Curriculum Planning
At Beacon Hill we understand that all learners are unique and this means every learner has their own curriculum, built specifically for them based on their skills, desired outcomes and aspirations. Above all, it is meaningful to each learner and their family. Students’ personal development is embedded in this approach to the curriculum.
Personal Learning goals
Personalised Learning Goals (PLG) capture each student’s individualised curriculum. They are a combination of goals set in relation to the EHCP desired outcomes and the goals set in relation to wider areas of the curriculum. The curriculum areas vary according to the pathway and as students move into the 6th form provision.
Personalised learning goals are created by the class teams in consultation with families, young people, therapists and the senior leadership team and with reference to the young person’s EHCP as well as relevant developmental and progressive assessment frameworks and Schemes of work.
A small steps approach is taken with short term learning priorities identified, structured, and well sequenced to ensure that students make progress towards longer term outcomes identified in the students’ PLG. Each step must build on the earlier skills, knowledge and achievements. Therefore as part of the goal setting process practitioners must clearly identify what students can do/know now.
Schemes of Work
Schemes of work have been produced for each curriculum area in partnership with the Therapy Teams. The Schemes of work are developmental/progressive in nature and open to personalisation. These Schemes of work support well-sequenced learning and developmentally appropriate implementation for all areas of the curriculum across all pathways.
Thematic medium term planning
A carefully planned thematic matrix from Early Years to KS4 has been created to ensure that students have varied and rich learning experiences, which give breath to the individualised learning priorities within their PLG. Staff create a medium term plan based on this theme each term. The format of medium term plan has been designed to encourage holistic learning experiences which ensure cross contextualised learning.
Engagement Profiles and Motivators
The engagement model is a form of assessment for pupils working below the standard of the national curriculum tests and not engaged in subject-specific study.
The engagement model has 5 areas of engagement, these are:
- Exploration
- Realisation
- Anticipation
- Persistence
- Initiation
Each of the 5 areas are interrelated
The 5 areas are not hierarchical
Each of the areas represent what is necessary for pupils to fully engage in their development and reach their full potential.
Each student has an Engagement Profile and we regularly capture observations in relation to the five areas of engagement in order to build up a picture of what engagement looks like for each individual and how to maximise engagement and learning across all contexts. Alongside this, we also record student’s motivators in terms of Activities, Resources, Environments, Levels of Support and Times of the Day in order to ensure the most engaging teaching and learning approaches for individual students are employed to maximise learning and progress.
