Curriculum

To equip each learner with the skills, confidence and ambition to achieve a remarkable life

1.Reflective   2. Collaborative   3. Resilient   4. Driven   5. Curious   6. Independent 

At Wishmore Cross Academy it is our aim to develop two core aspects of learning, which will enable pupils with SEMH needs to achieve personal success at school and in their adult lives. The first aspect is to educate our community in the nature of emotional regulation, so they can use this developing knowledge of the self to grow in confidence and actively engage with learning. 

The second aspect is the implementation of a spiral curriculum that offers our pupils structured opportunities for embedding new learning and making explicit its relevance to the real world. Pupils with SEMH needs often experience anxiety around learning, and we recognise that a base of strong knowledge, built over time, is key to their academic progress. 

Through this process, we aim for all of our pupils to become independent and secure young adults with agency - who are capable of advocating for their needs in meaningful ways throughout their entire lives.

At Wishmore Cross Academy we offer a broad curriculum for pupils starting at Year 3, all the way to Year 11.

In Years and 5 and 6 we give our pupils a bridge between their initial Primary education and their future KS3, by providing a core of English, Maths and Science, supplemented by PSHE, Art, Food, Codebreakers and explicit Social Skills. The curriculum is based on NC requirements but also maps on to KS3 success criteria, so that pupils will have had an exposure to key concepts before their segue to the wider school.  

Pupils who transition to, or start with the Key Stage 3 curriculum in Year 7 are provided a core of English, Maths and Science alongside the foundation subjects of Food Technology, Art, PE, PSHE and Media. A majority of our offer, core and foundation, is based on the National Curriculum where applicable and is supported by AET's Age Related Learning criteria where materials are available to support. Our teachers have access to centralised teaching and assessment support through Curriculum and Development hubs at AET. 

Pupils who are following the Key Stage 4 curriculum choose options from the above foundation subjects, supplemented by Citizenship, which gives them an understanding of their place in the wider world. This adds on to our KS4 PSHE offer which remains mandatory for all, with materials selected to meet our pupils' health, safety and emotional needs and reflect national concerns and interests. 

We aim to give our KS4 pupils a steady exposure to the world of work, supported by the AET Careers and Pathways strategy, so that our pupils are in the best position to make Post-16 choices that secure their place in the world. 

The above curriculum offer is universal, supplemented by provision outlined in pupils' EHCPs. We work with a Surrey Speech and Language team to provide targeted support for our pupils with underlying Communication and Interaction needs, while the universal development of literacy also remains a key focus for the school. 

The staff team is given training in universal scripts and strategies to support the development of emotional literacy, targeting pupils' SEMH needs. The school works with our commissioned Surrey Occupational Therapist to incorporate OT-based recommendations into the school day for pupils who need it; and all of the above are supported by a school-wide Pastoral Learning curriculum, delivered every morning during tutor times.  

The Pastoral Learning curriculum intersects with PSHE and national Safeguarding priorities, ensuring that the school remains geared towards our pupils' needs and wellbeing.