Your Child's Curriculum

As a special school, Torfield’s pupils are significantly below the developmental and academic stage of their mainstream peers. All of our pupils have an Educational Health Care Plan, predominantly for ASD and related needs, and the majority of our pupils have struggled with the prior stages of their learning and development. Whether this is difficulties accessing nursery provision or the often-overwhelming challenges of learning in a mainstream environment. As a result, Torfield’s pupil join us significantly behind age exceptions of knowledge, skills and capacity to access learning.

Intent
The overarching purpose of the curriculum at Torfield is to ensure that, through high quality teaching, we raise aspiration and inspire and motivate our pupils, so that they are fully equipped for their next steps in their education, and future employment. Our delivery of the national curriculum is broad, balanced, relevant and personalised to each pupils’ individual stage of development. It enables all of our pupils to succeed and achieve, whilst providing a foundation for lifelong learning and preparation for their next stage of learning and beyond. Our curriculum aims to ensure learning is stimulating, creative, enjoyable and successful. We have very high expectations for every child and want to ensure that their experiences and opportunities are never limited by learning in a special school setting.

Alongside our academic curriculum Torfield’s pupils benefit from a personal development curriculum which is designed to empower every pupil to become a confident, compassionate, and well-rounded individual who is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to live safe and happy lives in and outside of school.  

We understand that we need to respond to our pupils’ different needs and interests, shaping teaching around the ways different pupils learn, taking care to develop the learning and development of every pupil, whatever their starting point. We ensure our curriculum is responsive and we understand that certain aspects will need to change regularly, such as the different accreditations that we offer, to reflect changing needs and interests stages of development of our pupils. Strong emphasis is placed on the development of skills needed for the workplace and for independence. We aim for pupils to become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens.

‘Alongside the impressive personal development curriculum and bespoke provision for pupils’ individual needs. Pupils enjoy a wide range of subjects. Curriculum leaders have identified themes for study and how learning will be sequenced over time, including for children in early years. Within each subject and class, teachers know precisely what they want pupils to learn.’ Ofsted Inspection Report 

Implementation
The curriculum offered at Torfield is based on the National Curriculum and is adapted where necessary. Our approach to implementing the curriculum allows for variation in pace, content, use of resources, level and the method of presentation to ensure that learning experiences are appropriate for all children as they develop their knowledge and skills.

Each subject is planned carefully so that knowledge and skills can be sequentially taught in a coherent way that supports learning and progression. Teachers use a range of strategies in their lessons to meet the learning needs and styles for all pupils. We assess starting points carefully and use information to plan sequences of lessons that enable pupils to access learning in an appropriate way for them. We use assessment to inform planning and to identify where further support or intervention may be required.

Pupils benefit from a consistent approach to systems within the school: the structure of lessons, rewards and a behaviour system that encourages pupils to make good choices. The high level of pupil engagement seen across the school is as a result of effective planning.  The principles of fundamental British Values and preparation for life in modern Britain are featured across all curriculum areas. All pupils have access to a wide selection of extracurricular and enrichment activities which take place within and beyond the school day.

Impact
The pupils’ achievements and progress made during their time at Torfield reflects the excellent teaching, assessment practices, intervention programmes and appropriate accreditation opportunities available. Despite low attainment profiles on entry and the consistently high proportion of disadvantaged pupils, who have multiple indicators of being at risk of underachievement, high aspirations support all pupils to do as well as they can. The attainment outcomes for our pupils have increased year-on-year. This is evidenced in other factors we draw upon to measure success, namely, the high level of pupil engagement reflected in excellent levels of attendance, participation in after-school clubs and extra-curricular activities.

Your Child's Curriculum

To see an overview of what your child will be learning for each subject on a term-by-term basis this school year you can visit their Class Overview 

Lessons and interventions at Torfield are planned and differentiated so that children can develop their knowledge and skills along a carefully considered sequence. If you would like to know what your child will learn in each individual subject throughout their time at Torfield you can visit our Subject Overviews

The skills and knowledge our pupils gain follows a carefully considered sequence for both academic and personal development. This sequence begins with steps and progresses onto stages which helps us to differentiate lessons and celebrate children's progress. To discover the skills and knowledge your child will develop please visit: Steps and Stages of Academic and Personal Development