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Our school day curriculum
We offer a broad and balanced curriculum, at each Key Stage, which reflects the interests and aptitudes of our students and supports pathway planning for a wide range of GCSE courses, BTECs, College based Vocational Courses at Levels 1, 2 and 3 as well as apprenticeships.
Our fully refurbished school building provides a range of specialist classrooms including fully equipped Science Lab, Art Studio, Design & Technology Workshop, Food Technology Department, ICT Suite, Gym, Library and a dedicated Sixth Form Centre and Common Room
Each student is involved in the formulation of his own learning plan which is based on personal aspirations, individual needs and ‘Quality of Life’ issues at the time. This plan helps us to link what we do on a daily basis to the outcomes identified in each student’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) by targeting support across each of the four main strands of Communication, Self-Management, Independence and Achievement.
Our ‘Quality of Life’ framework ensures that therapeutic support is fully integrated within the curriculum, with inputs from Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Clinical Psychology, Counselling and Massage.
Highly skilled therapists support students in a number of specialist areas including sensory integration, social learning and specific literacy development. They work within the school day and after school and take the lead in delivering our ‘Independence Plus’ curriculum. All students participate in this curriculum and we endeavour to work as closely as possible with families to support learning on the skills identified and gathering evidence of progress in each of the 10 sections. For more information on this aspect of our ‘Quality of Life’ framework please see our ‘Independence Plus’ curriculum.
All students and their families are allocated a keyworker, who takes a leading role in ensuring student and family voice are heard in planning curriculum, therapeutic and recreational provision. We believe that keyworking is such an important aspect of how we work, that it is timetabled for each student every week.
In Key Stage 3 students are mainly class-based and benefit from small classes (max size 6) with a dedicated teacher and Learning Support Assistant. Class groups are generally age based however, flexibility is exercised when required such as when a student may have spent time out of school before joining us.
Subject specialist teachers in Key Stage 4 and our Sixth Form teach a range of courses leading to GCSE, BTEC and Functional Skills accreditation. We also able have links with four local FE colleges and a number of schools to provide additional vocational options, apprenticeships and further breadth to our curriculum. Class sizes remain at a maximum of 6 throughout a student’s time at the school.
Students can sit exams and other forms of external accreditation at throughout their 14-19 years (Key Stage and Sixth Form), rather than having to take all their exams in Yr 11. This enables all our students to achieve the best outcomes possible as and when they are ready and without provoking excessive anxiety of having to complete all exams in one term.
The Sixth Form curriculum includes dedicated time and specialist therapy support for considering future options and preparation for moving on through such things as interview practice, CV writing and visits to a range of potential destination choices. We have a proud track record of ensuring that all students are well supported into their next destination and course of their choosing.
The extended day curriculum gives students opportunities for social inclusion both on and offsite. It allows them to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme and provides structured support for the ‘Independence Plus’ curriculum and development of essential life-skills.