The day starts at 8.45 when pupils and staff meet in their classrooms for a “community meeting”. Pupils on the Seedling and Sapling pathways will then engage in a therapeutic activity to prepare them for learning while pupils on the Sycamore and Blossom pathways will explore a current affairs topic led by their form teacher.
There is a short break between lessons from 10.15 to 10.45 (for pupils on the Seedling and Sapling pathways) and from 11.00 and 11.30 (for pupils on the Sycamore and Blossom pathways) and a lunch period from 12.30 to 13.20. The school day finishes at 15.30 except on Friday when we finish at 12.45.
Formal lessons are taught during the first part of the school day when pupils are most alert and receptive. From break-time onwards, we focus on more practical subjects such as Design and Technology, MFL, Humanities and Computing. These practical lessons continue after the lunch break, with the addition of physical education activities and ‘enrichment curriculum’ activities such as art and crafts, horticulture, cycling proficiency, outdoor education, and work experience. Swimming lessons take place during the morning at a local swimming pool.
Home Studies (homework)
We expect all pupils to complete one home study task each week and we encourage reading at home to build literacy skills.
The amount of reading will vary between pupils, but we generally expect pupils to read for five minutes at least three times a week.
Pupils on the Seedling and Sapling pathways have a weekly home study reading task and their progress is recorded in a personal reading log. Pupils on the Sycamore and Blossom pathways are assigned a weekly home study task to support progress towards achieving their personal education outcomes (EHCP objectives).
Each pupil has an individualised termly homework chart and can choose which task to complete each week. We recognise that homework at this stage may take many different forms and could include reading, written work, research tasks or practice of other skills as appropriate.
Regular drop-in sessions for the Key Workers of our residential pupils are arranged to ensure collaboration between the education and care teams to support each pupil’s outcomes. Pupils have a personal homework record to record progress and to provide an opportunity for parents and carers to give feedback.
Pupils who complete all their home study tasks each half term receive a certificate and a retail voucher to recognise and reward their achievements. Certificates and vouchers are presented as part of a special class assembly.