HopeWell School

Our Curriculum Statement of intent

Our Curriculum Outline

  • The Curriculum outline is intended to give a clear overview of the things that we deliver and do, as well as providing an overall picture of the reasons why.
  • We aim at all times and through everything we do to offer pupils the opportunity to develop as individuals through our specialised curriculum pathways.
  • All Hopewell pupils have an Education, Health Care Plan for social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Many of the pupils have additional complex and special educational needs including Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder and global delay.
  • Our curriculum is designed to meet every child’s individual needs through four Strands. These are the School Curriculum, Vocational Curriculum, Personal Development and Achievement Programme (PDAP) and through our Therapeutic Interventions and Support as well as approaches to delivery.

Our Curriculum Intent

  • Developing every pupil to their full potential is at the centre of our curriculum and one of our core beliefs and values. To do this we focus on the “whole” child and their individual needs. Our staff team work together to support every child through their Individual Pathway across the key areas of our curriculum. Their Pathway is planned from the outcome of their assessments and additional information gathered at Induction and reviewed throughout a young persons time at Hopewell.
  • We recognise and understand that by the time they arrive with us, Hopewell pupils may have significant experience of trauma, difficulties with attachment, a range of mental health difficulties as well as difficulties self-regulating and managing their own complex needs and challenging behaviours, anger and aggression. They may also have experienced a sense of failure and rejection from other educational providers and school settings which could have significantly impacted on their sense of self and self-esteem and confidence.  
  • Our curriculum is designed to support pupils to explore and develop the skills and attributes which they will need as they progress from school into adult life, college, apprenticeship or work as well as offering a wide range of educational courses that will enable them to achieve a range of qualifications.

Our School Based Curriculum

  • The majority of pupils arrive at the school with a history of disrupted patterns of education. For many their behaviour and other complex needs have been a barrier to them making the progress that they should have made in the past. Many arrive with significant gaps in their education resulting from poor attendance and multiple exclusions. As a result they are generally not where they should be in terms of their educational attainment.
  • As part of our induction process pupils and their families/carers meet initially with the Therapy Lead where there is the opportunity for discussion and information sharing from families to the professionals. Following this pupil undertake several baseline tests. Together this information allows staff to plan lessons that are engaging and pitched at the right level in order to build confidence and self esteem. Based on the information gathered and the assessments pupils are placed on one of the following Pathways: NEP-National Expectations, AEP- Adjusted Expectations HPP- Highly Personalised.
  • A programme of individual interventions can then be put in place for pupils in order to bridge the gap between where pupils are currently learning and where they should be.
  • Alongside the individual interventions our school curriculum follows the majority of subjects of the National Curriculum and is taught to all pupils: At KS2 and 3 this includes: English, Mathematics, Science, Computing, PSHE, Humanities, Art and Design, Creative Media, Drama, Physical Education and COPE (Certificate of Personal Effectiveness)
  • At Key Stage 4 pupils the curriculum is designed to enable all pupils to access accredited courses GCSEs, BTECs and Functional Skills as well as exploring vocational options through industry recognized qualifications.
  • The core curriculum includes GCSE or Function Skills in English, mathematics, Science, Computing and Physical Education as well as accredited courses in PSHE and ASDAN –COPE.
  • Pupils also have access to GCSE options either –Art, Digital/Creative Media, Business Studies or DT.

Our Vocational and Transition Curriculum

  • Our Vocational curriculum is based at our motorvations@hopewell site. This is a purpose built centre which has access to a motor vehicle work shop, construction workshop, small kitchen as well as a gym. There are also classroom facilities and a reflection and therapy space. Specialist vocational courses offered at motorvations@hopewell are Motor Vehicle Level 1, Construction Level 1. The core curriculum on offer includes GCSE or Function Skills in English, mathematics, Science, Computing and Physical Education as well as accredited courses in PSHE and ASDAN –COPE.
  • Additional options are also offered – these are taught at the school site by specialist staff.
  • The focus of our vocational curriculum is to enable pupils to develop skills and attributes that enable them to transition successfully to either attend college, apprenticeships or the world of work.
  • We do this through our focus on PAD (Profile and Attitude Development) through our 50-50 LAB programme. This is based on the research from IMPETUS- The Private Equity Foundation – Ready for Work – The capabilities young people need report – 2016. We also review the latest CBI/Pearson Annual Reports – Education and Skills Surveys 2014-18 and endorse their Attitude’s and Aptitudes theory-based evidence. Through PAD every pupil has a portfolio that evidences their employability and personal skill development. Pupils, parents/carers complete the Mechanisms of Change Assessment on Induction and then every term following as part of the Target setting meeting process. The MOC focuses on the development of 18 key skills identified as those required for successful transition to employment.
  • Pupils across both sites in KS4 have access to impartial careers information, advice and guidance through the Barking Local Authority career’s service. Pupils also access additional Post 16 careers experiences- these include visits to local colleges, open days, careers fairs and outside speakers.
  • Pupils also have access to work experience where appropriate.

Our Therapeutic Interventions and Support

  • Therapy intervention and therapeutic approach is at the centre of our ethos at Hopewell through our everyday work and the support of our pupils but also through the specialist range of therapies that are offered to individual pupils, as well as through group interventions and extensive work with our parents and carers.
  • We believe that therapy is a critical element of a pupil’s curriculum. Interventions are timetabled throughout the week in the same way and with as much value as our subject based “taught” lessons. The therapies on offer are – Art therapy, Drama therapy, Play therapy, Music Therapy and Psychotherapy. Our team of therapists work in partnership with all school staff to enable pupils to overcome their severe social, emotional, behavioural and psychological needs through a flexible time table that maximizes engagement and progress.
  • Our therapy team also work with parents and families on both a structured and self-referral process as well as to support in crisis management situations.

Our Personal Development and Achievement Programme

  • The development of a young persons personal and social skills is one of our key aims for every pupil who attends Hopewell. Our focus on character skills and the development of self-regulation and self-management underpin the PDAP programme which is delivered through weekly off site activities as well as through our school based and vocational curriculums.
  • Our offsite programme is designed to challenge our pupil’s expectations of themselves, to encourage them to take part in new experiences and to develop a greater understanding of themselves and their capabilities and to start believing that “anything is possible”
  • There is a focus on 8 main character skills Respect, Resilience, Communication, Collaboration, Perseverance, Team building, Adaptability and Problem Solving, within these pupils are also taught skills to self-reflect and recognize how to self-manage and regulate through our 50-50 LAB programme which links directly to our character skill reward system.
  • We aim that all pupils will be able to develop their self-confidence and self-esteem through the structure of the PDAP curriculum as we recognise the impact these have in a pupil’s overall success and achievement.

Restoring Hope, Releasing Potential, Rebuilding Lives