HOW IS english DELIVERED ACROSS OUR PATHWAYS?
Informal Curriculum - CMLN: Communication
Developing and improving our students’ communication skills is essential to them leading inclusive meaningful lives. Using Intensive Interaction techniques, we support our students to develop the Fundamentals of Communication, their ability to engage in social communication, express their emotions and communicate wants and needs, including how to say ‘no’!
Detailed observations, recording and moderating takes place to ensure all staff are able to recognize and respond appropriately to the communication signals of those students at the earliest communication levels and staff use ‘warm and cool feedback sessions’ to ensure their practice is of the highest possible standard to support learning.
As students develop the Fundamentals of Communication we introduce the skills needed to indicate choices and make requests using more conventional systems used though the SILC including photographs, PEC’s and augmented communication systems (AAC). Many of our students are unable to access these communication aids independently due to their physical disabilities therefore bespoke and innovative ways are created to enable students to attract the attention of others to provide the support they need.
It is essential that students with CMLN have the desire and ability to initiate communication, therefore any attempt by them to do so takes priority within any task.
Informal Curriculum - CCA: Communication and Language
In CCA, we follow a pupil centred, play based curriculum to develop skills in the 'Fundamentals of Communication' through intensive interaction. The activities pupils engage in are used as a vehicle to promote communication and interaction and to ensure positive relationships between pupils and staff.
All staff are skillful communicators and they use these skills to engage the pupils in 'intensive interaction' sessions. We use a playful approach with a focus on the pupils' interests to ensure they are motivated to join us in activities.
We have a private Speech and Language Therapist from Talking House who supports our pupils and staff to create communication targets, resources and strategies to help our pupils’ communication skills. These include Attention Autism sessions, Makaton, symbols, sequencing, communication and PODD books, AAC, communication aids and aided language displays. We can also refer pupils for NHS speech and language therapy input.
The SCERTs framework underpins planning and assessment and prioritises learning and development of Social Communication and Emotional Regulations skills. These skills are essential to enable our pupils to access the curriculum and wider world.
Many of our pupils demonstrate 'spiky profiles' where their Maths and English skills are more advanced than their core skills. We differentiate the learning for these pupils to ensure they don't lose skills they have developed but are still able to make progress in communication, physical development and PSHE. We absolutely promote high levels of progress for all learners and value adult led focused learning where appropriate without losing sight of individual needs.
Semi-Formal Curriculum
Improving our pupils’ communication and literacy skills so they are literate communicators is essential to them leading as independent lives as possible. Using a range of resources, strategies and intervention techniques we support our pupils to develop their ability to engage in social communication, express their emotions and make progress with their communication skills.
Communication covers the ability and motivation to communicate in a widening range of situations, interacting, co-operating and working with other people. Speaking and listening/ signing and watching covers the development of receptive and expressive language through speech and/or sign/or symbols and PECs.
Literacy combines the skills of reading and writing, including, exploring, enjoying and learning about sounds, words and text and experiencing a rich variety of books. We use a variety of appropriate packages including the Read, Write Inc synthetic phonics scheme and Lexia to support pupils’ progress in reading.
We have a private Speech and Language Therapist from Talking House who supports our pupils and staff to create communication targets, resources and strategies to help our pupils’ communication skills. These include Attention Autism sessions, task plans, using colourful semantics, Makaton, symbols, sequencing, communication and PODD books, ACC, communication aids, aided language displays, word maps, sentence strips. We can also refer pupils for NHS speech and language therapy input. Circle time occurs at least on a daily basis which further develops relationships between adults-peers, peers-peers. In addition, it develops pupil confidence to communicate in a wider context, giving opportunities to share news and achievements/concerns.
Formal Curriculum - Priesthorpe
Supporting the development of literacy and communication is recognised as a collective responsibility across all curriculum areas at Priesthorpe. Literacy and communication are taught on a personalised basis through 1:1 and small group intervention as well as through structured whole-class teaching. At KS3, pupils have 10 timetabled English lessons per fortnight, while KS4 students have 9 timetabled lessons (to allow for options choices). Partnership English lessons broadly follow the mainstream curriculum; however, this is highly differentiated in line with the needs of the class and is supplemented with additional ‘skills lessons’ where necessary. Within skills lessons, the class is divided into groups and specific interventions take place with a focus on phonics, comprehension, spelling, technical accuracy and the development of vocabulary. We use a variety of appropriate packages including Read, Write Inc. and Lexia Power Up to support pupils’ progress in reading.
We principally adhere to the mainstream curriculum. Long-term plans are thematic in nature which allows staff to select texts appropriate to the profile of the class. Students have the opportunity to study prose, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction. Importance is placed on selecting high-quality texts to develop knowledge, cultural capital and a lifelong love of literature. We endeavor to develop confident writers, both in creative and transactional contexts. The teaching of writing is as personalised as possible. For some students, this involves using colourful semantics to construct sentences and phonics to support with spelling, whilst for others, learning may centre on using an extensive vocabulary, language techniques and a range of punctuation. Pupils are encouraged to adapt their writing for different purposes and audiences. We aim to develop an enjoyment of writing and support students to cultivate their own voice to express their attitudes and opinions.
Speaking and listening is an important part of the curriculum. Students’ skills are developed in discussion, presentation and role-play. Speech and language interventions are part of our bespoke curriculum and a number of students are supported by The Talking House and the NHS Speech and Language service.
Pupils work towards Entry Level Certificates and GCSEs as they advance to KS4. All staff share the firm belief that literacy is essential in the development of independence. Students take part in work experience and life skills trips into the community, which further reinforce the skills they learn in a classroom-based setting.
Formal curriculum - Post 16
We develop functional reading, writing and speaking and listening whilst we work towards Functional Skills qualifications to celebrate and confirm pupil’s development and achievement however this is not the end goal. These qualifications support the independence and employability skills that our pupils develop whilst accessing the curriculum.
During classroom-based learning pupils are supported to develop their reading skills using material they will find in real world situations. Job advertisements, application forms, menus, leaflets, newspapers, posters, recipes and instructions are all used to replicate real world scenarios. The pupils are supported to develop their ability to find, extract and interpret information. To infer and compare as well as understand the basics of language. The environment is stimulating and represents tasks pupils will find in real world situations to ensure they are given every opportunity to develop transferrable skills.
Our curriculum helps pupils to read for purpose, in different contexts such as symbols and logos as well as understanding the range of signs they may encounter in and outside college. The pupils are given opportunities to practise these weekly when taking part in life skills trips.
We use a variety of appropriate packages including Read, Write inc, Lexia as well as age/developmentally appropriate reading schemes to support pupils’ progress in reading.
Our aim is to move them towards automaticity. Research shows Lexia helps improve the reading gap for more than 50% of those surveyed. We often combine the use of phonics and ‘real books’ in varying degrees based on the pupils’ capacity and levels of engagement. Though this approach may typically be seen as mutually exclusive research highlights this approach as particularly impactful for raising reading, writing and spelling attainment (Solity, J.E. & Vousden, J. (2009) Real Books and Reading Schemes: A perspective from Instructional Psychology. Educational Psychology, 29, 4, 469-511).
When developing writing skills, we focus on comprehension of language, sentence structure and context-based writing. Pupils have regular practise on being able to write formally and informally the difference between the two and in what situations the two may be found. This takes the form of practising the conventions of writing letters and emails. These skills are practised regularly as part of their literacy lessons.
Pupils take part in weekly or biweekly work experience and life skills trips into the community which further reinforce the skills they learn in a classroom-based setting. Writing skills are reinforced with the completion of work experience diaries and their work on the ASDAN Employability qualification.
Pupils are expected to complete homework which not only reinforces their learning at college but develops self-help and organisational skills and an awareness of timescales.
Pupils are each given a diary that they are expected to bring to college every day and keep organised, this includes awareness of future events/meetings to support them in developing their independence. Embedding the idea of independence and responsibility in all aspects of their school life.
Formal Curriculum - AIP
At KS3 students have 5 lessons of English each week. We follow both our partnership schools and national curriculum schemes of work, yet this is adapted for the needs of our learners where we ensure that a kinesthetic approached is used where suitable. We study a range of topics including; poetry, Shakespeare, novels and non-fiction. All texts are selected to suit the abilities of learners and written work is differentiated to suit the needs of all individual students. Students are provided with a range of resources to assist with their learning including overlays, line guides, iPad, dyslexia friendly texts etc. To ensure that learners are receiving support where necessary 1:1 intervention is planned for particular areas of development, this could be reading, phonics, spelling, grammar. This is tailored to individual learners needs with the aim of furthering their knowledge in key areas of literacy.
Learners at Key Stage 4 have a minimum of five lessons a week in English. They are following the curriculum English Language GCSE (Exam Board AQA). Additional learning takes place for some learners to develop their phonics, spelling and punctuation skills. Reading is widely promoted across the setting and reading time is provided in their weekly timetable. English as a core subject gives a secure grounding in education and can be used to prepare for any career choice or support further study. Course Content: Learners will be taught unseen fiction, high quality journalism and literary non-fiction from the 19th’ 20th and 21th Century. Creative writing including narrative and descriptive writing. Writing from a particular viewpoint/ perspective includes articles, letters, websites and speeches.
English Literature GCSE (Exam Board AQA)
Couse Content: Learners will study a range of texts across literary heritage, including a Shakespeare play and the 19th Century novel, modern drama and prose text. Learners will study the play ‘Blood Brothers’ by Willy Russell and be given the opportunity to see this at the theatre. The joy of reading inspiring, engaging texts, novels, and plays is celebrated within a creative and safe learning environment. SEN is supported by dyslexia friendly texts. Charles Dickens is explored in depth through the reading of his novel ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Learners can develop and enhance their reading and writing skills across the curriculum at West 14.