At St Bernard’s, we deliver a broad and balanced curriculum, exposing children to a rich variety of subjects, knowledge and experiences to prepare them for life in an ever-changing world. St Bernard’s sets high expectations for all our pupils, delivering teaching that both challenges and inspires children to achieve their full potential.

With the school values and faith at the heart of our curriculum, we ensure that pupils are motivated, confident and independent learners, equipped with the tools to engage with the world and contribute positively to wider society.

St Bernard’s - a joyful, aspirational community rooted in faith                                  

At St Bernard’s, with Jesus as our guiding light, our curriculum offers a rich, exciting and creative education that allows each child to grow in formation placing respect, communication and confidence at the heart of our curriculum.

We are committed to helping every child to grow and develop in the love of God and others, recognising the unique nature of each individual’s needs.

At St Bernard's we do things 'The St Bernard's Way'

We are gentle and try hard not to hurt anybody.
Like Jesus we are kind and helpful and try hard not to hurt people’s feelings with our words or actions.
We are honest.
We work hard and don’t waste time.
We look after property.
We listen to people.
We try hard to follow Jesus' example in all that we do. 

Parents and carers are our children’s first and most important teachers. Their support and involvement in our endeavours are vital. They know their children better than us, so we listen to them and share information, concerns and successes with them. Together we work to ensure a mutually supportive relationship that leads to success for the children.       

Under the guidance of Bishop John, we follow the Religious Education programme of “Come and see”. We develop spirituality in our community through: -

• Daily prayer and worship in class and in assemblies
• Mass and appropriate liturgies
• The sacramental programme
• Sharing and exploring the gospels
• Care and respect for others both inside our school and parish community and beyond

We aspire to relate the teachings of Jesus and the traditions of the Church to the everyday experiences of our children, thus making our school a setting for living, sharing and celebrating our Catholic faith.  We place as much importance on the delivery of RE as that of English and Maths and apply the same rigorous standards and expectations in teaching and learning.   

Teachers plan a broad and balanced curriculum, in line with the requirements of the National Curriculum for children in Years 1-6, and Early Learning Goals for Early Years Foundation Stage. They have high expectations of all children, recognise individual needs within our diverse community, and support each child to achieve his or her full potential.

We believe that children will make their best progress if they develop a sense of responsibility for and awareness of their own learning. At the beginning of a unit of work pupils take time to talk about what they already know and think about what they want to find out; at the end of the unit children reflect on what they have learned. All children are supported through positive relationships which develop self-esteem, promote well-being and resilience and provide the best possible opportunities for each child to learn and achieve.

Believe

Our patron saint, St Bernard, teaches us to pray, to work hard and to devote our lives to others and our children know this to be 'The St Bernard's Way'. Through what we believe, we show our intent to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to make a positive contribution to the world around us. 

Grow

We grow together in our faith as the implementation of our rich and varied curriculum provides the opportunity to learn and discover in many different ways. 

Succeed

Our children want to succeed and are always encouraged to see the impact, big and small, of the efforts that they make, both in the classroom, in their play times and in the wider community.

Treating Children as Individuals
We understand that each child in our care is unique, with a unique set of experiences. This is at the heart of a Catholic education, and ensures that all gifts and talents are nurtured and developed.

We ask parents to inform us when anything significant happens outside of school, so that we can provide sympathetic support for your child.