Preamble
The curriculum is the organisational vehicle by which the College's mission is achieved. That mission encompasses a Catholic vision of the development of the whole human being, in all his aspects. Thus, academic sucess, confidence, good relationships, loyalty, sporting prowess, aesthetic interest, readiness to be of service to society; all these qualities will mark out the Columban.
The pastoral system, organised around the Houses, exists in the College to ensure that students are secure and happy and from this platform academic, physical, cultural and affective attainment will follow.
The value the College places on the role of parents as the first educators of their children is great. Consequently, the College strives to ensure that parents are engaged and understand the ways in which their children are being educated at school. Contact with the tutor is at the centre of College life and parents should always feel able to make such contact.
Curriculum Policy
The College’s nature and accountability require that the curriculum lie within the bounds of its mission and competence, and that it be defined and assessed in all its parts. It is then seen to be hierarchically ordered:
- To the transmission of the values and heritage of our Catholic civilisation;
- To the just requirements of our contemporary society;
- To the capacity for learning and particular vocation of each of our students, and to full development for good of their various abilities and characters.
Each
student’s access to any part of the curriculum (detailed in Curriculum
Objectives and Format, Sect. 2.2) is thus conditional upon his
aptitude, commitment, and prior achievement.
The Teacher’s responsibility for the education of a group of students in some part of the curriculum involves:
- Supervision in all that contributes to their learning
- Discipline and environment
- Full and accurate information
- The skills necessary to absorb and communicate it so that each part of the curriculum, although enriched by others, is not dependent on them; and
- Regular assessment to provide evidence as objective, accurate, and clearly differentiated as possible of their progress.
The Head of Department is responsible for:
- Defining the curriculum within the scope of the departmentÂ’s brief and in accordance with current curriculum regulations (see appendix 6);
- Its allocation to the Teachers of the department;
- And supervising their education of the students entrusted to them.
The Head Master is responsible for the definition and delivery of the curriculum as a whole, in conformity with the Church’s mission for the school, and, in particular, for:
- The appropriate observance of statutory obligations;
- The definition within the curriculum of each department’s brief;
- The apportionment of resources to each area of the curriculum; and
- The supervision of the work of the Heads of Department.