Priory Wood School’s curriculum approach is child centred and progressive across all phases. To ensure students meet their full potential all students access a curriculum that meets their individual holistic needs.  These learning areas include; independence skills, communication, The World Around Me, sensory learning, thinking and learning skills, Preparation for Adulthood, ICT and PSHE.

Students are arranged into three pathways to ensure their needs are met. These are; Informal, Semi-formal and Formal. Each pathway has its own approach and are personalised to collectively meet the needs of the individual students.

Engage

The Informal curriculum pathway has been developed for those pupils who are generally working within P1-P4 throughout school. These students may have additional medical and physical needs. Within this group of learners there are a diverse range of needs. The curriculum and learning environment caters for each individual child considering their engagement level and personal motivators. The curriculum is largely therapy based alongside the other key areas of learning, including; communication, cognition, social and emotional, independence and creativity. There is a strong thread of sensory input throughout this curriculum in all aspects of learning.

Explore

The Semi-formal curriculum has been designed for students with a broad range of severe learning difficulties that would be working between P4-P8. Here children access learning opportunities that support the development of the application of their skills to real life situations. This is a multi-layered curriculum approach that represents the diversity of the access to learning for Semi-formal students.

The pathway aims to develop all of the above learning areas as well as problem-solving and thinking critically about their play and exploration in relation to the real world. Students in the Semi-formal pathway access a broad and balanced curriculum that has the student at the heart.

Where appropriate students will access sessions to develop their functional core subject skills such as English and Maths.

Challenge

The Formal Curriculum Pathway has been designed for a small population of students with severe learning difficulties who are able to access an adapted National Curriculum. These students are consistently working below academic age expectations for all of their academic lives. The curriculum is designed to cover core subjects; English, Maths, Science and ICT. These students will access the core subject alongside the above holistic approach. Students will apply these skills to functional opportunities.