Curriculum Intent
Evergreen Curriculum Intent
At Evergreen School, our holistic, individualised, curriculum provides our pupils with deep and meaningful learning experiences through a broad and balanced curriculum. We promote a love for learning, whilst teaching pupils to push their own boundaries and challenge themselves in a safe and supportive environment. This is achieved through the underlying focus of preparing pupils for adulthood, which is embedded through our whole curriculum. Right from the moment pupils start with us, we are considering what they need to be successful, happy and healthy adults.
Our ultimate aim is to ensure that we have provided pupils with the personalised provision, teaching and resources as outlined in their EHCPs whilst immersing them in a rich curriculum that gives them every opportunity to develop their functional skills for adulthood whilst being inspired and stimulated and progressing in subject-specific learning. We refuse to put barriers on our pupils by narrowing our curriculum offer. As such, we deliver quality-first teaching that is responsive to individual needs.
We have a whole-school focus on nurturing pupils within a relational approach and this is modelled in every interaction. Running through the core of all we do is prioritising the safety and wellbeing of our pupils, with a particular focus on recognising and supporting mental health needs. We embrace Protective Behaviours, as social and emotional learning is at the heart of Evergreen, supporting pupils to become responsible citizens, able to recognise and manage their feelings and build healthy and meaningful relationships.
As all pupils have EHCPs, class teachers use the targets in Section E to set bespoke Personalised Learning Goals (PLGs) to ensure that focus is maintained on our holistic provision to remove barriers to success, alongside any other learning opportunities.
The Evergreen curriculum is divided into 6 curricular areas, each of which have different subject strands interwoven. These overarching curricular themes have significance for individuals and society to give relevant learning contexts. Having a cross-subject approach to the curricular strands enables pupils to practise, apply and generalise their learning in a range of contexts. Senior leaders ensure that long term planning is sequenced to build on prior learning and gives all pupils the opportunity to progress in subject-specific learning in foundation subjects as well as core subjects.
Our whole school termly topics are linked to rich and engaging texts to ensure the curricular content is delivered via stimulating themes to ignite a love of learning, alongside the functional relevance of each curricular strand.
All pupils have opportunities to develop their Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural understanding and British Values by focusing on equality and diversity through planned special days and weeks and woven through curricular learning opportunities such as assemblies. Staff are encouraged to ensure that the range of resources and texts they use within lessons are representative of the diversity of the global community.
At Evergreen, pupils initially transition through our Early Years department, where they will be supported to familiarise with school environment, routines, learning, staff and peers via a topic-based curriculum which also meets their bespoke needs from their PLGs. Their holistic provision will include coverage of all areas of the curriculum through a play-based approach. This will include planned learning opportunities and resources to prepare the pupils for increased curricular learning as they continue through school. This department will be staffed by those trained in EYFS who will ensure the environment and learning opportunities are engaging and relevant for our youngest pupils.
Following this, pupils will follow one of three pathways: Roots, Branches and Leaves, although there is always scope for movement between pathways. Each pathway is planned to give pupils the knowledge and provision they need to maximise their future opportunities, take on responsibilities and have a range of experiences in adulthood.
Roots pathway: For our most complex pupils who often have significant sensory, therapeutic, communication and physical needs. The Roots curriculum is largely built of topic-based learning where PLG progress is prioritised, alongside experiencing shared curricular focus with their peers from other curricular pathways. Pupils in Roots will experience learning within the same 6 curricular areas as other pathways, delivered in a holistic, meaningful, sensory learning environment. Roots classes will be staffed by those with a passion for building independence and communication skills and who are trained to meet a range of complex needs.
Branches pathway: Pupils within the Branches pathway are likely to benefit from a focus on life skills, alongside their topic based and subject-specific learning. Pupils will continue to focus on their PLGs as well as the 6 curricular areas and topic-based learning alongside their peers from other curricular pathways. Beyond Y9, pupils within the Branches pathway will follow vocational pathways and access supported work experience opportunities through an internally accredited framework. Many pupils will also undertake Functional Skills qualifications. Branches classes will be staffed by those who will champion pupils to be as independent as possible, embedding communication skills through every learning experience.
Leaves pathway: Pupils within the Leaves pathway are expected to be ready to access college courses or employment following their school career. Pupils continue to benefit from dedicated time to work on their PLGs and topic-based and subject-specific learning. Their subject-specific learning will include a mix of functional tasks to build life skills, alongside engaging, cultural learning opportunities to ignite a life-long love of learning. Beyond Y9, pupils within the Leaves pathway will follow Functional Skills accreditation in English, Maths and Computing plus vocational courses based on their interests, aspirations and likely employment opportunities. Leaves classes will be staffed by those with the skills to stretch and challenge with subject-specific knowledge, alongside the knowledge of appropriate future destinations.
For all pupils, termly shared topics will enable shared planning, resourcing and projects. Each topic is linked to key texts and will include fiction, non-fiction and a poetry/ play text which can be taught at adapted levels to meet the interests and needs of the age and developmental range. Curriculum leaders will ensure that the texts selected celebrate diversity and are representative of the global majority.
To ensure access to the full curriculum, teachers are provided with the expected coverage of each curricular area within each topic. Over the course of a 4 year cycle, pupils will have experienced the entirety of each curricular area core content. Teachers use Evergreen Assessment via Evidence for Learning to record the progress attained so far for core curriculum content. This enables future teachers of each pupil to have clarity on the curricular content covered, the pupil’s progress and attainment in each curricular area and to see any gaps in curricular coverage.
The assessment system also enables school leaders to assess progress for individuals and cohorts to enable early identification and intervention for any underperforming groups. For example, ensuring that pupils who are Children in Care are achieving as well as peers who are not In Care.
KS4 and Sixth Form
At Evergreen, most pupils choose to stay on beyond year 11 to attend our Sixth Form Provision. Most learners attend until the end of Year 14 but some may choose to transition to other Further Education settings at the end of Year 11, 12 or 13.
As such, the Key Stage 4 and Sixth Form curriculum includes increased opportunities to prepare pupils for adulthood and next destinations.
All pupils continue to experience learning from the whole-school topics, with texts chosen to be age and developmentally appropriate. Alongside this, Branches and Leaves pupils above Year 10 who are working towards Functional Skills Accreditation (English, Maths, Digital Skills) will often be grouped for those subjects according to the level they are working within.
They will also experience learning related to vocational pathways (Future Focus groups), including opportunities for Work Experience as appropriate. Future Focus groups are planned to reflect the pupils’ interests and aspirations aligned to likely local employment opportunities and college provision.
All pupils will have increased opportunities to prepare them for life beyond school, alongside continuing their learning in all curriculum areas. This includes, where appropriate, work experience, enterprise opportunities, engagement with community resources and facilities that can support them, transition activities to prepare for future education, employment, volunteering and leisure opportunities. Our goal is for pupils to smoothly transition to the community and educational resources and facilities that can support them throughout life to remain active, healthy, safe citizens.
How do the Leadership Team monitor the curriculum
The wider leadership team maintain an accurate and evaluative understanding of current curriculum practice at Evergreen through progress assessment via Evidence for Learning alongside regular learning walks.
Twice yearly Pupil Progress and annual EHCP reviews also ensure that each pupil’s progress and next steps is regularly and robustly considered by a team of relevant and knowledgeable adults who can ensure that provision is meeting pupils’ needs and progress is good.
Our School Development Plan and Self Evaluation Form are working documents that are constantly reviewed to reflect findings from curriculum teaching monitoring and other feedback. Strengths, opportunities for development and targets are regularly reviewed and feed into staff training, budget allocation and staff appraisal targets to ensure a constant and pinpoint focus on curriculum improvement.
The Evergreen community are made aware of the school’s priorities and objectives for improvement via regular updates in written and face to face briefings, departmental meetings and visual displays alongside regular communication to families via our school newsletter and daily Class Dojo updates.