Semi-Formal Curriculum

Name of curriculum:

Semi Formal Curriculum

Who is it for?:

The learners accessing the semi-formal curriculum are those who have Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD). They have begun to work on subject specific content but through a model, detailed below, that ensures this is through a curriculum that is both fully accessible to and relevant for, each individual pupil.

Defining characteristics of learners with SLD are:

Communication difficulties
Difficulties with abstract concepts
Difficulties with working memory
Difficulties with concentration and attention
Poor general knowledge
Difficulties with sequencing
Difficulties with thinking and problem-solving

Imray and Hinchcliffe (2014)

How is it organised?

The Curriculum is organised into four main learning areas:

My thinking and problem-solving

Developing pupils’ cognition skills and their ability to apply learnt knowledge to overcome new problems

My wellbeing

Ensuring pupils are developing sustainable strategies to maintain good mental and physical health

My independence

Promoting pupils ability to make autonomous choices and to carry out tasks with reduced support, commensurate with their need

My communication and interaction

Equipping students with the necessary skills, to become effective communicators to an increasing range of people

How will the curriculum be taught

Study fewer things in greater depth (Oates 2013)
Wellbeing as a core curriculum strand
Learning to learn and learning to learn tools are fundamental and will need to be taught out of context with an emphasis on repetition.
Cross curricular delivery/thematic delivery
Process based learning activities rather than subject lessons (‘shopping’ as opposed to ‘Mathematics’)
An increased emphasis on generalisation
Effective interdependence
Class level curriculum delivery flexibility and co-production of ideas with pupils