Merefield School Curriculum Intent

Our pupils are aged 3-19 years. All pupils have an EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan) and each has a primary need identified within their EHCP as Severe or Profound Learning Needs. At Merefield School, we recognise that every child is unique and is on a personalised learning journey. 

Their EHCPs  outline a range of learning needs, including medical and sensory needs. The curriculum is tailored to match individual pupil needs and their aspirations and goals for the future.  We have high expectations of all pupils and we believe it is every child’s entitlement to achieve their full potential. 

Curriculum Framework

Merefield School provides a sequenced and ambitious curriculum that includes all statutory frameworks, including the EYFS early learning goals, and the National Curriculum which are suitably adapted to give all learners the knowledge, skills, understanding and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.  We provide a curriculum that promotes reading, communication, independence, resilience and self-help skills. 

Our curriculum takes into account that our learners require deeper differentiation and adaptations and is therefore designed to provide many exciting opportunities for skills to be learned, revisited and generalised over time, at a pace that is appropriate and challenging for each learner.  

The Merefield curriculum model is organised into six strands and is based on developing functional skills that allows young people to prepare for everyday life.  Each area of the curriculum has a range of programmes of study that include a sequential ladder of learning outcomes.  

Curriculum Implementation

The curriculum is delivered through a thematic approach to make learning exciting, engaging and meaningful.  The topic cycle spans over four years and is also split by Key Stage. This provides up to sixteen years of different topics.  This provides pupils with a huge breadth of opportunities for any necessary repetition or overlearning and to revisit previously learned skills to gain mastery and generalisation. This model allows for pupils to get to “know more and remember more”.  Each topic has a range of suggested texts to support learning and to promote reading. 

Teachers adapt lessons, texts or write their own stories to provide sensory experiences for our pupils with more complex needs so they are able to access the curriculum in a more practical way.  

Teachers at Merefield School are highly skilled in teaching pupils with severe and complex learning disabilities.  They attend regular training to support their subject knowledge and attend regular collaborative planning sessions and teacher meetings where curriculum information is discussed and shared. Teachers are creative in their approach to teaching, learning and assessment to ensure all pupils are suitably challenged and to ensure that knowledge, skills and understanding builds on prior learning.  Evidence of learning is recorded and reviewed regularly.  Teaching Assistants also play a vital role in supporting the holistic progress of pupils and are also highly skilled in recording observations, supporting individuals or small groups and promoting high expectations for all. 

Reading

Communication is at the heart of our curriculum at Merefield School. We use a Total Communication approach. This broadly refers to the teaching and learning of reading, writing, speaking and listening.  We ensure each learner has the appropriate skills, resources and support to enable them to access the whole curriculum and communicate expressively and receptively.  Our pupils are supported to communicate using a range of communication aids, tailored to their needs.  These include High and Low Tech AAC, switches, symbols, written communication, British Sign Language (BSL) and PECS. 

At Merefield School, we believe that early language acquisition is paramount to the overall development of the child to enable them to access a broad curriculum.  Pupils are taught to read using the Essential Letters and Sounds (a DfE approved programme).  Pupils are also taught skills to support and enhance their development in understanding of all forms of communication including spoken, gestural, signing, body language, facial expressions and the social conventions related to conversational turn taking.  

Learning to read is essential for all pupils because it helps them to develop concentration skills, access the full curriculum and extend their vocabulary, develop language comprehension,  and be prepared for adult life. In addition, we are passionate about pupils learning to read for pleasure.

Personalised Learning

Personalised learning intentions are derived from the sequential ladders to create a termly personalised learning intention map (PLIM) for each child.  Each learning intention will challenge pupils to make progress, retain information and develop knowledge, skills and understanding.  Teachers are highly skilled at breaking down learning into small manageable steps to enable all pupils to experience success.  EHCP outcomes are also carefully interwoven into all aspects of the curriculum and measured through PLIMs and regular reviews.  Although we have one curriculum model, this is highly personalised for each pupil and they have their own unique pathway that offers challenge and flexibility. It is through the personalisation of learning programmes for pupils that curriculum ambition is seen. Shorter term and longer term objectives are extremely well-matched to individuals so all their learning is purposeful and stretching.

Enrichment Opportunities

We recognise the importance of holistic development. We understand the importance and value of our pupils having experiences outside of the curriculum and we offer an extensive enrichment program creating opportunities for pupils’ personal, social and life skill development. These include:

• Residential holidays
• Duke of Edinburgh Award
• Work experience
• Specialist music lessons
• Horse Riding
• Cycling
• Gymnastics
• Rebound Therapy
• Regular swimming sessions for all pupils.

The Hidden Curriculum 

The hidden curriculum is all the skills pupils learn in school that are not explicitly taught or written down. These skills often compliment, reinforce and support the traditional curriculum and can impact the extent to which students comprehend the world around them, how they relate to others and how they express themselves. The hidden curriculum is evident in every school but here we discuss it as a staff so we are ready to seize opportunities to reinforce learning when they occur.

Assessment and Impact

• Measuring Success

We use a range of assessment tools to measure progress and learning.  The EHCP forms the basis of measuring success against aspirational targets.  Challenging, smaller step targets stem from the EHCP and curriculum outcomes are measured within the PLIMs.  All PLIMs are reviewed termly and monitored and moderated by senior leaders.  Evidence of learning is captured to show progress over time and to identify next steps.

Children are assessed using RBA and EYFS profiles at the beginning and end of their reception year, where it is deemed appropriate.

All pupils leave school with a range of external awards and qualifications that are tailored to their interests, ability and intended destinations.  We work closely with the child, families and other professionals to identify the most appropriate post 19 destination and support successful transitions.

We are confident that through the delivery of a carefully planned, bespoke curriculum, all pupils leave Merefield School ready for adulthood with the relevant communication skills, social skills, independence skills, confidence and resilience to be happy, safe and secure throughout their adult life.