St Wilfrid’s is a Catholic learning community which holds Christ at the Centre of our vision. Our aim is to support students in their formation through a journey of faith, developing them physically, morally, socially and intellectually through the provision of a broad, balanced and vibrant curriculum. We endeavour to achieve equality through education and aim to address social disadvantage by ensuring that all learners are empowered with the knowledge, skills and cultural capital required to flourish in their next steps.
The curriculum at St Wilfrid’s is research and evidence-informed and is underpinned by our school motto; Excellence through faith, learning and support. We have high expectations of all students and promote values of mutual respect, integrity and personal responsibility in order to cultivate a strong community spirit of which we are proud. By working in partnership with parents and carers we aim to develop students into well-rounded citizens who will contribute positively to society.
Our curriculum is knowledge rich and carefully sequenced to ensure that all students, including the most disadvantaged, are challenged appropriately to enable them to reach their God given potential. Evidence-informed strategies are used to facilitate long-term learning and to ensure that the fundamental skills of reading, writing, oracy and numeracy are well established. The effective use of metacognition (the awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes OR encouraging students to think about the process of their own learning explicitly), retrieval practice and interleaving supports the acquisition of key concepts.
Our curriculum intends to:
- develop young people who not only achieve academic excellence but also develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, so that they are fully prepared for life and make a positive contribution to the world and their local community
- nurture a strong sense of moral purpose and personal responsibility, integrity, honesty and respect for each other
- promote fundamental British Values and Citizenship: including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
- deliver a broad, balanced and vibrant education, well-tailored to meet the needs of our students and combat the social disadvantage experienced by a significant number of our students
- provide a continuous progression model with seamless transition between key phases of education
- provide all learners, including the most disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, with the knowledge, skills and cultural capital they require for future learning and employment
- provide a very wide range of educational enrichment opportunities beyond the taught curriculum through extra-curricular opportunities such as sports leaderships and the Duke of Edinburgh award in addition to clubs, visits and visitors
- promote reading, writing, communication and numeracy to ensure that all students are able to fully engage in society
- develop critical thinking and metacognition through planned learning opportunities across all subject areas.
Click here to see our Curriculum Vision
Key Stage 5
Students are able to choose from a number of high quality A level subjects and relevant vocational subjects. Year 11 students are interviewed individually by a member of the Senior Leadership Team during the Spring Term in order to discuss their options at Post 16, including continuing at St Wilfrid’s, apprenticeships or attending other FE institutions.
Please click on ‘Sixth form‘ for more information about Key Stage 5
Work Experience
Every student in Year 10 has the opportunity to undertake a work experience placement. This will be available in July during the last week of the academic year. Whilst a number of students make their own workplace arrangements, every effort will be made, with the help of Futureworks, to make student requirements with available placements in the local area.