St Giles Spencer Academy

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Curriculum Overview

Our 2D Curriculum: Early Discover | Early Develop

Our 3D Curriculum: Discover | Develop |Deepen

Our curriculum INTENT is underpinned by our ‘CiC Curriculum Drivers’

Communication - Independence - Community

Curriculum IMPLEMENTATION

Our curriculum is implemented through a creative, cross-curricular, ‘three-dimensional (3D)’ approach. This is based on pupils starting points and current learning stages, rather than their chronological age/key stage. We have designed a sequenced and well connected ‘3D Curriculum’ through three broad and creative learning pathways. Pupils may be accessing different learning pathways for different curriculum areas e.g. Developing Pathway for English but Deepening Pathway for PE. Our three curriculum pathways are informed by research and development of how pupils know more and remember more i.e. cognitive load theory.

 

St. Giles 2D and 3D Curriculums

You can download a full copy of our 2D and 3D curriculums long term plans; including pupils end goals, by clicking on the document link below: 

St Giles 2D Curriculum: Early Discover | Early Develop

St. Giles 3D Curriculum: DISCOVER | DEVELOP | DEEPEN

2023-2024 3D Curriculum | Sequence B

Curriculum IMPACT

We measure pupil progress and outcome’s using ‘Engagement Steps’ and ‘Progression Steps’.

Engagement Steps

Support the learning and assessment of pupils not yet engaged in subject-specific learning (the DISCOVERY stage of our curriculum). It is divided into key developmental areas which reflect the 4 broad areas of need listed in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years:

  • Cognition and Learning

  • Communication and Interaction

  • Social, Emotional and Mental Health

  • Sensory and Physical

Engagement Steps are designed to be used in a non-linear way to reflect the fact that pupils will develop skills across multiple steps simultaneously. Through ‘active’ research as a DfE pilot school, we know that pupils do not work progressively through each step, completing one and then moving on to the next. Instead they experience and engage with skills across multiple levels. For example, a pupil may develop their responses to environmental sounds regularly but may also be less motivated to respond to human voices.

Progression Steps

Support the learning and assessment of pupils engaged in subject-specific learning (the DEVELOPING and DEEPENING stages of our curriculum) but working moderately or severely below age related expectations. Progression steps measure those smaller and more manageable assessment points, which are used to evaluate the performance of pupils who make atypical rates of progress in some or all aspects of their academic development.

We also use the following sources of information and strategies to capture the IMPACT of our curriculum and the progress that our pupils make:

  • Observations of pupils learning

  • Feedback from teachers/TA’s

  • Pupils books, including e-books

  • EHCP reviews

  • SEND Plan, Do, Review meetings

  • Pupil voice including self-assessment

  • Parents voice including information from home-school diaries, class dojo, reading diaries, parent survey

  • Phonics trackers

  • Boxall profiles

  • Reviews and observations from specialist practitioner’s e.g. Occupational Therapists, Speech And Language Therapist, School Nurse, Educational Psychologist, Social Care

  • Behaviour and attendance information

  • Forest School SPICES

  • Early Learning Goals

  • Sensory profiles

  • Pupil ‘wows’

Personal Development

Personal Development plays an integral part of the wider aspect of our curriculum, providing quality opportunities for all pupils to develop their personal character, talents and interests.

Some of our extra-curricular experiences and opportunities for pupils include:

  • Sensory Bubble Club

  • Gardening Club

  • Dance Club

  • Signing and Singing Club

  • Science Club

  • Chef Club

Some of our enrichment experiences and opportunities for pupils include:

  • Horse Riding

  • Swimming, including sensory swimming

  • Forest Schools

  • Outdoor learning

  • Nurture

  • School council and pupil leadership

  • Educational visits to local, national and international places of interest

  • Food/cooking sessions

  • Inclusion projects and experiences with other special and mainstream schools

  • Theme days and events e.g. Diwali, Sports Day, Family Tea Parties, World Book Day

  • Fundraising and charity events e.g. Red Nose Day, Children in Need

  • Residential trip including camping

  • Performances and shows

  • Sports events such as tennis and learning to ride a bike

  • British Values and Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural experiences (SMSC)

Further information  

To find out further information about the schools curriculum or what your child is learning , please contact your child's Class Teacher. A half termly newsletter is also sent out to parents/carers by individual Class Teachers. This will provide you with a half termly overview of the curriculum coverage within your child's class.

Alternatively you can contact:

Karen Toulson

Senior Vice Principal (Curriculum Lead)