Curriculum
Intent
Our curriculum is rooted in the core principles of our school's vision, which is to enable every individual to reach their full potential, experience well-being, and find value in society through education that emphasizes equality and high expectations. To fulfill this vision, our curriculum has specific objectives:
- Full Potential: We aim to equip students with essential communication skills, enabling them to understand and express their daily needs. Additionally, we foster independent life skills to promote self-sufficiency.
- Well-being: Our curriculum prioritizes enjoyable learning experiences that lead to frequent successes. These experiences are thoughtfully designed to provide relevant and practical knowledge, helping students understand their world and contribute positively to it.
- Place of Value: We emphasize that each student is both an individual and a member of a larger community, both within and outside of the school.
Our curriculum is meticulously structured to achieve these goals. It is highly personalised to ensure that students work towards meaningful and beneficial objectives, while still offering a broad and enriching education that deepens their understanding of the world.
We provide a comprehensive range of subjects based on the National Curriculum, tailored to the unique needs of our learners. We prioritise subjects that develop essential life skills and knowledge. For instance, we do not have a separate Modern Foreign Languages course but instead organize multicultural days to expose students to different cultures, focusing on functional communication skills. Similarly, Design Technology is integrated into our Expressive Arts and Design sessions.
Communication and Social Interaction are central elements of our curriculum, underpinning all aspects of learning. We recognise the value of various learning opportunities throughout the day, including transition breaks and leisure times.
Reading is fundamental to our curriculum, as it is an essential life skill. We encourage reading for all students, recognising its pivotal role in their employability, independent living, and overall pleasure. Reading serves as a gateway to participation in all areas of our curriculum.
Our objectives include:
- Providing a well-rounded education with a coherent plan that builds cumulative knowledge, skills, and readiness for future learning and employment.
- Fostering the development of knowledge and skills that empower students to apply their competencies effectively in real-life situations.
- Supporting spiritual, moral, social, and cultural growth.
- Promoting physical development and encouraging a healthy, active lifestyle.
- Cultivating a positive attitude toward learning.
- Ensuring equal opportunities for all students, maintaining high expectations while providing appropriate challenge and support.
- Equipping students with the knowledge and cultural capital needed to thrive in life.
- Nurturing a lifelong love of learning.
- Adopting a holistic approach to learning, fostering collaboration among parents, caregivers, school staff, and multi-agency services to support a range of learning opportunities.