Curriculum

At the Link School the curriculum comprises of all the planned activities and experiences the pupils are engaged with during the school day. We have a responsibility to provide our pupils with a suitable curriculum and it is designed to provide opportunities for the pupils to become successful learners. We aim to ensure that all pupils participate as fully and as effectively as possible, however, depending on the needs of the pupil we may need to modify the curriculum to ensure that he/ she is presented with relevant and appropriately challenging material.

We use the framework of the National Curriculum to help us provide a broad and balance curriculum. It is sufficiently flexible to allow the pupils to reach their full potential and the staff have high expectations for each of them.

We take a personalised approach to teaching and learning, matched to the individual needs of pupils, while at the same time taking account of their particular SEN, health and medical needs, maturity level and general disposition. Each pupil had an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) which outlines the targets that have been identified and agreed with parents. Our curriculum is sufficiently flexible to enable us to address the needs of our pupils. We present them with opportunities to acquire, practice, apply and extend their skills and knowledge in different contexts some of which are not in school. The skills are relevant to life and learning and include key skills involved with communication, applications number, IT, working with others, discovering their community, learning about sharing, risk taking, improving their own learning and problem solving. Our intention is to prepare our pupils for the challenges they may face as they grow older and later to help them better integrate into society.

National Curriculum 

Our curriculum draws from the framework of the National Curriculum where it is appropriate. We have a responsibility to provide our pupils with a suitable curriculum. We aim to ensure that all pupils participate as fully and as effectively as possible. Whole school curriculum planning enables teachers to modify the National Curriculum Programmes of Study to provide our pupils with relevant and appropriately challenging work at Key Stages 1 and 2.

The aims of our school curriculum are the same for all the pupils. We offer our pupils a rich and varied curriculum, with a good balance of academic and skill based learning activities. This helps our pupils build up their confidence, self-esteem and resilience as well as their academic abilities. This balance also helps to re-engage those reluctant pupils allowing them to discover a love of learning and an enjoyment of education.

Our pupils are entitled to an education that shows breadth and balance but also, and most importantly, relevance to his or her learning needs. Styles of teaching and learning may differ according to the subject content being taught. The key factor is that our pupils must be active learners in all the planned activities we provide and our intention is to ensure that we are a fully inclusive school. We achieve this by

(i)               setting suitable learning challenges,

(ii)              responding to the pupil’s diverse learning needs,

(iii)             overcoming potential barriers to learning.

Link School curriculum includes the following:

English 

Strands:  Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

Math

Strands:  Number, Algebra, Shape, Measure, Geometry, Data

Our World (Science, Geography, History)

Areas of focus: Knowledge, Understanding, Enquiry, Investigation

Computing

Strands: Computer Science, Information Technology, Digital Literacy

PE

Strands:  Dance, Gymnastics, Games, Athletics

Personal Development

Strands:  Health and Wellbeing, Self-Management including Relationships and Sex Education.

Music

Strands: Listening, Responding, Performing, Composing,

Art

Strands: Drawing, Painting, Print, Clay Construction, Fabric

Chinese

Teachers plan for regular out of school learning opportunities. In addition to these pupils go on educational visits and day camps.