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Curriculum Intent

'Pupils achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum' - Ofsted

Prosper Learning Trust Curriculum Intent and Principles

Prosper Learning Trust values a strong curriculum which is carefully planned and structured in order to meet the needs of all pupils and support excellent learning. Within Prosper, all our schools share a number of common aims and principles for the curriculum. Settings may focus on a subset of these aims at any given time, while recognising that all are important. Not every aspect of each strand is equally relevant in each of the Trust’s settings, though all academies touch each strand to an appropriate extent. Schools develop the curriculum offer and provision at any given time to meet the needs of their pupils that support learning, in addition to developing social attitudes, through well-sequenced knowledge, skills development, recall and retrieval.

Newcastle Bridges School Curriculum Intent and Principles

Newcastle Bridges School provides education to children who are hospitalised or whose education has been interrupted by mental or physical ill-health and school phobia. The school is made up of a diverse range of provisions, some of which are within NHS settings, and we provide education to pupils in the age rage 4 to 19 years. We seek to support each pupil’s access to full-time, broad and balanced education, appropriate to their potential and educational needs. We also work towards reintegration into mainstream whenever this is the best next step for our pupils. The curriculum includes both formal lessons and all the informal learning, enrichment and personal development that occurs beyond the timetable.

What the Curriculum is Designed to Do

We have designed our curriculum with pupils at the centre. It has been designed to cater for a range of pupils, providing equal opportunities for all. We believe that a curriculum has to be broad, balanced and ambitious. Offering pupils opportunities to grow as individuals, as well as gain necessary knowledge and skills to fulfil the highest of their, and our, expectations, equipping them for all aspects of their future lives. Alongside core academic subjects through both key stages 3 and 4 a range of creative subjects and opportunities which allow pupils to express their creativity and develop their confidence are offered. The curriculum also encompasses an intended flexibility to address any gaps in pupils’ prior individual learning.

Through a combination of teaching and learning techniques, we aim to ensure pupils enjoy learning and feel prepared for life after school. We also offer our pupils new, exciting and engaging experiences through our character education activities, these are designed to build resilience, confidence and self-esteem.

Our academy recognises that pupils should be challenged in their schooling; learning from failures and celebrating successes. We intend our curriculum to be empowering, enabling pupils to develop their interpersonal skills, creativity and independence.

Our curriculum is a plan for progression based on what pupils need to acquire: what they know, what they can do, what experiences they have to support success and transition back to their home school or progress to the next stage of education, training or life beyond school. We work closely with pupils’ home schools to ensure that return transition is successfully accomplished.

Our curriculum is broad, balanced and carefully planned to ensure that:

knowledge, skills and content are effectively taught and retained;
pupils acquire a wealth of knowledge and experience and become critical thinkers;
pupils enjoy learning and make at least good progress, achieving to the best of their ability;
pupils learn how to cooperate with their peers and respect one another inside and outside the classroom;
it prepares pupils for a return to their home school or external examinations at NBS;
pupils develop skills and understanding for life, the workplace and further study;
pupils develop knowledge and understanding of British Values and the implications for life in modern day Britain;
through their learning pupils develop spiritual, moral, social and cultural knowledge, understanding and positive attitudes;
pupils learn how to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives;
they understand that failure is part of the road to success;
they find a sense of belonging within our school and its community;
they are rewarded for their successes;
they are supported with their next stages in education or training and feeling prepared for life after school;
they become responsible individuals who positively contribute to community living and the environment.

Principles of Our Curriculum

The principles of our curriculum are founded on the following:

pupils acquire subject-specific knowledge, founded in the National Curriculum, and are able to analyse texts, questions and solve complex problems;
pupils will have opportunities to practise the subject specific knowledge and skills they have learned;
many opportunities will be built into lessons to secure the need to recall and retrieve prior learning;
literacy development will be prioritised and enhanced for those in most need to enable success;
the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect of those with different faiths and beliefs are taught explicitly and reinforced in the way in which the academy operates;
SMSC is embedded into pastoral and curriculum programmes;
pupils will experience a careers education based on the Gatsby benchmarks and supporting their next steps;
some pupils will be offered a bespoke curriculum which supports their particular learning needs and progression to their next steps.

The teaching of all subjects within the curriculum is fully compliant with our duties under the Equality Act 2010 and Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.

Curriculum Expectations

The curriculum offered is broad and balanced, while retaining the flexibilities allowing adaptations for pupils with differing needs, special educational needs and/or disabilities;
Alongside the academic and vocational aspects of our curriculum, all NBS pupils will have opportunities to develop skills in music, the arts, technological skills, sport and physical activity, where appropriate, to enable pupils to develop to their full potential. These opportunities are offered through both the formal and informal aspects of the curriculum.

Pupils in the hospital settings range from age 4 to 19 years, with varying abilities, and some with specific needs. Our educational priority for these pupils is, whenever possible, to follow home school curriculum planning, although we also complete teacher assessments and plan according to individual needs within the requirements of the national curriculum. We take into consideration all other circumstances that can impact on their ability to learn whilst an inpatient in hospital.
Pupils at NBS Kenton follow the full intent of the National Curriculum for Key Stage 3. Pupils will be taught in groups to study the broad curriculum. However, as stated in our principles, the curriculum may be tailored to the particular needs of pupils to support the development of social skills, literacy, numeracy and a pathway to ensure progression. In Key Stage 4, all pupils’ studies will include English Language, Mathematics, Science, PE, Computing and PSHE. Both Key Stage 3 and 4 programmes extend well beyond statutory requirements.

We offer pathways for success and advise pupils to study a combination of subjects which will give them the best foundation for their next stage, but which does not constrain their choice.
NBS retains the flexibility to decide when to offer pupils curriculum choices, as long as these decisions take account of the need to retain pupils’ breadth of study, for as long as possible. Decisions are always based on what advantages’ pupils, given their particular needs.

Curriculum Criteria

Curriculum planning specifies:

how curriculum principles are being met;
the component knowledge and skills that all pupils must acquire;
how knowledge and skills are sequenced in order to promote and support excellent learning;
the component techniques that all pupils must acquire;
the recommended pedagogy;
any complex applications or threshold concepts;
references to literacy and numeracy development;
how assessment is being used, including:
- how formative assessment will be used
- how formative and summative assessment will inform whether component knowledge and techniques are being retained

The key foundations for the curriculum at NBS are based on the following model:

Learning - Application - Growth

Learning - the curriculum sets out the knowledge and skills pupils are entitled to
Core knowledge and techniques	The curriculum should be coherent The curriculum should be clear what component knowledge and skills pupils need to retain (residual knowledge) Knowledge and skills to be well sequenced to support excellent learning Recall and retrieval should be a key feature in planning and lessons The curriculum will be re-sequenced to support the needs of pupils, as required
Depth of knowledge that can be used and applied	The curriculum should support pupils to acquire key concepts, knowledge and skills It should include appropriate opportunities for complex application, once the knowledge and techniques that are needed have been fully embedded
Literacy and language	All pupils need a language-rich environment, so they encounter individual words with enough repetition to embed into long-term memory Pupils will acquire new vocabulary through explicit teaching of words in context The curriculum will include opportunities to develop reading as this will support access to the curriculum and support pupils’ progress with their education Literacy includes speaking, listening and comprehension and the use of a wide range of words to articulate ideas, understanding and application of knowledge
Numeracy	Pupils should understand the core concepts that underpin all mathematics, so that they can access all other knowledge that require these concepts The curriculum should give pupils the ability to think mathematically, as well as to use numbers to solve problems and understand the world
Application - the curriculum should be designed so that any pupil can excel, so that no one is disadvantaged
Curriculum to enhance opportunity	The curriculum should teach pupils how to turn their education into opportunity, including Careers Education Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) The curriculum will include opportunities that support learning outside the formal timetable, through enrichment activities, extra-curricular activities, a CEIAG programme and visits outside the school environment
Our place in the world	The curriculum should offer pupils a broad vision of the world and humanity, through PHSE, speakers, activities and subject content. Where a connection to the local area is being taught, this content should be ambitious and underpinned by knowledge that supports the curriculum and wider opportunities such as employment
Learning at home	An overview of the curriculum will be shared with parents/carers, outlining the key knowledge and skills Opportunities to practise / extend learning at home should be part of the plan for retrieval and recall practice.
Qualifications that support progression	The curriculum will enable pupils to gain qualifications that will support them to demonstrate what they know and progress to their next stage. For Key Stage 3 pupils, the curriculum should enable them to demonstrate what they have learned when they move to the next phase of education Qualifications offered will be recognised by people outside the school, and clearly show what a pupil has achieved

Growth - the curriculum sets out how pupils will develop socially and emotionally
Enjoy Learning	The school and curriculum will support resilience, self-efficacy, social skill and emotional development The curriculum will offer pupils opportunities to try new things, overcome difficulties and try things even if they seem challenging in order to achieve new goals The curriculum should provide a positive climate to learn
Myself and my well-being	The curriculum should teach pupils what mental and physical wellness are and why these are important The curriculum will help pupils how to keep safe both in school and beyond, keep safe on-line and make good decisions. Pupils should learn and value what is distinctive about themselves and others, in their character, beliefs, interests, and abilities
Values, ethics and social action	The curriculum must meet statutory requirements relating to British values and social, moral, spiritual and cultural education Pupils should be taught what the law requires from citizens, but also behaviours that support good relationships, strong communities and a sustainable environment The curriculum should include techniques for pupils to constructively question the world around them, debate contested ideas and question opposing viewpoints
Culture, life-skills and experience	The curriculum should build pupils’ cultural capital Pupils should experience and participate in creativity, the arts and sport The curriculum should include the development of life skills that everyone needs to be able to be successful as an adult

A Focus on the Basics

We place great emphasis on English and Mathematics, as these core qualifications support entry to virtually all next stages in our young peoples’ journeys, through further education, employment or apprenticeships. Our school focus on literacy and numeracy also supports the development of key skills that support success in life as an adult. We provide additional support in these subjects by specific and targeted literacy and numeracy intervention.

The Personal Development Curriculum is Central to Our School Ethos

This is supported through:

Morning registration at NBS Kenton
Timetabled PHSE lessons and the Life Skills curriculum
Enrichment sessions and other activities
Pastoral and wellbeing support

Personal Development and Support

Whilst we have an ambitious academic curriculum that challenges our pupils, our support for our pupils extends beyond the classroom. As well as support from their form tutor and teaching staff, our pupils have access to Learning Support Assistants and our Family Support Worker. Each pupil is also allocated a dedicated keyworker, who they can access at any time for support and who is in regular contact with parents and carers. We offer strong support networks in school through this pastoral support system, promoting inclusion for our vulnerable pupils, counselling, learner resilience and wellbeing for Year 11 pupils prior to exams.

Extra-curricular, Enrichment Activities and Character Education

Developing our pupils is a key aspect of life at NBS. We offer a range of extra-curricular activities aimed to further enhance and enrich the learning experience of our pupils. The activities range from sporting opportunities to animal care, cooking, art and music activities as well as educational trips and visits. These activities are designed to enhance pupils’ learning experience, form personal connections between pupils and their peers, challenge our pupils in unfamiliar settings and teach skills essential for life after school.

Careers Education

Careers Education, Information and Guidance is an essential part of helping our young people grow and mature into confident young adults. Good careers guidance is the key to helping young pupils make the right choices and set them on a path to a rewarding career. At NBS, we have a strong commitment to social mobility and raising the aspirations of all of our pupils. Our goal is for all our pupils to achieve their personal best through supporting them to make well-informed choices.

We have an ambitious careers programme that aims to provide all pupils with the experience and learning that enables them to make appropriate post 16 choices. Our careers programme adheres to all Gatsby benchmarks and has been designed to provide a bespoke experience that meets the needs of all of our pupils. Our careers programme ensures that our pupils have encounters with employers, employees and that they have vital experience of the workplace. We also provide pupils with experiences and encounters with further and higher education establishments. We achieve this through a range of out of school educational visits to universities and colleges and by arranging visits from colleagues at universities and local colleges. This is to ensure that our pupils understand the full range of learning opportunities available to them, including both academic and vocational routes.

Our Commitment to a Rewarding Learning Environment

Our ethos is underpinned by celebrating achievement at all levels. Our strategy includes:

Academic acknowledgement and celebration
Personal; acknowledgements and celebration
Social acknowledgements and celebration.

Our senior staff regularly visit lessons to support our praise for the engagement and progress of our pupils.

Pupils at NBS Kenton receive nominations from staff, known as ‘TRIP’ points, for particular acts of tolerance, resilience, independence, positivity and excellent attendance. The points are accumulated over a half-term, a term or a longer period and can be exchanged for a range of rewards, ranging from stationery to cinema or shopping vouchers.

Our Commitment to Extended Learning

We offer additional opportunities for all pupils in order that they can achieve at all levels. We do this through:

Revision sessions
Theatre trips or visits from drama groups
Themed library events
Cinema visits
Visits to places of cultural interest (e.g. museums, the Literary and Philosophical Society)
Subject-specific trips (i.e. places of religious or historical significance)
Subject-specific in-school events (e.g ‘Living Eggs’, World Maths Day, World Book Day)
Outdoor learning experiences (e.g walks, expeditions, camping trips, indoor and outdoor climbing)
Sporting experiences (e.g NUFC coaching sessions, RugbyWorks
Enrichment activities (e.g horse riding, animal care sessions at Kirkley Hall)
Forest School sessions at Scotswood Gardens
Competitive sporting fixtures

Our Commitment to Literacy and Reading

We ensure our whole school has a culture that supports reading. We offer a range or resources and support to engage students in literacy and reading, including reading for pleasure.

We do this through:

Weekly library lessons
The use of library record booklets to develop literacy skills and vocabulary instruction
The Reading Plus programme to target and diagnose development areas for students and enable them to build fluency and comprehension
Targeted 1:1 support for those students requiring additional scaffolding
Word of the Week challenges
Whole school training in Disciplinary Literacy

Our Commitment to Cultural Capital

Exposing pupils to a variety of texts within English;
Ensuring pupils experience a range of extra-curricular cultural experiences
The choice of topics broached in assemblies
Developing knowledge of other cultures through Humanities lessons
Appreciating the importance of history and developing knowledge of the nation’s past, both good and bad
The curriculum in Music, focusing on the appreciation of variety of genres
Theatre and cinema visits
Developing knowledge of democratic systems and involvement in the local and national Youth Parliament
Ensuring debate and discussion are embedded across all subjects in the curriculum
Ensuring that pupils are able to have an input via the School Council
Promoting the value of pupil voice in a variety of aspects of school life

Our Commitment to Character Education

The curriculum within PSHE
Promoting sport and physical activity
Involving pupils in competitions, sporting or other, internal and external
Rewards system e.g. TRIP points
Charity work involvement e.g. ‘Children in Need’, Smile Train
The promotion of restorative practice within the pastoral system
Residential visits e.g. Seahouses
Outdoor Learning e.g building projects, horticulture
Expedition type residential visits e.g. Otterburn, Kielder
Individual responsibilities/duties formally given to pupils e.g. Pupil Council, Library Monitors, Sports Leaders

How the Curriculum will be Delivered Throughout the School

As briefly mentioned above, we intend to deliver the curriculum through a variety of methods that are both classroom-based and extra-curricular. Below, we have outlined how we intend to deliver this promise. We promote equal opportunities to all of our pupils in line with the Equality Act 2010 throughout our practises.

Classroom-based learning at NBS Kenton

Our staff value the different ways in which pupils learn and plan lessons to account for these differences. We encourage and support teachers to make cross-curricular links where possible within their planning so that pupils can draw upon knowledge and skills developed from different subjects and understand how each topic plays a part in everyday life. Each subject’s curriculum is planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been previously taught before (from Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3) and towards its clearly defined end points within each Key Stage.

Teachers adapt learning resources to teach core content for individuals. By using different techniques, we engage pupils in learning and accommodate pupils who learn differently to their peers.

The school carries out one-to-one teaching sessions for pupils who require additional support; the school identifies pupils who have additional learning needs and provides appropriate provisions across the curriculum. We also carry out interventions for small groups of pupils with Learning Support Assistants (LSAs). Within these interventions, LSAs breakdown the content of the lesson in a more digestible way for pupils. The sessions can last between 30 minutes to one hour and groups are no larger than three pupils to every TA. This allows pupils to get dedicated one-to-one time with the TA, ensuring any questions that pupils may have are answered in a way they understand. It is important to note that these interventions supplement the work of the teacher and do not replace it. A full list of the subjects available to our pupils in each year can be found below.

How the School Involves Parents, Pupils and the Wider Community in Curriculum Planning and Delivery

Our school values the input of its pupils, parents and the wider community with regards to the planning and delivery of the curriculum. We believe pupils get a well-rounded education if a full range of stakeholders are involved in shaping it. This is why we send pupils and parents questionnaires on a regular basis. These questionnaires ask questions about factors such as what pupils enjoy about learning and lessons, what they find challenging, whether they feel well informed on attainment and feedback on helping pupils achieve their next steps.

We engage with the wider community by ensuring there are opportunities for pupils to participate in community projects, e.g. improving the local environment by installing planters and gardening projects. Pupils are also encouraged to fundraise and have developed many partnerships with a variety of charities. We are extremely proud of how well pupils engage with their wider community and the continued support for local and national charities.

This shows pupils the value of protecting and being involved in their community and establishes a link between the theories they learn in the classroom to practical examples in real life.

Newcastle Bridges School at Kenton Curriculum Design

NBS Kenton, we implement a one-week timetable cycle, where pupils access six 50-minute lessons and a 15-minute tutorial session every day. On the table below, you will find a list of subjects that we offer throughout Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, along with the allocated time, per week, for each subject. As many of our pupils are with us for time specific periods with the aim of integrating them back into their home school, our curriculum has been designed to make that transition as smooth as possible.

The Key Stage 3 Curriculum

During the programme of study in Key Stage 3, pupils access a broad and diverse range of subjects, ensuring they access a full curriculum for as long as possible and before specialising in subjects during Key Stage 4 where appropriate. Our Key Stage 3 curriculum aims to build upon the knowledge and skills that pupils have gained during Key Stage 2 and prepare pupils for study during Key Stage 4 either at NBS or their home school.

The Key Stage 4 Curriculum

All pupils have to take the core subjects required nationally: English, Maths, Science, PE, IT and SRE. Pupils also have PSHE lessons, careers, and work-related learning delivered throughout the year and organised enrichment activities.

Key Stage 4 Options

Our aspiration for our Key Stage 4 pupils is that their curriculum will give them the tools and opportunities to move onto the next stage of their education wherever that may be. Pupils in KS4 choose two option subjects from Option 1 and 2 (see below) based on prior attainment, academic achievement and potential career direction. However, we recognise that ability in some subjects is not related to academic achievement or prior performance, so our option choices encourage both academic achievement and creativity for our pupils.

OPTION 1	OPTION 2
Art	Art
Business Studies	Environmental Studies
Child Development	Health and Social Care
English Literature	History
Music	Science
Sports Leaders	Sports Leaders
Photography	Photography