Core Subjects

Our curriculum is planned and sequenced so that the key concepts are understood and applied throughout the pupils’ time at Sutherland House School.

Key terms and knowledge is identified and revisited to allow pupils to retain, deepen and transfer their knowledge to variety of different situations and prepare pupils to use in everyday life.

To ensure pupils are well supported and prepared, staff ensure pupils have clear systems and routines in place to support independence and growth of pupils, whilst individualising systems to meet individual needs.

We offer students a range of learning experiences within our core subjects to enrich and engage pupils in their learning journey.

In English we offer language and literature teaching through termly topics and ability appropriate lessons. The use of ‘Little Wandle’ is a motivating DfE approved systematic synthetic phonics scheme that encourages and engages pupils to enjoy reading and writing with confidence.

Within English we aim, first and foremost, to embed the skills required to develop fundamental skills for speaking, reading and writing across a wide range of settings. The text types are revisited each year as pupils’ progress through Primary to build on key skills and delve deeper into the themes, features and structure associated with each text type.

By the end of primary education, pupils will feel confident with a variety of text types and their purposes. This will then enable pupils to move through school with the core skills that will be enhanced as pupils work towards suitably recognised qualifications and accreditations matched to their abilities.

In Maths, we offer a broad and balanced curriculum covering:

• Numbers
• Measurement & Geometry
• Statistics and Probability

All these areas are carefully placed over a three- year cycle for each key stage to ensure core skills are developed and consolidated.

We seek to embed the core skills needed within Maths that enables our pupils to feel confident and see how these skills transfer to the real world. These skills are then applied in the community, via roleplay or scenarios discussed within lessons.

We aim to allow pupils to move through school with the core skills and progression that will be enhanced as pupils work towards suitable qualifications matched to their abilities.

Our curriculum for core subjects is sequenced and structured using milestone targets.

EYFS pupils would be assessed against B Squared early steps framework to assess and identify any gaps in learning, then:

• Each assessment statement identifies the skills the pupil can demonstrate.
• Progress is mapped against the objectives on the progression maps, through Individual Education Plans (IEP) that map the progress against the ‘I can’ targets and stages.
• Data is submitted termly and progress is reviewed and analysed.
• Where pupils are identified as not making progress, intervention is put in place to narrow any gaps developing.

IEP data is reviewed termly and EHCP outcomes are updated in line with progress against targets.

Pupils accessing post-14 education will access a wide range of qualifications which are individual and relevant to the needs of the pupil. Qualifications range from Entry Level to GCSE, and we have a wide range of subject specialists available to support with the delivery of these.

As well as academic qualifications, pupils can access ASDAN qualifications linked to independent living, Duke of Edinburgh awards, climbing skills as well as others linked to individual interests.