Curriculum Overview
Our Curriculum SUPPORTS students’ individual needs
Our Curriculum
Intent
Our curriculum is broad and balanced and uses the Cornerstones Scheme of Work as the starting point, differentiated to meet the needs of students. Students are placed on one of the pathways based on the needs outlined in their EHCPs, reports from professionals and in school assessments. The school then uses baseline assessments and diagnostic reports to ensure that the curriculum matches their needs.
In previous settings our students may not have been successful in their learning, possibly because they have missed time in lessons or school altogether. In many cases, knowledge and skills may have been taught but due to students special needs not being identified early enough, they were not given the opportunity to ensure that it was transferred into their long term memories so that they could access it for future use. Our curriculum is designed to introduce new knowledge and skills and to fill the gaps from previously missed learning opportunities.
The intent for our curriculum is therefore threefold:
- To ensure that crucial knowledge is taught in a coherent sequence and broken down into small enough bite-sized chunks with repetition to meet individual needs.
- To identify where there are gaps in learning and plan to fill these whilst continuing to introduce new knowledge and skills.
- Ensure that the teaching activities chosen by staff to deliver the curriculum are effective and meet the needs of all students.
We know that, based on their past experiences in schools, information from EHCPs and the detailed reports from professionals, our students will have barriers to learning the curriculum content they need for success. Our curriculum is designed to overcome these barriers so that students can achieve the educational goals we share for them.
Our curriculum is designed to be:
- Broad and balanced curriculum
- Teaches a wide range of topics
- Coherent and well-sequenced, with skills, knowledge and cultural capital
Curriculum Implementation
We uses a number of well tested schemes of work to enable teachers to deliver lessons and content that meets the needs of our students.
Click here to view the full curriculum.
Reading and Phonics
The school uses Read, Write, Inc to teach phonics and reading to students.
Introduction
Read Write Inc. is a comprehensive literacy program developed by Ruth Miskin, aimed at helping students learn to read and write fluently. It is particularly focused on early years and primary education, designed to create a solid foundation in phonics, comprehension, writing, and spelling.
The programme is designed for students aged 4-7. However, at Seva Education we will continue teaching READ, WRITE, INC to students beyond the age of 7 as many of our students have not learned to read when they join us due to adverse experiences in previous settings.
Read, Write, Inc was developed by Ruth Miskin and more information on this can be found at https://ruthmiskin.com/en/find-out-more/parents/.
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)
This scheme of work draws on planning and guidance from the PSHE Association, as recommended by the DfE.
Mathematics
At Seva Education we often need to place students in mixed age classes matched to need and/or ability. Whilst we try to place students in similar ability classes this is not always possible as a reading ability may be very different from a mathematical ability or social and emotional level of maturity.
In order to meet the needs of all students we teach using the White Rose scheme of work which allows teachers to teach concepts to mixed ability groups initially students can then also be supported by other adults in and out of class through the wide range of resources that are available in the White Rose scheme.
Students can be supported though the following resources:
- Long term overviews
- Medium term planning supported with explanation of the concepts being taught
- Individual lesson plans
- Whiteboard lessons plans
- Supplementary resources to support of challenge (for example true/false)
- Videos to explain mathematical thinking
- End of block and term assessments
Foundation Subjects
The school uses Curriculum Maestro for foundation planning and recording student assessment data. Curriculum Maestro gives users access to the Cornerstones Curriculum planning tool which is used for all foundation subjects. Foundation subjects are taught on a rolling two-year basis so that students do not repeat topics as they move through the school. The themes or topics are also planned to meet the needs of mixed age groups in classes and also to pathway that a student is placed on.
The scheme provides:
- Long term overviews based on themes
- Medium term planning
- Individual lesson plans
- Materials for students to use
- A list of useful practical resources
- Ideas for cross curricular work
- Ideas for trips and visits to start or enhance a topic
- Parent information
At Seva Education's (Further Education provision) we focus on key pathways for Preparation for Adulthood through enriched programmes such as ASDAN, Pearson and NCFE.
