The curriculum at Queensmill School is focused on developing social communication, emotional regulation, self-awareness and advocacy, independence and functional skills for young people diagnosed with autism. This is closely tied to the outcomes identified in individual Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs) with a focus on functional learning, improved lived-experience and preparation for life after school.
It is designed to maximise opportunities to develop these through play, investigate opportunities and learning in real life contexts. This approach supports our pupils to come autonomous learners and develop the knowledge and skills to be involved in making decisions in their school life and to be ready for life after school. The key barriers, namely difficulties with social communication and emotional regulation, to learning are identified for each individual student and drive the approaches, therapies and focus of the individual’s experiences, in order to address and support these.
National policies such as SRE, British Values and SMSC development are embedded across the school and linked to a clear focus on PFA and placement and positive valuation within communities.
The focus of each class group’s and individual’s curriculum are shared with staff, parents and governors on a regular basis. Students are encouraged to engage in their learning processes and are given opportunities to respond to their curriculum and learning journey.
To provide a curriculum which is accessible, enriching and functional Queensmill has adopted a curriculum structure based around the National Curriculum, SCERTS (social communication, emotional regulation, transactional supports) and a strong understanding of sensory integration approaches and principles.
Much of the learning is through functional and relevant activities, built around play and special interest. Alongside practical activities and community integration and access. All classes have regular access into the local community for learning activities. These sessions provide opportunity to enable students understand, and transfer, the skills they are learning and how they apply to the ‘real world’ and life after school.
The rigour in writing each student’s Personal Learning Plan (PLP), based on the outcomes in the student’s EHCP, ensures there is a clear focus for each student’s learning and the curriculum is the vehicle for delivering this.
Below is a brief list of the key strategies used to deliver and develop the curriculum:
Where needed, students access external resources and environments to enhance the learning that takes place on site, these include local swimming pools, cafes, rock-climbing, horse-riding, shops and others.
Data from PLPs and other frameworks, primarily SCERTS, indicate that pupils across the school make good or better progress during their time at school. This is triangulated by evidence captured by class-teachers of progress and achievement, reflections from parents and professionals, achievement of EHC outcomes and the development of social communication and emotional regulation skills.