Curriculum Intent

At Old Park School our aim is to give pupils the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed for lifelong independence. The curriculum is designed to meet the individual needs of our pupils, all of whom have complex barriers to learning detailed in their Education, Health, Care plans. Many of our pupils also have physical disabilities and/or complex health needs. We place an emphasis on well-being and enjoyment, providing a motivating and relevant curriculum to maximise pupils’ engagement and support progress.  We strive to deliver wide and varied learning experiences that support functional skills, independence and personal development. Preparing our pupils for adulthood sits at the heart of what we do.

Curriculum Implementation

Our curriculum is driven by five key areas; My communication, My Thinking, My Well-Being, My Body, My World. These are underpinned by a culture of promoting communication and independence opportunity at every level.

Curriculum Pathways

abd

Whole school Thematic Overview 25-26

Key Stage 4 and 5

During Key Stage 4 we begin to introduce discreet sessions focusing on Preparation for Adulthood. In Key Stage 4 this is addressed by linking to projects based on the thematic curriculum, progressing to a more in depth focus on each area in Key Stage 5 where we begin the targeted work of preparing students for their transition from Old Park to the wider world.

The content included falls broadly under the following headings:

-Functional Skills- English, Maths and ICT skills which are an integral part of our curriculum throughout the pupils' education.

-Employment- Both work-based skills and also developing skills required for a successful pathway through life. This will include elements such as Team Enterprise, fundraising, Work experience and visits to local Post 19 providers as appropriate.  

-Community Inclusion- Event planning, use of local community facilities, travel training and road safety as appropriate 

-Independent Living- Cooking, budgeting and money management, home management skills such as cleaning, and personal grooming- understanding hygiene, selecting suitable clothes for different occasions etc. Pupils will also work extensively towards ensuring they are able to share their own views and have as much choice as possible in terms of decision making about both day-to day life and their own future.

-Health- Promotion of  healthy lifestyles including physical development, dance, and swimming sessions; PHSE and RSE discreet sessions to continue to develop understanding as students mature, Self-advocacy and ensuring all students leave Old Park with an identified preferred method of communication. Support with recognising our emotions, wishes and feelings and being able to promote and improve out own Mental Health and Wellbeing. Support to understand the role of health professionals, including regular and routine medical checks in adulthood. 

This is not an exhaustive list, but reflects some of the typical content covered by each area of Preparing for Adulthood. Content is delivered in line with both the student's pathway, interests, skills, and also their Key Stage, with a gradual shift in focus to more of this content as Students progress into Key Stage 5.

Careers and Destination Pathways

Our careers programme, 'My Future... the Road Ahead', is an integral part of our school curriculum. This focuses on the skills and attributes our pupils will need to gain in order to prepare them for adulthood. We recognise that each of young people will follow their own pathway when they leave Old Park and therefore destination planning is tailored to the individual. We do however, have vision statements for each of our five curriculum pathways. These can be found in the documents below.

More information can be found at Old Park School - Careers - My Future, The Road Ahead

Stakeholder Consultation

During an Old Park School stakeholder consultation in May 2021 on Post 19 hopes and aspirations across all pathways, a variety of responses were received. These are summarised below. When planning our curriculum, all subject coordinators give consideration to how their subject can prepare our young people for life after Old Park.