At our school we value and support learning; instilling pride in ourselves, our school and our community and recognising the worth of each individual. Our mission is to ensure pupils acquire knowledge, skills and abilities that will enrich their lives and enhance their ability to contribute to the community by engaging in a meaningful educational experience, appropriate to each pupil.

Introduction to the EFS Schools Curriculum

One of the principles underlying Essex Fresh Start is the belief that pupils' self-esteem, confidence, and emotional stability can be greatly improved through academic achievement. Pupils are encouraged and supported to achieve in terms that they recognise as success. TCES Group schools endeavour to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. In addition we provide a range of additional subjects, which are of particular interest or relevance to the pupils.

The school provides the teaching within a primary model. Previous experience in our other schools has demonstrated that pupil’s progress is more advanced within this model. It allows the development of relationships with Key Workers, allows pupils to develop interactive skills together, they accept responsibility for each other and their classroom and creates consistency and reliability critical to the presenting needs of our pupils.


It is the policy of our School that all pupils will have access to a broad and balanced curriculum that addresses the difficulties that have caused them to be referred to us, promotes, assesses and recognizes their learning, offers them opportunities and experiences that will enable them to meet the challenges of adult life and that promotes the values of caring for others, setting clear boundaries with explicit consequences and that operates in a fair and consistent manner.

The curriculum will be developed and implemented in line with 3 main considerations as guidance: these are Independent School Standards, Every Child Matters and Removing Barriers to Achievement.

The curriculum will give all pupils “experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education” as required by The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003.

Our Standards

The following standards set out clearly the responsibilities of managers and staff for the development of the curriculum in the school and for planning, implementing and evaluating all aspects of the curriculum as the heart of all that happens at our school.

The head teacher will ensure that the school has a culture that promotes the curriculum by:

1.Ensuring the curriculum meets the requirements of The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003/4 and 2006 and the Government strategy for SEND and by the terms of our contracts between our school and CountyCouncils.

2.Ensuring that the school responds positively to national curriculumdevelopments

3.Ensuring all staff are fully aware of the school curriculum and work within it and that this is reflected in the subject policies and plans, schemes of work, lesson plans and lesson evaluations that theyuse

4.Ensuring there is an annual audit and plan for the curriculum that covers all aspects of it as set out in the definition above, that promotes outcomes for pupils and that demonstrates the added value of the curriculum to thepupils

5.Ensuring all new staff are aware of thecurriculum

6.Ensuring that there are plans, such as the whole school plan, in place for the ongoing development of the curriculum and for individual subjects within the overall schoolcurriculum

7.Ensuring that teachers with particular areas of responsibility for the curriculum are up-to-date in their knowledge and are able to advise their colleagues in an effective and productivemanner

8.Ensuring that staff are kept up-to-date with regulations, research and legislation in relation to thecurriculum

9.Ensuring the school has adequate resources for curriculum development and that systems are in place for measuring the Value for Money of curriculum development activities andprocesses

10.Ensuring that all external consultants and trainers assisting in the development of the curriculum have clear guidelines regarding what is expected of them and requiring of them to set out how their input will improve outcomes forpupils

11.Ensuring that the behaviour, of staff and pupils, and the physical environment is conducive to creating a calm educationalenvironment

Our Teachers will:

1.Play a full and active part in the development of the curriculum, through our TCES Curriculum Group

2.Deliver the curriculum in a manner that promotes the learning of eachpupil

3.Keep up-to-date, are aware of and incorporate as planned all relevant curriculardevelopments

4.Be clear about the relationship between the curriculum, schemes of work, lesson planning and outcomes for pupils and how each informs and supports theother

5.Incorporate both the formal and the ‘hidden’ curriculum in all that they do in theclassroom

6.Ensure the Teaching Teams, they work with, understand the whole curriculum and its importance in enabling pupils tolearn

7.Ensure that pupils adhere to the school’s Code of Conduct and promote good behaviour of staff andpupils

Our Teaching Teams will:

1.Maintain an up to date knowledge and understanding of their professional duties and the statutory framework within which they work including the importance of the formal and ‘hidden’ curriculum

2.Work within those aspects of the curriculum that impact on theirrole

3.Contribute to the development of the curriculum as appropriate to theirrole

4.Identify opportunities for working with colleagues to promote the curriculum, managing their work where appropriate and sharing the development of effective practice withthem

5.Support one another in being consistent towards the management ofbehaviour


Introduction

Our curriculum has undergone significant development and now offers additional opportunities for pupils to succeed. Most pupils hold Statements of Special Educational Needs or Education Health and Care Plans, many of which specify a broad and balanced curriculum. Therefore the curriculum has two primary foci: to tackle the behavioural, emotional and social difficulties of the pupils and to redress the academic underperformance of most of them.

The planning of the curriculum also has a strong focus on practical activities, which improve relationships with peers and adults, encourage collaborative and team working, enhance confidence, motivation and pupils' self-esteem. This is achieved by focusing on personalised learning and addressing the requirements of each individual’s statement through very detailed individual educational plans (IEP). This will assist pupils to become fully engaged in the curriculum using stimulating, age appropriate materials in which personal interests are developed through projects and attainable goals.

Academic Including Vocational Curriculum

We have very high expectations of our pupils and as such our schools and CREATE Service offer a wide range of nationally accredited courses including GCSEs, Entry Levels, and Functional Skills in Literacy and Numeracy. AQA awards, ASDAN/COPE, City and Guilds, Princes Trust, Duke of Edinburgh, Food Hygiene, Food Studies and First Aid.

Our School will give experience in the following areas:

  • Linguistic: this area is concerned with developing pupils’ communication skills and increasing their command of language through listening, speaking, reading and writing. There must be lessons in written and spokenEnglish.
  • Mathematical: this area helps pupils to make calculations, to understand and appreciate relationships and patterns in number and space and to develop their capacity to think logically and express themselves clearly. Their knowledge and understanding of mathematics should be developed in a variety of ways, including practical activity, exploration anddiscussion.
  • Scientific: this area is concerned with increasing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of nature, materials and forces and with developing the skills associated with science as a process of enquiry: for example, observing, forming hypotheses, conducting experiments and recording their findings.
  • Technological: Technological skills, can include the use of information and communication

technology (ICT); developing, planning and communicating ideas; working with tools, equipment,

materials and components to produce good quality products; and evaluating processes and products.

  • Human and social: this area is concerned with people and with their environment and how human action, now and in the past, has influenced events and conditions. In most schools the subjects of history and geography make a strong contribution to thisarea.
  • Physical: this area aims to develop the pupils’ physical control and co-ordination as well as their tactical skills and imaginative responses, and to help them to evaluate and improve their performance. Pupils should also acquire knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of fitness andhealth.
  • Aesthetic and creative: this area is concerned with the processes of making, composing and inventing. There are aesthetic and creative aspects of all subjects, but some make a particularly strong contribution including art, music, dance, drama and the study of literature because they call for personal, imaginative, and often practical,responses.
  • Vocational: this gives pupils direct training and learning of subjects of a more practicalnature

Individual Education Plans and schemes of will illustrate how each area is to be woven into the schoolcurriculum.

Therapeutic Curriculum

We underpin our academic offer with a wide range of therapeutic interventions including speech and language therapy, drama therapy, art therapy, nurture groups, counselling for pupils, and an experience of music. Our therapeutic provision is managed, supported, and quality assured by our internal social work and mental health seniormanagers.

  • EFS offers a range of therapies as part of its therapeutic curriculum; therapeutic circle time, art therapy, drama therapy, massage and counselling are offered to pupils with parents’permission.
  • The pupils feel safe and comfortable in the calming surroundings of the school where their physical and emotional needs aremet.
  • EFS employs a Head of Pastoral Care whose remit is to carry out 1:1 and group behaviour sessions as well as working with a wide range of additional experts such as Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists and Sexual Health Workers.
  • Wellbeing relaxation and massage programme, drama and music add to the therapeutic element of the curriculum as well as the team building and personal development enjoyed by thepupils.
  • EFS hopes to develop newly acquired outdoor space where pupils may enjoy gardening and the satisfaction of producing vegetables as well as the calming effects of working withanimals.

Enhanced Curriculum

Our pupils benefit from participating in a variety of activities designed to enrich and enhance the school and CREATE Service experience. Our enhanced Curriculum is intrinsically linked to elements of social, moral, spiritual and cultural (SMSC) education as well as Community Cohesion, Britishness, Public institutions and Every Child Matters. The added element of our enhanced curriculum is the schools and CREATE Service aim to nurture the often hidden talents of each pupil. The enhanced curriculum responds to the interests and aspirations expressed by our pupils and includes charitable endeavors and community based service.

TCES pupils thrive within the enhanced curriculum, which offers them exciting opportunities to develop and experience social and life skills.

  • This is delivered through ASCAN/COPE and Duke of Edinburgh awards; 1st Aid programmes; Food hygiene and Food technology and cross-curricular visits to places such as museums, galleries, places of worship and local and national places ofinterest.
  • Through visits, assemblies, daily reading programmes and discussing of national newspapers as part of a rich and well-grounded personal, social and health and citizenship programme, allows pupils to increase their awareness and understanding of their environment, development and of the world and itsdiversity.
  • Close liaisons with community police and the setting up of a Pupil Council, empowering them with Pupil Voice, enables all pupils to make choices, decisions and chooseoptions.
  • Pupils are prepared for post-16 learning through Connexions, Trident and a Work Related Learning programme and spend the last part of Key Stage 4 preparing CV’s and attending interviews for further education or the world ofwork.

Engagement Curriculum

Although a significant percentage of our referred pupils join our schools and CREATE Service directly after a short internal induction, some of our pupils may require individualized support to enable them to flourish in full time education. This engagement support is delivered through our school teams internally.

  • For the truly disengaged learner a more personalised approach to the curriculum is offered incorporating intensive one to one support to help each pupil break down barriers, develop basic skills and support reintegration into the schoolsetting.
  • The school’s head of Pastoral care draws up ‘pen portraits’ of all pupils ensuring a personalised and informed approach to their needs andlearning.
  • The schools focus on encouraging improved attendance. Focus plans are introduced where thereiscauseforconcernandstrategiesintroducedsuchasdailyphonecallshome,weekly

vouchers for 100% attendance as well as awards presented at the school’s annual prize giving

for ‘highest attendance’ and the Head Teachers Award for the best overall achievement.

  • Behaviour is well managed by experienced and highly trained staff who are consistent, reliable and predictable, encouraging pupils to build solid and trustingrelationships.
  • The schools ‘socio educational’ ethos permeates throughout and the introduction of an Integration service has enabled all pupils to access the curriculum through personalised programmes.

ASC/SEMH Specific

By addressing individual needs in relation to a pupil having an ASC or a SEMH issue, we create learning environments and take informed approaches to ensure the development of each pupil’s capacity to learn. Although we offer core subjects within each of our services, we also are able to adapt our curriculum to cater to the needs and interests of our pupils to ensure they are engaged and excited tolearn.

The TCES Group Curriculum

As Independent Schools, we are not obliged to follow the National Curriculum. However, at TCES,we are trying to keep our TCES Group Curriculum as close to the National Curriculum as possible, all the while considering our pupils’ difficulties in accessing education and makingprogress.

Our Curriculum Group have selected 6 key subjects that all of our schools must include on their timetables from September 2015, to ensure that our pupils are accessing, not only the off-site enrichment activities, but the core curriculum subjects also.

We have discussed how many hours, as a guide, each Key Stage should have of education in each of these 6 subjects, which is shown below:

SUBJECT / KEY STAGE 2 / KEY STAGE 3 / KEY STAGE 4
ENGLISH / 7 / 5 / 5
MATHS / 5 / 5 / 5
SCIENCE / 2 / 3 / 3
CITIZENSHIP/PSHCE / 1 / 2 / 2
COMPUTING/ICT / 1 / 2 / 2
PE / 2 / 2 / 2
TOTAL / 18 / 19 / 19
REMAINING HOURS / 7 / 6 / 6

The remaining hours left after the Core Curriculum subjects have been taught, are to be used for Off- Site activities, Enrichment, Key Working, Therapy sessions or other standing subjects a school may be teaching.

The Arts Week

The Arts week has been devised as a way of including the creative subjects into our TCES Group Curriculum. Some schools may have individual, timetabled Arts subjects, but the Arts Week is for every pupil in every school to get involved with.

Our TCES Curriculum Group felt the best week for this to occur would be the last week of November, going into December. This would be followed by a parents’ evening the following week at the end of term.

Many creative activities that could fall into Arts week, as a way of introducing our pupils to the subjects are:

  • Dance/Drama – performers in the schoolproduction/workshops
  • Music – performers in the school production/Christmas carolconcert
  • Art – Christmas cardcompetition/Posters/Flyers/Invitations
  • Photography – Pupils to photograph/video schoolproduction
  • Art exhibition – open day/morning showing off all artproduced
  • School pantomime/Talent show/X Factor – invite parents/carers/LocalAuthorities
  • Food Technology – baking treats for refreshments to Art exhibition/school production/Christmas dinner for pupils andstaff
  • Design Technology – prop making for school production/Christmaspresents/Christmas Stockings/Treedecorations
  • Trip out for pupils – Christmaspantomime

Our Curriculum Group will continue to develop ideas for this, and each school should start thinking about planning for the Arts Week from the end of September. Weekly Senior Leadership Team meetings should have this on the agenda, as should the Student Council.

Humanities Week

Humanities week has been devised as a way of including the humanities subjects into our TCES Group Curriculum. Some schools may have individual, timetabled humanities subjects, but the Humanities Week is for every pupil in every school to get involved with.

Our TCES Curriculum Group felt the best week for this to occur would be the week before the pupils break up for Easter, in March or April.

Our Curriculum Group agreed that the pupils, through the student council, should decide on which topic or area they wanted to focus on during this week, and the staff would include elements of History, Geography, Religious Education and possibly Design Technology into that chosen topic.

  • A particular Historical Event – pupils could focus on an event from History and look at the Geography, Religion and Historical reporting of theevent.
  • A Geographical area – pupils could research a particular area/country, and link to keyhistorical events and religious changes throughout the area acrosstime.