Curriculum

This page features a comprehensive overview of Belmont’s Curriculum and includes our Curriculum Map, Long Term Curriculum Planning for each Key Stage, and Pupil Progress indicators. If you require further, or more specific information, please contact Chantel Yeates, Deputy Head, at chantel.yeates@belmont.sandmat.uk

At Belmont we aim to create an inclusive learning and therapeutic community that is committed to ensuring pupils are safe, happy, enthusiastic and purposeful learners. We believe that every pupil must be provided with opportunities to develop socially, emotionally, academically to achieve the best they can achieve. On leaving school we want our pupils to have the social skills, education and confidence to thrive in the adult world.

Belmont is a special school catering for pupils with increasingly complex needs. We received an Outstanding Ofsted Report in October 2018 and are currently heavily oversubscribed with 183 pupils on roll. At least half of our pupils are on the Autistic Spectrum with many of our children requiring an alternative experience to mainstream settings after being unsuccessful. A third of the pupils currently in our care have experienced significant trauma and we have adapted our curriculum and CPD (Continued professional development) for staff to ensure these children now thrive despite experiences before joining Belmont.

In September 2020 Belmont School formally joined SAND Academy Trust to assist in the development of other schools and to also collaborate with others to raise standards even higher in the future.

Since our previous Ofsted, and in relation to the changing needs of the pupils, we have made significant enhancements in the following areas:

• Whole school Curriculum
• Introduction of inhouse specialist therapies including SALT and OT
• Infrastructure staffing model to include Inclusion mentors each with an area of expertise
• Relational School Approach
• Improved Site and facilities (e.g. Softplay, Sensory Rooms, OPAL, 6 Interventions Rooms, Accessible toilet)
• KS1 phonic reading skills are developed through the ‘Read Write Inc.’ scheme.

The leadership team and governors are currently driving forward the following projects to further improve facilities and Teaching & Learning to ensure the outcomes and educational experiences for our children are beyond outstanding:

1. Monitoring and evaluating the impact of our knowledge-rich and knowledge-engaged curriculum incorporating life skills.
2. Monitoring and evaluating the impact of specialist interventions i.e., Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy
3. Fundraising for a bespoke Health and Wellbeing Centre & Community Sport project
4. Collaborating and supporting local schools with Relational School Approaches (Trauma informed, Thrive and Restorative Practice)

Intent

At Belmont we ensure a knowledge-rich learning curriculum that has breadth, depth and relevance to meet the needs and interests of all pupils. The curriculum is broad, balanced, inclusive and ambitious and carefully sequenced to ensure all pupils gain the knowledge and skills and cultural capital to prepare them well for their next stage in the education, training or employment. We ensure learning is an integral part of each school day where our bespoke Interoception Curriculum has been carefully designed to support the sensory, social and emotional development of all pupils leading some to bespoke provision pathways.

Implementation

Our aim is for all pupils to develop their skills of purposeful engagement ensuring they are able to learn key skills that will further equip them for life. Developing independence is a key focus for our school aiming to support pupils to become more independent learners in all areas of their lives.

Belmont School provides high quality teaching where teachers use assessment outcomes to effectively plan next steps building upon what pupils know/can do developing their academic, social & emotional skills and abilities. Teachers work with parents/carers and any linked professionals to identify and target personalised learning outcomes in agreed priority areas. Teaching is informed by the published curriculum which is planned and sequenced identifying the knowledge and skills in all areas offered and studied. To secure relevance in the delivery of the curriculum, teachers identify the strategies that each pupil needs to access the curriculum to secure purposeful engagement, leading all pupils to achieve and make progress. Depending on the individual needs of the pupils our curriculum is adapted and used as a vehicle for engagement for more complex pupils. Their bespoke curriculum is further enhanced to ensure the most appropriate content, delivery and progress is being made for each pupil.

The core subjects at our school are English, Maths and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) which delivered daily, Foundation subjects, which are identified through our curricula areas that meet the wider academic and emotional needs of our pupils. The academic curriculum is further enhanced by a wealth of extra-curricular opportunities that will further add to the development of the whole child.

Our Key Stage 4 offer further encourages, and develops, pupils’ key knowledge and skills within subjects which focus on using these skills more functionally and with purpose for independence and employment in their adult life

Impact

The aspiration for all pupils who attend Belmont is that they achieve their potential in all aspects of their development. The outcome of the curriculum ensures that pupils are prepared for their next steps in education and beyond. Belmont school works with further education providers to ensure the curriculum prepares them for college and the world of work. Each year the curriculum is monitored, reviewed and evaluated to ensure it suits the needs of the pupils. Curriculum impact is measured through its impact on pupil learning and progression against targets and reviewing EHCP outcomes for pupils.

End of KS4 accreditations (where pupils are able to access):

GCSE Maths    |    Entry Level Maths (ELC 1,2,3)    |    Entry Level English (Silver & Gold)    |    ICT Entry Level Awards    |    Arts Award    |    Duke of Edinburgh

ASDAN Awards: Year 10

My Independence – Realizing Aspirations    |    Careers & Exp Work    |    Independent Living    |    Citizenship    |    Food Wise    |    My Independence – Transforming Aspirations    |    PDP    |    PSHE

ASDAN Awards: Year 11

Careers & Exp Work    |    Independent Living    |    Sports & Fitness    |    Animal Care    |    Citizenship    |    Food Wise    |    PDP    |    PSHE

‘RE is provided for all pupils, and is inclusive and broad minded. Parents do have the right to withdraw pupils from RE: if you wish to do this, make an appointment with the head teacher / RE subject leader. The school does not support selective withdrawal from RE’.