Intent
At all key stages, the overall intent is to provide a motivating and engaging context in which pupils can achieve and make progress based on their assessed levels and next steps in a personalised way.
The following form the foundation of all delivery:
- communication and understanding
- personal and social development including awareness of self and own emotions and relationships with
others.
- independence including life-skills
- engagement and enjoyment
For all pupils, the curriculum is geared to achieve the ultimate aim that as adults they have developed and achieved the skills that will enable them to have the greatest level of independence and most enjoyable and fulfilling lives.
For all pupils, successful transition is a priority within, into and out of the setting.
For pupils to access a broad and balanced curriculum at a differentiated level meeting statutory requirements.
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 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.
Each key stage has a curriculum overview that outlines the units of work to be delivered. Key Stage One has a two year rolling programme and Key Stage Two has a four year rolling programme. The rolling programme allows pupils to be placed in mixed age classes in each key stage. Please see links below for further information. This therefore allows pupils to be grouped in classes based on a range of factors e.g. pupil needs, abilities and friendships .The specialist support classes have a rolling programme linked to units across both Key Stages. 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
Pupils working at early development level.
For pupil who are working at early stages of development, they work on cross curricular skills and knowledge that underpin all subjects. 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. The units are differentiated to allow access at an individualised level. The curriculum design has a focus of engagement in learning throughout. Some pupils access reduced number of unit to enable greater repetition of specific contexts and also to enable other aspects of the curriculum such as communication, therapies etc to be prioritised.
Pupils moving towards subject specific learning or accessing elements.
Some pupils will develop their understanding and skills that are specific to subjects or may access particular skills within subjects or in certain subjects based on their needs, interests and motivation.
For pupils engaged in subject specific learning at The Bridge, the curriculum design has a focus on engagement in order to develop early subject specific knowledge and skills. Engagement, communication and personal/social development remain an integral part of all delivery.
There is a rolling programme of units for each of the key stages which can been found in the unit overviews below.
Please click on the icons below for examples of a range of subjects intent, implementation and outcomes.
Enrichment
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:
Examples of work within a range of subjects