Recent developments in education and our changing school population have led to some significant changes in the way we approach learning at Alfreton Park. These changes are all set out and explained in our new Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment Overview.

APS Curriculum Overview

Our 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 curriculum 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 broadens pupils’ knowledge and skills.

Teaching is adapted to the meet the needs of the whole pupil based on their individual needs, providing opportunities to succeed. We understand the long-term value of knowledge and deep understanding, and give ample opportunity to revisit concepts so pupils gain deep understanding of the subjects they learn about. As pupils cover concepts in more depth, they are given the tools and resources required to become independent learners as far as practicably possible and follow their own interests.

The curriculum at Alfreton Park aims to ensure that pupils gain cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills 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 intertwines academic and personal development, targeting next steps for learning based on the needs of the pupil. Our enriched curriculum gives pupils the chance to access key life experiences such as off-site visits and residential trips, taking their learning further afield and outside of Alfreton.

Delivering our curriculum in a way which ignites a love of learning is critical to improving the life chances of our pupils. We achieve this by prioritising:

  • Communication and Reading at all stages of development, so pupils can access and understand the world around them with as much independence as possible;
  • Creativity and the arts, giving pupils the outlet to express themselves and find their passion;
  • Physical development at all stages and in all ways, to promote healthy lifestyles, independence and show the value of teamwork;
  • Computing and online citizenship, highlighting the importance of keeping safe in a digital society;
  • Outdoor learning and community links, to help pupils recognise themselves as a member of a wider community and understand how they can be a valuable member of that group.

Our Approach

This overview brings together three central aspects of learning for pupils at our school; curriculum, teaching and assessment. We believe that education is most effective when a strong coherence exists between learning content, teaching methods, and assessment mechanisms, and we therefore aim to establish common themes and consistency in our approach to each of these areas at Alfreton Park. We subscribe to a pupil-centred philosophy of education, which can be briefly summarised as follows.

Curriculum – ‘what we learn’

The overall intent of our curriculum is that every pupil should gain the skills, knowledge and experiences they most need to grow in confidence and independence. Our starting point is to consider the specific needs and capabilities of the pupils at our school, and the future that may lie ahead for each of them. We use a multidisciplinary approach to identify learning priorities, and each pupil follows their own unique journey towards fulfilling their potential. We consult with families to set meaningful outcomes, and pupils’ wellbeing and best interests are at the heart of everything we do.

Teaching – ‘how we learn’

We use our knowledge of the needs of our pupils to present learning opportunities in ways that are accessible and engaging. We tailor our approach to suit the strengths and interests of our pupils, through the implementation of a wide range of specialist strategies to deliver personalised provision. We place particular importance on the development and exercise of independence not just as a goal, but as a method, and feel that our pupils learn best when they are empowered to think, say and do things for themselves wherever possible.

Assessment – ‘how we review learning’

We evaluate progress by returning to earlier targets and plans to review their impact. Where we find a winning formula, we aim to repeat our successes, and where we encounter challenges, we aim to learn and improve. We recognise that progress is not just about assessment data, and we value the full range of pupils’ efforts and achievements in the way that we track their holistic growth.

This model summarises our approach to education at Alfreton Park.

Long Term Plans

 

To find out more about our curriculum, please contact the school office and ask for a member of the senior leadership team.

We follow the Read Write Inc. Phonics scheme, which is a literacy programme that teaches reading and writing through a systematic approach rooted in phonics. Please ask for our Phonics Policy for more information.