Intent

At all key stages, the overall intent is each pupil engages, achieves, and makes the most personal progress they can over time to enable them to have the most fulfilling, enjoyable, and independent life possible.

The school has mapped out:

• for pupils working at below pre-key stage standards that are pre-subject specific, the intended progression of fundamental key skills and knowledge. The National Curriculum subjects provide a context for multi-sensory delivery to engage pupils in learning and to achieve the pre subject specific/cross curricular skills and knowledge and also the 12 month outcomes set with parents/carers  at annual review of EHCP. The outcomes target key next steps to achieve and retain. Some pupils will access elements in the continuum in the subject specific skills and knowledge based on their next steps. 
• for pupils who are working towards/within subject specific learning the school has mapped out the intended progression of skills and knowledge leading to the end points that are outlined in the National Curriculum. Pupils work on 12 month outcomes set with parents/carers at annual review of EHCP. The outcomes target key next steps to achieve and retain. 

For each pupil their next step will be based on their assessed previous skills and knowledge rather than for their age or year group, it will be highly personalised. Due to the particular special needs of an individual pupil, some pupils may not have an even profile and steps may be broken down and further personalised. The curriculum provides the opportunity for pupils to access a broad and balanced curriculum at a differentiated level meeting statutory requirements.

The following form the foundation of all delivery:

• engagement and enjoyment
• communication and understanding
• personal and social development including increasing awareness of self, their own emotions and relationships with others.
• independence including life-skills

    Progression is not necessarily about movement up a ladder of skills and knowledge. Lateral

    progression is important in being able to apply the skills and knowledge that have been learned e.g.

    to different contexts, situations, with less scaffolding and support, with different people and in 

    different environments. Retention of the foundation fundamental skills and knowledge to embed into 

    the long term memory is also important- to know more, do more and remember more.

    We want all pupils to have a successful transition into and out of our setting.

Implementation

The Bridge School provides high quality teaching. Teachers carefully assess each pupils abilities. Teachers work with parents/carers and any linked professionals to target the next key steps in priority areas that include communication/understanding, personal and social development and key skills. These are agreed through 12 month outcomes set as part of the EHCP process and are reviewed every 6 months with parents/carers. Teachers also plan the next individual pupil steps in all curriculum areas. Teaching is informed by the planned and sequenced knowledge and skills in all areas. 

Alongside this, teachers identify the strategies that each pupil needs to access the curriculum and engage to achieve and make progress. This is individual to each pupil. Strategies include: Intensive Interaction, structured visual support, PECS, work/reward/ multi-sensory delivery, repetition etc. Teachers use a range of strategies to support pupils to learn and retain information. In partnership with parent/carers elements of a NHS health linked professional therapy programme may be implemented or integrated into the school day balanced with the educational access to the wider curriculum. 

English and Maths are taught through daily functional skills sessions and timetabled lessons. They are based on careful assessment of pupils abilities and needs and their progressive sequenced next step of learning. Pupils are also supported through the whole curriculum where communication and understanding, early literacy and maths skills and knowledge and personal development are integrated into all learning as appropriate. The sequence of learning as it is in all subjects is personal to pupil or groups of pupils based on their prior learning and engagement in learning is central to all. Maths and English have a bank of resources and activities that can support teachers in the work with each pupil. 

For other subjects, the curriculum overview that outlines the units of work for other subjects to be delivered across the rolling programme. The rolling programme allows pupils to be placed in mixed age classes in each key stage. This therefore allows pupils to be grouped in classes based on a range of factors e.g. pupil needs, abilities and friendships. The content  has been carefully planned to enable repetition over time. Please see links below for further information. 

Pupils with profound learning difficulties, for whom the units provide a multi-sensory varied theme context for the pre-subject specific knowledge and skills progression, may access reduced number of units to enable time for other priorities. For pupils working at this early stage of development, the planned curriculum units provide a theme/context for multi-sensory delivery. Pupils work on cross curricular priority areas of learning often including those set in the 12 month outcomes of the EHCP.  The planned curriculum units enable pupils to access a wide range of creative and exciting planned activities to extend and build on known interests and motivations.  The curriculum theme also enables repetition to sustain each pupil’s achievements. There is an intensive focus on all aspects of communication and personal outcomes and engagement through the themes. The planned units have the same titles as our pupils who are working on subject specific learning so that it leads to shared opportunities for all to learn together and it does not ceiling pupils progress. 

Parents/carers are informed about the curriculum units being covered in termly Newsletters. The units enable key skills and knowledge to be worked on in each unit within an exciting and motivating context  Each subject has skill and knowledge progression mapped but each pupil will work on their next steps and teachers will break down into further small steps or widen due to the unique nature of each pupil and how they engage and access the curriculum. 

Please click on the icons below for examples of a range of subjects intent, implementation and outcomes.

Enrichment and wider development 

The curriculum is provides many enriching creative learning contexts. Other wider opportunities are provided such as whole school  projects linked to citizenship such as Red Nose Day and Comic Relief. 

Links to events as they arise e.g. the Olympics, national celebrations. 

Use of external coaches/ professionals  or internal programmes e.g. linked to sports, arts, science

Phase or whole school days e.g. World Book Day, Arts or Science days. 

Opportunities can be planned and offered regularly linked to a year group or phase or may be that things are capitalised on when opportunities arise. 

Please see further information in tabs on Cultural Capital and British Values 

Impact

The aspiration for all pupils who attend the Bridge School is they achieve their potential in all aspects of their development. All pupils who attend the Bridge School, have severe/ profound learning difficulties. Many pupils have additional needs such as autism, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, complex medical needs etc. We work in a determined way to ensure that all pupils can achieve the most they can.

The outcome of the curriculum is highly individual. All achievement and progress is celebrated. Progress for our pupils can be demonstrated by:

• Pupils making progress towards/achieving their intended outcomes set with parents/carers for 12 months within the EHCP annual meetings. These outcomes are informed by any relevant professionals working with the pupils.
• Pupils making progress towards outcomes when reviewed in 6 month review meetings with parents/carers.
• Pupils making progress/achieving in the curriculum planned by teachers. Progress and achievement in all subjects are within reports to parents in either EHCP (annual review) report or annual Curriculum report.
• Achieving external accreditation for secondary aged pupils e.g. OCR accreditation.
• Achieving external accreditation for secondary aged pupils e.g. OCR accreditation.
• Using existing skills in a wider range of contexts.
• Supported transition within, in and out of the setting.

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Examples of work within a range of subjects

Please click on the icons below for examples of range of subject intent, implementation and outcomes.