Curriculum Intent
The Heights is a Key Stage 2-Key Stage 4 Alternative Provision School for pupils who have found it difficult to be successful in a mainstream school. Many of the young people who attend The Heights, arrive here at a difficult period in their lives. We aim to ensure that we give all our pupils including those that are disadvantaged, the necessary support to improve their confidence, self-esteem, give them some access to high quality learning opportunities and cultural activities, enabling them to become successful learners in school and prepared for their future working lives.
Through the Key Stage 2 & 3 Nurture Programme, the focus is on supporting young people to return to their mainstream school. Pupils access 6-18 week placements and are taught a bespoke curriculum which addresses specific gaps in pupils knowledge and improves their social and emotional well-being. This enables pupils to make successful transitions back to their commissioning schools.
At Key Stage 4, we focus on providing the opportunity for students to gain qualifications on par with mainstream schools and with the skills needed to ensure a successful transition and clear pathway and progression to traineeships, apprenticeships and academic and vocational routes.
We provide rich, relevant and varied curriculum opportunities ranging from vocational courses and academic programmes that support pupils’ personal and social development.
Pupils at all Key Stages are taught in small groups, where they study the core curriculum and receive the extra support they require. Pupils build on what they already know and are taught new concepts and skills that enable them to make useful connections. Pupils are then able to make good progress as staff can ensure that learning is tailored to individual student needs.
Aims
We aim to ensure that all our pupils:
- Achieve good academic attainment on par with mainstream schools with appropriate accreditation and qualifications.
- Improve their motivation and self-confidence, attendance and engagement with education in order that they can develop transferable skills and make a successful contribution to the wider community.
- Develop their personal and social skills in order to help them overcome any barriers to attainment, know how to eat healthy, maintain an active lifestyle and keep physically and mentally healthy.
- Be well prepared for their next steps, following their placement at The Heights, such as reintegration into mainstream education, training or employment.
Principles
Our curriculum is founded on the principles that we want to provide all our young people with a route to academic and vocational success, through personalised programmes of study that will enable them to achieve their highest potential in education, training and work.
Our curriculum aims to:
Improve outcomes in English and Maths by developing pupils’ CORE SKILLS, address gaps in their knowledge and build on what has been taught before.
Identify pupils’ needs quickly and then initiate a PERSONALISED approach in order to meet those specific needs.
Ensure that our pupils see the value of what they are learning through real life experiences which make it RELEVANT to their lives.
Promote achievement for everyone and ensure all pupils are valued, safe, nurtured, healthy, active and INCLUDED.
Provide the platform to challenge, ENGAGE and motivate our young people in their learning.
Implement a rigorous approach to the teaching of READING which develops pupils’ confidence and enjoyment in reading.
Develop a learning environment where teachers develop strong RELATIONSHIPS with their pupils and are able to have a positive effect on pupils’ self esteem and are allowed the time and space in the curriculum for character education.
Meet the needs of our pupils with SEND and give them the knowledge and culture capital to succeed in life.
Encourage pupils to reflect on their own learning, strengths and areas to develop and identify the NEXT STEPS on their learning journey.
To find out more about our curriculum, please contact the Deputy Headteacher, Louise Lowe: louise.lowe@theheightsfreeschool.org
