Newbury Manor School is passionate about delivering a creative and personalised curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils ensuring they are successful in their lives, both in the school community and beyond. The curriculum is under-pinned by a strong belief in our core values; it ensures that all pupils reach their full potential and develop into the most independent and successful young adults that they can be. Newbury Manor School is a strong, nurturing community, which creates a sense of belonging and celebrates individual success at every opportunity.
Provision, which is based on developing strong positive relationships, identifies the needs of each individual pupil to develop communication, independence and social skills that will equip them as adults. The school believes that working within communities and fully utilising all aspects of Learning Outside the Classroom are central to supporting well-being and preparation for adulthood. Providing different pathways through a holistic approach allows pupils to progress on personalised learning journeys. The curriculum is reflective of pupil need, regardless of cognitive level, and seeks to build progress in a bespoke manner. It is not limited by an age-specific approach, but instead pathways are shaped by needs identified within EHCPs, including as appropriate, access to a range of qualifications and accreditations. The curriculum at Newbury Manor School is designed to develop transferable skills that equip pupil and pupil for life beyond school.
Informal Curriculum
The Informal Curriculum is for pupils who have complex needs. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of pupils through a personalised approach, valuing the process as much as the achievement and offering flexibility to be responsive to the needs of the individual learner.
It focuses on the early communication, social, emotional and cognitive skills that are the foundation of learning. It is a curriculum that recognises the importance of play in a child’s development and the need for sensory and multi-sensory approaches to learning. It acknowledges what learners can do by supporting and developing their strengths and abilities and it is designed to be delivered in an integrated way, incorporating learning, therapy and health needs.
Semi-formal Curriculum
The Semi-formal curriculum is delivered through a thematic based approach. It recognises that many of our pupils have a range of complex needs as well as learning difficulties. We meet each pupil’s needs through a personalised approach delivered through a bespoke curriculum.
For some pupils a social communication, emotional regulation and transactional support focus provides pupils with the skills and tools to be able to manage their own feelings, anxieties and behaviour, as well as understand and utilise effective and appropriate methods of communication. This equips our learners with the ability to meaningfully interact with, and convey needs to, familiar people; as well as those who help to support us in the wider community.
The curriculum is designed to be fun, engaging, practical and meaningful and match to pupils learning and developmental needs. It aims to promote life skills, independence, communication and sensory integration activities to prepare pupil for learning. Regardless of physical, emotional and learning challenges, teaching through the Semi-formal curriculum captures the interest and imagination of our pupils.
Formal Curriculum
The formal curriculum consists of adapted National Curriculum subjects, along with life skills, Learning outside the classroom, and creative subjects. The Formal curriculum is for those pupils who may have a range of needs, but who are cognitively able to access many aspects of a more formal curriculum framework, modified in line with pupil’s developmental level and additional needs. Pupils experience the formal curriculum in both a discrete and theme-based approach that aims to develop thinking and independent learning skills enabling us to build learning capacity and lifelong skills. At Newbury Manor we have adapted subjects and topics to reflect the needs of our pupils, whilst ensuring they provide challenge and progress.
The formal curriculum, which includes a rich diet of both core subjects and more diverse subjects, works to ensure that the experience of learning is smooth, and that cyclical learning topics support learners in embedding skills and knowledge into long term memory through ‘over learning’ as well as contextualised opportunities for application. Subjects taught underpin the Peacock values through explicit references; practical subjects are designed to support fine and gross motor skills as well as providing pupils with very real opportunities to develop skills for independent living and work beyond school. All subjects are designed to develops pupil’s ability to communicate effectively, and also to learn about other communities, countries and cultures, an important part of British Values for Newbury Manor School.
We support pupils to consider different learning opportunities and apply them to real life situations. If pupils require a more bespoke curriculum, we adapt and tailor it to the needs of the individual. Where pupils show an aptitude in a particular area, they are encouraged to develop this to the highest level.
The formal curriculum at Newbury Manor goes beyond the academic and focuses on developing skills for life. Pupils at Newbury Manor will have the opportunity to practice and rehearse these skills in different contexts. Everything we do is there to support every child towards an independent as possible adulthood. We recognise that for each pupil, this will present different challenges and opportunities, therefore thorough preparation and practice is essential in every subject area as well as ad hoc learning opportunities. We pride ourselves on the responsive and adaptive curriculum we offer every pupil at Newbury Manor.
To view our Local Curriculum Procedure, please click here.