Our Holistic Curriculum

Formal Curriculum
Curriculum Intent
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Our Vision for our Holistic Curriculum 

The Mendip School is committed to and passionate about the learning and progress of our students. Staff, parents and governors have high aspirations for our children and provide a high quality, relevant, ambitious, broad and balanced education for all our students. The school has a curriculum that focuses on individual, personal and academic achievement. There is a happy and positive atmosphere in which children can fulfil their potential and grow in self-confidence, whilst respecting others and the environment around them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Intent

We believe that every student possesses unique strengths, talents, and an inherent capacity for growth. We want all of our students to leave school as independent as they can possibly be in a fulfilling paid job or supported employment. Preparing students to be responsible, caring citizens who are independent and curious about the world, ensures that they develop the self-esteem and resilience they need to share their voice and feel heard.

In order for our students to reach their full potential our curriculum is broad, balanced and aims to create an educational experience that prepares students for adulthood. Our curriculum is deeply person-centred and unique, adapting flexibly to the diverse needs, learning styles, and aspirations of each individual, empowering them to thrive and achieve their fullest potential. This personalization extends to every aspect of their learning, anchored by their personalised learning goals.

Our focus is supporting our students to make connections with the knowledge learned in school, with real life situations and first-hand experiences. We develop our pupil’s knowledge and understanding of the wider world with discussion topics surrounding cultural capital, diversity and British Values. They are adapted regularly in light of UK and global current affairs.

Our students represent a very wide range of abilities and in response the curriculum provides a number of pathways that lead to a variety of post school destinations such as college, work or supported employment. Click here to view Our Curriculum Pathways.

The Holistic Curriculum

Our holistic curriculum approach is underpinned by a deep understanding that a student’s development is interconnected and interdependent. Academic progress, for instance, is inextricably linked with their emotional well-being, their ability to regulate their senses, their physical health, their social communication skills, and their avenues for creative expression. We are dedicated to supporting the ‘whole child,’ equipping them with the diverse skills, resilience, and confidence necessary for successful transitions into further education, employment, or adult life.

   

Aims of Our Holistic Curriculum:

  • To develop essential life skills and promote independence: equipping students with practical skills necessary for daily living, self-care, and navigating the complexities of adulthood.
  • To enhance social communication and interaction: building robust communication skills, fostering positive relationships, and promoting effective social engagement within various contexts.
  • To cultivate emotional literacy, resilience, and self-regulation: empowering students to understand and manage their emotions, cope with challenges, and build a strong sense of self-awareness.
  • To promote physical health, well-being, and motor skills: encouraging an active lifestyle, developing gross and fine motor skills, and fostering an understanding of personal health and hygiene.
  • To encourage creativity, self-expression, and appreciation for the arts: providing rich opportunities for artistic exploration, imaginative play, and the development of unique talents.
  • To build self-esteem, confidence, and a positive self-image: creating an environment where students feel valued, celebrated for their unique qualities, and empowered to advocate for themselves.
  • To prepare students for successful transitions and future pathways: ensuring students are well-prepared for their next steps, whether into further education, vocational training, employment, or supported living, through comprehensive careers and futures education.
  • To instil a love for lifelong learning: nurturing curiosity, adaptability, and a proactive approach to continuous personal development.
  • To nurture mental health and well-being: prioritising students’ emotional resilience, coping strategies, and overall mental health through proactive and responsive support.
  • To develop social, moral, spiritual, and cultural (SMSC) understanding: fostering students’ personal values, understanding of society, respect for diverse beliefs, and appreciation of cultural heritage.

Personalized Learning Goals

  • Personalised learning goals (PLGs) and education, health and care plans (EHCPs) the EHCP serves as the centre of each student’s educational journey. For every student, we establish specific, highly personalised learning goals that are mapped to their EHCP outcomes. These goals are not solely academic; they encompass all aspects of our holistic curriculum, addressing social, emotional, communication, physical, independence, and vocational development.
  • Collaborative goal setting: these personalized learning goals are developed through a truly collaborative process. They are written in conjunction with the student (where appropriate), their families, and our multi-disciplinary therapy team (including speech and language, occupational, and physiotherapists). This ensures that goals are comprehensive, child-centred, and reflective of both professional insight and family aspirations.
  • Curriculum adaptation: our curriculum is deeply adaptive, utilizing various pedagogical approaches to meet diverse cognitive abilities and learning styles, ensuring that each student’s personalized goals are actively pursued through their daily learning experiences.
  • Cross-curricular themes & project-based learning: we integrate learning across subjects through engaging, relevant themes and projects. This approach encourages students to apply knowledge from various disciplines to solve real-world problems, promoting critical thinking, collaboration, and deeper understanding.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Developing strong social and emotional foundations is paramount.

  • Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education: a comprehensive programme covering topics such as healthy relationships, personal safety, physical and mental well-being, healthy living, citizenship, and age-appropriate financial literacy.
  • Social skills support: dedicated and embedded sessions focusing on essential social competencies such as turn-taking, sharing, understanding and responding to social cues, conflict resolution, and effective group work. We utilize strategies like social stories, role-play, and video modelling.
  • Emotional regulation strategies: we empower students with a diverse toolkit of strategies to understand and manage their emotions. This includes the use of frameworks like zones of regulation, explicit teaching of coping mechanisms, mindfulness exercises, access to designated calm spaces or sensory rooms, and individualized sensory diets.
  • Building resilience and self-esteem: we foster a positive and affirming environment, emphasizing the celebration of individual achievements, promoting self-advocacy skills, and providing opportunities for students to take on leadership roles and responsibility within the school community.

Physical Development

Promoting physical well-being and motor skills is integral to overall development.

  • Physical education (PE): our inclusive pe programme encompasses adapted sports, movement activities, swimming, and outdoor adventurous activities. The focus is on participation, teamwork, developing fundamental gross motor skills (balance, coordination, agility), and fostering a lifelong enjoyment of physical activity.
  • Occupational therapy (OT) integration: our occupational therapist works collaboratively with teaching staff to seamlessly integrate activities that support fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing, and self-care routines into the daily curriculum. Individualized OT sessions are also provided where clinically appropriate.
  • Healthy lifestyles: education and practical experiences around nutrition, personal hygiene, and the importance of active living are embedded across the curriculum.

Creative and Expressive Arts

Providing avenues for self-expression, imagination, and aesthetic appreciation.

  • Art and design: students explore a wide range of artistic mediums and techniques, fostering creativity, developing fine motor skills, and providing a powerful non-verbal outlet for expression. Therapeutic art interventions are available for students who benefit from this approach.
  • Music: engaging music lessons focus on sensory engagement, rhythm, vocalisation, and self-expression through singing, playing adapted instruments, and exploring diverse musical genres. We have a school choir and opportunities for performance.
  • Drama and performance: drama activities encourage imaginative play, social interaction, communication development, and confidence building through role-play, improvisation, and school productions.
  • Dance and movement: structured and free-form dance and movement activities enhance body awareness, coordination, spatial awareness, and provide an expressive outlet.

Life Skills and Independence

Preparing students for successful and independent living beyond school.

  • Daily living skills: practical skills essential for independent living are explicitly taught and practiced, including personal hygiene, dressing, meal preparation, domestic tasks, basic money management, and road safety. We utilize a dedicated life skills apartment/kitchen for hands-on learning.
  • Vocational skills / pre-vocational training: for our older students, we offer tailored pre-vocational training opportunities. This includes practical tasks within the school setting (e.g., school shop, gardening, office support) and supported work experience placements within the local community, developing transferable skills and work ethics.
  • Community integration: regular, planned outings into the local community help students generalize skills learned in school to real-world settings and foster a sense of belonging and civic responsibility.
  • Self-advocacy: we explicitly teach and empower students to understand their own needs, communicate their preferences, make choices, and advocate for themselves in various situations.

Therapeutic and Support Services Integration

Our curriculum is deeply enriched by the seamless integration of specialist therapeutic and support services, delivered by our dedicated multi-disciplinary team.

  • Speech and language therapy (SALT): our speech and language therapists work hand-in-hand with teaching staff to embed communication targets into daily lessons. They provide direct therapy, consultation, and support the use of a wide range of communication strategies and assistive technology, including pecs, makaton, and high-tech aac devices.
  • Occupational therapy (OT): ot input ensures sensory and motor needs are addressed throughout the school day, optimizing readiness for learning.
  • Behaviour support: we employ a proactive and positive behaviour support framework. This involves understanding the function of behaviours, teaching appropriate replacement skills, and implementing individualized behaviour plans, creating a predictable, nurturing, and safe environment for all students.
  • Sensory integration: our learning environments are designed with sensory needs in mind. We provide designated sensory rooms, quiet spaces, individual sensory diets, and embedded sensory activities throughout the school day to support self-regulation and optimize engagement.
  • Mental health and well-being:
    • Proactive strategies: we embed well-being practices into the daily routine, including mindfulness exercises, opportunities for physical activity, and explicit teaching of emotional regulation strategies
    • Dedicated support: we provide access to qualified therapists who offer individual and small-group sessions, providing a safe and confidential space for students to explore their feelings and develop coping mechanisms.
    • Staff training: all staff receive regular training in mental health awareness, trauma-informed practices, and strategies to support students experiencing emotional distress. We are a thrive school.
    • Support networks: we ensure students know who to talk to if they are struggling and foster a culture of openness and support within the school community.
    • Collaboration with external services: we work closely with CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) and other local mental health support services to provide comprehensive and joined-up care when needed.

Other aspects of our holistic curriculum

Our teaching methodologies are highly specialized and designed to meet the unique learning profiles of our students, ensuring the effective pursuit of their personalized learning goals.

  • Personalized learning: at the heart of our delivery is the commitment to highly personalised learning pathways. Each student’s curriculum is constantly adapted based on ongoing assessment and review of their personalized learning goals.
  • Multi-sensory approaches: we extensively utilize visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learning modalities to enhance understanding and engagement across all subjects.
  • Experiential learning: we prioritize hands-on, practical, and real-world learning experiences, enabling students to “learn by doing” and apply their knowledge in meaningful contexts.
  • Structured teaching / TEACCH principles: we employ clear visual schedules, consistent routines, predictable environments, and highly structured tasks to support students with autism spectrum disorder and those who benefit from explicit organization.
  • Positive reinforcement and motivation: we use a range of positive reinforcement strategies, celebrating effort and progress, to build intrinsic motivation and foster a love for learning.
  • Use of assistive technology (AT): we strategically integrate a wide array of assistive technologies, including communication devices, specialized software, adaptive equipment, and digital tools, to ensure all students can access the curriculum and express themselves effectively.
  • Small class sizes and high staff-to-student ratios: this fundamental aspect of our provision allows for intensive, individualized attention, targeted support, and immediate response to student needs.
  • Collaborative team approach: our teachers, therapists, and support staff work seamlessly as a cohesive multi-disciplinary team, sharing expertise, co-planning, and coordinating interventions to ensure a holistic and consistent approach to each student’s development.

Assessment and Progress Monitoring

We employ a comprehensive and continuous assessment process that goes beyond traditional measures, truly reflecting holistic progress against each student’s personalized learning goals. This is achieved through our assessment tool Evidence for Learning (EFL)

  • Formative and summative assessment: ongoing formative assessment informs daily teaching and is recorded via EFL, while regular summative assessments track progress against PLG and EHCP targets.
  • Baseline assessments: thorough initial assessments identify each student’s strengths, needs, and preferred learning styles upon entry, informing the creation of their initial personalized learning goals.
  • Individualized progress tracking via ‘evidence for learning’: we utilize the ‘evidence for learning’ platform as our primary tool for capturing, tracking, and showcasing student progress against their personalized, holistic learning goals.
    • Rich evidence collection: staff regularly capture photographs, videos, audio recordings, and observations of students demonstrating their learning and achieving their goals in real-time and across diverse contexts.
    • Goal-specific tagging: each piece of evidence is directly linked to the specific personalized learning goals it demonstrates, providing a clear and comprehensive picture of progress.
    • Holistic portfolios: ‘evidence for learning’ creates dynamic, visual portfolios for each student, showcasing their achievements across all areas of our holistic curriculum – academic, social, emotional, physical, and independence.
    • Meaningful data: this system allows us to gather robust, qualitative data that truly reflects small steps of progress, which are often overlooked by traditional assessment methods.
  • EHCP/PLG review process: regular, collaborative review meetings are held with parents/carers, external professionals, and the student themselves to discuss progress, set new targets, and adapt pathways, directly referencing the evidence captured in ‘evidence for learning’.
  • Reporting to parents/carers: comprehensive written reports are provided annually, supplemented by parent-teacher meetings and ongoing informal communication throughout the academic year. The ‘evidence for learning’ platform also allows us to easily share visual evidence of their child’s progress with families, providing a transparent and highly engaging insight into their learning journey.
  • Student voice in assessment: we actively encourage students to contribute to their own learning journey, providing opportunities for them to reflect on their progress, set personal goals, and express their preferences, often by reviewing their own evidence on ‘evidence for learning’.

Futures and Careers Education

Preparing our students for a fulfilling future is a cornerstone of our holistic curriculum. Our robust Futures and Careers Education programme is designed to empower students to explore possibilities, develop essential skills, and make informed choices about their post-school pathways.

  • Early years foundation: from an early age, we begin nurturing curiosity about different roles and responsibilities within the school and local community. Through role-play, themed activities, and visits, students develop a basic understanding of work and contributions.
  • Individualised careers pathways: for each student, we develop a personalized careers pathway that aligns with their interests, strengths, and long-term aspirations, informed by their ehcp and regular discussions with students and families.
  • Careers guidance and exploration: students receive tailored careers guidance from trained staff, including one-to-one discussions, group sessions, and access to age-appropriate careers information. We explore a diverse range of vocational and employment opportunities, challenging stereotypes and focusing on strengths-based approaches.
  • Employability skills development: embedded across the curriculum are opportunities to develop crucial employability skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, reliability, and independence.
  • Visits from guest speakers: we invite local professionals, employers, and representatives from further education providers to share their experiences and insights, broadening students’ understanding of various career paths.
  • Visits to local businesses and further education providers: students regularly visit local businesses, colleges (e.g., strode college, bath college). These visits provide valuable real-world exposure to different work environments and post-16 study options.

Community Access and Work Experience

Direct engagement with the community and practical work experience are vital for developing independence, social skills, and vocational readiness.

  • Regular community access: our curriculum prioritizes frequent and purposeful community outings in our surrounding areas. These activities are carefully planned to:
    • Generalise skills: apply classroom learning (e.g., money management, reading signs, safe road crossing) in real-world settings.
    • Develop independence: navigate public spaces, use public transport, and make choices in community environments.
    • Foster social inclusion: build confidence in interacting with the wider community and experiencing different social situations.
    • Examples: supported shopping trips to local supermarkets, visits to cafes, libraries, local parks, use of local bus services, and visits to community events in the local area.
  • Structured work experience placements: for our older and more independent students, we actively seek and facilitate bespoke work experience placements within local businesses and organizations in the surrounding area. These placements are carefully matched to student interests and abilities and are fully supported by school staff.
    • Aims of work experience: to provide authentic vocational experience, develop specific job-related skills, understand workplace routines and expectations, build confidence in a professional setting, and explore potential career paths.
    • Examples of placements: opportunities in Clarks Village, Bishops Palace, the bath and west showground, local shops, cafes, community centres, administrative roles, gardening projects, and supported volunteer positions.
  • School-based enterprise and projects: we run internal school enterprises (e.g., a school cafe, gardening projects, craft sales) that provide students with practical experience in customer service, production, financial literacy, and teamwork in a supported environment.

Social, Moral, Spiritual, and Cultural (SMSC) Development

SMSC development is woven into the fabric of our daily school life and curriculum, nurturing students’ understanding of themselves and their place in the world.

  • Social development:
    • Active citizenship: encouraging students to participate in school governance, recruitment (e.g. School council) and local community initiatives.
    • Collaboration and teamwork: opportunities for students to work together on projects, solve problems, and develop interpersonal skills.
    • Respect for others: promoting understanding and appreciation of diversity, challenging discrimination, and fostering positive relationships.
    • British values: explicitly teaching and promoting the fundamental british values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
  • Moral development:
    • Understanding right and wrong: exploring ethical dilemmas through discussions, stories, and real-life scenarios tailored to their understanding.
    • Consequences of actions: helping students understand the impact of their choices on themselves and others.
    • Personal responsibility: encouraging students to take ownership of their actions and contribute positively to their environment.
    • Fairness and justice: promoting principles of fairness, equality, and justice within the school community.
  • Spiritual development:
    • Self-reflection and awareness: providing opportunities for quiet reflection, mindfulness, and exploring their own beliefs and values.
    • Awe and wonder: nurturing a sense of curiosity and appreciation for the natural world, human achievement, and the unknown.
    • Creativity and imagination: encouraging imaginative play, artistic expression, and exploring abstract concepts.
    • Meaning and purpose: helping students consider their own purpose and contributions, and fostering a sense of hope.
  • Cultural development:
    • Cultural appreciation: celebrating and exploring different cultures, traditions, and customs from around the world and within the UK.
    • Arts and heritage: engaging with various forms of art, music, drama, and historical events to broaden cultural understanding.
    • Community engagement: participating in local community events and traditions in our local area, fostering a sense of belonging.
    • Diversity and inclusion: promoting an inclusive environment where all cultural backgrounds are respected and valued, and students learn about the richness that diversity brings.

Partnerships

Strong partnerships are vital to our holistic approach and crucial for successful futures.

  • Parent/carer partnership: we foster a proactive and strong home-school partnership through regular communication, parent workshops, coffee mornings, and opportunities for parents to actively contribute to their child’s learning journey through school and school life, including the co-creation and review of personalized learning goals.
  • External agencies: we collaborate closely with a wide range of external agencies, including local health services social care, the local authority and various charities and specialist organizations, ensuring a coordinated and comprehensive support network for our students. This includes active involvement from therapists in setting and assessing personalized goals.
  • Community links: we actively engage with the local community, forging strong links with local businesses, community groups, and further education providers. This provides our students with valuable real-world learning experiences and integration opportunities, crucially supporting their future pathways.

Transitions

Preparing students for successful transitions at every stage is a key aspect of our holistic curriculum, heavily influenced by our futures and careers education.

  • Internal transitions: careful planning for transitions between year groups and key stages within the school, ensuring continuity of support and learning, with personalized goals informing the continuity plan.
  • External transitions: comprehensive support for students transitioning to further education, vocational colleges, supported living, or employment. This includes intensive careers guidance, tailored work experience, college visits, application support, and collaborative planning with destination providers, ensuring smooth and successful onward journeys informed by their long-term personalized goals.

Empowering Futures

At The Mendip School, our holistic curriculum is more than just a framework; it is our commitment to fostering well-rounded, confident, and independent individuals. By integrating academic excellence with attention to social, emotional, physical, creative, mental health and well-being, and SMSC development, all driven by personalized learning goals developed in collaboration with families and therapy teams, and meticulously assessed through ‘Evidence for Learning’, we empower every student to unlock their full potential and embrace a future filled with meaningful opportunity, active community participation, and successful careers pathways.