Semi Formal Pathway
Intent
Our Semi-Formal curriculum is designed to support a holistic provision which focuses on the 4 areas of need for each child: communication and interaction, cognition and learning, physical and sensory and social, emotional, and mental health. Typically, our Semi-Formal learners have severe learning difficulties and autism spectrum condition with a developmental age of approximately 36 months to 5 years.
Therefore, our intention is to personalise our provision to meet specific individual and Pathway needs. We place great importance on personal development where pupils are encouraged to progress in self-awareness; self-care, support, and safety; managing emotions; changing and growing; healthy lifestyles and the world they live in. The curriculum provides real-life learning experiences where pupils can apply function skills and knowledge across a range of contexts and learning activities. Central to this is access to the community, where pupils are encouraged to apply social communication and life skills through a range of opportunities in their local area. We aim to support our learners to become confident communicators with both familiar and unfamiliar people; early readers with the ability to problem solve and apply functional knowledge; emotionally stable young people with healthy relationships; and capable individuals who can manage their own personal care needs and develop independent life skills.
Implementation
Pedagogy within the Semi-Formal Pathway supports a continuous provision approach which allows pupils to progress towards individual learning targets whilst also providing discreet subject specific sessions to develop skills and some early knowledge learning. Teacher input is provided in short sharp bursts where pupils are then given the opportunity to carry out practical and hand-on activities to embed and consolidate learning. Opportunities are provided across the curriculum to enable pupils to develop independence, fluency, maintenance, and generalisation of skills and knowledge throughout a range of subject areas.
Session Overview
Functional English and Reading
Every element of a pupil’s day ensures that communication, interaction, and language acquisition is consolidated through effective adult modelling, targeted and incidental learning opportunities. This is from the moment they are greeted at school through lessons, breaks and lunch and their goodbye at the end of the day. A total communication approach across the school allows all pupils to develop their expressive and expressive language through their preferred communication system. Semi-Formal learners participate in weekly English lessons using sensory stories as a vehicle to explore key vocabulary, follow instructions and answer who, what, where, when, how, and why questions. Pupils complete practical writing and creative activities linked to the stories which are specifically targeted to individual learning needs. Further to this, pupils participate in phonics, 1:1 and guided reading sessions dependent upon their ability and need.
Keeping Safe
This subject area covers aspects of the PSHE SEND Education Framework includingSelf-Awareness, Self-care, Support and Safety, Managing Feeling, Changing and Growing. Other aspects of the Framework are taught through Preparing for Adulthood, Healthy Body and Mind and SMSC lessons. Relationship, Sex and Health Education at St Christopher’s School is recognised as a priority in line with the statutory government guidance. We recognise that there are many challenges in helping students with learning difficulties understand key concepts of RSE, and often we have to find creative and bespoke ways of supporting students in their understanding. As a special school setting, we utilise two specialist programmes that have been created to meet the needs of students with additional needs. ‘The Sex Factor Programme’ and ‘So Safe!’ are delivered across the school. Please see our RSE website page andKeeping Safe Curriculum Handbook for more information.
Science and Technology
The science and Technology Curriculum is built around the following 6 areas of learning: Families and Identity, Around the World Food, Natural Word, Travel and Transport, Sport and Leisure. Each half term pupils complete project-based work linked to the over-arching themes of theCurriculum which broadens their understanding of the wider world around them. During the projects pupils develop skills and knowledge using a range of ICT equipment and applications: such as cameras, iPads, photo and video editing software, green screen, bee bots etc. As well as developing functional English and Maths skills such as following instructions, sequencing information, communicating what happened and recognising cause and effect.
Functional Math
Problem solving and thinking skills are embedded into all aspects of learning where pupils are encouraged to develop their independence and work things out for themselves. Discreet sessions in Preparing for Adulthood also have direct links with the Maths curriculum. Weekly Maths sessions focus on different areas of Maths including number, time, money, measure, shape and space and statistics. Each area is linked to practical projects such as going to the shops, following recipes,and using measuring skills, making wrapping paper patterns or creating pictographs to show popular snack choices in the class. These activities are differentiated to meet the individual needs of leaners to ensue all pupils can access the curriculum.
World of Work
As part of our world of work curriculum pupils participate in a range of sessions which enable them to explore jobs inside and outside of the school and within our local community. These can take place through visits to places of work as well as special visits from people to our school. These include The
Fire Brigade, The Police, Public transport, Local library, The Church, Local shops, The Post Office and Local cafes. Each year the school hosts a Careers Fair where Careers Co-ordinators work closely with the teaching staff from the Semi-Formal pathway to facilitate appropriate opportunities for the students as they take part in their first Careers roles. The need for positivity and enjoyment underpins every aspect of the tasks carried out when engaging with employers.
SMSC
Our SMSC curriculum is integral to our school’s Vision and Values and threads throughout all aspects learning. Pupils across the school worked hard to design our school value characters which all represent important attributes for young people to aspire to: these include Kindness, Positivity, creativity, Responsibility, Respect, Determination, Equality and Honesty. Further to this SMSC is taught discreetly throughout the year where pupils participate in a series of lessons which accumulate in a project day towards the end of the term. Examples of project days include visits to the local church at Harvest Festival, a school visit from a Therapy Disabled Dog, a visit to Whisby Park and a British Traditions Celebration Day across school.
Independence/Preparing for Adulthood
These sessions provide practical opportunities to develop life skills in Personal Care, Cooking, Money and Shopping, Travel Training, Outdoor Education and The World I Live In. These discreet lessons often involve learning outside the classroom, provide opportunities to develop function English and Maths Skills as well as direct links to the PSHE SEND Curriculum Framework. Further to this independence and life skills are incorporated continuously throughout the curriculum where pupils are encouraged to develop personal care routines, independence at snack and mealtimes as completing classroom jobs and taking care of their own belongings.
Healthy Body and Mind
Health Body and Mind encompasses a range of areas including Fine Motor Skills, Gross Motor Skills, Emotional Wellbeing, Healthy Lifestyles, Hydrotherapy and Swimming. The Primary School has a Hydrotherapy Pool which is accessed on a weekly basis by classes. Further to this, at the Secondary School, each class is allocated weekly swimming session at One NK Leisure Centre. These sessions are timetable in 6-week blocks to ensure every pupil in the school has access. The Primary School also has a wide range of facilities onsite including the Sports Hall, Movement Room and Rebound Therapy. Classes are allocated timeslots for each of these facilities. At the Secondary School, whilst building works are in process, we currently have access to Home OfRuston's Sports Club & Social Club facility for all classes on a weekly basis.
Play and Leisure
Our play and leisure sessions are bespoke to each class and the interests and needs of the pupils within the classroom. Play and Leisure is also integral to every element of the school day where learning is consolidated through effective adult modelling, targeted and incidental learning opportunities.
Teachers have a bank of learning targets which they can choose from, for example ‘I am learning to play alongside my peers’ where they will select an appropriate intention for each pupil in their class. Play and Leisure themes and suggested areas for individual targets include Play and Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Community and Staying Safe, Productivity and Relaxation, Fine and Gross Motor Skills and Sensory Processing.
Creativity
Our creativity curriculum is divided into 6 areas these include: Art
Photography, Media, Music, Dance, Drama. The aims of the Creativity Curriculum are aligned to our Play and Leisure sessions where pupils are provided opportunities to develop skills in Social, Productivity and Relaxation, Fine and Gross Motor Skills and Sensory Processing. Further to this Creativity provide a range oof opportunities to develop Function English and Maths skills such as following instructions, recognising shapes and patterns and answering questions about this they see in pictures and artwork.
Impact
Individual Learning Targets and Holistic Mark Books
Teachers use the Holistic Mark Book to select appropriate individual learning targets for each pupil. Progress towards these targets is monitored bi-annually where teachers can update targets at any point if they feel this is necessary. Individual targets are set in the following areas:
| Communication |
Cognition |
Social, Emotional, and Mental Health |
Physical and Sensory |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Reading – word recognition Reading – comprehension Writing – handwriting and spelling Writing – grammar and punctuation Language – speaking Language – listening |
Number Time Money Measure Space and Patterns |
Play Social Emotional Mental health Staying safe Community Productivity Relaxation |
Fine Motor skills Gross Motor skills Sensory Processing Toileting Self-help Skills |
Each subject area also has a Handbook containing a range of Skills/Knowledge progression maps which are embedded into the medium-term planning documents to ensure learning is sequenced and skills and knowledge build over time.
Tapestry
Tapestry is a secure journal that allows teachers to add observations of pupils participating and engaging in activities which contribute towards their progress towards individual leaning targets. Teachers can quickly flag the relevant Learning Targets from the Holistic Mark Book, as well as flagging specific Subject Areas, the means evidence is effectively organised, and appropriate information can be found easily. Each observation includes picture, videos and comments which demonstrate this progress. Observations can then be added to each pupil’s Personal Journal, which parents are able to access at home their child’ learning journey from home. All parents can view, like and comment on the observations as well add adding their own observations from home with photos and videos to show what pupils achievements outside of school. Tapestry therefore provides a good communication platform and an opportunity to share each pupils educational journey within school and the wider community.
Standardisation Meetings
Teachers participate in Pathway Standardisation Meetings throughout the year where they meet to discuss progress towards individual learning targets, share evidence, discuss next steps and identify intervention needs within the Pathway. During these meeting teachers refer to success criteria identified within the Holistic Mark Book to ensure it is being used consistently across the Pathway.
Progress Conversations and Intervention
Teachers monitor pupils progress by identifying if they have ‘achieved’, are ‘on track’, need ‘catch up’ or ‘need help’ for each of their target areas bi-annually. Middle and Senior Leaders then quality assure this process where practitioners share Tapestry Evidence to demonstrate the pupil’s journey and what progress they have made towards each of their individual targets. Intervention plans are put in place where it is identified that pupils ‘need help’ to achieve their targets. This include may include increased 1:1 teacher or TA support in class, additional resources or individual support meetings.