If you’d like to report that a child is being bullied or you are concerned about the welfare of a young person, please get in touch with Storyybrook’s headteacher to report any concerns.
Curriculum
Curriculum Overview
At Storyybrook School, our core philosophy is to create a rich and diverse learning environment where every child’s social, emotional, and mental health needs are fully supported. This approach enables our students to thrive and to reach their academic potential.
Many of our students have substantial gaps in their knowledge and skills due to their previous educational experiences. To address this, we offer a robust curriculum that, while structured around age groups, remains flexible to ensure all pupils receive the support and challenge they need. We also provide additional academic challenges for students identified as gifted and talented, ensuring their potential is fully developed.
Key Stage Information
At point of entry to school, each student is baselined in English, maths and reading.
If a student is working within key stage 2 or 3 they are placed on a Storyybrook School Achievement Step (SAS) for Maths and English and given a target Step to work towards over the coming academic year. Documents detailing our Achievement Steps can be provided on request.
For all students, a Motional profile is created (an example can be provided on request) and a one-page profile (IPP). The 1PP documents key information from the child’s EHCP use by the students teaching/support team.
By the end of a pupil’s first half term at Storyybrook School personalised goals are created and documented. Each child’s personal goal contains learning goals taken from the appropriate SAS. It is also reflective of outcomes documented on a student’s EHC Plan and their emotional profile that is linked to behaviours and regulation.
Throughout a term, evidence is tagged and collated against each personal goal. Goals are reviewed and amended accordingly at the end of each term.
Storyybrook School Achievement (SAS) Steps are RAG rated termly by class teachers and measured against a termly rag rating of Motional profiles. RAG ratings assess progress using a red, amber, or green traffic light system. The RAG rating for a student is decided through a range of formative assessments and half-termly summative assessments. Each student’s learning progress is reviewed against the previous term’s learning progress and emotional profile percentage. Where a student’s progress is either static or has regressed, targeted and/or therapeutic intervention is implemented.
For many of our students, verbal feedback is provided during and at the end of each given task. Students are guided to reflect on the feedback and initiate their own response. This approach is not suitable to the needs of all students and our approach and practice is adjusted accordingly where needed. ‘Live marking’ is used so that children with engagement and concentration barriers can see immediate recognition for the work they have produced.
All our children have copies of their personalised learning goals and levels in their workbooks which staff will highlight and discuss with them when they have demonstrated progress against an objective. For our more academic students, detailed written diagnostic feedback is provided in addition to verbal feedback. A weekly achievement assembly provides another avenue to give feedback and celebrate achievements.
Intervention: Each term students are teacher assessed against the SAS. They are RAG rated against their target step/grade/level for the academic year. For those students who are assessed as ‘red’, further analysis of progress and barriers is undertaken and an appropriate intervention plan is put in place (a copy of our intervention plan template can be provided on request). This may involve targeted therapy work and/or a learning intervention led by a member of schools Senior Leadership Team. Intervention plans are six weeks in length at which point impact is measured and the plan reviewed/updated accordingly.
Specialist Subjects
Teaching Strategies
A variety of teaching strategies are employed to meet a diverse range of needs and may include the following:
Small group, paired and 1:1/2:1, working with a teacher and/or Learning Support Practitioner (LSP).
Bridging learning gaps across interventions and into the everyday classroom and life practice.
Timed tasks to develop independent working and engagement skills.
The provision of therapeutic resources for sensory input. This might include wobble cushions, exercise balls, fiddle toys, bean bags, Thera bands or similar.
Use of the natural environment outdoors and safe spaces for all types of learning (including core subject learning where appropriate)
Teaching functional skills through topic and/or practical/real life exploration.
Therapeutic based activities that run alongside learning. Learning environments are rich in sensory opportunities.
Regular movement breaks integrated into lessons (within both outdoor learning and the classroom environment)
Opportunities to record work in a variety of different ways.
Visual support structures where appropriate. This might include (but is not limited to) individual visual timetables, class visual timetables, sequencing cards/prompts, Now & Next and/or Now, Next & Then scaffolding materials and templates.
Auditory input is kept to a minimum – ‘listen-do-listen do’ approach.
A fluid pace of teaching across all learning areas determined by student needs.
Hands on and practical learning is encouraged and modelled where possible. Students are allowed to move and fiddle (within reason) during learning input if this helps them to listen and regulate i.e. use of a Rubix cube, drawing, doodling, using kinaesthetic sand etc. Students can choose to sit, stand, or lay when completing their work (providing they keep to expectations)
Empirical learning is encouraged via experience and observation.
Buddy learning where possible.
Linked with the wider community and home (bringing the learning to the 21st Century and making it real)
Radio station link to develop speech and language skills.
Bridging learning gaps across interventions and into the everyday classroom and life practice.
