Our
Curriculum

Student with big smile outside surrounded by decorations

Whole School Intent

Our curriculum intends to offer pupils a rich and balanced curriculum, providing them the opportunity to develop in all areas of their lives. Every opportunity is seized to help pupils make sense of their world, develop knowledge skills and understanding relevant to their lived experiences and support their communication, independence, and physical and mental wellbeing. 

We want every pupil to: 

  • Be able to communicate effectively with those around them. 
  • Be at optimum health, both physically and mentally. 
  • Be as functional and independent as possible. 
  • To engage with and be excited by the curriculum. 
  • Be able to regulate their behaviour and sensory needs and keep themselves safe. 
  • Be resilient, confident and uniquely themselves. 

If you’d like to know more about our curriculum then you can view the curriculum overview and see what reading looks like at Percy Hedley School. 

Statement of Intent  >Curriculum Overview  >What transdisciplinary working looks like in PHS  >What Reading Looks Like at PHS  >

Learning Skills Through Engagement Pathway

Our engagement curriculum intends to provide pupils with opportunities to actively engage with the world around them and others. It aims to: 

  • Provide a sensory rich curriculum giving students the change to engage in multiple ways. 
  • Use all interactions and learning opportunities. 
  • Assess pupil’s ability to engage in a variety of ways and build on their current attainment. 
  • Provide both 1:1 and larger group sessions to allow pupils to respond to a range of stimuli. 
  • Work at a pace relevant to the pupils, allowing them time to respond. 
  • Focus on all areas of development rather than any one given skill

ELTBA Pathway

The ‘Experiential Language Topic Based Approach’ (ELTBA) has been designed to specifically meet the needs of pupils at Percy Hedley School working within Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. 

Pupils following the ELTBA Pathway have significant difficulties with acquiring and understanding language spontaneously and it is imperative that our curriculum is tailor-made to meet their needs. The intention of the ELTA curriculum is to focus strongly on the learning and consolidation of key vocabulary and concepts. ELTBA provides pupils with a curriculum that is thematic/topic based, with a focus on generalising learning. Learning occurs through real life, first hand experiences and multiple exposures to key vocabulary and concepts, which are provided across all contexts within the curriculum. 

The intent of the ELTBA curriculum is to provide each child with the building blocks they need to access and succeed in their learning journey. A focus on developing resilience and a ‘can do’ attitude are key features within the curriculum, with pupil’s well-being at the heart. 

Accreditation Pathway

The Accreditation Curriculum at Percy Hedley School is designed to meet the individual needs of all learners who are working at an academic level to achieve accreditations and awards and is reviewed regularly to match pupils’ ambitions, needs, strengths and interests.

Our ambitious curriculum seeks to achieve coherent progression from the ELTBA curriculum, and supports attainment which will allow for successful transition to Post 16 provisions both at our school and wider afield. Our aim is to provide all our learners with a broad and balanced range of qualifications and skills that meet their different needs, reflect their interests and prepare them for adult life and lifelong learning through our unique transdisciplinary approach, allowing for realisation of individual potential.

The curriculum pathway allows for pupils to develop the skills that they need to begin to sit formal accreditations and awards, and allows for the development of employability, independence and planning skills.  Pupils develop self help skill, resilience, and the ability to work with others and challenge themselves, which in turn leads to the skills needed to complete the accreditations.

The mental wellbeing of pupils is an important consideration throughout their time at Percy Hedley. This approach provides students with the skills necessary to move on to Post 16 or college with the right academic and/or skills-based background to begin to make their own choices about their future.

As a school we are committed to the development of appropriate learning programmes focusing on suitable pathways to adult life, designed to increase the participation, achievement, and progression of all learners at whatever level is appropriate to them.

The curriculum allows for all of our pupils to achieve qualifications and awards at the appropriate level for them.  We work with a number of examination boards to offer a range of qualifications, both linear and modular to suit all ability levels from Entry Level through to GCSE and beyond. Our curriculum allows for pupils to be ambitious within their school career and ensure that they have had opportunities to develop their interest through option-based subjects, understanding their pathway for their futures.  All pupils have opportunities to work with our careers lead to gain conditional and non-conditional offers for their next steps in learning, this supports us to develop individual learning profiles for our pupils to ensure they have a working towards appropriate learning goals for their abilities and interests.

Have a look at our pathway documents below which show the range and levels of qualifications on offer at Percy Hedley School.

Upper School Accreditation offer  >Post 16 Accreditation Offer  >

Preparation For Adulthood

The PFA curriculum at Percy Hedley School is designed to meet the individual needs of all the learners and is reviewed regularly to match pupils’ needs, strengths and interests. 

The curriculum seeks to achieve coherent progression alongside both the Accreditation pathway and the Engagement pathway, and centres on pupil views and personal choices, which are reflected in the curriculum, targets and personalised timetables. 

Our aim is to provide all our learners with a range of qualifications and skills that meet their different needs, reflect their interests and prepare them for adult life, their next steps and lifelong learning. 

The four areas in Preparation for Adulthood, education and employment, independent living, community inclusion and good health and emotional wellbeing are a particular focus for all pupils within the pathway. 

A range of work experience opportunities are available for students, with appropriate vocational experiences sitting alongside the curriculum, alongside appropriate employability teaching and advice to ensure that the most appropriate choices are made for their future education and life decisions. Other options such as Sky Sports leaders or Duke of Edinburgh also enhance and personalise student experiences alongside their options choices within Post 16. 

Post 16 Curriculum

Post 16 Education