Our Curriculum
Intent
Our curriculum is broad, balanced and person-centred. It is designed for pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs, many of whom arrive having missed significant periods of education or having found previous settings impossible.
How our pupils learn shapes how we teach. It does not shape how far we expect them to go. We adapt the pathway; we do not lower the ambition.
We are currently applying for a material change to admit pupils from Years 5 & 6 and our policies and procedures reflect this however, at present we offer a bespoke SEMH curriculum for pupils ages 11- 18 years.
Implementation
- We start from where pupils actually are. Every pupil is baseline assessed on entry in English, maths, science and IT, alongside an SEMH profile.
- Small groups and individualised timetables. Group sizes are kept low, and each pupil’s timetable is built around their Education, Health and Care Plan.
- Gaps are closed, not worked around. Pupils still developing decoding skills follow Fresh Start, a phonics programme designed for older learners. Targeted maths interventions can be implemented along with programmes such as IDL.
- One curriculum, two sites. Pupils at Becklands and Millbrook Horizons follow the same curriculum, with the land-based, practical and vocational strand delivered at Millbrook. For students in our Post – 16 cohort we offer bespoke curriculum based on their career aspirations, please see the Curriculum Policy for more information.
Impact
Progress is measured against each pupil’s own starting point as well as national expectations, and reported honestly to families and placing authorities. Pupils leave us with recognised qualifications from AQA Awards, Functional Skills and BTECs and for some students the opportunities to complete GCSEs. But the focus of our curriculum is around re-engaging with learning, fostering independence and providing students with the practical and social skills to take a next step.
Curriculum breadth
Our curriculum gives every pupil experience across all the required areas of learning.
- English lessons are taught across wide range of ages and abilities, reading and phonics through Fresh Start, oracy, Functional Skills English, GCSE English
- Maths lessons are taught across a wide range of ages and abilities, Functional Skills maths, GCSE maths
- Engaging tailored science programme including environmental sciences and sustainability at Millbrook Horizons
- Computing and IT, joinery and woodwork, practical and vocational projects
- Human and social. PSHE and RSE through the Jigsaw programme, humanities: history, geography are delivered via our understanding the world curriculum, British values and citizenship
- PE Pro curriculum, outdoor pursuits and outdoor education, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
- Aesthetic and creative. Dance and drama, BTEC qualifications an option for pupils but also a broad range of activities to engage learners with practical hands on studies.
Reading
Reading sits at the centre of our curriculum. Many of our pupils arrive reading well below their chronological age, and for some that is the single biggest barrier to everything else.
Pupils who are still developing decoding skills follow Fresh Start, a systematic phonics programme designed for older learners. Beyond decoding, our English curriculum is text-based, built around high-quality texts that challenge pupils and widen their knowledge of the world.
Personal development and British values
PSHE and relationships and sex education are taught through the Jigsaw programme, supported by our pastoral team and by the relationships pupils build with staff.
We actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. These are woven through the curriculum, pupil voice, enrichment and the everyday life of the school, at a level appropriate to each pupil’s understanding, rather than taught as isolated activities.
Personal development and British values
PSHE and relationships and sex education are taught through the Jigsaw programme, supported by our pastoral team and by the relationships pupils build with staff.
We actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. These are woven through the curriculum, pupil voice, enrichment and the everyday life of the school, at a level appropriate to each pupil’s understanding, rather than taught as isolated activities.
Assessment and reporting
Pupils are baseline assessed on entry and their progress tracked across the year. Parents and carers receive a written report on their child’s progress and attainment in each main subject area at least annually, alongside the statutory annual review of their Education, Health and Care Plan.
For more detail on any part of our curriculum, or to request our curriculum policy, contact the school office on 01430 338569 or email [email protected].
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