Curriciulum Offer
The aim is to provide our children and young people with a small team of consistent adults and a truly personalised curriculum offer. The work set and the strategies used to support them is specifically tailored to their needs, through highly differentiated small-steps and flexible teaching and learning approaches.
Our curriculum follows a Primary style model where all children and young people study a wide range of integrated subjects, particularly in core curriculum subjects including English, Maths and Science (including IT) integrated for the needs of the individual or group. Our curriculum has been broadened in order to continue to promote Life Skills and Employability as well as allowing greater and more varied levels of personalisation and differentiation to take place.
As in mainstream schools, the Connex curriculum is broad and balanced. There are a range of modifications and adaptions made based on our children and young people need, breaking the learning processes down, so that it is delivered in sequences of small steps appropriate for the individual children and young people.
Additionally, the our children and young people will have specific sessions dedicated to a more therapeutic curriculum to ensure that personal, social and academic needs of each of our children and young people are properly identified and met in order to help them to overcome any barriers to attainment. Individual approaches with our children and young people will focus on improving motivation and self-confidence, attendance and engagement with their education.
Health and Fitness is also promoted through clubs, competitions and cross curricular links such as Cookery and Horse Riding. Social Emotional Mental Health & Well-being and British Values (Democracy, The rules of law, Individual liberty and Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs) is supported and promoted through a strong pastoral system of care, daily reflection and therapeutic interventions.
Staff will focus on teaching a wide range of skills and strategies that encompass a range of the following:
- Social skills
- Self-awareness skills
- Developing and maintaining friendships/relationships with others
- Life skills
- Coping skills and strategies
- Self-regulation/emotional awareness
- Improving self-esteem and confidence
- Managing difficult moments
- Mental health and well-being
- Links with the community
Children and young people will have clearly defined objectives, including the next steps following the placement such as reintegration into mainstream education, further education, training or employment. Children and young people learning is assessed using various tools throughout their time at Connex and is a continual journey, this is documented in each individual Children and young person's I-Can folder.
Our key curriculum focus relates to end point learning and preparing our Children and young people for their next steps and adulthood. We challenge all Children and young people to work to the very best of their ability and this is reflected in the termly targets set. We offer calm, highly structured and active learning experiences.
Where Children and young people experience periods of dysregulated behaviour linked to their social, emotional and mental health needs, we have strategies in place to support Children and young people and re-engage them in their learning.
We work hard to offer a hands-on experience across all subject areas. When a Child or young person is offered a place at Connex, we note carefully the special needs identified on their EHCP, monitor social and academic ability for the first half term and set individual targets. Each Child's and young person’s end of year Connex Report is sent to parents/carers in the summer term and this connects closely with the targets set in EHCP Meetings, with the addition/opportunity for children and young people to reflect on their own performance.
Staff regularly communicate with parents/carers and meetings are held to discuss and review progress in order that achievements can be acknowledged and future efforts purposefully focused.