Introduction to the Curriculum at Nethergate  

“Disability only becomes a tragedy for me when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives.” Judith Heumann. 

It is our responsibility to provide all pupils with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to live their lives, this begins with the curriculum. 

Our curriculum is carefully designed to promote communication and social interaction alongside physical and emotional wellbeing. It is planned to enable pupils to progress from their individual starting point through to the point at which they are ready to successfully move to the next stage of their life and learning. A core curriculum of reading, writing, numeracy and technology is prioritised through each key stage as we know that these areas of academic learning underpin the key skills required for successful adulthood, independence and access to the world of work. All pupils work towards appropriate accreditations. The wider curriculum is rich in creativity, sports, science, outdoor learning, personal and social development, vocational learning and the international dimension to maximise enjoyment, engagement, health and understanding of the world.  

The curriculum is designed around pupils’ developmental stages of learning, as opposed to their chronological ages. This is to best meet their individual special educational needs and disabilities. Resources are age appropriate and peer group is taken into account when grouping pupils. As we are an all through school, we are also able to plan groupings and provision to support transition to the next educational phase. 

We have identified four key drivers which are the educational priority for every child at Nethergate; communication, safety, wellbeing, and independence underpin every aspect of our provision. We have a curriculum which maximises real world learning with opportunities for application and overlearning, This is achieved through a creative approach which is thematic where appropriate . We aim to deliver memorable learning experiences informed by current research regarding how pupils know more and remember more. 

If you would like to know more, click here to read the whole school curriculum document detailing progression for each subject area.  

Contact R Shaw or S Muddeman via the Academy office.