Our Curriculum

Seadown School believes that a flexible curriculum model best meets the changing needs of pupils. This ensures all pupils access learning appropriate for their age and stage of development. Learning is differentiated by cognitive level and need using a range of appropriate strategies and content which is designed to support teaching and learning for our cohorts.

Facilitating key learning and life skills enables pupils to transition successfully through the school and into adult life.

 

Core Learning

Seadown School believes that a flexible curriculum model best meets the changing needs of pupils. This ensures all pupils access learning appropriate for their age and stage of development.

The school as an expectation that the following subjects are taught across all classes weekly:

  • English (reading, writing, speaking & communication). Key support includes Read Write INC, VIPERS and Hamilton Brookes

  • Mathematics – White Rose forms the basis of our teaching and learning

  • Science

  • Computing

  • PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health education) which includes Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural Development & British Values.

  • Life skills.

The school provides a scheme of work for all these areas and the content is adapted in line with the needs of the pupils. Purple Mash and Hamilton Brookes support learning in Computing and Science.

 

Phonics & Reading

Read, Write Inc is the scheme used to teach phonics at Seadown School. All teachers and support staff in our lower school classes have completed training. Using a phonics scheme aids consistency of teaching approach, which gives pupils the best chance of success when learning to read.

Phonics is taught on a daily basis in our lower primary class and pupils in our upper primary class are supported on a 1:1 basis with either our Academic Tutor or one of our trained TAs.

As pupils move through the school the focus is on engagement and enjoyment of reading and exploring books. The expectation is to read and understand more complex texts as pupils develop a more detailed knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.

If you would like to find out more about Read Write Inc please visit https://www.ruthmiskin.com/

 

The wider curriculum

The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum that over the year will give all students access to a wide range of curriculum subjects including:

  • Geography

  • History

  • Art

  • Design Technology

  • Music

  • A modern foreign language

  • R.E.

The content is designed to inspire curiosity and is tailored to the interests of the cohort. These subjects are block taught across the year and are reviewed by the teacher with a progression map of curriculum skills. Purple Mash and Hamilton Brookes support our teaching in these areas.

 

Physical Activities

Following consultation with our School Council, across an academic year, our pupils have access to the following physical activities:

Lower school: Swimming for 2 terms and Forest Schools for one term

Upper school: Swimming for 1 term, trampolining for 1 term and Forest Schools for 1 term

Each class also participates in the daily mile in our local community.

 

Assessment

We assess pupils in a variety of different ways both formatively and summatively.

  • Phonics: pupils are assessed on a regular basis using our ReadWrite Inc assessment system

  • Maths: White Rose assessment activities are incorporated into learning

  • Other subjects: We have worked with teachers to devise our own assessment system based on a set of “I can” statements that have been created to assess progress in:

  • Academic skills

  • Cognitive and practical skills

  • Personal and social skills

  • Functional Skills exams

  • ASDAN short course portfolios

We track progress in core learning and the wider curriculum on a termly basis and this data, alongside pupil books and pupil voice is discussed at termly pupil progress meetings to inform next steps in learning and support/intervention.

Parents/carers are kept up to date with their child’s progress formally through parent/carer – teacher consultations in the autumn and spring. Parents/carers receive reports in the autumn and summer. Parents/carers also receive a weekly communication covering key highlights of the week.