Curriculum
Intent
Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of students from 3 to 19 years of age. These students may also have significant barriers to learning including Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and/or Autism (ASC). Our students based at Pathways all have a primary need of Communication & Interaction along with associated ASC and Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. Our ever-evolving curriculum is sequenced to build on prior skills and ensures all students succeed during their time at Pathfield School. This is captured in our curriculum intent.
Implementation
- Our core curriculum is based on the National Curriculum but highly adapted to meet our varied needs. The core subjects are Literacy and Communication, Maths and PSHE/RSHE (Patchwork). You can find out more information regarding these subjects on the links below.
- Foundation subjects are taught either discretely or thematically depending on the age or need of individual students. For example, Physical Education (PE) is taught as a separate subject throughout the school, whereas Geography is taught within a theme or topic.
- As students move through the school, the curriculum is designed to move with them leading to the best outcomes for students and preparing them for adulthood and life after Pathfield School. Please have a look at how we do this within our Classes and Departments.
- Wellbeing is an integral part of the curriculum and one of our four pillars. We are fortunate enough to have several therapeutic interventions such as THRIVE and CHROMA to support students. The curriculum is very flexible, and we work alongside external agencies from health and social care to deliver individual therapy programmes.
- We believe that students benefit from being outdoors, exploring the local and wider community and challenging themselves which is why we have developed our own Adventure Curriculum.
- There are three personalised routes through the curriculum based on individual needs (pre-formal, semi-formal and formal). However, students may move between these routes at any stage depending on the progress they make. Please click on the link below for more information.
Impact
The curriculum at Pathfield will ensure that our students are fully prepared for the next stage of their lives by:
- Having a clear Communication strategy through functional literacy or the use of assistive technologies to make informed choices, establish and maintain relationships, plus achieve academic success.
- Enhancing their Wellbeing through feeling happy and safe at school and developing strategies for coping with any setback or facing new challenges.
- Becoming as Independent as possible by applying the skills and knowledge taught to practical situations and work-related learning.
- Being an active member of the Community with a better understanding of what there is on offer locally and how to make the most of living in North Devon.
Monitoring and Assessment
We have established a robust system for monitoring our curriculum and assessing the progress students make towards long and short-term goals. Each student has their own individual Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). EHCPs are reviewed annually and can be re-assessed when needed alongside the child, parents & carers, school staff and any other involved professional. At Pathfield School we also set short-term Personal, Learning Goals (PLGs) that cover each area of need on the EHCP. Please see below an overview of our Assessment and Monitoring cycle.
