Curriculum

Key Stage 3

KS3 Students at the Acorn School are entered in an 18 week programme.  They have been identified by their mainstream schools as requiring specialist support and guidance they cannot access at their current placement. Students spend 9-10 weeks with us on a full time basis, 2 weeks part time split between Acorn and student’s mainstream then 6 weeks returned to school with regular support from our Outreach Team

At the Acorn School our INTENTION is to:

  • Create a supportive environment which allows students to enjoy education again.

  • Support students to develop behaviours, apply strategies and tools to allow them to become effective learners.

  • Develop subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum.

How is this IMPLEMENTED?

This is achieved by delivering lessons in small groups with a high level of staff support.  Students follow the National Curriculum covering academic subjects including English, Maths, Science and Humanities. Students will be assessed at the beginning and end of their placement in the core subjects. Additionally, students study subjects to help develop their life skills and creativity through Food Technology, Resistant Materials, Photography, Sport and Art as well as timetabled sessions to support with understanding themselves and developing strategies to manage their behaviour ready for return to their mainstream placement.

As part of our curriculum we focus on a termly theme in the form of a question (timetable below). These questions are explored during Thrive allowing students to apply skills gained in other areas of the curriculum. 

Term 1 - Theme: British Values |Key Question: How do we demonstrate British Values at Acorn?

Term 2 - Theme: Health and Wellbeing |Key Question: How do we make sure we become healthy adults?

Term 3 - Theme: Relationships |Key Question: What makes a healthy relationship?

Term 4 - Theme: Drugs and Alcohol |Key Question: Should the laws around drugs and alcohol be changed?

Term 5 - Theme: Finance |Key Question: How can I budget for a household?

Term 6 - Theme: Careers |Key Question: How do I get where I want to be after I leave school?

What is the intended IMPACT?

The impact of our curriculum is demonstrated when our students are successfully accessing education again in their mainstream setting.  This is measured via feedback from schools, students and parents.  Students’ success and progress is monitored by our Engagement Team. They successfully apply the skills obtained at the Acorn School for both their academic and behavioural needs and have positive interactions with staff and peers.

The HOLISTIC INTENTION behind our curriculum

  • Provide a broad and balanced education for all students that is well planned and sequenced towards sufficient knowledge for skills, future learning and employment.

  • Enable students to develop knowledge, understand concepts and acquire skills, and be able to choose and apply these in relevant situations.

  • Support students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

  • Support students’ mental health development providing them with an understanding of their own needs and behaviours.

  • Promote a positive attitude towards learning.

  • To develop student’s growth mindset and the ability to embrace a challenge.

  • Have an ambition for all students to achieve to the best of their academic ability.

  • Equip students with the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life

  • Provide subject choices that support students’ learning and progression, and enable them to work towards achieving their goals

  • To develop skills of communication in which students are free to express themselves.

Key Stage 4

Key Stage 4 students are with us for the remainder of their school career.  Students may begin at Acorn any time from the end of the year 9 to their end of year 11 examinations.

At the Acorn School our INTENTION is to:

  • Create a supportive environment which allows students to access education and allows them to flourish, reach and even exceed their potential.

  • Provide strategies, tools and specific support to develop concentration, perseverance and an enjoyment of learning to allow students to become effective learners.

  • Develop subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare students for their end of Key Stage 4 examinations and beyond.

  • To support students to understand themselves, develop social skills and understand the society around them.

How is this IMPLEMENTED?

Our Key Stage 4 curriculum allows students to access GCSE Mathematics, English Language and English Literature and Science.  There are also vocational courses on offer, including: 

ABC Award Motor Vehicle Studies

AQA Food Preparation and Nutrition

We also offer a range of options at a Level 1 and 2, allowing students to study subjects of specific interest to them. These courses are chosen with students and the needs of our mainstream partner schools in mind; these courses are of interest to our students and their likely routes into further education and employment. They also meet Progress 8 criteria.

All subject planning is to ensure learning is continuous, relevant and accessible to our students.  Our intention is to ensure knowledge and skills gained are used across the whole curriculum and not simply applied in stand-alone subjects.  Students are actively encouraged to apply these skills when they participate in our termly themes via investigations or projects carried out during Thrive/Enhance. 

What is the intended IMPACT?

The final impact of our work at the Acorn School is to ensure our students are prepared for examinations and beyond.  Opportunities for students to experience exam settings are vital and ensure success ready for their formal examinations. All Acorn students sit their GCSE examinations at Acorn. Examination results for dual registered students will be recorded on their mainstream’s performance tables.

Wider Curriculum

 

RSE

Relationships & Sex Education and Health Education is taught in line with Government requirements as outlined in Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education with specific thought towards particular needs and vulnerabilities of students. It is taught to all students.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is included in our planned curriculum.

British Values

The school teaches fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and the tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith. These values are reflected in our own values of kindness, respect, making informed choices and aiming to achieve our best.

Careers

We are committed to meeting the Gatsby Benchmark for careers education liaising with mainstream career advisors.

Career education, information, advice and guidance is provided on a 1:1 basis to students as well as through the curriculum.  

We offer all KS4 students the opportunity to gain experiences of workplaces through work experience. 

Emotional Literacy

Due to complex needs of some of our students, all students are given the opportunity to attend regular 1:1 sessions with our trained counsellors to develop pupils understanding of themselves and peers. Behaviour modification is taught through the classroom and all students have scheduled, weekly or fortnightly time with an Engagement Officer who charts progress in Emotional Literacy. 

PSHE

Schemes of work for key stage 3 and key stage 4 pupils can be found by clicking here.

Further Details

For further details please contact Nicola Desmond Assistant Headteacher

nicoladesmond@theacornschool.co.uk

Careers Statement

 

Acorn seeks to maximise the life chances of all of our young people. We believe it is crucial to prepare our students for life beyond school.

It is important therefore, that students leave our school aware of themselves as individuals, aware of the opportunities available to them and able to make some decisions about their own futures. They should be prepared for the transition from full-time education to the world beyond. It is to these aspects of personal and social development that the careers programme will contribute.

Our careers programme will address the needs of each student as an individual, allowing them to experience meaningful encounters with industry professionals. Our young people will be placed with well-suited employers to gain relevant work experience. Such encounters will enhance their skills and allow them to explore excellent career opportunities.

At Acorn, we are committed to following the Eight Gatsby Benchmarks, as set out in the Department for Education guidance. By accepting this guidance, we are committed to:

1)    Offer a stable and structured careers programme that is known and understood by students, teachers, parents, governors and employers.

2)    Support learning from career and labour market information.

3)    Address the needs of each student by tailoring advice and support to each young person as an individual. We embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

4)    Link curriculum learning to careers so that students are given the opportunity to understand how different STEM subjects will help them to gain entry to a wide range of careers.

5)    Provide opportunities for students to participate in meaningful encounters with employers and employees. To learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace.

6)    Offer first-hand experience of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and work experience, based on individual preferences.

7)    Facilitate encounters with further and higher education. To include both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.

8)    Provide access to personal guidance. To be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made.

Students, parents and carers will be able to access information and guidance through open communication with the careers team. The school has developed strong relationships with further and higher education settings and also with organisations in the community. This allows us access to well-informed and up-to-date information.

As an alternative provision, we are also committed to working in partnership with our mainstream secondaries for young people who are dual-registered.

Students at Acorn are given the opportunity to visit places of further education so that they are able to understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them, from full-time study programmes to apprenticeships.

Our mission is to support social mobility by improving opportunities for all young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special educational needs and disabilities. Our careers programme will actively seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations.

The school will continuously monitor its careers programme offer and seek further improvement. This will be done by the personnel involved in the design and delivery of the programme, by external stakeholders who assess the work of the school and evaluated by regular feedback from our students themselves.

The information published will be reviewed regularly to allow us to keep up-to-date with the careers and labour market.

Further Details

For further details please contact Rebecca Harper Careers lead

rebeccaharper@theacornschool.co.uk