Curriculum: Key Stage 3

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Article 12: Every child has the right to have a say in all matters affecting them, and to have their views taken seriously.

Article 31: Leisure, play and culture - Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.

We are a Unicef Rights Respecting School. The Rights Respecting School Award puts children's rights at the heart of schools in the UK.

We aim to be a safe and inspiring place to learn, where children are respected, their talents and nurtured and they are able to thrive.

The Rights Respecting Schools Award embeds these values in daily school life at Oscott Manor School and gives children the best chance to lead happy, healthy lives and to be responsible, active citizens.

Key Stage 3

Key Stage follows a theme-based curriculum. A theme-based learning approach in a special school offers numerous benefits that enhance both academic and social-emotional development.

The themes are selected based on preparing for their next Key Stage and cover a wide range of pupils' interests to make learning more engaging and enjoyable. Themes can be adapted to meet the diverse needs of pupils, ensuring that all pupils can participate and benefit.

KS3 helps pupils build a strong foundation in these subjects, which is crucial for their success in KS4. By exploring a broad range of subjects, pupils can identify their interests and strengths, which can guide their choices in the next key stage. All subjects are compulsory in Key Stage 3.

Key Outcomes	Preparing for Key Stage 4
Employment	Subject option choices - thinking about university and college, picking the right subjects for future career goals, exploring different careers, structured careers advisory sessions, employer experiences, continue to build personal / vocational profile - use in careers sessions, transition to new settings, starting micro-enterprises, careers education, career one to one meetings.
Independent Living	Travel training, making decisions about what to spend money on, making own food, socialising, independent living skills, enrichment activities.
Community Inclusion	Making decisions about how to spend free time, managing social media and other technology, online gaming and staying safe, belonging to different groups, friendships and relationships, understanding the bigger picture and building resilience.
Health	Relationship and Sex education, immunisation – tetanus, managing more complex health needs, understanding what the GP can help you with, annual health check with GP if registered learning disability, mental health and wellbeing, drug and alcohol education, switching the screens off and getting a good night’s sleep, physical exercise.

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Timings of the School Day

Main Site (Reservoir Road)
08.30 – 15.00 Monday to Friday

Post 16 Centre (Ryland Road)
09.15 – 14.30 Monday to Friday

Planning Cycle	Cycle 1			Cycle 2			Cycle 3
Term	Autumn	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Theme	New Beginnings	Habitats	Planet Earth	Transport	Traditional Tales	Plants	Explorers	Animals	Space
Employment	✓			✓		✓	✓	✓	✓
Independent Living	✓		✓	✓	✓		✓		✓
Community Inclusion	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓
Health		✓	✓			✓		✓

Pioneers	Discoverers	Explorers
English x5	English x5	English x5
Maths x4	Maths x4	Maths x5
Science x2	Science x2	Art and Design x2
Art and Design x1	Art and Design x1	Community Inclusion x2
Computing x1	Computing x1	Forest School x2
Design Technology/Food x2	Design Technology/Food x2	Music x1
Drama x1	Drama x1	Physical Education x2
Enrichment x1	Forest School x1	Phonics and Reading Daily
Geography x1	Geography x1	Preparing For Adulthood x2
History x1	History x1	PSHE x2
Music x2	Music x2	Wider World x2
Phonics and Reading Daily	Phonics and Reading Daily
Physical Education x2	Physical Education x2
PSHE x1	PSHE x1
Religious Education x1	Religious Education x1

Key Stage 3 Assessment

Pupils are assessed using the BSquared progression steps or the Engagement Steps depending on which framework is suitable for each individual pupil.

The outcome of the assessment by the end of the Key Stage (Year 9) are used to match the suitability of accreditations in Key stage 4. Pupils will be set a progress target each academic year.

The Explorers pathway is also assessed using the ASDAN challenges programme providing the opportunity for pupils to build a portfolio which will be certified at the end of each year.

Discoverers and Pioneers Long Term Plans

Independence and Communication

We place a strong emphasis on fostering independence throughout all aspects of the school day. Independence is crucial to our pupils:

Empowerment: Developing independence empowers pupils, giving them the confidence to take control of their own learning and daily activities.
Life Skills: It equips students with essential life skills, preparing them for adulthood and enabling them to navigate the world more effectively.
Self-Esteem: Achieving independence boosts self-esteem and fosters a sense of accomplishment, which is vital for personal growth and well-being.
Individual Growth: It encourages personal growth and development, allowing students to reach their full potential.
Social Integration: Independence helps students integrate better into society by enhancing their ability to communicate, make decisions, and interact with others.
Future Opportunities: It opens up more opportunities for future education, employment, and independent living.

Communication is a core focus and developing communications is a school priority. All staff receive regular training in the area of communication from internal and external specialists. We use various methods such as:

Photos, Objects of reference, Makaton, Picture Exchange, Social Stories, Intensive Interaction, Visual timetables, Aided Language displays, Communication books, Alternative and Augmentative Communication methods.

**Assemblies**

Here at Oscott Manor, we take a thematic approach to assemblies, focusing upon developing our pupils' understanding of the world around them in which they live, encouraging them to develop and grow as young people.
Our assemblies explore important events in human history such as VE day, important historical figures such as Nelson Mandela, celebrate diversity through autism awareness and encourage positive behaviour by discussing moral values such as empathy and kindness.
We tailor our approach to meet the need of our students and therefore hold four separate assemblies throughout the week from Tuesday to Friday during AM registration. For the Explorers pathway this would be delivered through a sensory approach.

Reflection Time

Reflection Time is a dedicated period scheduled daily for form classes to pause and reflect on their experiences throughout the school day. This practice aims to foster a supportive environment where students can:

Review and Consolidate Learning:

Academic Reflection: Students can think about what they have learned in their lessons, identify areas of understanding, and recognise topics that may need further clarification.
Goal Setting: Encourages students to set personal academic goals and plan steps to achieve them.

Personal Growth and Development:

Self-Assessment: Provides an opportunity for students to assess their own progress, strengths, and areas for improvement.
Mindfulness: Promotes mindfulness practices, helping students to stay present and manage stress.

Social and Emotional Well-being:

Peer Interaction: Allows students to share their thoughts and feelings with classmates, fostering a sense of community and support.
Emotional Expression: Encourages students to express their emotions and reflect on their social interactions throughout the day.

Problem-Solving and Decision-Making:

Conflict Resolution: Helps students to reflect on any conflicts or challenges they face and consider ways to resolve them.
Critical Thinking: Encourages critical thinking about daily experiences and decisions.

Teacher Support and Guidance:

Feedback: Provides a platform for teachers to offer feedback and guidance based on students' reflections.
Mentorship: Allows teachers to mentor students, helping them navigate academic and personal challenges.

Incorporating Reflection Time into the daily schedule, creates a nurturing environment that supports holistic development, enhances learning outcomes, and promotes overall well-being.

Long and Medium-Term Planning

Development of Long-Term Plans:

The aims of the curriculum are shown through the long-term plan aligning to the school’s ethos and values. They outline the content that will be taught, detailing the themes, topics and units that will be covered in each subject.

The plans include a timeline, specifying when each topic or unit will be taught. This helps ensure that all necessary content is covered. They also state where the content has been obtained from.

All long-term plans are made available on the school’s website, ensuring that it is accessible to all teachers, students, and parents. This transparency helps everyone to understand the educational journey and expectations for each year.

Teachers use the long-term plan to develop medium-term plans, which break down the curriculum goals into more detailed units or topics to be covered over several weeks or months. The medium-term plans include more specific details about the learning objectives, activities, assessments, and resources needed for each unit.

We conduct regular checks to monitor the implementation of the long-term plans. This includes reviewing progress, assessing student understanding, and making any necessary adjustments.

Teaching strategies

We employ a diverse array of teaching strategies to effectively address the unique needs of our pupils. These strategies include, but are not limited to:

Adapted Teaching
Attention Autism
Precision Teaching
Attention Autism
Individual and Group Work/Flexible Grouping
Intensive Interaction
Picture Exchange
Maths Mastery
Continuous Provision
Social Stories
Scaffolded Learning
Structured Environments

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