Curriculum Information
Curriculum Design
Curriculum design and delivery in an SLD school must be flexible, appropriately differentiated and personalised in order to meet the wide range of learning difficulties and individual needs. Abbey Court provides a challenging curriculum, ensuring that all pupils maximise their progress and personal achievement in relation to their abilities. There is an emphasis on developing the whole person, through a multi-agency approach, working in partnership with parents and carers and other stakeholders.
Curriculum development is an ongoing process and at Abbey Court school we endeavour to continually refine and modify the curriculum to ensure that it effectively meets the needs of the pupils. In addition there is substantial review and development on a regular basis and therefore an appendices to the learning policy is included as a working document (Curriculum and Assessment Rationale - Discussion document).
Progression (Curriculum Coverage)
At Abbey Court school the curriculum is designed to ensure that the National Curriculum requirements for an outstanding curriculum are implemented. In many ways it is just the same as in a mainstream school but the resources used and the methodology employed are different in order to facilitate the level and quality of differentiation demanded by pupils with severe learning difficulties.
The National Curriculum provides a framework for much of our curriculum. This National Curriculum is supplemented where appropriate with additional curricula e.g. Sherborne developmental movement and Halliwick swimming in PE; The Derbyshire Language scheme supports the teaching of Basic Language Skills within literacy. Personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) are essential aspects of teaching and learning at Abbey Court School across the curriculum.
All pupils are required to be taught religious education. Sex education is taught throughout the age range at Abbey Court as part of the PSHCE programme to ensure progression. Careers education and guidance is also offered to the whole school age range in Abbey Court (also within PSHCE until the Secondary Department where it becomes discrete) with concepts and content increasing in depth as the pupils mature.
This approach, introducing language and concepts that increase in depth as the pupil travels through the school, provides the pupils with a spiral curriculum which enables them to revisit their prior learning, consolidate it and expand on it providing them with the necessary skills and understanding that will enable them as they grow.
Please click here to read our Learning Policy
Please click here for the assesment schedule 2018-19
Please click on tabs on the left hand side for more curriculum information