Holly House School Curriculum
Our curriculum sets out to build knowledge and skills over time through a sequenced programme of learning that is adapted to meet the diverse needs of our pupils.
In delivering the curriculum we aim to achieves a careful balance between the need of our pupils, the time available and the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. Our challenge is to ensure a broad, rich curriculum that also provides sufficient depth to enable a full grasp of concepts. Our curriculum is framed to support each child so their special educational needs are catered for. To do this we use adaption in teaching and delivery to ensuring an inclusive curriculum that enables full access for all. With these adjustments we hope to develop a love of learning in our pupils and a desire to reach their full potential.
When visiting our website and the Subject pages that make up our curriculum, you will find:
A vision – This outlines what we hope pupils will gain from their study within the subject while at Holly House school and beyond.
The intent – This expands on the vision and explains what we are aiming to provide our pupils and why. Subject leaders have carefully considered what it is their subject can offer each pupil.
The implementation – This is specific to the subject area and explains how we go about imparting and build the knowledge and skills pupils will need to gain over their time studying. The implementation will also outline how the delivery is adapted to make it accessible to all pupils
The impact - How a subject impacts on pupils is not only measured through formal assessment, but also how it is likely to positively change the future outcomes for that person and support them to flourish in the future, close the gaps and not be left behind.
To help in understanding what pupils learn at different points while at Holly House school we have also included:
The Subject Delivery Overview – This is a visual plan for each subject that shows how the curriculum is organised across the key stages and classes with in them. POD, Class 1 and Class 2 make up our Key Stage 2 offer. Class 3, Class 4 and Class 5 make up our Key Stage 3 offer.
The Subject Progression Map – This is a document that will help visitors to understand how the curriculum is organised into knowledge and skills that will be learnt at different points. These are organised into Key Stages and outcomes by school year group.
We are a community that builds ambition to achieve the potential of every pupil.
The Behavioural Curriculum:
Holly House is committed to creating an environment where exemplary behaviour is at the heart of productive learning and reflects our vision of a community that builds ambition to achieve potential.
We follow a whole-school approach to maintaining high standards of behaviour that reflect our core values of:
- Relationships
- Respect
- Responsibility
To build a community of learners who values kindness, care, good humour, good temper and empathy for others.
While it remains crucial for all children to have boundaries for their safety, support, and success, rigidly defining and enforcing these boundaries can inadvertently penalize behaviours commonly exhibited by neurodiverse children. Such an approach fails to account for the unique needs of neurodiverse pupils, who may be adversely impacted by attempts to apply uniform standards to all behaviours. At Holly House, the majority of students are neurodivergent, with conditions including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, among others, necessitating tailored support for their distinct learning and behavioural requirements.
The curriculum is designed to try and take this into account with 30-to-40-minute lessons; consistent approach by staff; keeping movement to a minimum; availability of safe spaces and calm places to go when feeling stressed and availability of key staff with whom pupils form strong, trusting relationships.
The concept of Unconditional Positive Regard underpins the ethos of this school: ‘This is the belief that it is the behaviour of the child that may be deemed wrong or inappropriate, not the child. At no point should the child be criticised or made to feel shame about themselves. We recognise that behaviour is a form of communication. Pupils at Holly House communicate their anxieties, feelings and emotions through their behaviour. By establishing positive relationships between pupils and staff and through the operation of safe routines, pupils will learn to reduce negative behaviours through self-regulation
The school council are involved in shaping and promoting our ethos. They have been active in developing and implementing the school’s behaviour for learning policy, by approving the written statement of behaviour principles, and created the pupils’ behaviour principles with the involvement of all pupils.
