Curriculum Statement

“Learn to Believe – Learn to Achieve”

“Different for Different”

We seek to provide teaching that enables all students to make progress from their own starting points by:

• Providing a stimulating and challenging curriculum for all our students that meets statutory requirements.
• Organising our timetable so that students are taught in settings that best meet their needs.
• Teaching students in groups that match the learning stage they have reached rather than their chronological age.
• Creating students’  individual learning portraits that identify what we need to do to support each student to learn most effectively.
• Offering a range of learning environments to provide all students with varied and stimulating experiences in lessons.
• Providing a range of social activites and extra curricular opportuities to help students learn to manage social situations.
• Supporting students’ personal and social development through our tutor based pastoral system.
• Arranging additional specialist teaching for students who require it. For example, speech and language therapy.
• Providing a wide range of extra curricular activities and opportunities for all our students.
• Ensuring consistently high quality teaching throughout the school.
• Using accurate assessment to monitor progress and inform intervention where it is needed.

Key Statutory Regulations and Significant Links

• The National Curriculum for England, July 2014.
• The SEND Code of Practice January 2015.

Significant Links:

• Speech and language service
• Health service professionals
• Hertfordshire virtual school for children looked after.
• Social workers for children looked after.

Key Responsibilities

• Deputy Headteacher is responsible for ensuring that curriculum plans meet the needs of students and statutory requirements.
• Deputy Headteacher leads on the production of the timetable, agreeing the deployment of staffing with the Headteacher, SLT and Learning Leaders.
• Deputy Headteacher leads on monitoring the quality of teaching and learning across the school, arranging training and support for staff where necessary.
• Learning Leaders monitor students’ progress and organise intervention for students where appropriate.
• Subject leaders are responsible for devising schemes of work that meet the needs of our students in their subject areas.
• Subject leaders support and advise teachers and learning partners about teaching practice, lesson content and ensure the provision of appropriate materials for students.
• Teachers use students’ individual learning portraits to devise strategies and approaches in the classroom appropriate to their learning needs.
• Teachers plan and deliver high quality lessons that meet students’ needs and provide appropriate feedback for students that help them to improve their learning.
• Learning Partners liaise with class teachers to plan the delivery of effective learning environments.

Key Practices

Our aim is to meet the learning needs of all our students and provide them with teaching that engages, motivates and enthuses them.  Our practice is informed by accurate assessment and careful planning that is informed by our understanding of students’ needs through their learning portraits.  Our curriculum includes break and lunchtimes when we help students learn how to manage their free time through clubs and the careful supervision of free time.  We encourage sports and performing arts and are very proud of the achievements of our students in school productions.

• Classes are taught in a range of settings, from traditional secondary groups to primary style groups where one teacher works with a class for a large proportion of their time. The Bridge and Steps provide a stimulating learning environment for students who require more intense individual support whilst the Hub and the Den provide a secure learning environment for students with social, sensory and emotional needs.
• Teaching is monitored through the termly observation of all teachers and supported through the promotion of good practice
• Teachers plan lessons and use teaching strategies that are informed by students’ Learning Portraits
• Teachers use the school’s NOFUS assessment practice to identify students’ progress and feedback to students, recognising the progress they have made and helping them to take their next learning steps.
• Students’ progress is reported each half term by teachers to the school data manager. A summary of progress information is analysed for each student.  The Headteacher meets Learning and Subject Leaders to identify any necessary intervention following on from assessment.
• Class teachers and Learning Partners liaise to plan and deliver lessons that engage and motivate students, enabling them to make progress.
• Subject Leaders provide schemes of work and guidance to enable teachers to deliver lessons that support the required programme of study.