The Oaks Secondary School Curriculum is delivered via 5 pathways. The timetabling of subjects, interventions, resources and staff within each pathway ensure equality of access. Pupils gain knowledge and understanding within each subject and develop Key Skills (for learning), Personal Skills (for life) and Employability skills (for work).

The curriculum design allows for movement between pathways to provide a more personalised learning journey. Formal and informal assessment and monitoring tools are used within subjects and phases. Identified pupils can receive therapies and interventions either from school staff or partnership agencies according to individual need. Interventions can take place within lessons or pupils can be withdrawn, they can be delivered to individuals or small groups. Subject and Phase Overviews provide a framework to ensure breadth and balance across the curriculum

Curriculum Aims

• To create ambitious, confident and resilient learners who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
• To develop effective communicators,

• To create successful learners who enjoy learning, make good progress and achieve their potential.
• To promote independence, self-esteem and self-confidence.
• To contribute to an ethos of strong moral, personal, social development and to prepare students to make a positive contribution to the local community.

Rationale

To develop a curriculum which:

• recognises the individual needs of each pupil and builds on prior learning
• facilitates the development of each pupil’s communication and independence skills together with their intellectual, moral, physical, social, spiritual and creative ability.
• meets statutory requirements but remains flexible and relevant to the varying needs of our pupils.
• monitors, measures, assesses and records the progress of each pupil in a systematic way.
• allows the setting of achievable but challenging targets and outcomes that promote an ethos of improvement and development.
• prepares pupils for adulthood (PFA) and for transition to Further Education, Training, Employment or Supported Living.
• provides unbiased CEIAG in order to prepare and equip students to achieve their aspirations.
• enshrines, the principles of UNICEF’s Rights Respecting School Charter, British Values and positive Citizenship.
• provides for a personalised learning journey linked to EHCP targets which equips students to maximise their potential and supports them to attain their aspirations.

Curriculum Principles

Our curriculum is constructed so that:

• Teachers build upon students’ previously acquired knowledge at each Key Stage.
• Lessons offer opportunities for consolidation of pupil knowledge and skills.
• Lessons offer opportunities to use and build upon prior learning so that it can be embedded and allow students to learn with increased confidence.
• Curriculum subjects’ content will endeavour to provide continual progression and newly acquired skills through Key Stage 3, 4 and 5. The curriculum will cater for all learners.
• Staff to use appropriate teaching strategies and effective use of resources, specialist equipment and excellent use of support staff to provide high quality education for all pupils.
• We can support induction into secondary school for all new pupils.
• Students who do not make expected progress during an academic year will be offered additional support through intervention group work. Pupils making exceptional progress in Key Stage 3 can be offered Gifted and Talented sessions for English and Maths.

Enrichment activities allow pupils to achieve accreditation in a variety of academic and non-academic activities which provides breadth to the curriculum allowing students to learn new knowledge and skills.

If you would like to find out more about specific subjects, please go to the Curriculum – Curriculum section of our website.  Here you can click on links to individual curriculum areas.  This will tell you more about the subject and give an overview of what each year group is studying.