Curriculum Overview

The Abbey Curriculum is carefully designed to address the needs of every pupil. We believe that we have created a curriculum that puts wellbeing, academic achievement and Enterprise and employability at its heart. Our curriculum encompasses the preparing for adulthood outcomes that include opportunities for; Employment, Independent Living, Community Inclusion and Health. Our learning is driven through Rosenshine’s Principles which allow a structure to lessons that builds, reflects, revisits and reinforces knowledge and skills.

We believe children learn better when they are encouraged to use their imagination and apply their learning to engaging contexts. Our curriculum gives our pupils opportunities to solve problems, apply themselves creatively and express their knowledge and understanding effectively. Whilst developing excitement, skills, ideas and the chance to express the learning they have fostered. We want every Abbey Learner to be one that is a confident, happy individual that has a safe place to make mistakes. To be inquisitive, resilient and inspired learners that believes in themselves and achieves their full potential.

Key Stage 1:

• Play Based
• Continuous Provision
• Adult focused activities
• Becoming independent, collaborative, inquisitive learners

Key Stage 2:

• Challenge based approach
• Collaboration
• Inspiring projects
• Resilience building
• Enterprising

Key Stage 3 & 4:

• Preparing for adulthood
• Developing an academic portfolio
• Gaining vocational skills
• Enterprising
• Employability

Post 16:

• Wellbeing
• Academic
• Vocational
• Employability
• Enterprising

Rooted in our vison and values
A curriculum that builds knowledge and skills through the creation of experiences that take into consideration individual need and development stages.  To develop learners to be confident, happy individuals that have a safe place to make mistakes. To be inquisitive, resilient and inspiredlearners that believein themselves and achieve their full potential
The core to our curriculum is its foundation of 3 tiers:	Wellbeing Building our pupils aspirations
	Our curriculum has wellbeing at its heart. No leaner is ready to develop if they do not have their basic needs met.
	Academic Developing courage, a great attitude, respect and a big heart within our pupils
	A personalised curriculum model that follows the national curriculum and allows our pupils access to a broad and balanced range of subjects(Core and Enriched)
	Enterprise and Employability Preparing for pupils for Adulthood
	The curriculum is rich in opportunities to develop enterprise and carers. This included Work Related Learning, Work experience, Life skills and access to independent carers advise and employers enhanced through the schools STEAM street Project.

Driven by half termly Topics
Our curriculum is immersive in its approach. This allows pupils to experience a new exciting and engaging topic every half term in exciting and vibrant themed classrooms. We believe children learn better when they are encouraged to use their imagination and apply their learning to engaging contexts
Developing Big Questions
We want our pupils to be able to think through, ask, and develop an understanding on the key concepts across the curriculum
Promoting Vocabulary
Through our communication promise, Magic 12, talk guidelines and talk for writing
Making links
Our pupils make links because of the immersion in the topics they are exposed to and ended their learning through the underpinning 4 cornerstones
Underpinned by the 4 Cornerstones:	Engage
	Creating a memorable experience to hook children into their learning every half term. Allowing pupils to ask, talk, identifying, developing and take part
	Develop
	Allowing our pupils to delve deeper into the subject acquire new knowledge, practice, finding, following and explaining
	Innovate
	Through innovation projects allowing our children to Applying, building, reflecting, working reciprocally, taking on different roles and responsibilities
	Express
	Pupils are given a real-world purpose to their learning. To showcase  an end product e.g. using a community space, book signing, carnival, film premier etc Giving pupils opportunity to perform, evaluate, reflect, share and celebrate
Broad and Balanced Curriculum Offer
Core Subjects	Enrichment
English, Mathematics, Science, ICT, PHSE / SRE	DT, Art and Design, Food Technology, Modern World (MFL RE), Geography, History, Music, PE, Enterprise and Careers, Preparing for adulthood
Qualifications offered
Entry Levels, Functional Skills L1 AND l2, GCSE, BTEC, D of E

Impact on our Children

Abbey Learners are confident, happy individuals that have a safe place to make mistakes. They are  inquisitive, resilient and inspired learners that believe in themselves and achieve their full potential.

Impact on progress

Abbey learners make   progress academically, socially and emotionally. Our current data reflects this and pupils leave with qualifications and accreditations that are appropriate for their aspirations, next steps and the world of work

Impact on next steps

Abbey Learners  are ready for their next steps in learning and life within the school and beyond. Over the last 4 years all pupils have gone into education, training or employment

During students time in WAVEE we provide them with a structured and challenging personalised learning programme that supports their development and progression in line with their career plans. Typically students would follow qualification pathways in learning which both have the following content;

• substantial academic, applied or vocational qualifications that stretch students and prepare them for education at the next level or to employment
• ii) English and maths where students have not yet achieved a GCSE grade 4 (reformed grading) or grade C (legacy grading)
• iii) work experience to give young people the opportunity to develop their career choices and to apply their skills in real working conditions
• iv) other non-qualification activity to develop students’ character, skills, attitudes and confidence, and to support progression

For more specific information please see below in curriculum overview, curriculum 16 years + or the Abbey Post-16 WAVEE page.

• The progression of Our Recovery Curriculum
• Growing Learner Skills @ Abbey
• Our Curriculum 2021-22 overview
• Our Enterprise Curriculum 2021-22
• The Three Tiers
• How do we meet your child's EHCP targets and prepare them for adulthood child A
• Parents guide to preparing for adulthood

With our enterprise curriculum we deliver many of our work related learning lessons and core life skills. We are proud to have an enterprise partnership with Leigh Garbutt - Fortem formerly Willmott Dixon, who supports our enterprise curriculum. If you require any further information regarding our school curriculum please get in touch via email; abbeyschool@nexusmat.org or via our Contact Form.