Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment

Recent developments in education and our changing school population have led to some significant changes in the way we approach learning at Alfreton Park.

Overall Curriculum Intent

Our pupils describe Alfreton Park as a friendly, caring, exciting and safe Special School, capturing our culture perfectly. We are located in the beautiful parkland of Alfreton, and we are lucky to be within easy access of our local community, with whom we are proud to have many links. We believe in the equality of opportunity for all and in celebrating success for all and our vision is that pupils, staff, families and the local community collectively learn and progress together, upholding our core values of being caring, brave and aiming high, in a stimulating, safe and supportive environment to reach their maximum potential in all aspects of their lives.

In line with the SEND Code of Practice, our team is firmly committed to providing every pupil with an exciting, relevant, progressive and personalised curriculum. Leaders and teachers design a comprehensive curriculum that spans academic, personal, social and vocational learning to prepare pupils for life as caring and thoughtful members of their local community and society. We use the Education, Health and Care Plan to build on prior learning that develops key concepts and knowledge and progressively broadens pupils’ knowledge and skills across all areas of learning.

Teaching is meticulously adapted to meet the holistic needs of each pupil based on their individual learning profile, communication needs, sensory requirements and developmental stage, providing multiple pathways to success. We understand the long-term value of knowledge and deep understanding across all curriculum areas, and give ample opportunity to revisit and apply concepts through regular retrieval opportunities in varied contexts so pupils gain deep, transferable understanding of the subjects they learn about. As pupils cover concepts in more depth across the breadth of our curriculum offer, they are given the tools and resources required to become independent learners as far as practicably possible and follow their own interests and aptitudes. Our curriculum offer provides clearly identified end points for pupils in all subjects and is delivered using an adaptive teaching approach in all areas.

The curriculum at Alfreton Park is sequenced to ensure that pupils gain cumulatively sufficient knowledge, skills, understanding and personal qualities to successfully access the next stage of their lives within school and into future learning, socialisation and employment, enabling them to discover their place in the adult world. Our curriculum seamlessly intertwines academic subjects, life skills, personal development, therapeutic interventions and vocational preparation, targeting next steps for learning based on the holistic needs of each pupil. Our enriched curriculum gives pupils the chance to access key life experiences such as off-site visits, residential trips, community partnerships, work experience and cultural opportunities, taking their learning further afield and outside of Alfreton while deepening their understanding of themselves and their world.

Delivering our curriculum in a way which ignites a love of learning across all subjects and experiences is critical to improving the life chances of our pupils. We achieve this comprehensive approach by prioritising:

• Communication and Reading at all stages of development, encompassing spoken language, alternative communication methods, phonics, comprehension, literature appreciation and information literacy. Delivered through our Reading for Connection pledge, with a further focus on high-quality texts, phonics, and fluency, fostering independence and a life-long love of reading so pupils can access and understand the world around them;
• Mathematics across its full breadth, from early number concepts through to functional application, statistics, geometry and problem-solving, giving pupils deep appreciation of mathematical thinking and number operations, enabling them to access the wider curriculum, increase independence and develop analytical skills for real-world application and adult life;
• Science and investigation skills, fostering curiosity about the natural world and developing scientific thinking and understanding of how the world works;
• Humanities subjects including history, geography, religious education and citizenship, helping pupils understand their place in time and space, appreciate diverse cultures and beliefs, and develop their role as informed citizens;
• Creativity and the arts across visual arts, music, drama, dance and design technology, giving pupils multiple outlets to express themselves, develop artistic appreciation, find their passion and build confidence through process art and creative achievement;
• Physical development and health education at all stages and in all ways, encompassing PE, sport, swimming, nutrition, health and wellbeing, to promote healthy lifestyles, motor development, independence and demonstrate the value of teamwork and personal achievement;
• Computing and digital citizenship, developing technological literacy, coding skills, digital creativity and online safety, highlighting the importance of keeping safe in a digital society while preparing pupils for a technology-rich future;
• Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), including relationships education, emotional regulation, independence skills, money management and career exploration, building resilience and self-awareness;
• Vocational and life skills preparation, including work-related learning, independent living skills, travel training and enterprise opportunities, directly preparing pupils for adult life and employment pathways;
• Therapeutic curriculum integration, weaving speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nurture and mental health support throughout all learning experiences to address individual needs holistically;
• Outdoor learning and extensive community partnerships, connecting with local businesses, environmental projects and civic organisations to help pupils recognise themselves as valued members of a wider community and understand how they can contribute meaningfully to that group.

Through this comprehensive, interconnected approach, we ensure every pupil experiences the full breadth of learning opportunities while receiving the depth of support needed to flourish academically, personally, socially and vocationally, preparing them for successful, fulfilling lives as confident adults.

This model summarises our approach to education at Alfreton Park.

Long Term Plans

*COMING SOON*