Curriculum

At  Oakleigh  School, our  curriculum is  designed to  meet  the  individual  needs of  all of  our  pupils.

Our Intent

• Parents/Carers are valued as partners in all aspects of the pupils development and  learning
• The curriculum is progress driven NOT outcome based
• Developing functional communication skills; becoming as independent as possible; being able to access the world; learning to self-regulate and generalising skills is at the heart of all we do
• Our curriculum is broad and balanced to equip pupils with the skills necessary to grow as individuals, as well as learners and to prepare our pupils for experiences in later life
• The process of learning is constructed carefully and is designed to provide opportunities for learning at an appropriate level and developmental stage
• We recognise the importance of and stages of play as critical for learning.
• We offer our pupils new and exciting experiences through a wide range of meaningful, multi-sensory activities that are designed to build resilience, confidence and self-esteem.
• Our curriculum reflects the fact that our  pupils have pupil’s complex profiles and that learning may not follow a liner progression and pupils often present with spikey learning profiles
• All behaviour serves a function, which could be communication, and is  carefully monitored to ensure that the  children are focused and ready to  learn
• Early number development is nurtured through songs and  play
• Early phonological awareness is  nurtured through rhythm and song
• Inclusion opportunities are offered within school across classes, and with links to mainstream schools
• Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) as well as mental and physical opportunities are incorporated across the school day
• Daily collective worship is offered daily in the form of  Reflection /Thinking  Time within each class, where the  achievements of  pupils and staff is recognised
• All religions are  valued and celebrated through assemblies  across the school year
• Developing  relationships and friendships and understanding of ourselves and others is implemented across the  school day
• High standards of safeguarding ensure are pupils are kept  healthy and safe

Our  Implementation

• The curriculum is based on key the areas of  the pupils  EHCP’s

The primary areas are;

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Physical Development
• Personal Social and Emotional
• As pupils learn and develop  skills, the  balance then shifts to;
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding of the world
• Expressive Arts and design
• Each term all teaching is  based around  a theme, to  allow for repetition and generalisation of  skills and  concept
• The Routes for Learning Framework is used where appropriate to develop teaching opportunities
•  A multidisciplinary approach is used to maximise  teaching and  learning
• Speech and Language Therapists support with all areas of communication and eating and drinking
• Physiotherapists support with all aspects of physical development
• Occupational Therapists oversee seating and sensory processing development
• Music and Drama/Movement Therapists assist with emotional and personal development
• The School Nursing  team  ensure the  health and wellbeing of the pupils
• The principles of the SCERTS framework are integrated across the school day, and assessments are completed where appropriate
• Emotional regulation is a basis for learning
• Sensory regulation strategies are  incorporated across all learning  opportunities
• The  structured teaching elements of  TEACCH are incorporated across the day
• Attention Autism  is  used daily  to  develop  attention/listening skills
• Responsive  environments facilitate  pupil voice
• Intensive interaction is  used to  develop relationships, connection with others and early communication skills
• Physical development is recognised as  key to  learning
• The principle of Enabling Environments is used to  ensure the pupils are able to learn
• Visuals are used to  develop the  pupils receptive understanding
• PECS is used to develop expressive communication
• On body signing, object cues and objects of reference are  used to support pupil learning
•  A range of low tech AAC and high tech AAC are used.
• Makaton is used to  aid receptive and expressive skills
• The stages of  play are  recognised and valued as intrinsic to learning
• Enrichment activities are available to add breadth and generalisation of skills.
• These include:
• Art activities within class
• Dance, both internally and working with outside agencies
• Drama opportunities in collaboration with Drama therapist and outside agencies, such as Bamboozle and the Children's Shakespeare Company
• PE, including weekly additional opportunities and Sports Day