The Personal, Social and Independence Curriculum
For all pupils who attend Elemore Hall the emphasis on Personal, Social and Independence development is something that makes a real difference. From the moment a pupil arrives by taxi in the morning to the point at which they leave, staff work tirelessly to support these crucial areas of a pupil’s development. Our intention is to create both overt and covert learning opportunities and experiences so that a pupil develops skills, knowledge, confidence and abilities to be able to move onto the next stage of their lives post16. We know, that for the vast majority of pupils joining Elemore, developing a pupil’s personal, social and independence has a positive impact on their ability to access the classroom curriculum and their attitude to and attainment in the different subjects. Forming relationships is a key part of this, supporting pupils to develop positive, productive relationships with staff is a key part of engaging them is developing in all areas of school.
The 24 Hour Curriculum
Our Social ‘timetable’ operates 24 hours a day. Staff offer many opportunities for pupils personal, social and independence development, some of these are through organised evening activities or residence, others come during mealtimes, breaktimes, trips and visits, performance and representation Most of our pupils participate in Extended Evening or Residential activities. These are provided Monday – Thursday evening. Pupils can join a regular activity or take part in an ad hoc session. For example there is a regular football activity at Soccarena that concludes with a trip to a League football match, this is a popular activity that is based upon the same participants attending every week, whilst swimming is offered three times a week to different pools and does not require the same commitment.
The Classroom Curriculum – Elemore Hall and Windlestone sites
The school day curriculum at Elemore Hall is dynamic and varied combining many of the subjects that any school would be expected to teach (English, Maths, Science, etc) with some more unusual areas of study such as Rural Science, Bushcraft and Outdoor Pursuits. We believe strongly in constantly looking at what we offer to pupils and trying to make it as appropriate, meaningful, enjoyable and accreditable as possible. Teachers from the two sites work together to develop curriculum, consequently the offer on the Elemore Hall site is very similar to that on the Windlestone site. There are some differences to take advantage of the facilities available on the different sites.
Pupils can be referred to Elemore Hall at any point during KS3 or 4 so it is essential that staff are able to quickly establish an understanding of a pupil’s academic and social needs so that we can provide the most suitable curriculum for them including any catch-up or gap filling activities.
Pupils in Key Stage 3 follow courses in English, Mathematics, Science, ICT, Art, Drama, Humanities (History & Geography), Physical Education, Food Technology, Resistant Materials, Music and Culture (PSHE, RE and Citizenship).
The subjects studied at Key Stage 4 build upon those followed in KS3 and wherever possible lead to accreditation. In addition pupils take part in practical courses in Outdoor Pursuits that may include Indoor Climbing, Bushcraft, Skiing, etc, depending on the year. All pupils follow the same curriculum, there are no options. We have thought very carefully about the accreditation and courses that we offer in Key Stage 4 – intention is for every pupil to have the opportunity to achieve the essential GCSEs of English and Maths but also access a range of subjects in order to maximise their interest and experience and prepare them for life beyond Elemore. With the majority of our leavers going on to a wide range of post16 destinations, we believe that the mix of subjects that we offer is good preparation for life after Elemore.
Curriculum Subject Overview
Subject and accreditation offered are as follows. Click on the subject for more details about the subject and an overview of the course content:
English – GCSE English Language,
Maths – GCSE Mathematics, Functional Skills
Science – GCSE Physics and Chemistry
Environmental Science BTec Level 1/2 in Horticulture
ICT – GCSE Digital Photography
Art – GCSE Art (Endorsed and Unendorsed)
Humanities – BTec Countryside and Environment
PE – BTec Level One Certificate in Sport and Active Leisure
Food Technology – GCSE Food Technology, BTec Home Cookery Skills, Entry Level Certificate
Resistant Materials – GCSE Resistant Materials, Entry Level Certificate
Music – Rockschool, Individual Instrument Graded Examinations
Culture
Outdoor Pursuits – Climbing (NICAS awards), Skiing (star awards), Canoeing (star awards)
Careers
Rural Science – OCN Qualification
Our current classroom timetable is a little different from normal as we have created it to enable the school to maintain bubbles in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pupils will continue to study the same subjects as planned but the length of time available for each subject/class group has changed out of necessity for the time being.
PACC – Personalised Alternative Curriculum Centre
Our PACC provision provides a more bespoke curriculum for the KS4 pupils who attend. There is a carefully designed combination of on-site ‘classroom’ based academic curriculum, on and off site personal and social development, and off-site vocational placement. Emphasis is put on matching the individual’s needs, abilities and interests and engaging them in something that they see as worthwhile, all with the aim of supporting them to be able to move on to the next stage of life post16.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
At Elemore Hall School we believe that inclusive education means providing all pupils with appropriate education and support alongside their peers. The Curriculum is all the planned activities that the school organises in order to promote learning, personal growth and development. Further information can be found in the SEN Information Report.
If you would like more details about the curriculum that we offer at Elemore Hall, please contact Mike Hunter (Deputy Headteacher).
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