Curriculum: How It Works

Organisation and planning

Our curriculum is loosely pinned on the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and the Key stage 1 and key stage 2 National Curriculum. At QE2 our curriculum is planned around a topic where knowledge can be taught in a variety of ways, that are engaging to all pupils and encompasses all of their needs. Our curriculum responds to the needs of individuals and promotes independence and individuality. Topics are taught through different key stages and are planned to show progression. Assessments are continuously made during teaching.

Planning is initially taken from Cornerstones and adapted to the students in each class. Each learning activity is underpinned by objectives linked to our unique assessment levels. Cornerstones develops each subject through a comprehensive, progressive program where knowledge and skills are revisited during topics throughout the school.

 

 

Our Curriculum

 

  •          We have a spiral curriculum
  •          Knowledge and skills are revisited throughout the school
  •          Knowledge leads to skills
  •          We re-cap and re-visit knowledge so that it goes from short term to long term memory.
  •          Our curriculum builds on knowledge, skills and vocab which progress through the school

 

How it works at QEII

 

Our curriculum is pupil centred. We use Cornerstones to organise our curriculum and ensure that it is broad and balanced. We also use EYFS and some subjects use their own or additional curriculums e.g. Maths, RE, PSHE and Drama. It has repeated themes and concepts which run through it. As a special school we have significantly adjusted it. We create our own specialist planning in which the skills and knowledge are bespoke to our pupils and tailored to their own learning and development.

 

We have devised our own assessment system, Q levels, to ensure it is a pupil centred curriculum and to assess progress using the Earwig platform. Cornerstones long term plans are adapted to shorter term planning to meet the needs of individual pupils as identified for each of them in Earwig.

 

Pupil Centred Groups

 

We plan for three pathways Explorers, (informal learners) Investigators (semi-formal learners) and Engineers (formal learners) but it is never limited to these three pathways and within these it may be broken down further and is individualised. Pathways are always fluid to ensure that the learning needs of pupils are being met effectively. Lessons for each of the pathways may take place in the classroom or in other rooms such as in Phonics and Maths.