Curriculum Overview

Intent

At Halesbury School, we provide all pupils access to a varied and meaningful learning experience that is appropriate to their learning needs. In the hope that they will acquire personal skills, attributes, knowledge and understanding necessary for them to have the most fulfilling and independent life as possible.

For each pupil their next step will be based on their retention and assessed previous skills and knowledge rather than for their age or year group. Due to the needs of an individual pupil, steps may be broken down further and further personalised. The curriculum provides the opportunity for pupils to access a curriculum at a differentiated level. As a result, pupils are placed in mixed age classes in each key stage where the classes are grouped on a range of factors, e.g. pupil need, abilities and friendships.

The curriculum works on a rolling programme (3 years for EYFS, 4 years for primary, 5 years for secondary and 3 years for Post 16) with a whole school theme being allocated termly. Teachers then generate medium term plans from this which show differentiation between classes.

Depending upon which class or route a child is in will indicate what their expected outcome will be from either;

• Experience for Life
• Choices for Life
• Independence for Life

The following are fundamental to curriculum delivery at all levels;

• Engagement and enjoyment
• Communication and understanding
• Personal and social development including increasing awareness of self, their own emotions and relationships with others.
• Independence including life-skills

Progression is not just about movement up a ladder of skills and knowledge. Lateral progression is important in being able to apply the skills and knowledge that have been learned. E.g. to different contexts, situations, with less scaffolding and support, with different people and in different environments.

Implementation

Students typically experience the following lessons, which we have broken down into the four areas of the Preparing for Adulthood agenda:

Independent Living	Education & Employment	Community & Relationships	Health & Well-being
My Independence Cooking	Communication & Language (including Phonics) Number & Problem Solving Science PfA Day (secondary)	World Around Us PSHE	IT Art / Music PE Out & About (primary) Forest School (primary)

Teachers carefully assess pupil’s abilities and needs within the curriculum areas and use a range of strategies to allow individuals to access the curriculum, engage, achieve, make progress and retain information. Strategies may include: Intensive Interaction, Structured support, Visual Support, Work stations, Communication aids, work/reward/ multi-sensory delivery, repetition, etc.

Teachers work with parents/carers and any linked professionals to target the next steps in the priority areas of the EHCP. These are reviewed through the EHCP process every 12 months and progress is monitored in progress meetings termly, any additional support can be implemented from these termly meetings to support pupils.

For many of our learner’s communication is a significant barrier. To help overcome this and support them with being able to communicate with each other, and with those with greater need, our pupils in Key Stage 4 will receive lessons on Makaton so that they are able to communicate with each other and pupils lower down in the school. This will then become their second language taught within school.

Developing our learner’s social ability and skills is fundamental to our curriculum and we achieve this through the involvement of a variety of outside agencies contributing to various aspects of our curriculum. These include accessing farms, various sporting activities and venues (golf, boxing, gym, swimming, sports centres), organisations working with our learners in school (dance, music, artist facilitator from Birmingham Hippodrome). In addition, all of our classes access local parks, walks, shops and cafés.

For some students across the school the curriculum may require further individualisation. When appropriate, some students receive additional aspects to their timetable including but not limited to:

• Social skills development
• Learning mentor intervention
• College experience
• Duke of Edinburgh Award in Year 10 and 11
• OT support
• Speech and Language support
• ELSA
• Psychotherapy support

Impact

The aspiration for all pupils who attend Halesbury School is that they:

• Achieve their potential in all aspects of their development
• Develop the ability to recognise, communicate and manage their own emotions in appropriate ways
• Develop self-esteem and self-awareness to recognise their own strengths and personal qualities or skills that they can take into the local and wider community

The impact of our curriculum is measured in a variety of ways, these include;

• Pupils making progress towards/achieving their intended outcomes on their EHCP.
• Pupils making progress in the curriculum – evident on STAR (Student Targeted Assessment Record), SCERTs, Early Years Goals, Subject progression ladders
• External accreditation for pupils in secondary – AQA Units completed, Entry Level certificates, Functional Skills, GCSE’s
• Being able to use existing skills in a wider context
• Successful transition in and out of setting
• Destination follow up calls to ensure Post 16 transition has been successful
• Reviewing individual pupil behaviour plans
• Reviewing pupil attendance data

 

Other ways the impact of the curriculum is monitored include;

• Learning walks / lesson observations
• Book trawls
• Moderation
• Pupil progress meetings