At St Helen’s Catholic Primary School, we have adopted the “Cornerstones” approach to ensure our curriculum is broad, balanced and meets the requirements of the national curriculum. This particular approach has been introduced to support a project-based, thematic approach with the aim to provide our children with a range of rich and memorable learning experiences.

Our curriculum is built on The Four Cornerstones of Learning – Engage, Develop, Innovate and Express. These are four distinct stages that actively promote children’s learning and thinking. The Four Cornerstones of Learning link explicitly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.

The focus for teaching and planning in each Cornerstone is as follows:

Engage

• hook learners in with a memorable experience
• set the scene and provide the context
• ask questions to provoke thought and interest
• use interesting starting points to spark children’s curiosity

Develop

• teach knowledge to provide depth of understanding
• demonstrate new skills and allow time for consolidation
• provide creative opportunities for making and doing
• deliver reading, writing and talk across the curriculum

Innovate

• provide imaginative scenarios for creative thinking
• enable and assess the application of previously learned skills
• encourage enterprise and independent thinking
• work in groups and independently to solve problems

Express

• encourage reflective talk by asking questions
• provide opportunities for shared evaluation
• celebrate success
• identify next steps for learning

Link to Cornerstones Education Website