School Curriculum
CURRICULUM POLICY
The curriculum comprises all the learning opportunities offered by our school community. Learning happens formally and informally, inside and outside school and is affected by relationships with family and friends, the demands of society and local conditions.
It is the aim of Vranch House School that the curriculum for all pupils should:
Ø promote spiritual, moral, social, cultural, emotional, intellectual and physical development;
Ø prepare pupils for the responsibilities, demands and opportunities of modern life;
Ø be appropriate to the needs attainments and aptitudes of all individuals;
Ø develop knowledge, skills, concepts and attitudes in ways which are relevant to the needs of individuals and the communities in which they live;
Ø ensure equality of access and quality of outcome;
Ø raise awareness of wider cultural and ethnic differences;
Ø combat all forms of discrimination.
Ø Be responsive to new technologies and approaches to aid interaction and learning
All Vranch House pupils are entitled to a curriculum that will develop their ability to:
Ø become active and independent to the best of their abilities;
Ø maximise their progress and pursue lifelong learning;
Ø develop an intellectual curiosity about the physical, social and artistic world in which we live;
Ø apply their knowledge and skills to the process of solving problems;
Ø promote their own physical and mental well-being and pursue a healthy lifestyle (with support if necessary);
Ø develop confidence in and reliance on their own abilities;
Ø develop the ability to make choices, take decisions and undertake initiatives.
In their relationships they should learn to:
Ø respect others and be effective in establishing personal and social relationships and in working with other people in a team;
Ø appreciate the variety and value of cultures in the community and use them positively in the support of others;
Ø respect and promote the rights of others, including those who may not be in a position to advocate and promote their own rights;
Ø demonstrate an awareness of the environment and our responsibility for its conservation;
Ø reflect on how members of society receive, share and pass on principles and values for themselves and future generations.
Our pupils should develop skills to:
Ø to read and communicate effectively in the English language to the best of their abilities using ICT and augmentative communication aids as appropriate;
Ø apply the concepts of number, space, shape and measure and handling data;
Ø engage both actively and reflectively in activities that are creative and aesthetic across a broad range of media;
Ø become familiar with the roles and applications of a wide range of technologies, including information and communication technology.
At Vranch House we map the Key stage 1 and Key stage 2 curriculum around the seven areas of learning as it is outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum -
This enables the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), Key stage 1 and Key stage 2 teachers to adapt a whole school curriculum according to their class' age group and the pupils' individual needs and goals.
This way the whole school can work on joint projects, share resources and topic books, attend visitors' talks and demonstrations and take part in external visits based on the topic.
Two years of rolling curriculum are planned with four years of rolling topic cycle. This ensures that all areas of the curriculum are taught and repeated regularly using a different topic as an interesting 'vehicle'. The nature of the topic determines the area of the curriculum enhanced during that period of time -- eg: Space - understanding the world/science; Knights, kings and castles - understanding the world/history.
Vranch House is committed to raising achievement for all pupils and:
Ø has set realistic targets and associated improvement strategies, especially in communication and physical skills;
Ø is monitoring quality and performance;
Ø looks for advice and support to make the school a more effective centre of learning;
Ø seeks co-operation with other educationalists and other agencies working with children.
Vranch House is committed to inclusion for all pupils by:
Ø supporting mainstream placements through effective liaison;
Ø giving INSET to mainstream partner schools;
Ø providing opportunities for all pupils to be included in the wider environment.