SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Students at Ellesmere College experience the curriculum according to their need. We operate a student-centred approach to teaching and learning and provide a broad, balanced yet flexible curriculum to all students. It is our aim to ensure each student achieves their potential.

We have the capacity to develop the whole student and, alongside traditional academic subjects, are able to work with students in the following ways:

Supporting the sensory needs of the student; this may be through a sensory approach to the curriculum delivery or through a specialised sensory diet
Supporting the student to access learning using visual communication systems
By using signing as a form of communication – this may be Makaton or BSL
Supporting students with their language development through the delivery of speech and language programmes
By using specific approaches such as TEACCH with our students who have a diagnosis of autism
Supporting students to develop their fundamental movement skills

Wherever possible, we aim to use the local community facilities to develop the independence skills of our students. This may involve trips to the local shops to work on money skills or visits to local places of worship to gain a better understanding of a particular religion.

Pathways

Our curriculum is ever evolving to meet the needs of our students. We currently have four curriculum pathways; Early Learning Pathway, Connecting and Responding Pathway, High Needs Pathway and Learning for Life Pathway. Our Connecting and Responding Pathway is based at our Knighton Fields site and is for students from Key Stage 1 to Post 16.

Our other pathways are currently based at our Aylestone Meadows site, including our Post 16 students.

Pathway Overview

Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact documents for each pathway:

Connecting and Responding

Early Learning Pathway

High Needs

Learning for Life

The progress of each student is reviewed regularly and, where appropriate, students may be moved from one pathway to another.
Students across all pathways have access to our range of interventions and alternative provisions, such as work placements and external college courses.

Curriculum Overviews 2024/25

Aylestone Meadows

Primary

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

Post 16

Knighton Fields

All Key Stages

Accreditations

You can find more details of our accreditation offer on our Accreditations page

Accreditations

Interventions

Interventions at Ellesmere are in place to support our students to engage in their curriculum. The majority of students can succeed and make outstanding progress through high quality classroom teaching. Some students however may require additional support in the form of adapted teaching, targeted programmes or bespoke timetables. At Ellesmere we have an interventions team who deliver a selection of programmes based on a wave system outlined below:

Wave 1 - Universal
- Quality First Teaching
- Inclusive teaching which considers the needs of all students in the classroom
- e.g. targeted support; visuals; social stories; personalised targets; personalised timetables within classroom; task boxes; personal hygiene; TACPAC; PSHE curriculum
Wave 2 - Enhanced
- Specific work with Intervention TA or outside agency
- e.g. Drawing and Talking; Anger Management; Biking with Ben; Bike Maintenance; PANTS; Friendship Groups; Rock School; Independent Travel; Lego Therapy; Play Interaction; Sensory Integration; Personalised TACPAC; Cognitive Dance; Yoga; Intensive Interaction; Speech and Communication Support; Sign and Sing; Phonics; counselling
Wave 3 - Specialised
- Alternative Curriculum
- e.g. VTEC; HITZ; Trans4m; Educa8; YEP; Soft Touch; Horse Riding; Brolay

To view our available interventions please click on the button below. If after you've reviewed the options you wish to make a referral for your child please click the referral button and complete out the form.

Parent Carer Intervention Catalogue: Aylestone Meadows

Parent Carer Intervention Referral Form: Aylestone Meadows

Parent Carer Intervention Catalogue: Post 16

Parent Carer Intervention Referral Form: Post 16

Assessment

We assess the progress our students are making against a range of measures, which are designed to celebrate the small steps of progress many of our students will make.

From September 2023, we have focussed on the following key areas for all students:

EHCP outcomes
English
Maths
Phonics

We use Evidence for Learning to collate evidence of the progress our students make through photos, videos and observations. We also use this to assess our students, using our Ellesmere Assessment Scale.

We share a piece of evidence each week with home and encourage families to share evidence of out-of-school learning and progress using the Evidence for Learning Family App. If you are a parent or carer of a current student and need support with setting up the Family App, please get in touch with Debbie Shepherd, Examinations and Assessment Officer, via the main school reception.

Reporting to parents and carers

We report back to parents and carers in a number of ways:

Through Weduc – this will be at least weekly
Through EHCP Annual Reviews
Through twice-yearly Parent/Carer Evenings
Through end of year Celebration Reports

Further information

If you would like more information on the curriculum please contact our Reception Team on 0116 289 4242 and ask to speak to your child's class teacher in the first instance. For more detailed information please ask to speak to our Heads of Centre:

Aylestone Meadows – Simon Coopey
Knighton Fields – Liz Richardson
Post 16 – Sally Gough