Curriculum Overview PDF

Intent

At Hawthorns, we believe that all pupils are entitled to a broad, balanced, relevant and appropriate curriculum and our curriculum is designed to enable us to support our pupils to overcome their personal barriers to learning.

We are on a continual journey to ensure our curriculum meets the complex needs of all our learners and addresses the holistic needs of every individual as outlined in their Education Health and Care Plan.

Within all Pathways, the overall intent is to provide a motivating and engaging context for learning in which pupils can achieve and make progress in relation to their starting points in a personalised way.

For all pupils, the curriculum intent is for them to achieve their full potential, gaining the skills and knowledge that will enable them to have the greatest level of independence to lead an enjoyable and fulfilling life.

Our curriculum intent matches our MAT’s Destinations Matrix which focus’ on the key principles of learning of knowledge, wellbeing, independence and communication. There is a clear link between EHCP outcomes and the seven destinations at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. Our curriculum intent supports the development of the key skills required for children to be involved/take part/take control and play a part in the community, leading to secondary education where children may volunteer and work in the community.

Implementation

Hawthorns school provides high quality teaching and opportunities for learning. Teachers carefully assess individual pupil’s abilities and work with parents/carers and any linked professionals to identify next learning targets.

These are linked to EHCP outcomes and are reviewed termly. 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.

In the implementation of the curriculum, teachers identify the strategies needed for pupils to access the curriculum in order to achieve and make progress. This is individual to each pupil. In partnership with parents/carers, elements of linked health professionals therapy programmes may be implemented as interventions or integrated into the school day balanced with the educational access to the wider curriculum.

Impact

At Hawthorns, we believe that all pupils are entitled to a broad, balanced, relevant and appropriate curriculum and our curriculum is designed to enable us to support our pupils to overcome their personal barriers to learning. 

Curriculum Overview Subject Areas

ICT

At Hawthorns we believe IT is a vital tool for enhancing our pupil’s learning. Many of our children have skills when using their iPad or the latest technology and we want to embrace this.

 All of our pupils have their own iPad which is kept with them through their school life. Their ipad will have a set of core apps such as iMovie, Clips and Showbie. These may be used to support their learning in Literacy, Maths, Speaking and Listening or many other subject areas. They will also have apps which specifically support the teaching and learning of subjects such as Maths, Shapes, Coding or Geography. Our iPads can be used to promote fine motor skills or independence. In a digital world the pupil’s workbook may also be stored on their iPads, making it easier for progression to be recorded and viewed.

PE

PE, Physical Activity and School Sports at Hawthorns provides all children with the opportunity to develop their commitment to and understanding of a healthy, active lifestyle. PE is taught across school by a specialist PE teacher and Teaching Assistant

PE is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum. We adapt ideas from a range of schemes of work as the basis for planning in PE and use a variety of teaching and learning styles to ensure maximum physical activity within lessons.

Outdoor Education

At Hawthorns School outdoor learning covers three separate strands of learning. Loose Parts Play (LPP), ECO and Gardening.

These three areas of learning give our children the opportunity to connect with nature and to expand their life skills on a regular basis.

Forest Schools

Children at Hawthorns School have the opportunity to take part in Forest school. Sessions take place throughout the year, so that children have the opportunity to observe nature in all seasons, and most weather conditions. The philosophy behind Forest Schools is to get more children to engage with the outdoors. This is done through play, exploration, learning tool use and becoming increasing familiar with the range of trees, plants, animals and birds in the countryside.

Cookery

Children at Hawthorns have the opportunity to take part in Cookery sessions led by our own Cookery teacher. Their access to and the skills they learn depend on their ages and stages of development and their own Pathway curriculum. For some children, the focus will be the acquisition of key cookery skills, for other children, the focus will be developing key skills of independence and organisation. For all children it is an opportunity to develop skills of language and communication.

First Steps Pathway

Within the First Steps pathway there are three classes which consist of reception children and a number of older children for whom an Early Years Curriculum remains appropriate. To meet the needs of our pupils a range of specialist pedagogy is used to develop engagement and behaviours for learning. For some children the primary focus is the development of children’s social communication, attention skills and engagement in learning. Using elements adapted from the SCERTS model (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Supports), children are taught to regulate their emotions and develop their social communications.

The curriculum is delivered through a structured timetable where transactional supports are utilised to assist the development of children’s understanding, communication strategies, management of sensory needs and regulation of emotions. These include a structured timetable, predicable routine, visual supports and aids, communication strategies and a sensory sensitive environment.

As the academic year progresses and children develop their communication and independence skills, continuous provision will be introduced to enhance children’s progression and depth of play. Throughout all classes, pupils are taught play skills in 1-1 or small group situations. Key skills are taught in small groups for children who are able to access this for reading, writing and number. Learning is linked where possible to a theme or children’s interests, which is changed on a half termly basis, and is age appropriate. The activities are planned with clear learning foci, which aim to develop and consolidate key skills. The acquisition of skills, demonstrate small skill progression and are taken from the EYFS Framework and our EYFS progression of skills document.

Connections Pathway

For all children with a range of additional needs, the challenges within a classroom and school setting can be immense. At Hawthorns School, we recognise that for some children, where these challenges become significant barriers to learning, and are deeply rooted in the domains of communication, regulation, sensory processing and socialisation, a specialised curriculum and environment will best meet the needs of these learners.

Within the connection model classes we use a ‘tool box’ approach to our curriculum offer which means we develop our expertise in a range of evidence based practices and approaches and draw upon these ‘tools’ to create meaningful and purposeful learning opportunities to each individual.

Within the connections classes we pull all of the ‘tools’ together under the SCERTS model framework. This ensures that while personalising the curriculum, we keep a shared focus on key areas of development, namely, Social Communication and Emotional Regulation.

Enrichment Pathway

The Pathway has been developed for pupils who are significantly lower academically and make slower rates of progress than their Aspire pathway peers. They need to access learning in smaller steps that focus on tasks that they are able to complete independently giving them the self-confidence and belief that they are able to succeed.

The pupils are very social and thrive off social communication and interactions with peers as well as adults, this is a positive motivator within the pathway.

Pupils require support through a total communication approach which is reflected across the enrichment curriculum. The curriculum is also highly structured but within it offers many opportunities for social interaction  and making choices.

The curriculum focus’ on developing skills of independence, developing thinking and problem-solving skills, wellbeing & self therefore providing life skills for the outside world.

Aspire Pathway

The Aspire Pathway identifies and provides for the Primary needs of each individual child. Pupil’s in the Pathway are taught life skills which will enable them to function in the community and develop skills of independence. Each curriculum area has an overview/POS which outlines the units of work to be delivered and is matched to the assessment frameworks on EFL. The units enable the acquisition of key skills and knowledge within an exciting and motivating topic context. The topics are mapped as a a two-year rolling programme with a Science, History or Geography focus. English and Maths are taught daily through authentic learning links to the topic focus or through discrete teaching of Guided Reading, Writing, Phonics, Number and SS&M. Within the Aspire Pathway, children are also taught key skills in PSHE, Design and Technology, Music, RE, RSE and Art. 

If you would like to find out more information about our curriculum, please email admin@hawthorns.tamese.sch.uk or call 0161 370 1312.