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Whole School Curriculum Provision Overview

Introduction

Castle School is an all-age school for children and young people with severe/profound and multiple learning difficulties. We are dedicated to providing a broad, rich, deep and aspirational curriculum at levels appropriate to the developmental understanding of our pupils. In considering the curriculum, it is underpinned by asking ourselves ‘what do our young people need to learn?’ We do this by looking at the pupil’s needs and developing planned learning outcomes to meet those needs. The curriculum provides a ‘vehicle’ through which those learning outcomes are delivered. The curriculum provides a natural progression from Early Years to Key Stage 5 with programmes designed for and implemented at an appropriate level.

Our curriculum is designed to help our pupils to become:

Successful learners who are engaged in and enjoy their learning – making excellent progress and experiencing achievement
Effective communicators who can express themselves, make choices and build positive relationships with other people and have increasing control and influence over their lives
Confident individuals who having had a variety of successful experiences are able to take a full part in activities within school and the community. Also, to provide the appropriate level of challenge and risk taking in order to develop the resilience and aptitude to be able to cope when things go wrong.
Active participants in developing a healthy, safe lifestyle, supporting good relationships and respecting differences between people, enhancing positive mental and physical health, happiness and a sense of well-being
Well-prepared for their adult life where they have increasing control and influence over their own lives and develop into young people who are as independent as possible Whilst the overall aims of the curriculum will be the same for all children and young people attending Castle School, the styles of teaching and learning may be different according to the specific learning needs of the pupils. Throughout the curriculum, the central focus will be on what the pupils are learning, which will be different for different pupils, rather than simply what are the pupils doing.

“Education’s starting point should not be about us, it should be about them (our students), their needs, their aspirations and goals”

Dr Maggie Atkinson, Children’s Commissioner for England, September 2013

The curriculum is highly personalised as each pupil has planned progressive steps in learning and individual targets based on their assessed previous skills and knowledge rather than for their age or year group. Due to the particular special needs of an individual pupil, some pupils may not have an ‘even profile of ability’ across the provision and consequently rigorous assessment is key to identifying progressive steps in learning. The curriculum provides the opportunity for pupils to access broad and balanced learning at a differentiated level meeting statutory requirement.

Curriculum Approach

Castle School has ambition for all children and young people and as such we strive to provide a meaningful, aspirational curriculum which is a framework for learning that we deliver through a ‘spiralised approach’. (See below Pedological Approach)

This approach has three key principles

Planning is cyclical-pupils return to topics throughout their time in school
Increasing depth is planned each time a topic/theme/programme is revisited at a mastery of skill level
Prior knowledge is utilised when a topic is revisited so pupils build upon a strong foundation.

The school’s approach consists of year on year skills and knowledge being revisited and built upon to provide depth as learners master skills and apply these in functional situations. Within this we acknowledge that progression is not necessarily about movement up a ladder of skills and knowledge. Lateral progression is important in being able to master 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. Retention of fundamental skills and knowledge which embed into the long-term memory is also important- to know more, do more and remember more.

Spiralised Approach

Castle has mapped curriculum provision by:

Early Years

Pre-formal

Engagement

Semi-formal

Formal

Post 14

Through an in-depth understanding of each child’s needs (cognition and learning; communication and interaction; social and emotional mental health and physical and sensory), we set personalised and ambitious learning outcomes as the foundation for tailor-made curricula activities.

The curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced through robust assessment systems (iASEND, Cherry Garden, Routes for Learning and MAPP).

SEND Code of Practice 5.33, January 2015, ‘The special education provision made for a child should always be based on an understanding of their particular strengths and needs’.

Our intention is for the curriculum to provide ambitious stretch and progression for all learners with an understanding that each child is on their own bespoke journey and will progress at a different rate and trajectory. We are determined to ensure the same inclusive ambition for all pupils regardless of background or starting point.

Our curriculum intends to respect and reflect the national curriculum and is contextualised to our unique school community and the entitlement of learners, allowing space and time for the careful integration of specialised approaches, therapies and interventions.

Impact of Castles approach to the curriculum.

The outcome of the curriculum is highly individual. All achievement and progress are celebrated. Progress for our pupils can be demonstrated by:

Pupils making progress towards/achieving their intended outcomes set with parents/carers for 12 months within the EHCP annual meetings. These outcomes are informed by any relevant professionals working with the pupils.
Pupils making progress towards meeting EHCP outcomes and personalised targets on a termly basis.
Pupils making progress/achieving across the curriculum planned by teachers. Progress and achievement in all subjects are reported to parents in EHCP -Annual Review Report. Reporting procedures include -Principal’s reports to governors and the Executive Board
Achieving external accreditation for secondary aged pupils e.g., ASDAN.
Using existing skills in a wider range of contexts.
Supported transition within, in and out of the setting.
Stakeholder feedback
Performance management

Long Term Plan

Science

Rationale

Would you like to know more?

If you have any specific questions about your child’s learning in a particular subject area, contact the school office on 01670 844322 and a member of staff will be happy to assist you.