Parishes Parish Saturday Sunday Holy Family 4 pm 10.30 am and 5.15 pm St Thomas More 5.30 pm 8.30 am and 10.30 am Corpus Christi 6 p m 10.30 am Holy Souls 5pm 8.30 am, 10 am and 12pm (Noon) The Holy Rosary - 9.30 am and 12 pm (Noon) Fr. Fretch Ballesteros History of Holy Family Church A brick building of the 1920s by George Drysdale, built on a Greek cross plan, and significantly enlarged in the 1960s to accommodate a large influx of (mainly Irish) Catholics, attracted by jobs in local industry. The interior is a fine barrel vaulted space. An intended campanile was not built, the result being that the townscape contribution of the church is relatively minor. The mission in Small Heath was founded by the Revd James Wright in 1901 from St Anne’s in Digbeth and Mass was said in a workshop in Green Lane until a school-chapel was built in 1903, then Mass was said in the upper floor of the new school (this was destroyed by enemy action in 1940.) Subsequently, the first Parish Primary School (Holy Family) opened its doors in Holy Family Church on 11 January 1904. The permanent church opened in 1928. The church is orientated roughly north-south, but this description follows conventional liturgical orientation, as if the altar was to the east. The church was built in two phases. The first, in the 1920s, was on a Greek cross plan, and was built of local purple brown bricks, with Green Westmorland slate roofs. The eastern arm of this was demolished and the nave extended to form a Latin cross, using complementary materials, in the 1960s. An intended northwest campanile was not built. So the present church originated as a Greek cross design by George Drysdale, seating 400, and opened in August 1929 (builders William Sapcote & Sons). It was described in The Tablet as ‘a quiet design …unity of character has been sought in the architecture, in the treatment of furniture and fittings, and also in the arrangement of the forecourt’. The 1920s church had open pediments on the north and south faces with moulded brick string courses and a row of arched clerestory windows. The east end was apsidal. The interior was an impressive barrel vaulted space, with a groin vault at the crossing. Although externally expressed, there is no internal separation into ‘nave’ and ‘aisles’, the nave is one wide space, with the barrel vaulting springing from great steel joists spanning east to west. There is a gallery and narthex at the west end, with a mosaic roundel of the Holy Family fixed to the gallery front (figure 2), possibly from the 1929 church and possibly by Pippet. In the narthex are brass panels to Fr Wright, founder of the mission, and Fr J. P. Dowling, benefactor. At the east, arched openings are located at the corners of the Greek cross. The sanctuary is placed in the eastern arm, and is dominated by a large freestanding altar, with a crucifix and tabernacle in the apse. Side chapels were placed at either side. There is a large organ of 1903 by Steele & Keay of Burslem, acquired c.1993 from Pitts Hill Methodist Church, Stoke. The forecourt was developed in the 1960s when, following a large influx of (mainly Irish) Catholics drawn by jobs in local industry: Birmingham Small Arms;the Chrysler Factory; JJ Gallagher the Builder. The local population used to say that they were either coming out the Blues ground or Holy Family Church. And so the priest, Father O'Keefe extended the church in 1966, and that's why it is so big now. The nave was extended to form a Latin cross plan, increasing the seating capacity to approximately 1,000. The architect for the additions was J. T. Lynch of Jennings, Homer & Lynch, and the extended church was blessed on 25 October, 1967. New sacristies, meeting rooms, a cry room and confessionals were also built, but an intended 100ft campanile was never realised. The total cost was for the built additions was about £120,000. In that period a second Parish Primary School was built on Hob Moor Road, (St Bernadette’s) which served the Irish community. Previously, St Benedict's Church of England School had been used for some of the children because of the enormous numbers. The 1960s additions were a modern and simplified version of the original work. The west front had a brick pilaster/piers at the corners and an open pediment framing a large central ‘feature panel’ faced in Portland stone. A crucifix was placed against this. Below this, solid oak entrance doors were placed beneath a flat canopy, with windows on either side. Flanking the entrance, low flat-roofed wings with recessed stone faced bays incorporating windows were presumably built as the baptistery and a side entrance. Above these, a round arched window on either side lit an internal gallery. Beyond this were raised (but not as high as the nave) and plain ‘aisle’ walls, the ‘aisles’ lit by one rectangular window per bay. The present church was consecrated on 10 June 1976 Catholic Life & Mission Our Parish Sacraments Saints Prayer & Liturgy Gospel Virtues Catholic Social Teaching

Geography Policy 25-26 Geography Progression of Skills Geography Intent, Implement, Impact Geography at St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School "We are part of nature, not separate from it." — David Attenborough Our Geography Journey Discovering God's World. Caring for Our Common Home. At St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, we believe that Geography inspires children to develop a sense of wonder about God's creation while helping them understand the diverse world in which they live. Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, pupils explore places, people and environments at local, national and global scales, developing the knowledge and skills needed to understand how our world works and how it continues to change. Our Geography curriculum has been carefully designed to inspire curiosity, deepen understanding and develop children into confident young geographers. We believe that Geography is far more than learning where places are located. It encourages children to ask thoughtful questions, investigate the relationship between people and places, understand physical and human processes, and recognise their responsibility to care for God's creation. As pupils journey through our curriculum, they begin by discovering the world immediately around them before gradually expanding their understanding to include the United Kingdom, Europe and the wider world. Along the way, they learn how landscapes are formed, how climate influences people's lives, how countries are connected through trade and resources, and why sustainability matters for the future of our planet. Learning is practical, purposeful and memorable. Children use maps, atlases, globes and digital mapping technology, carry out fieldwork in the local area, interpret geographical data and investigate real-world issues. Rich discussion, enquiry-based learning and first-hand experiences encourage pupils to think critically, make connections and apply their understanding to the world around them. Our Curriculum Journey Our Geographical Journey Throughout their time at St Bernadette's, children progress from exploring their immediate surroundings to becoming thoughtful, knowledgeable young geographers who understand the interconnectedness of people, places and environments. Year 1–2: Discovering God's world through local geography, weather, maps and comparing different places. Year 3–4: Understanding how physical processes shape landscapes and how people respond to changing environments. Year 5–6: Exploring global connections, sustainability, climate change and becoming responsible global citizens who care for our common home. How We Learn Geography Knowledge • Skills • Geographical Thinking At St Bernadette's, Geography is carefully planned so that children build geographical knowledge and enquiry skills year by year. Rather than studying isolated topics, pupils revisit key concepts throughout their primary education, allowing them to make increasingly sophisticated connections between physical geography, human geography and environmental responsibility. Our Six Key Geographical Concepts Throughout every Geography unit, children develop their understanding of: Place – understanding the characteristics of locations and what makes every place unique. Location – knowing where places are and how they are connected using maps and geographical tools. Physical and Human Geography – understanding how natural processes and human activity shape the world. Interconnection – recognising how people, places and environments influence one another locally and globally. Change and Sustainability – exploring how environments change over time and how we can care for God's creation. Geographical Enquiry – asking questions, investigating evidence, interpreting data and communicating geographical understanding. Our Three Geographical Skills Children learn to: Ask Geographical Questions – becoming curious and reflective geographers. Investigate the World – using maps, fieldwork, atlases, digital technologies and geographical evidence. Communicate Geographical Understanding – explaining, analysing and presenting ideas using increasingly precise geographical vocabulary. Progression Across the School Inclusion At St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School, we believe that every child is a geographer. Our Geography curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils can access, enjoy and succeed in their learning. Through practical fieldwork, map work, digital technology, discussion and first-hand experiences, children develop secure geographical knowledge and confidence in understanding the world around them. Teachers use adaptive teaching strategies, carefully selected resources and ambitious expectations to remove barriers to learning while ensuring every child is both supported and challenged. We celebrate the diversity of God's world by exploring different countries, cultures, environments and communities, helping children develop respect, empathy and a deep appreciation of the richness of our global family. Our Vision As a Catholic school, our Geography curriculum reflects our belief that the Earth is God's gift to everyone and that we all have a responsibility to care for our common home. Guided by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, children learn about stewardship, solidarity, the dignity of every person and the importance of working together to build a more just and sustainable world. We want every child to leave St Bernadette's with a love of Geography, a curiosity about the world and the confidence to think like a geographer. Through understanding places, people and environments, we hope our pupils become compassionate global citizens who appreciate the beauty and diversity of God's creation and are inspired to care for it now and in the future.

St. Bernadette’s has an active school council in which 2 elected members from Years 1-6 meet and discuss views and ideas in our school, community and world. The Election Process Years 1-4: Children had to express to their teachers why they wanted to be in School Council and what qualities they could bring. Teachers discussed all candidates and voted for their Year bands councillors. Years 5-6: Children had time to write a speech on why they wanted to be a representative for their peers. They explained changes they wanted to make and ideas they had to continue to make our school a positive and welcoming environment. They then had to present this speech in front of their Year bands and teachers. The children were then asked to vote for 2 chosen candidates from their year bands using a ballot process. Each of the children were given a voting slip which they had to exchange for a ballot paper. The children then had to go to the voting booth and select their candidate by placing an ‘X’ in the box. What is our Vision? To have a school which is dynamic, a school that not only listens, but acts upon the views of its pupils. To further promote and express the voice of the child, not just within our school but within the City of Birmingham and with schools around the World. We hope to extend and share our ideas through further communications with other schools across the globe. What is our Aim? To raise people’s awareness that children have valid ideas. To be a voice for the children in our school. To make our school an even more friendly and pleasant place in which to learn. To make suggestions as to how our school could be improved further. To further improve our school environment. To raise money for charities. June: Our sign for the Moonlight Room is up! May: We chose the golden choices for next half term! We asked our peers what things they would love forward to and work towards. We also considered rewards that had been voted for, but not won. We settled on disco, science afternoon, art afternoon and extra playtime. Let’s see who wins! April: We worked with Mrs Canning to survey pupil wellbeing across the school. We used a questionnaire and asked our peers to fill it in and give general feedback about what would make them happier in school. We have fed back to Mrs Canning and are hoping to see our views throughout the school. March: School Council and the Happiness Heroes have teamed up! We held an anti-bullying poster competition for the whole school. We had over 40 entries! We assessed the posters on which were most informative, eye-catching and creative and we eventually chose 3 winners. February This month, we are looking at how we can improve pupil wellbeing. We have been in talks with Mrs Worth, our school cook, to see how we can improve our school lunches. An addition of barbeque sauce has been made to our Friday’s which we are very excited about! We have also had to choose 4 new Golden Choices. We are so pleased that pyjama day won and can’t wait to celebrate with it at the end of Spring 1 term. Our new choices are Disco, Extra Playtime, Cinema Afternoon and Crazy Hair Day. Let’s see which one wins this time! January School Council were tasked with a job by Mrs Canning. We had to decide 4 options for our Golden Choices scheme. We chose 3 different options which the children would vote for with tokens, then whatever had the most, we would get at the end of a half term! We decided on a disco, art afternoon, games afternoon and a pyjama day! We’re looking forward to seeing what wins! November For the month of November, School Council were thinking about being thankful and how lucky we are to have the things we do. In order to help others, School Council decided to collect for the Trussell Trust food banks. The Trussell Trust provides food and toiletries to families when they need it most. Councillors spread the message throughout school and encouraged their peers to donate. They organised the food and prepared it ready to donate. We managed to collect a huge 34kg of food and toiletries! October School Council were asked by Mrs Canning to choose a name for our new space in school. This space will be used for pupils who need some time away from class, to continue to explore and learn. We would like the room to be a calm environment and the name to reflect that. After many discussions and a vote, we decided on The Moonlight Room. We can’t wait to see the sign up soon! September School Council have been set a task by Mr Carroll! We were asked to discuss ideas for new Track-it prizes for the school. We met last week and brainstormed ideas, deciding on what prizes could be used for less and more points. We thought about what we would find useful as a prize, as well as things we would just enjoy. School Council went back to their year groups and gathered ideas from their peers. On Tuesday, we met with Mr Carroll and pitched our ideas to him. He was impressed with how well thought out our ideas were and we hope to see a few of them soon.