Personalised learning. Meaningful progress. Preparation for life.
Our Curriculum Offer
At Newman School, our curriculum is designed to provide every child and young person with a personalised, positive and meaningful learning experience.
We have high expectations for all our pupils and provide an ambitious, carefully planned and sequential curriculum that recognises individual starting points, strengths and needs. Learning builds progressively over time, enabling pupils to develop knowledge, skills and experiences that prepare them for their next stage of education and, ultimately, adult life.
Preparation for Adulthood
It begins at the earliest opportunity in the Early Years Foundation Stage and continues throughout every key stage, with new learning building upon pupils’ previous knowledge, skills and experiences.
Our ambition is for pupils to leave Newman with the academic qualifications, wider skills, personal qualities and experiences that will help them lead successful, healthy and fulfilling adult lives.
Preparation for adulthood isn’t therefore something that begins towards the end of a pupil’s time at Newman. It influences learning and development throughout their journey through the school.
We believe every young person deserves the chance to discover their strengths and ambitions. Through carefully planned experiences, enrichment activities and personalised support, pupils develop confidence, resilience and the skills needed to thrive in education, employment and life.
Our Curriculum Drivers
Communication:
Developing every pupil’s voice.
We aim to ensure that all pupils develop the skills they need to communicate in ways that are appropriate and meaningful to them.
Communication opportunities are embedded throughout the school day, helping pupils express themselves, make choices, develop relationships and participate increasingly independently in their lives.
Independence:
Building skills for life.
We provide opportunities throughout each day for pupils to develop independence across a broad range of skills.
Adults encourage and support pupils to have a go for themselves, make decisions, solve problems and take increasing responsibility, helping them develop the confidence and practical skills they will need in adulthood.
Resilience:
Building confidence to overcome challenges.
We support pupils to develop the resilience they need to respond to challenges and difficulties.
Through appropriately challenging learning experiences, problem-solving and opportunities to take positive risks, pupils develop confidence in their own abilities and strategies that can support them throughout adult life.
How Our Curriculum is Organised
Newman’s curriculum is underpinned by the National Curriculum, while being adapted to reflect the individual needs of our pupils and guided by our three curriculum drivers.
Rather than organising all learning solely according to age-related year groups, curriculum content is organised into year-long cycles within Key Stages. This enables pupils from different year groups to learn together where appropriate, while ensuring essential subject knowledge and skills are covered before pupils progress to their next stage of learning.
This approach gives Newman the flexibility to provide appropriate challenge while responding to individual learning needs and starting points.
Pupils work towards appropriate GCSE, Functional Skills, Entry Level and unit award pathways. Their curriculum is shaped around individual strengths, needs and aspirations, with increasing emphasis on careers, independence and post-16 planning.
Building Knowledge Over Time
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that new learning builds upon what pupils already know and can do.
We recognise that meaningful learning is more than encountering information once. Pupils need opportunities to revisit, practise and connect knowledge so that learning becomes embedded and can be recalled and applied in different situations.
Curriculum units therefore build progressively upon previous knowledge and experiences, helping pupils make connections between different concepts and understand how their learning relates to everyday life. This principle is explicit in Newman’s existing curriculum rationale.
Personalised Learning
Every pupil at Newman has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and our curriculum works alongside individual EHCP outcomes.
Teaching and learning are adapted to pupils’ needs, with appropriate differentiation, reasonable adjustments and access to specialist support where required.
Our pupils are entitled to high-quality learning resources, meaningful feedback and opportunities to make clear progress towards their academic, life skills and EHCP targets. Where appropriate, pupils also have opportunities to work towards qualifications and recognised awards.
A Broad and Balanced Curriculum
Newman provides pupils with access to a broad range of curriculum areas and experiences, adapted appropriately to their needs and stage of learning.
Your individual curriculum pages can then sit directly beneath this section as visual cards:
- Communication
- Reading, Writing & Phonics
- Maths
- Science
- Computing
- Art, Design & Food Technology
- Geography
- History
- Music
- Drama
- Physical Education
- PSHE
- Religious Education
- Preparing for Adulthood
- Careers & Progression
We believe every young person deserves the chance to discover their strengths and ambitions. Through carefully planned experiences, enrichment activities and personalised support, pupils develop confidence, resilience and the skills needed to thrive in education, employment and life.
Beyond the Classroom
Learning at Newman extends beyond individual lessons.
Pupils have opportunities to participate in enrichment and extracurricular activities and to develop their social, emotional and practical skills. Newman also works with appropriate external professionals and agencies to provide a holistic approach to individual needs.
These experiences help pupils apply their learning in meaningful contexts, discover new interests and develop the confidence, independence and resilience they need for life beyond school.
Our Ambition
Our ambition is that every pupil leaves Newman as well prepared as possible for their next stage in life.
Through an ambitious and personalised curriculum, we aim to develop the:
Communication • Independence • Resilience
that enable our pupils to make meaningful progress, participate in their communities and move towards adulthood with confidence.
One thing I would not do is dilute this page with lengthy descriptions of every subject. The existing Newman material has substantial content for those areas, so the gateway page should explain why and how Newman teaches, while the individual curriculum pages explain what pupils learn. That will make the new curriculum section considerably easier to navigate than the old Juniper structure.
Communication
Finding a voice. Building connections.
We support every pupil to develop meaningful ways to communicate, express their choices and build positive relationships with the people and world around them.
Independence
Building skills for life.
We create opportunities for pupils to make choices, develop practical skills and become increasingly confident and independent in their learning and everyday lives.
Resilience
Growing confidence. Embracing challenges.
We support pupils to experience new opportunities, overcome challenges and develop the confidence and resilience they need for learning, adulthood and their future.
