Curriculum

Primary

The Primary Inclusion Mentors provide core subject learning following the National Curriculum through one-to-one support. This is initially home-based with the purpose being reintegration back into a suitable school or provision. The Core subject planning and appropriate resources will be provided by the pupil's school.

Inclusion Mentors are a link between professionals, home and school through regular review meetings. The targeted support focuses on the child's needs, so can be fully differentiated. We can also offer practical and enrichment activities to further facilitate a more relaxed learning approach.

Computing

Our students use their own devices to attend lessons and complete related tasks, so we promote the use of free and platform-independent tools. We have timetabled lessons for Computing at KS3 and KS4, and have also supported students taking A level Computer Science. Some schools still offer legacy ICT qualifications, and we aim to support those where possible.

Resources created by our Computing teacher have been shared with school across Warwickshire, and are in use across the world at schools from Somerset to New York to Victoria (Australia).

Key Stage 3

We provide a high quality KS3 Computing curriculum that closely follows the National Curriculum. This gives students a flavour of what they can expect from, and prepares them for, GCSEs in Computer Science.

A key feature of lessons is that they link together computing topics (as shown in the curriculum map above right) to give them context and create  a coherent whole. The thinking behind the curriculum is described here and has been discussed at CAS regional hubs.

Concepts such as abstraction are discussed throughout the course - e.g. when creating spreadsheet models, as well as when programming. Programming is taught using a combination of live-coding and PRIMM techniques.

"I remember seeing your KS3 SoW a couple of years ago and it was a light bulb moment for me (having taught Maths to fill the timetable, I saw that they repeated over and over the concepts taught at GCSE from Year 7), [I] re-wrote my SoW... and have just done it for the first full year with end of year KS3 exams and have been so impressed at how they have dealt with some of the GCSE questions I have thrown in. I think this will make a difference in both uptake and scores in a couple of years time.", Head of Department, Secondary School

In a Flexible Learning Team year 10 student review, "Parents praised [the] Computing teacher for stretching [the student]'s interest in Computing and Programming, adding that the content is outstanding and the best they have seen in education."

Key Stage 4

The KS4 on-line lessons aim to cover a superset of topics required for all GCSEs in Computer Science - although, in practice, nearly all schools in Warwickshire use OCR.  The classes are designed flexibly to allow students to take the course over different periods of time.

In addition to timetabled lessons covering the theory content of the GCSE courses, we offer separate programming lessons to support students in the completion of programming projects, preparation for their programming exams, or completion of their 20 hours' programming experience.  Depending on the board (i.e. the degree of supervision required) or programming language used, this might also require additional support from school.

We no longer offer timetabled ICT lessons as we haven't had any ICT students for a number of years.  We may, however, be able to support some ICT courses in one-to-one tutorials.

Further details and schemes of work are available on request.

English

All English online lessons are delivered by qualified and experienced English teachers.

Key Stage 3

Classes in years 7 to 9 follow the National Curriculum, developing competencies across a range of reading and writing skills, providing the progression students need to succeed at Key Stage 4. There is a timetabled online provision for KS3 students, offering three, 50-minute lessons per week, plus additional homework tasks. Students access the lessons using their own devices.

In addition, the year 9 class has a clear GCSE focus to help students prepare for key reading and writing skills including; building increasingly impressive and technical vocabulary, language analysis, comparison, evaluation and making inferences as well as descriptive and narrative writing and well-crafted non- fiction writing. There are two streamed groups in year 9 to allow for appropriate delivery of ability-appropriate content.

Key Stage 4

Classes in years 10 and 11 follow the National Curriculum for KS4. There are two streamed groups which target the assessment objectives for English Languag. The clear focus for all students is preparation and revision for examinations in AQA GCSE English Language. Students are offered two, 50-minute online lessons per week plus additional homework tasks and students are encouraged to revise independently. Students will be given the opportunity to produce speaking and listening assessed work or to complete this English Language unit in school or to opt out.

Students also have the opportunity to study for GCSE examinations in English Literature with the agreement of school. These lessons are delivered in two 50-minute online lessons per week. The focus is on exam preparation for AQA GCSE English Literature. Our set texts are: An Inspector Calls, by J B Priestley; A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens; Shakespeare's Macbeth and the AQA Power and Conflict poetry cluster.

In addition to GCSE provision, there is the opportunity for some students to pursue alternative certification in Functional Skills (level 1 and 2) and Entry Level English Language where it meets the needs of the individual and where there is agreement with school.

Key stage four classes are delivered primarily in online lessons which students can access using their own devices.

All students are supported by an Inclusion Mentor and experienced teachers.

Assessment is continual throughout the year.

Mathematics

Key Stage 3

Students follow the National Curriculum set out in our schemes of work for years 7, 8 and 9.

Students take part in online lessons twice a week. Assignments are set for each lesson as consolidation and to extend student learning. Students with gaps in their learning, or those who find maths difficult are also expected to join the online confidence building lessons where the key concepts of maths are revised and practised to enable the students to develop maths-confidence and keep up with the online lessons more easily.

For students who are unable to join the online lessons, KS3 students who are on-roll at a school with face-to-face provision usually follow a plan set by their school. Those who are not on-roll follow the National Curriculum.

Support packages can also be delivered by maths teachers or experienced mentors. For struggling students or those who have missed a significant amount of school, the Springboard programme may be used to support the students.

Key Stage 4

Key stage 4 maths is mainly delivered online.

It follows a scheme of work based on the Pearson offerings, but is suitable for Edexcel or AQA GCSE Maths.

In total, the students have 4 lessons a week plus assignments.

All students participate in 3 maths lessons which are differentiated but cover the same topics for all students. In addition to the 3 main online lessons, each student is Achievers lesson (where the topics are extended to cater for the demands of the Higher GCSE) or a Functional Skills lesson. The Functional Skills lesson delivers maths in a real-world context and reinforces the topics which are needed for GCSE. This gives an opportunity to revisit and revise the key concept in a fresh way.

Online lessons include the setting of assignments. These are essential to make sure the students can work independently on topics which have been taught. These are marked and feedback given to each student.

Whereas most learners will complete a GCSE Maths at Foundation or Higher level, some students may take Function Skills at Entry or Level 1. Please contact us if this is of interest.

In addition to GCSE Maths (Foundation or Higher), other GCSE types of maths GCSE are delivered depending on the student's individual circumstances and needs. GCSE Statistics and AQA Level 2 (equivalent to GCSE) Further Maths are also offered.

Post-16

Post 16 students are offered bespoke learning packages depending on their needs and future plans. GCSE resits, Functional Skills and A Level are all options but the exact offering will be agreed in discussions with SENDAR.

Science

All science lessons are taught by our qualified and experienced science teachers. Resources are developed and tailored by teachers for online learning.

Key Stage 3

Students follow the National Curriculum for Years 7, 8 and 9.

In the year 9 class we build up skills and knowledge required for GCSE level

Students attend online lessons twice a week. Assignments are set to consolidate and extend learning.

Topics covered in key stage 3 can be found here.

Key Stage 4

Students are offered three online lessons per week in both year 10 and year 11 along with homework assignments to consolidate and extend learning. In years 10 and 11, there are two groups, a Higher and a Foundation.

These lessons cover the combined GCSE syllabus across all three of the examination boards. Topics covered in combined science can be found here.

In year 11, if appropriate, students can attend an extra three lessons to cover the additional content required for Separate Science GCSEs.

All required practicals are covered using videos or simulations in lessons and followed up with assignments which cover the scientific and mathematical skills required for GCSE. Where possible students complete some of the required practical activities in small group sessions supervised by our qualified and experienced Science teachers.