Curriculum Policy
2024-25
Nominated Lead Member of Staff: Nicola Smith
Date of Policy: September 2024
Status & Review Cycle: Statutory (Annual Review)
Next Review Date: September 2025
Curriculum Intent
The curriculum at Changing Lives Independent School is carefully structured to provide students with the skills, knowledge and understanding to be active citizens, able to take advantage of opportunities for employment and independence as they move into adulthood. We want our students to be engaged and curious learners and the curriculum offers many opportunities for the hands-on, practical learning which pupils enjoy.
The curriculum has a number of key ‘building blocks’ which take a systematic and strategic approach to developing and embedding essential skills, knowledge and understanding over time to allow leavers to meet the complexities of the workplace with confidence and competence. Students re-visit essential learning as they move through the school to build, develop and refine their skills.
Careful timetabling, personalisation, individual route-mapping ensures that these key components work together to meet the needs of each individual.
Core curriculum areas of Maths, English and Science are essential to fulfilling the school goals and form a key component throughout the curriculum. Our curriculum is designed to provide students with challenging, but realistic, pathways to achievement, including, where appropriate for the student, the opportunity to achieve GCSEs, including Maths, English and Science.
Our Vocational curriculum strengthens as students move through school with an increasing focus on work placements and employability skills especially around animal care and equine studies. The curriculum is underpinned by strong careers education throughout school and a qualifications framework which helps young people to have a pathway that leads into further study or work.
Our curriculum supports pupils to make responsible, informed choices in school, at home, the community and in the workplace, developing independence skills to equip students for life beyond school. This curriculum includes a strong safeguarding element to support pupils to learn how to make positive choices to keep themselves safe and healthy, now and in adult life.
Our curriculum equips students with the essential, executive skills to support successful and active citizenship and life as a member of a workforce. The skills taught include Teamworking, Listening, Creative thinking, Problem Solving, Communicating and Resilience.
Implementation
Our curriculum is tangible in every part of the school day which begins with breakfast club and form time, this allows all learners to be ready to engage in the formal curriculum and provides opportunities for staff to have conversations, address concerns and prepare learners for the day ahead.
Bespoke implementation is key for students with complex needs. All timetables are individualised for the student’s needs, where possible.
All students access to our equine and animal care qualifications through the British Horse Society. Students work towards different grades throughout their time at the school. These range from Introductory to Gold awards.
All students also access a range of personalised interventions throughout the year. These will be chosen on the individual students needs. These include: Lego Therapy, Social stories, Zones of Regulation, Counselling, Art Therapy.
KS3 students will study English, maths and science. However, they will also complete a range of different qualifications to build on their skills for when they leave school. Students will study: AQA Unit Awards in a range of different areas such as independent skills, cooking, animal care etc. Students also work on Prince’s Trust units in Personal Development and Employability skills.
KS4 students will study English, maths and science. Students also chose a qualification from the Open Awards options. These range across a broad number of subjects from animal care to construction to business skills. Students chose the units they would like to complete and work through the qualification throughout KS4. They will also complete a range of different qualifications to build on their skills for when they leave school. Students will study: AQA Unit Awards in a range of different areas such as independent skills, cooking, animal care etc.
Curriculum Impact cycle
We hold attainment collection points for all students three times across the year at Key Stage Three, Key Stage Four and Key Stage Five. We also collect Attitude to Learning data during these times.
Students will be provided with frequently updated individual small step targets in their IEPs that can be easily measured to confirm the progress they make in lessons. This will also provide pupils with consistent feedback on their progress and accomplishments.
Students are also provided with feedback throughout the half term around their progress in all lessons. This progress is shown to the students on their individual trackers throughout each half term. This allows students to understand the progress they have made and which areas they need to improve upon.
Records of work and Achievement
KS3 and KS4 students utilise workbooks in English, maths, science and PSHE. Students will work to individualized targets within these lessons.
For students accessing accreditation courses, an additional file of evidence is also utilised. Within FE teachers may opt to utilise a book or file to suit the needs of their students and the programme of study.
Accreditation
Suitable Accreditation is offered to students in both academic and vocational areas, which supports transition to adulthood and future employment opportunities. Through their time in school, students build up a portfolio of accreditation that will serve to enhance their future chances of employability. We maintain a strong focus on applied learning in preparation for securing supported and independent employment.
Accreditation Overview
Key stage 4 and 5 students complete AQA Accreditation in English, Maths and Science at differentiated levels utilising the pre-entry and entry-level units when required but also GCSE. They also study Open Awards which is differentiated to suit varying levels of learning. To facilitate a differentiated and personalised approach, students can work at different levels when they are ready.
Changing Lives recognises the importance of Accreditation, external recognition allows students to demonstrate that they are able to meet the requirements of national standard and quality expectations. Externally ratified qualifications allow students to build their record of achievement, thus improving opportunities of future employment.
AQA Unit Awards
The school does not aim to teach directly to Accreditation, but instead will differentiate teaching to provide for individual needs. It utilises schemes of work, designed to meet individual need and accredit these where appropriate within AQA Unit Awards. Pupils achieve national accreditation only if they satisfy the ratifying Board that they have met the criteria of the nationally endorsed scheme.
Impact- Data Collection
Data collection within an SEND context is extremely important. There are several reasons for this:
• Data allows the delivery of an ambitious and aspirational curriculum which allows for;
• The celebration of success through the provision of a clear learning pathway.
• Data provides the building blocks so that staff gain a ‘bigger picture’ understanding of how
knowledge is embedded over time.
• To report to parents thus enabling them to fully support students in their learning aspirations.
• To evaluate SOW and ensure that there are no systemic issues or ineffective schemas.
• To provide meaningful, rigorous and timely interventions.
• Accountability – staff and students have a shared sense of responsibility.
• Ensures that minority groups and disadvantaged children are well supported to make outstanding
progress.
• Teachers use assessment to ensure planning is based on prior attainment and that pupils know
what they are to do to achieve the next steps.
What is the intent of data?
At Changing Lives it is important that data is intended to:
• Align with individual developmental levels through the setting of meaningful and appropriate targets.
• Benefit the student in terms of the pride they take in their progress. Data is used in a celebratory
and positive way, which enriches the students learning journey.
• Be helpful, user friendly and time efficient for teachers.
• Personalised and differentiated; assessment looks different within each access group and is tailored to a variety of needs.
• Formative and dynamic and summative and reflective.
• Facilitate appropriate and timely interventions.
• Reportable: Parents and students understand strengths as well as focus areas.
How do we collect data (short term/medium term)?
Short Term Data is collected in a broad variety of ways:
• The use of next steps within books.
• Written annotation and verbal feedback
• Individual assessment opportunities
• Self and peer assessments (differentiated to suit the needs of students)
• Subject specific assessment (where appropriate)
Medium Term Data Collection
Pupils are ‘baselined’ when they arrive. All students work toward three targets per term (one
target per strand). In addition, to ensure that our most able learners are stretched and challenged.
Parents are invited to target setting meetings twice a year and results are sent via termly reports. Analysis of assessment data is used to set termly curriculum targets and annually to create whole school targets included within the SIP. Progress files and trackers track long-term progress and evidence their learning journey.
How are we utilising data so that it has an impact (interventions)?
• Teachers are very discreet in their use of interventions which are often mutually agreed upon; staff
and students share their learning goals.
• Curriculum leaders work closely with teaching staff and adopt a collaborative approach to sharing
best practice.
• Teaching staff and curriculum leaders tailor individualised bespoke intervention packages, creating
resources and learning opportunities tailored to specific needs.
• An open-door policy means that teachers can observe good practice across the school thus enriching pedagogy.
• If data highlights any systemic issues, leaders will utilise information to inform wider interventions
(staff training, SIP targets)