At Mill Green School we believe all pupils have the right to education that is engaging, meaningful and appropriate to their individual needs.  Our curriculum is carefully designed to ensure all pupils have access to a wealth of enriching learning experiences which motivate and excite them.

We provide bespoke opportunities for learning and are committed to supporting every individual in overcoming their personal barriers to learning ensuring personal growth and enabling them to make the best progress possible through maximum participation in learning.

We aim to develop skills required for a happy and successful future and instil pupils with confidence in their ability to communicate as their skills progress and to build resilience as they explore and experience the wide range of activities and opportunities on offer to them.  All pupils are given opportunities to achieve the highest level of independence possible. We are extremely proud of our school and we value working together with all of our families to achieve shared outcomes.  We have an inclusive culture and aim to always be responsive to the diversity of young peoples backgrounds, interests, experience, knowledge and skills.

Curriculum Structure

We have built a broad, balanced curriculum focused on teaching our pupils to become independent and valued members of the community, at school and beyond. We aim to equip our learners with the skills to be successful, independent and motivated learners in readiness for their next stage of life, education or employment.  Within our established ethos, young people will gain confidence in making choices and increase their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

Young people are learning all the time and it is our responsibility to optimise learning opportunities throughout the school day, in lessons, during care routines and social times.  At Mill Green School we believe that the word ‘curriculum’ should be interpreted in its widest meaning.

It is every planned learning experience the pupils have as a member of the school, both learnt formally within a lesson and informally outside the classroom throughout the whole School day. It is all the planned activities that we organise in order to promote learning, personal growth and development. Teachers, and support staff structure these experiences to ensure that they have the most positive effect on the attainment, progress and personal development of all pupils.

Mill Green School offers a personalised curriculum so that all pupils benefit from individualised learning underpinned by statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. We also take outcomes from the Autism Education Trust Progression Framework, Equals Curriculum and QUEST and use these alongside other experiences and opportunities which best meet the learning and developmental needs of the pupils in our school.  Students with more complex needs follow the multi-sensory impaired (MSI) curriculum.  All learners at Mill Green also pursue relevant accreditation pathways and gain meaningful qualifications that will be of value to them in the future.

Our curriculum builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills of all young people, whatever their starting points, as they progress through each Key Stage. Clear routes of progression and development within the curriculum planning result in continuity and coherence throughout KS4 and KS5. To ensure we are building on previous learning there is a high level of structure and we avoid making the curriculum too abstract by teachers linking learning to practical activities and ensuring skills learnt are functional for the pupils. Teachers’  planning ensures that pupils take part in activities which are meaningful and interesting for them and through which they address relevant and challenging learning outcomes.  Alongside breadth of learning throughout a pupils’ time at school there are variations in experiences within a topic, ensuring that the learning is developmentally appropriate and scaffolded in such a way as to enable true skill development.

The curriculum is underpinned by the school’s values and these are embedded in all subjects as well as being addressed as part of the wider curriculum including pastoral activities, enrichment experiences and in assemblies. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils and their understanding of the core values of our society are woven through the curriculum.  There is a strong focus on the social and emotional aspects of learning through the delivery of a range of PHSE and social development activities.

Pathways

Our adapted and differentiated curriculum provides age-appropriate, creative, relevant learning opportunities and allows for a wide range of learning styles, abilities and individual needs.  We also offer a sensory curriculum and ‘nurture’ curriculum delivering specialised programmes, strategies and interventions. Such a flexible and adaptable curriculum model informs personalised learning pathways for pupils whose learning may be at an experiential, contextual or discrete/concept level. Pupils may have their own personal timetables and individual strategies and interventions are highlighted in planning.

Each pupil follows an individual learning journey. EHCP targets are central to this learning journey. These targets inform the Personal Learning and Independence Plan (PLIP).  During the Annual Review process, and throughout the year, we work closely with families to ensure all targets are inspirational, meaningful and reflect a young persons needs and aspirations.

At Mill Green young people follow a curriculum pathway suitable to their needs and development. There are pathways for children and young people with moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD) and Complex Needs (PMLD). However, these are flexible allowing a student to move between pathways dependent on their development.

Teaching and Learning

We value high quality teaching for all learners and actively monitor teaching and learning in the school. Our school improvement plan is about developing learning for all and details are planned continued professional development (CPD) opportunities for all staff. We aim to create a learning environment which is flexible enough to meet the needs of all members of our school community.

Pupils learn best when learning is related to their own experience. Some may learn best through a multi sensory approach; others will learn more effectively through functional skill based activities.

A developmental perspective informs the curriculum at Mill Green, where the starting point is each individual learner.  Each pupil drives the direction and content of their own ‘curriculum’. Whilst there are whole school topics the planning, learning approaches and delivery will differ between classes. Priorities based on PLIP targets, identified barriers to learning, pupils’ age, need, motivation and learning style will all help build the differentiation and personalisation in the curriculum.

We carefully monitor the progress of all our learners, and staff continually assess ensuring that learning is taking place. Our whole school system for monitoring progress includes progress checks every half term.  Pupils are challenged to make appropriate progress in their learning and pupils who find aspects of their learning more difficult are appropriately supported so that they too are enabled to experience success.

Assessment

Both formal and informal assessments are captured and evidenced in Evidence for Learning and may be recorded and celebrated as qualifications from nationally recognised awarding bodies such as OPEN AWARDS and AQA or in-house awards and celebrations of achievement.

Results of assessment, attainment, personal, social and physical development as well as nurture goals are reported at Annual Review and in the annual school report to parents. Overviews of general well-being are also reported at multi-agency reviews.

Regular communications with parents takes place through home-school diaries and EfL and parents attend award ceremonies where achievements are celebrated.