The Learning Hub

Within the Foundation School, students follow a bespoke curriculum with a strong emphasis on English and Mathematics where investigative skills, exploration and an understanding of the wider world is developed through science, information technology and design. Traditional humanities based subjects, such as Religious Education, Geography, History, and Spanish to more creative subjects such as Physical Education, Drama and Art, are enhanced through the delivery of vocational courses including ASDAN and Pathways. The Foundation School curriculum is one that is uniquely tailored to build confidence, engage and inspire pupils.

Our teaching staff offer a nurturing, encouraging and supportive learning environment allowing pupils to progress and develop, whilst structured lessons and courses are designed to ensure that all pupils reach their true potential.

Brief outline of The Learning Hub

We want every student to be as independent as possible so that when they leave school they can live full and meaningful lives.

We aim to achieve this by providing relevant and personalised learning opportunities for our students and share our best approaches to learning and wellbeing.

KS3 Students are not placed in cohorts based on their chronological age; they are placed in class groups dependent on their cognitive, sensory, social, emotional and communication needs. Classes are organised into three pathways: ‘Blue ‘, ‘Orange ‘and ‘Green’ class.

In Blue class you will see KS3 students learning through a range of practical and exploration tasks. They will focus on building communication and engagement skills through a range of subjects and will have access to a range of interventions including Phonics, Reading and Time tables. Teaching and learning will be focused around each student’s individual needs, with target work focused around EHCP’s and IEP’s.

In Orange class you will see KS3 students learning through practical tasks alongside formal learning tasks. They continue to develop their communication skills and begin to build on their enquiry skills, applying these to a range of learning opportunities. Teaching and learning will still be tailored to individual need, but students are taught as such to prepare them for mainstream education.

In Green class you will see KS4 students learning through formal learning tasks with opportunities to further develop skills through practical and enrichment activities. They will be effective communicators who will be able to use these skills to solve everyday problems.

Pupils in KS4 will have a very personalised timetable depending on their interests, talents and needs. Some students will access mainstream teaching according to their academic and emotional needs.

Students will study the following:

KS3 Classes 2022/23

Theme 1	Theme 2	Theme 3
World War 2	Victorian Tales	Plays and poetry
Writing Skills Fiction Reading Skills (Rose Blanche, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Piano) Understanding number Historical enquiry Skills Life Skills	Writing Skills Fiction Reading Skills Non-Fiction Reading Skills Victorian Tales Reading Anthology (Oliver Twist) 4 operations Geographical skills	Writing Skills Fiction Reading Skills Non-Fiction Reading Skills (‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Please Mrs Butler’) Number and 4 operations Scientific enquiry skills

KS3 Classes 2023/24

Theme 1	Theme  2	Theme 3
Mystery	Rainforests	Shakespeare
Descriptive writing skills Fiction and non-fiction reading Skills (Skullduggery, The Nowhere Emporium, Francis) Place value Historical enquiry Skills Life Skills	Writing Skills SPAG Fiction Reading Skills Non-Fiction Reading Skills (Running wild, Loki) 4 operations, FDP Geographical skills Historical enquiry Skills Life Skills	Writing Skills Fiction Reading Skills (Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Song writing) 4 operations, FDP Geographical skills Historical enquiry Skills Life Skills

 

Green Class

PATHWAY	PATHWAY	PATHWAY
English	Mathematics	Science Today
Exploring Narratives Creating Narratives Exploring Audio-Visual Texts Exploring Poetry Exploring Shakespeare Communicating Experiences	Introduction To Whole Numbers Working With Whole Numbers Working With Fractions Using Money Working With 2D and 3D shapes Working With Measures Working With Angles and Positions Data Handling	Science And Our Universe Science And The Human Body Energy In The Home and Workplace Renewable Energy Health And Safety Variation And Adaptation
PATHWAY	PATHWAY	PATHWAY
Humanities	Creative, Media and Performance Arts	ICT
People And Protest A Non-British Society In The Past Sustainable Tourism Important Ceremonies In Life and Death Choices And Decisions	Creating A print Media Product Exploring Advertising Exploring Film Genres Designing And Modelling Using The Voice In A Dramatic Context Using The Body In A Dramatic Context Creation Of A Group Drama Presentation	IT User Fundamentals Spreadsheet Software Database Software Presentation Software Using Word Processing Software Improving Productivity Using IT

 

Marking and feedback

The aim of marking and feedback is to move learning forward. It is used to inform student’s progress and to help them improve their outcomes. It is important that marking and feedback is carried out in a way that it is a good use of teacher’s time. All students receive oral and/or written feedback in such a way that it consolidates and improves their learning and builds self-esteem. Feedback should be meaningful, manageable and motivating.

 

 Objectives and Expectations

• To develop students as independent reflective learners by ensuring students respond to the written and oral feedback given by the teacher.
• Marking is most effective when the student knows: The purpose of the task, how far they have achieved this, how to move closer towards being successful.
• Teachers are expected to ensure that: Students receive written feedback at least once every half term – in the written subjects at an appropriate time.
• Students receive oral feedback on a regular basis throughout all lessons in The Learning Hub.
• Practical lessons are logged in class floor books with photographic evidence.
• Every written task is highlighted either green or orange – green indicates the student has understood the objective of the lesson and orange signals the pupil needs additional support.
• Students who have been identified as needing additional support, will receive timely interventions to plug gaps in learning.

 

Alternate Qualifications

ASDAN
Bronze, Silver and Gold Award

The aims of this qualification are to offer imaginative ways of supporting young people to become confident individuals who are physically, emotionally and socially healthy. Pupils will learn more about the importance of being responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society and embrace change, whilst also taking on new activities and personal challenges.

Pathways

Pathways deliver a suite of Entry Level Certificates, Awards and Diplomas which are designed to provide learners, teachers and employers with an inclusive and flexible qualifications framework that recognises the widest possible range of quality-assured learner achievements.

Entry level 2- 3 – Maths

Entry Level Mathematics – Numeracy specification will assess the mathematics that learners will need in their everyday lives, in the world of work, and in other curriculum areas. It provides learners with a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study.

Entry level 2 –  Foundation subjects

This industry-focused qualification provides learners with an engaging experience of applied learning, where knowledge, skills and understanding are acquired through purposeful tasks set in sector or subject contexts that have many of the characteristics of real work.