Bespoke, collaborative and effective

Our students learn from a broad and balanced curriculum. It's based on the National Curriculum's programme of study but we plan and tailor it to meet our students' individual needs. 

The curriculum consists of three fundamental principles: 

1. It links to current issues in our students' immediate and broader worlds to help them gain an understanding of local, national, and global contexts.
    
2. It's planned and sequenced in a way that makes it accessible for all students, regardless of when they joined the school and their individual starting points. 
    
3. It provides a holistic approach to our students' development. Academic outcomes are only part of the journey, so we plan our curriculum in a way that helps students meet the national Preparing for Adulthood outcomes to help them lead a fulfilled and independent life.

Preparing for Adulthood

We use the Preparing for Adulthood outcomes in many ways across all subjects within our curriculum. We link education around healthy eating to preparing nutritious recipes in food lessons. We expose students to a range of leisure activities in the local community as part of their PE (Physical Education) lessons to encourage lifelong participation in exercise and sports. We also use maths lessons to Mathematics lessons are designed to develop practical, real-life skills that enable pupils to apply mathematical knowledge confidently in everyday situations, including managing money, measuring, budgeting, problem-solving and making informed decisions.

When students first join our school, they complete a baseline assessment as part of their transition. They're then assigned a pathway which they're assessed against. This informs whether they're working towards Entry Level certificates or Functional Skills qualification outcomes at key stage 4 and in some cases beyond.

All students at Key Stage 4 have a transition review support from the Career’s lead and receive bespoke Career’s advice and support with their transition into Adulthood.

Key stage 5 is where we look at a student's options beyond Year 11. Our Career Leads conduct a second transition interview before their Year 11 EHCP (Education, Health, and Care Plan) review. This helps us formulate a plan with the student regarding their next steps, whether that be moving on to a college or continuing into Year 12 at school. If they continue with us, we can help them access extra studies while giving them targeted support for their transition into further education.

 

Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4

Across KS2, KS3 and KS4, the following subjects are delivered with schemes of work and lesson planning aligned to National Curriculum objectives, ensuring appropriate coverage, challenge, and progression:

• Mathematics
• English
• PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education)
• Physical Education (PE)
• Science
• Humanities
• Art
• Personal Development, including:
  • Forest School
  • Music
• Vocational Learning, including:
  • Beauty, well-being and self-care

All subjects are planned to ensure skills and knowledge build sequentially, with regular assessment used to inform next steps in learning.  

Key Stage 5

At KS5, the curriculum continues to be structured and planned to maintain alignment with National Curriculum expectations for post-16 study, focusing on functional skills, independence, employability, and preparation for adulthood. Subjects include:

• Mathematics
• English
• Preparation for Adulthood, including:
  • Work Experience
  • College Visits
  • Vocational Qualifications (where applicable)
• Personal Development, with a Music option offered
• Individualised Careers Advice

Planning at KS5 emphasises personalised learning pathways, ensuring students receive structured support in developing life skills, exploring future education and training routes and progressing toward meaningful adulthood outcomes.