Curriculum

To equip each learner with the knowledge, skills, confidence and ambition to access the curriculum and actively advocate for themselves in the wider world. 

At Wishmore Cross we offer a broad and balanced curriculum for students starting at Year 3, all the way to Year 11. We aim to equip students with emotional literacy and strategies to understand their own needs alongside the academic breadth and challenge for students to grow in confidence and actively engage with learning and thrive. 

When students start their journey at Wishmore Cross, there is an emphasis on explicitly teaching social and emotional skills which are delivered through the Zones of Regulation curriculum. This work is continued in our secondary provision using the Thrive Approach to support social and emotional development. In addition, we work with the National Autism Society to ensure that our school is both trauma informed and autism friendly.

Our curriculum offers our students structured opportunities to develop skills which prepare them for adulthood. This includes volunteering in our Bistro, our enrichment offer, STEM activities and Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

We implement the curriculum through quality first teaching, small group intervention and 1:1 intervention, whilst addressing barriers to learning through a personalised approach. 

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

The key components of the curriculum at Wishmore Cross are:

1. Knowledge- rich curriculum which is sequenced to broaden and deepen learning over time. 

Our curriculum is planned and sequenced around core knowledge and content, allowing for students to revisit learning and deepen and broaden their understanding around key concepts. This includes revisiting core language and deepening understanding and use of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary. 

2. Assessment and feedback which moves learning forward.

   1. Misconceptions and identifies gap 

   2. Personalisation and independence

During whole class teaching live feedback is provided to allow students to
demonstrate the understanding and receive immediate guidance from the teacher. 

We use assessment for Learning strategies, through questioning, peer and self assessment. These strategies allow misconceptions to be addressed and for responsive teaching to take place.  

At Wishmore Cross we have a range of abilities in each group and quality assessment allows for personalisation, through task and resource; including the use of teaching partners. It also allows students to become independent in their own learning as quality feedback allows students to know what they need to do to continue to progres. 

3. Core Skills. 

All students take part in daily reading sessions. Students are assessed using the NGRT assessments and are placed in groups according to reading age. Those below chronological age are placed on evidenced based reading programmes (Read Write Inc. and Fresh Start). All subject areas use resources which match the reading age of individuals in the classroom and for the group as a whole. Alongside encouraging reading for instruction we are using the CLPE strands to develop basic handwriting through to strand 8, creating mature independent writers.  

4. Personal Development 

All our subjects contribute to our personal development offer. We promote tolerance and acceptance through our knowledge rich and broad curriculum. For example, looking at art and food from other cultures, writers of different heritages, scientists and mathematicians from around the world. We encourage discussion around social and political topics through our resources, such as; race riots, colonisation and social inequality. All subject areas offer students opportunities outside the classroom with trips going out to London, local wildlife reserves and interactions with the local community through raising  money for charity. Our school takes part in the Surrey Special School Events throughout the academic year. Year 9 students are enrolled on the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and develop their skills outside of the classroom curriculum to support them in becoming confident and being able to advocate for themselves in the outside world. 

5. Preparation to Adulthood and CIAG  

All subjects have links to preparation for life after Wishmore Cross. This includes direct links to careers opportunities and looking at how subject knowledge is used in the real world. Through our Enrichment Offer and our Life Skills flat allows students to consider the more practical aspects of living independently after Wishmore Cross. 

To access the Trust RSHE policy please click here.

The school lead for RSHE is Andrea George Samuels.