At Highfield School, English comes under the Communication Curriculum Strand and relates, predominantly, to the programme followed by students on the formal curriculum.

The focus is on supporting pupils as they develop both their social and academic communication, in line with their personal EHCP objectives through a broad and balanced curriculum encompassing reading, writing and spoken language. Students are supported, encouraged, stretched and challenged throughout in order to reach their full potential.

Coverage includes fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. In KS3 this links to the termly “vehicle”. In KS4, the focus is on the chosen text. Further detail can be found in the long-term plans.

Most students in Key Stage 4 and Post 16 following the Formal Curriculum work towards accreditation in the form of either the Entry Level Certificate for KS4 and Functional Skills for P16. Where appropriate students may sit Functional Skills in KS4 or the Entry Level Certificate in P16.

I work closely with the SENCo and the HLTA responsible for Language and Communication who, following assessment, provides 1-1, small group and in-class support to students with language and communication difficulties. The recent introduction of colourful semantics is proving very successful and is gradually being rolled out into KS3 classrooms and used in a slightly modified way to support language development and sentence structure in KS4 English lessons.

English & Drama Policy 2022

English Writing Policy 2023

English Spoken Language 2023

Long Term Plan 7SGS Autumn 2023

Long Term Plan 8NMo Autumn 2023

Long Term Plan 9JKa & 9RBe Autumn 2023

 Long Term Plan Key Stage 4 Autumn 2023

Long Term Plan Year 7 Spring 2023

Long Term Plan Year 8 Spring 2023

Long Term Plan Year 9 Spring 2023

Long Term Plan Key Stage 4 Spring 2023

Reading Tracker

Writing Tracker 

Spoken Language Tracker

At Highfield we work to create motivated, competent and engaged learners who can understand the world around them, solve problems and most of all make decisions with confidence. Cognition is a key strand of our curriculum which enables pupils to develop skills to become independent adults who can stay resilient when faced with a challenge.

Formal Curriculum

• Using Money – recognising & using coins, comparing prices, reading price lists such as menus, adding totals, working out change.
• Time – reading common clock times, working out time intervals, using timetables.
• Working with a variety of tables & graphs to understand the real world.
• Using 4 operations to solve problems
• Knowing some common units of measurement and being able to compare sizes of everyday objects.
• Recognising mathematical names of shapes of everyday objects.

Semi-Formal Curriculum

Problem Solving & Thinking – EQUALS S.O.W

• Making Connections -teaching routines, language for thinking, maths concepts, social stories, DT/construction.
• Investigating and Exploring – playing with materials, trial and error, cause and effect, role play of scenarios, memory games.
• Awareness of Others – understanding emotions, social and moral dilemmas.
• Working Through a Problem – using and applying, repetition and sequencing actions, modifying/sabotaging, reviewing/evaluating.

Long Term Plan Year 7 Autumn

Long Term Plan Year 7 Spring

Long Term Plan Year 7 Summer

Long Term Plan Year 8 Autumn

Long Term Plan Year 8 Spring

Long Term Plan Year 8 Summer

Long Term Plan Year 9 Autumn

Long Term Plan Year 9 Spring

Long Term Plan Year 9 Summer

Long Term Plan Year 10 Autumn

Long Term Plan Year 10 Spring

Long Term Plan Year 10 Summer

Long Term Plan Year 11 Autumn

Long Term Plan Year 11 Spring

Long Term Plan Year 11 Summer

Tracking Number

Tracking Measurement

Tracking Geometry

Tracking Statistics

At Highfield School we appreciate the importance of utilising ICT to provide enhanced accessibility and learning opportunities across each of our curriculums. We have a development ICT curriculum which is designed to support and encourage our those on our semi-formal and SCERTS pathways to be able to interact, communicate and learn whilst making the most of assistive technology, using ICT to make learning and concepts more engaging and accessible.

For our learners on our formal pathway the curriculum is designed to develop transferable skills and abilities which will support them to progress in an ever increasingly digital world as well as their capacity to learn and achieve in other subjects.

We encourage confidence and independence in utilising technology to create and interact whilst maintaining a very clear focus on safety and responsibility.

Each curriculum is broken down into 5 strands consisting of:

• Technology in Life
• Digital Literacy
• eSafety
• Multimedia
• Programming

This allows for strengths and areas for development to be identified within each of our students in each strand so that they can be supported accordingly, maximising opportunities for progression.

We access to a variety of programs and applications to support cross-curricular learning giving students the tools and opportunities to broaden their learning and understanding and engage with concepts in highly visual forms.

Accreditation within the subject is available to all of our students in the form of Functional Skills ICT qualifications from Entry Level 1 to Level 1.

ICT Overview

Long Term Plan

Progress Tracker

Art provides visual, tactile and sensory experiences and a special way of understanding and responding to the world. By studying art, students are allowed to develop their creativity and imagination. It enables students to communicate what they see, feel and think through the use of colour, texture, form, pattern and different materials and processes.

Students will be able to develop an understanding of art and express and communicate their feelings.

Art and Design is an important curriculum area that helps our students to develop their creative, practical and independence skills, whilst also building self-awareness, self -esteem and visual literacy skills.

The aims of Art and Design are to:

· Develop an understanding of the basic elements of art, line, tone, colour, texture, pattern, shape, form, space

· Develop skills in drawing, painting, sculpture and other forms of art, craft and design techniques.

· Enable children to record from first-hand experience and from imagination, and to select their own ideas to use in their work.

· Communicate ideas and feelings through a range of materials, tools and techniques.

· Have knowledge of artists, craft makers and designers

· Provide children with visual, tactile and sensory experiences to develop and enhance their experiences of the world.

· Foster an enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts

· Build on self-confidence and enjoyment of the subject and to encourage them to use materials safely and sensibly.

· Develop skills of evaluation and judgement about pupils’ own work as well as that of others.

Art Policy

Progress Tracker

Long Term Plan

Music is a compulsory subject in the National Curriculum and is a powerful, unique form of communication, music is valued part of the curriculum at Highfield School.

Music plays an important role in providing opportunities for personal expression, reflection and emotional development, therefore enhancing the learning in all other areas of the Curriculum.

Our school policy for music supports the aims of the school in that it helps children to become independent and confident learners who are self-accepting. Music helps to motivate children and helps them to enjoy their experiences. It also provides opportunities for children to learn together, in a collaborative way, which is one of the most important aspects of arts education.

Music is a powerful medium in influencing and addressing human emotion and life experience. For our group of children, music is a very important source of well-being and comfort. Our children benefit from their experience of making music and listening to it. This is more important to them than the technical knowledge of music. Through music making the children acquire a range of skills, knowledge and understanding. These include refining ideas and making judgements, using their imagination and creativity. This leads to becoming sensitive to the ways in which related sounds and silences communicate ideas and feelings.

Music is about having fun.

Music Department

The music room is very well equipped and has excellent facilities to promote the exploration of a wide range of musical ideas. To aid the teaching and learning of music, the following musical resources are available:

• Guitars
• Keyboards
• Ukulele’s
• Percussion instruments
• iPads/Garage Band
• Drum Kit
• Mac Computer
• 2 practice rooms

The music department is staffed with a specialist music teacher, music therapists and teaching assistants who are extremely skilled in providing appropriate support to meet the needs of the children.

The teaching of music is enhanced by two Peripatetic music teachers.

Music Overview

Music Policy

Long Term Plan KS3

Long Term Plan KS4

Long Term Plan Semi-Formal

Progress Tracking

Horticulture is part of the Preparation for Work curriculum at Highfield and as such aims to prepare our students for a life after education, teaching the skills and giving them the knowledge to be able to gain meaningful employment.

The facilities here at Highfield are the envy of most school establishments and colleges. It’s working area extends to approximately five acres and includes; formal planting areas for flowers, allotments beds for growing all types of vegetables, several orchards growing many varieties of seasonal local fruit together with exotics such as figs, olives and apricots. We have two poly tunnels, one 27 ft by 64 ft and the other 8 ft by 10 ft where we grow on all our own seedlings, both flower and vegetables for planting out and also use these tunnels to grow plants that require extra warmth, such as Peppers, chilli’s, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes and many more.

Students produce vegetables from seed to table and are involved in every aspect of the process. Produce is used in the school kitchen and classroom and wreathes are made throughout the year to work on as part of enterprise projects.

Students have the opportunity to work with a large variety of gardening tools to improve their skills within horticulture.

We have previously worked in partnership with the Woodland Trust and over fourteen years Highfield students have planted over five hundred trees on school land, these include; fruit trees, native deciduous trees and fruiting hedgerow. Not only do they gain the planting experience but also the skills and knowledge of pruning to maintain the health and productivity of the trees, whilst helping wildlife and the environment.

Students learn to be independent and confident, working as an individual or as part of a wider team and see the success of their labour in the results achieved. They get fresh air, sun on their faces and work hard physically to produce good results, which bodes well for their mental and physical health.

In years 10 and 11 those students who choose to take Horticulture further can take qualifications such as the NOCN qualification ‘Entry level qualification in using Employability skills – Horticulture’, the results of which can be included in their CV for potential employment opportunities.

Long Term Plan

Progress Tracker

At Highfield School, Animal Care is taught under the frame work of Employability. When students reach Year 10, they can select Animal Care as an option. They can choose to study Pet Care in Post 16 as well. The courses enable students to learn how to care for different animals and in turn, care for their animals at home. Students access Animal Care as part of interventions to support their emotions and mental wellbeing. Animal Care is also offered as a lunch time club.

We have a variety of animals at school and we take great pride in the high welfare we provide to the animals in our care. We follow charity guidance in regards to housing, diet and husbandry. Highfield have a purpose-built Animal Unit, that is a large, double stable and is wheelchair accessible. We have rabbits, who have 60 square feet of space, that is the requirement stated by Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF). They have an outside run as well as an inside enclosure. There are guinea pigs, who have a 36 square feet enclosure. We have a varying amount of chickens. Some of them are rare breeds, and a lot are rescued ex battery hens. We also have a rolling mischief of fancy rats that are located in one of the classrooms.

Highfield is very lucky to have two dogs that come into school: Mia, who is a chocolate Labrador; and Honey, who is a chihuahua.

There have been many studies done on the positive effects animals have on people’s mental wellbeing. The animals at Highfield help by:

Providing companionship for people who struggle socially.

Reducing stress and anxiety.

Staying physically active.

Building social skills

Learning to take responsibility.

Helping people with physical disabilities with everyday tasks.

Increasing the wellbeing of everyone.

LTP Animal Care Mapping Matrix Entry Level 2

Animal Care Mapping Matrix Entry Level Qualifications

Relationship, social and health education (RSHE) aims to prepare our students to help them become healthy, independent and responsible members of society.

We teach our curriculum through six main strands;

· Self-awareness

· Self-care, support and safety

· Managing feelings

· Changing and growing

· Healthy lifestyle

· The world I live in

We encourage students to play a positive role in contributing to the life of the school and the wider community. In so doing we help develop their sense of self-worth. We teach them to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses, how to recognise and manage different feelings, how they change as they grow up, about sex and relationships and keeping healthy. We teach them how society is organised and governed and ensure that they experience the process of democracy in school through the school council. They learn to appreciate what it means to be a positive member of a diverse multicultural society.

We also employ STRIDE theatre group to enhance and consolidate their learning through drama and role play.

RSHE Policy

RSHE Long Term Plan

Cooking lessons cover many varied skills promoting independence and self-confidence. Students will achieve their own unique journey within the lessons that takes on a holistic approach of practical cooking skills alongside personal development specific to the student. Success will look different for each individual and is based on the different strands of the curriculum including communication, health, independence and social interaction accessed through the practical cooking sessions.

During lessons we encourage independent working and assess this regularly to monitor progression and plan the individual learning of each student within the classroom. We allow opportunities for – cooking for others, using timings, weighing, ordering, and also evaluating our own and others work encompassing cross curricula experience. Real life opportunities of online ordering and also sorting and delivering items encourage communication and independence. Students learn and understand hygiene, safety and cooking skills and techniques that will prepare them for independent living in the future. We also offer a complete sensory experience within lessons through tasting and exploration of food items.

Subject Overview

Policy and Intent

Long Term Plan

Progress Tracking

At Highfield School, we believe that, through a broad and balanced curriculum, children have the opportunities to maximise potential for confident and independent futures.

Highfield School follows the National Curriculum and the AFPE for the teaching of Physical Education as a guideline. This has been adapted to suit the needs and requirements of the children at our school and to ensure continuity, progression, and inclusion. Here is a list of activities that we participate in at Highfield School.

Bikes

Cricket

Rounders

Athletics

Basketball

Multiskills

Polybat

Table Cricket

Yoga

Gymnastics

Parkour

Boccia

Volleyball

Non-traditional games

Football

Rugby

OAA

Golf

Netball

Table tennis

Badminton

Bowling

Cricket

Trampolining

Health & Fitness

Boxercise

Curling

Weekly fitness sessions

We also have morning fitness interventions in our fitness suite as well as a variety of sporting activities during our lunchtime clubs. We also enter our students to as many sporting competitions as we can. Every student in the school has the opportunity to participate at least one sporting event each year. These competitions include the majority of the sporting activities above.

 Long Term Plan

Progress Tracker

When students are in Year 9 they are able to choose options to start accreditation in Year 10 if they are on the Formal pathway or potentially the Blended pathway.

As part of this we offer Motor Mechanics and Construction accreditation.

This is provided off-site by Elite Training Systems Yorkshire.

The outdoor learning programme is a fully inclusive programme that has positive impacts on young people’s development. It is a vehicle that is used to support the six areas of the curriculum: Independence, Communication, Health, cognition, personal development and preparation for work.

It is also used to support students individual EHCP and personal development outcomes, as well as contributing to the employability, PE and PSHE curriculums. It is delivered in a flexible way that allows personalisation and high levels of differentiation. The programme is delivered by dedicated and trained staff. The programme is made up of a wide range of challenging and adventurous activities that take place in the natural environment. Each year group follows a yearly themed programme. Each theme has a number of identified activities that can be used to support a student’s development.

Outdoor Education overview

Wild Adventure is a fully inclusive outdoor programme that has a positive impact on young people’s development.

The programme is made up of a wide range of challenging and adventurous activities that take place in the natural environment. Each activity used is designed to provide different levels of skill and challenge. They also promote empathy and an ethic of care towards the environment.

Strong links between activities and student outcomes are identified and a variety of models are used to help devise personalised programmes that support student outcomes. Student progress is recorded and used in the Education Health and Care plan process.

Staff delivering the programme have experience in the outdoors and continue to develop their knowledge through the Institute of Outdoor Learning and a Masters programme in Outdoor Practice. A multidisciplinary approach is taken using research from other fields: Motivational Interviewing, Self Determination Theory, Adaptive Expertise and Social Systems, all of which enrich and enhance the wild Adventure programme.

The wild adventure programme has links with Leeds Beckett University and the British Exploring Society. It also incorporates residential opportunities, after-school and holiday clubs.

Oudoor Education Overview

Formal Long Term Plan

Semi-Formal Long Term Plan

Progress Tracking Archery

Progress Tracking Bikes

Progress Tracking Caving

Progress Tracking Climbing

Progress Tracking Forest School

Progress Tracking Obstacle Course

Progress Tracking Orienteering

Progress Tracking Teamwork

Progress Tracking Work Experience

Our Community Education Programme of Study supports our young people to use the skills and knowledge they learn within the classroom out in the local community.

At Highfield our Careers programme is delivered through discrete Careers lessons  every week and also Employability and Enterprise lessons.

We have a dedicated Careers teacher who works across school including Post 16.

Highfield School uses the SEN Compass tool to assess progress against the Gatsby benchmarks, which enables the school to demonstrate how we are working towards the statutory government guidelines on careers education. The eight Gatsby benchmarks are:

· A stable careers programme

· Learning from careers and labour market information

· Addressing the needs of each pupil

· Linking curriculum learning to careers

· Encounters with employers and employees

· Experience of workplaces

· Encounters with further and higher education

· Personal guidance

Students across the key stages take part in a range of activities;

• To transfer learned skills to life and work related situations.

• Investigate and understand jobs in a variety of industry sectors.

• Develop a personal development plan to help prepare for their future post Highfield.

• Be able to work collaboratively with others.

• Develop an understand of different career paths and expectations.

• Develop skills and knowledge for applications such as CVs application forms, job interviews.

• Take part in Enterprise activities for specific purposes.

In KS3 students contribute to Enterprise by making items to sell at our annual Christmas fair and take part in the Crystal maze/Cardboard arcade drop down days hosted by KS4.

KS5 students provide several Enterprise initiatives on a weekly basis by offering beverages and food products made in house, cleaning services and car washing.

The school has recently formed links with ENGIE who will be supporting the school with employer engagements through positive role model sessions with KS4.

We are also supported by the SEND Careers Hub as part of the Leeds City Region Enterprise partnership and are currently linking with the Lighthouse School in Leeds to increase our Enterprise capability.

Long Term Plan Careers 2022-23

Long Term Plan Employability 2022-23

At Highfield we deliver Science, History and Geography via topic (Formal Pathway) or The World Around Me (Semi-Formal Pathway).

We have worked collaboratively to map our topic areas to the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum for Science, Geography and History.  This topic planner ensures that over a 3-year rolling programme, students will access the content that their peers are accessing in mainstream.

This is delivered in an engaging and appropriate way for our students depending on their pathway and interests.

KS3 Topic and Text Mapping 2024 – 25