The semi-formal curriculum is shaped to meet the individual needs of pupils with severe learning difficulties, including those who have an autism diagnosis. It follows the formal curriculum for the parallel year group as closely as possible in most subjects, with adaptions to meet pupils’ differing needs and levels of understanding. We want all pupils to access a full and varied curriculum, with experience of other cultures, languages, arts and humanities, as well as the core subjects. The half-termly topics for each curriculum area are included, with explicit links made to Social Moral Spiritual and Cultural development (SMSC), British Values and Preparation for Adulthood outcomes. These are embedded throughout the school day – both during lessons and social time.

In the semi-formal curriculum, Preparation for Adulthood is of huge importance, and our main priority is to develop our pupils’ social communication, functional skills and independence. We want our students to grow in confidence and independence as they progress through the school, and be able to communicate effectively in a variety of different social situations. We provide opportunities to promote decision making, self-expression and creativity, and celebrate the differences that exist within our classes.

At Key Stage 4 Pupils are offered opportunities to access courses to achieve external accreditation and some qualifications. Please click on the Key Stage 4 link to see the overviews for this year.

To ensure pupils achieve success across all subjects, some semi-formal curriculum overviews differ from those of the formal pathway. Please click on each subject link to see these overviews.