Formal Curriculum

Who is it for?:

Pupils following the Formal Pathway at Brookfields School have the same aspirations as their neurotypical counterparts. The Formal Curriculum focuses on these aspirations within a differentiated approach. Children following this curriculum tend to have joined Brookfields from a Mainstream setting or have followed the Foundation curriculum or Semi-Formal Curriculum previously. In the most part it would be said that pupils following the formal pathway would have Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)

The SEN code of practice states that common difficulties of pupils with MLD can include:

• Understanding instructions and the requirements of tasks
• Acquiring sequencing skills − for example, when following a recipe or science experiment
• Understanding how they affect and relate to their immediate surroundings
• Personal organisation over the short, medium and long term
• Visual and auditory memory for information, processes and instructions

How is it organised?

The Curriculum is organised into five main learning areas:

• Skill Me Up

This area looks at developing mastery of functional Literacy and Maths skills, including Writing, Reading, Communication, Number, Shape, Space, Measure (including Money and time)

• Living My Life

This area covers using appropriate communication skills personalised to the individual and audience. Pupils’ means of communicating and expressing themselves are a focus as fundamental social skills.

• Apply My Skills

In this strand the focus is on application of knowledge and skills to everyday tasks and applying this knowledge and skills to new problems not yet encountered (mastery through generalisation). This will be done through topic work, including elements of ICT and Science.

• Express Myself

This area give an opportunity for all pupils on the pathway to develop their interests, creativity and self-expression. This will be worked on through subject specialist lessons such as Art, Music and P.E. as well as topic work, celebration days (incorporating Religious Education), and individual project work in the secondary school.

• My Emotions

How a pupil feels is just as important if not more important than what they know. Aligned to our Therapeutic Thinking School’s ethos, Personal, Social, Heath, Education (PSHE) and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) will foster positive wellbeing and safe behaviour between peers and the wider community. Positive experiences lead to positive feelings which in turn promotes positive pro-social behaviour.

How will the curriculum be taught?