At Highfield Littleport Academy we offer a specialised curriculum for students who require additional support with communication, coordination, self-help skills, and cognition. There is a strong emphasis on Preparing for Adulthood and promoting independence. We use our learning values as a driver for this. Students are encouraged to work independently and within a team as these skills as those which they need to apply when they leave Highfield and embark on adult life.
Learners work within these areas according to their individual interests, needs and abilities. There are overarching topics which help to contextualise learning with students interests incorporated into this so that there is a personalised curriculum offer facilitating challenge and development. A bespoke curriculum framework for each area helps teachers to identify students individual next steps in learning and measure progress. This is in collaboration with working towards students EHCP targets.
Our Green Pathway has the following areas of learning with specific subjects encompassed within:
My Body: PE, PSHE & RSE.
Students experience swimming, Rebound therapy (trampolining), sensory circuits, dance, physio programmes, yoga, massage, athletics, gymnastics and team games within our My Body curriculum. Although due to their needs many of our students do not achieve the swimming standard at the end of year 6 we aim for this to be possible when they leave Highfield. Take a look at our PE & Sport page for more information.
My Thinking: IT Skills, Maths, Science & Problem Solving
Within this subject area we use approaches such as TEACCH (including letter and number recognition), sensory stories, messy play investigation, parachute games, making choices, attention building and problem solving. Work on attention and focus skills underpin this area. Students develop their resilience and thinking skills to help them prepare for real life situation in the community.
My Communication: Speaking,& Listening, Reading, & Writing (English)
Students are encouraged to use AAC to assist their communication, PECS, intensive interaction, making choices, use of visual communication methods including objects of reference and visual timetables are all applied. We use Read, Write Inc as our consistent phonics scheme. More information about this can be found by clicking this link. We aim for our students to be efficient communicators using whatever method is appropriate for them.
My Independence: Personal Care, Travelling Skills, Food Technology, PSHE & RSE
Within this area we encourage independence through cooking, life and living skills, touch and taste sessions, learning opportunities during personal care and dressing, lunchtimes. There is a strong focus on developing resilience and independence so that our learners are confident individuals.
My World: Geography, History, RE
Students experience lots of Parallel play, access to shops and cafe's, transition visits (post 16), assemblies, shared activities with other classes, lunch and break times and school trips.to help learn practically and develop social skills
My Play: Creativity (Art & Music), Play Skills and Cooperation
We develop students play and social skills, social skills through a variety of Art, Music, Dance, Drama activities. We encourage students to be creative and practice independent and cooperative play. We recognise that not all problems can be overcome simply and teaching a creative approach helps to overcome this!
Our classes have a high ratio of staff to pupils, enabling a personalised curriculum and assessment system based on the pupils’ EHCP outcomes and a bespoke curriculum framework to identify next steps in learning. This allows for pupils’ individual learning needs to be addressed in the most appropriate way, whilst providing a sense of belonging to a class group and creating a higher level of self esteem. Throughout our curriculum development we have worked with the students to build learning around their interests to ensure it is relevant to students needs and engage them appropriately.
Green Pathway End Points and Transition from Highfield
Outcomes for learners in the green pathway vary according to the individual progress they make in thier time at Highfield through the curriculum frameworks and against their EHCP outcomes. However all students are entitled to leave with qualifications in at least Maths, English, communication and one other curriculum area. In the green pathway we use ASDAN Life Skills Challenges as the qualifications base. Students also have recognition of achievements through the AQA Unit Award Scheme.
Learners in the green pathway are likely to stay on Highfield roll until the end of the year they are 19, unless there is an alternative placement that would suit the individual's needs better than continuation at Highfield. Accessing LINC 19-25 is an option that can be explored if the individuals needs could be best met there. Discussions on moving on begin at the same time as the learners in the yellow and blue pathways, from at least the year 9 annual review. Our Careers section within this link has more detail.
Learners will transition on to a variety of placements according to the progress they have made and what provision there is available to move on to. Destinations could be specialist college courses at their local college, accessing a social enterprise, or a combination of both. Learners may move on to social care funded placements, and their EHCP is ceased if that is appropriate for the individual.
This pathway uses our bespoke curriculum framework in collaboration with each pupils EHCP outcomes to create a meaningful learning scheme for each individual. An outline of the curriculum is show in the links below.