Mabel Prichard School Curriculum Rationale
What we teach and why we teach it
Our curriculum bullseye on the second page shows our aims for all students, how we enable those and which subjects we offer to facilitate that learning.
Our curriculum is divided into three routes:
- Pre-formal
- Semi-formal
- Formal
The core learning intentions for each route are:
| Pre-formal | Semi-formal | Formal |
| Communication engagement Creativity engagement Cognition engagement Physical development Independence/ Autonomy |
Communication exploring Creativity exploring Physical development Structure and routine Independence/ social |
Communication skills Functional skills – English and Maths PE/Sports Life skills Vocational skills |
We use a topic-based approach to teach most subjects, which means your child will learn all the intended skills through the topic of the term.
Teachers also plan with our multi-disciplinary team, including speech and language therapists, physio therapists and occupational therapists. We also work closely with the CAMHS (child and adult mental health service) team and this may inform some of the approaches used with some of our children.
How you can help your child at home
We will send home a review of how your child is progressing towards their learning outcomes 3 times a year. This will enable you to identify ways to support the learning in school. This can involve physio, independence, communication and social skills.
It is also good to share books with children, whatever their level. This enables interaction, to support communication and for those readers and emerging readers, it will support their development.
What other support is available for you and your child?
Our special school nurses work in the school 4 days a week and are available for phone support on a Friday. They provide training for school staff, advice and support.
If your child requires medicine, please make sure you have signed a consent form. The bottle must be clearly labelled by the pharmacist with your child’s name, the date and the dose to be given.
The nurse also supports community paediatric clinics in the school as well wheelchair clinics, CAMHS, dental, sight and hearing tests.