Our innovative experiential curriculum is designed to meet learners’ SEMH needs, develop coping skills and change behaviour. This is in addition to achieving academic outcomes for all key areas of education including, English, Mathematics, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Enterprise, Citizenship, PHSE (Personal Health and Social Education) Physical Education and Humanities.
Having extended our school age to 16, we will now be able to deliver KS4 to all our learners. During Year 9, learners across the sites will have a gradual transition getting to know one another and beginning to step into Phase 3 of our curriculum. Vocational and academic courses will be available depending on the young people’s interests and learning styles.
There will be a core offering of ASDAN awards, Functional Skills and Duke of Edinburgh Bronze with more bespoke elements also on offer. SEMH will still be at the core of all we do and learners will follow a life skills and careers programme which will include work experience and residentials. All throughout we will be supporting and inspiring our young people to be lifelong learners ready for their next steps in life, whether that be college, employment or apprenticeships.
The Curriculum
All our learners initially follow an intensive holistic approach to the curriculum that promotes Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) curriculum to provide the skills and knowledge to overcome learners’ previous barriers to learning. This takes learning and puts it into the learners’ hands under the following headings:
- Knowing Myself
- Explore Discover
- Knowing Others
- Creativity
- Keeping Safe and Well
- Practical Skills
- Life Skills
- Being Understood
- The World Around Me
On completion, learners are then supported to develop personalised learning pathways incorporating longer term projects, using the skills and knowledge they have developed over the first three years.
After graduating from phase 1 and re-engaging with education, learners are facilitated to map their own path through more familiar curriculum outcomes but delivered holistically through project-based-learning:
- English
- Maths
- Forest Stem
- Physical
- PSHE
- SEMH
- Creative Frame Work
Then in a third section ‘Learners transition to Phase 3 in year 9 where they send a year working on their self-identified areas of the phase 2 curriculum, ready to embark on two years pursuing accreditation in Functional Sills English. Maths and ASDAN qualifications of their own choosing.
