The KS1 and 2 experience is based at our Deane Discovery Centre (DDC).  This is a small setting with a classroom for Play Based Learning and another for a more ‘formal’ approach to learning.  All students are here with SEMH as a primary need, so the focus is on an individualised, nurturing approach that focusses on all needs and meeting our students where they are at in their journey. 

Play-based Learning curriculum. 

Intent 

At Deane Discovery Centre, building positive relationships and providing multiple opportunities for success, is the foundation of our curriculum. Our students have complex and disparate needs, often having undiagnosed SEN and/or challenging behaviours. Mainstream settings have not been able to meet the needs of our students and therefore our curriculum reflects this. 

Through the development of our play-based curriculum, we intend to provide every child opportunity to experience learning in a meaningful and purposeful way. We understand that our students have a wide variety of educational barriers and are often disengaged with their learning. Therefore, children are encouraged to share ownership of their learning, based on exploring their own thoughts and feelings during their personalised learning journey. Our learners will build on previous knowledge and make connections in their learning within a safe and stimulating environment. Giving each child a chance to explore and overcome barriers through play, will help to develop confidence and a love of learning, whilst supporting their SEMH and SEND needs. 

Through using a play-based curriculum, we are able to embed SEMH themes throughout and prepare children for their specific exit pathways, providing them with the skills and knowledge to successfully reintegrate into a mainstream setting or specialist provision. Motivating and inspiring each child to be a happy, independent and successful learner. 

Implementation 

Our curriculum is delivered by qualified teachers and supported by skilled support staff. To further enhance our student’s experiences, we also offer off-site provision provided by both TDPC staff and external providers. 

All pupils have an entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Activities and subjects are delivered to ensure this is provided. However, more priority is given to English, Maths, and social, emotional and behavioural skills. Other areas of the curriculum have been carefully chosen, to target the areas most beneficial to our pupils. 

The curriculum has been carefully planned to meet need, therefore our pupils are taught in small groups, that are decided through individual needs rather than curriculum age. Because pupils have individual needs, and targets are known to staff, we are able to meet a pupil’s particular needs in whatever subjects or activities they are learning. This is done in a planned way by having targets, for example, for a pupil to develop self-control or for them to share better or to listen to others more purposefully. These transcend the particular subject and are at the forefront of staff’s thinking. Additionally, the way staff model positive attitudes and respect and interreact with the pupils throughout the taught and non-taught day is also part of our curriculum delivery. The formal and the hidden curriculum are both geared to meeting our pupils’ needs. 

As well as discrete lessons in English and Maths – the wider curriculum is carefully planned. This allows children to question and explore as well as encouraging creativity, risk taking and genuine discovery. 

Impact 

Information is received from pupils mainstream schools regarding achievements in line with National Curriculum year expectations for English and Maths and EYFS. We use teacher assessments and published materials to assess English and maths, as well as tools to assess Social/Emotional/Mental Health development. 

Each pupil has a key teacher, who is responsible for ensuring timetables, risk assessments and other formal assessments are completed on a regular basis to ensure the ever-changing need of the individual child is met. Parents/carers/external agencies are invited to an academic review on a termly basis . This enables us to share both academic and non-academic targets, successes and next steps with all involved. 

We use a variety of measures to assess how well our pupils make progress and to judge the impact of the curriculum, this includes Boxall, Twinkl phonics as well as teacher observations and assessments. 

We are continually developing interventions for those pupils who aren’t achieving their targets in the ways we expect. These include academic interventions and therapies. 

Formal monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum is an on-going process. As a staff team we are constantly looking to improve the quality of the curriculum, in terms of both content and standards of teaching and learning. Curricular issues are discussed as part of staff meetings and some developments may be included in our improvement plan 

Overview