This procedure supplements the Intent, Implementation and Impact document and the Curriculum overview by subject to ensure:

Staff, pupils and parents are aware of their responsibilities in relation to this. 

Responsibilities

The Deputy Head Teachers are: 

  • Responsible for overall design and monitoring of the curriculum ensuring its particular nature for pupils on roll and also ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum and differentiation for special educational needs. 
  • Responsible for overall monitoring of long, medium and short term planning and to support new teachers in  setting learning objectives, assessment and recording and ongoing support when needed either individually or through Curriculum Meetings.
  • Responsible for ensuring that education staff understand the therapeutic nature of our work and support explicit therapeutic interventions by clinical staff and joint work between clinical and educational staff. 
  • Responsible for ensuring resources are updated and replaced as necessary.  
  • Support and monitor Action Plans developed by CPH

The Curriculum Coordinator (currently the DHTs) are responsible for:

  • Planning a long-term curriculum framework that is topic-based and ensures equal coverage of all curriculum areas 
  • Planning and overseeing Medium term topic webs and overviews in conjunction with CPHs and class teachers, taking into account pupils progress, needs and interests
  • Updating and monitoring curriculum file to include planning and evaluations (as appropriate) for all subjects (e.g. Science, Well-Being, Cooking, Technology, PE, circle time/assembly topics, group and 1:1 interventions. Timetables for groups should be included with SALT, OT and reference to clinical interventions ) 
  • Monitoring curriculum resources alongside CPHs and class teachers, replenishing when necessary
  • Informing parents/carers of topics for the term and encouraging their input
  • Ensuring educational visits are part of planning    to compliment topics and to support children and families to know, see and understand the valuable educational resources available in London
  • Running INSET sessions as and when required

Curriculum Post Holders (CPHs) have responsibilities as follows: 

  • Action planning for development in their curriculum area. 
  • Ensuring high quality teaching and learning takes place in their curriculum area. 
  • Setting whole Gloucester House targets and devising action plans to achieve these. 
  • Monitoring progress in their curriculum area.   
  • Writing and reviewing the subject policy for their subject. 
  • Monitoring teaching and learning and alerting the DHTs to any difficulties in the subject they lead.
  • identifying and supporting training needs of staff
  • Running INSET sessions in their area as and when required. 
  • Keeping up to date with national initiatives and research in their subject teaching and disseminating information as needed. 
  • Linking with colleagues in other schools through Camden subject lead hubs
  • Ensuring that all children have equal access to their subject. 

Class teachers are responsible for: 

  • The planning, teaching and assessment of curriculum subjects for their teaching group and following an agreed timetable
  • Ensuring that the learning is relevant and sequential
  • Being clear on the intent, implementation and impact of learning
  • Keeping in mind therapy, and other intervention, times for pupils and plan accordingly to support these
  • Writing education reports and updating targets
  • Contributing to Annual Reviews
  • Ensuring PSWs are adequately prepared for lessons and know and understand objectives and activities
  • Managing PSW work tasks and holding accountability for this
  • Ensuring that learning outcomes and activities are suitably differentiated to meet the needs of all the pupils in their group and that each child’s education has continuity and progression
  • Ensuring that children and PSWs are aware of expected learning outcomes. 
  • Ensuring that subjects are delivered effectively, using a range of teaching styles and activities, linked to the varied learning styles of the class to ensure that interest is kept high and learning opportunities are maximised
  • Alerting the Curriculum Coordinator to any inset needs
  • Alerting the Curriculum Coordinator to any gaps in resources
  • Ensuring that effective assessments take place and records of progress are kept up to date on the SOLAR Assessment programme
  • Implementing, monitoring and evaluating children’s progress through maintaining pupil assessment files
  • Effective marking of children’s work with next steps identified and discussed with pupils and providing pupil’s with opportunities to respond to marking
  • ensuring resources are available and are clearly labelled in the classroom 
  • Displaying children’s work and stimulus display (and that children’s “voices” are represented through display) using the display guidance
  • Ensuring children and parent/carers are involved in target setting and evaluating of targets
  • Preparing for termly pupil progress meetings and sharing information with their class teams and parents and carers.
  • Contributing to termly newsletters and blog posts about class activities and learning. 

The PSWs are responsible for: 

  • Ensuring they are aware of individual children’s targets and EHCP summaries
  • Ensuring they know, and understand, the learning outcomes for individual

sessions

  • Supporting children’s learning of subjects through careful modelling, prompting, praising effort and achievements
  • Giving feedback about progress towards targets to class teachers 
  • Alerting the class teacher of any concerns regarding individual pupils’ learning 
  • Displaying children’s work in consultation with the class teacher
  • Alerting the Curriculum Coordinator/ CPH to any inset needs 
  • Marking children’s work against the LOs and identifying next steps
  • Supporting with the class set up, organisation and marking
  • Running planned interventions with pupils for reading, spelling, writing and numeracy
  • Running EP recommended interventions 
  • Running SALT and OT recommended interventions
  • Leading on well-being
  • Leading and supporting committees.

Case Co-ordinators are responsible for:

  • Ensuring pupils’ therapeutic needs are addressed through the curriculum and that education staff are clear about therapeutic interventions for individual children 
  • Contributing to Annual Reviews and ICP meetings
  • Relaying educational reports to the network
  • Linking with education staff around pupil progress

Parents/Carers are responsible for:   

  • Being involved in Gloucester House events 
  • Being aware of what their children are learning and why 
  • Being involved in assessment and planning for their child  •        Being involved in homework with their children
  • Attending meetings regarding their child.

The children are responsible for: 

  • Ensuring they participate fully in sessions and are aware of their own targets and learning objectives
  • Contributing to the pupil voice and making suggestions for what they would like to learn
  • Evaluating their own progress towards targets and discussing next steps
  • Taking responsibility for their behaviour and learning •   Being kind and respectful towards one another as learners.  

General:

Teachers differentiate/personalise their planning to ensure that children are working are receiving appropriate challenge and support in their learning.

We work with parents/carers around particular areas of talent to encourage them to support these outside Gloucester House in addition to what we can do internally. 

Pupils who need more support in confidence and competence with foundation maths and English skills will have one to one ‘5 minute box’ numeracy and literacy interventions regularly throughout the week with a PSW.

Since returning from the disruption of Covid 19 we implemented a Recovery Curriculum to include wellbeing and social skills, reengaging in more formal sustained periods of academic learning in a staged way. We have now redesigned the curriculum to include more 1:1 interventions following learning from the pandemic.

In 2021- 22 we have organised the classes in the following way: 

  • Two classes- one for pupils with a more prevalent social communication profile and one for pupils with a more attachment, conduct profile; our third class is currently used for 1:1 interventions and for children needing to work shorter or longer term away from the group. 
  • Individual timetables and interventions for all pupils constructed within the integrated multi-disciplinary team framework.

Maths and English

  • These core subjects are taught daily using the carousel system.  English planning can be linked to wider topics where appropriate and relevant. We require teachers to use Hamilton Trust, Solar and the NC in English planning to ensure LOs are meaningful
  • The school uses the Abacus scheme of work for maths. This can be supplemented by other schemes where relevant/helpful. Many teachers also make use of the resources on “Twinkl”.

Topic Based Approach 

Over the course of the pandemic, where many children accessed a blended learning approach, we noticed the benefit for some children on working towards individual topics that were catered towards their own interests.  Since returning to full time onsite learning for all pupils we are working to incorporate this into the curriculum.  

For topic sessions it is important that teachers have an overview of areas covered throughout the year to ensure that children are receiving a balanced curriculum which includes opportunities to learn across different foundation subject areas.  

We acknowledge that motivation to learn and developing learning skills, resilience and positive educational experiences are important for our pupils and topics have proven to be a way to engage pupils who may have previously found this difficult or have experienced disruptions.

Specific curriculum areas:

PHSCE – Due to the primary need for our pupils to develop their SEMH, alongside core academic skills in literacy, numeracy and technology. PHSCE and life skills are the foundation of our approach. In addition to PSHCE lessons daily breakfasts, playtimes and lunch times are adult led focusing explicitly on pupils’ social skills.

The review and reflection time built in at the end of lessons and during playtime for some children is also part of this (see Behaviour Policy).  Whole school circle time, community meeting and committees will also link with PHSCE objectives and principles.

Science is taught twice weekly as practical and theory science sessions and also within the yearly topic cycle to ensure relevance. This year there will be extra emphasis on “working scientifically”.

Technology and ICT is taught in a cross curricular way.  It is used in maths and literacy lessons as well as in Schemes of Work for Science and foundation subjects. There are also specific ICT sessions to teach particular skills

PE is taught in twice weekly lessons following a planned SoW.  Pupils are also involved in decisions around PE activities through the Wellbeing Committee.     

RSE is taught to pupils as part of the PHSCE curriculum with discrete lessons and general principles across the year in line with our RSE policy.

Humanities, Art & Design, Design & Technology, Music, RE are taught in a cross curricular way during topic sessions. We are sometimes involved in local art projects with artists, designers and makers.  RE is also covered in circle times.

Well-being   

These sessions are taught through weekly sessions which follow plans developed by the PSWs who lead on them.  The activities are suggested by the children. These are opportunities for children to take part in activities with are centred around health and fitness, creativity and well-being and self-care. 

Enrichment: 

Children referred to Gloucester House benefit greatly from activities which enrich the curriculum.  Every effort is made to invite visitors to Gloucester House for specific topics, to use external providers for some areas and to include trips and visits in the curriculum, both for the contribution they make to learning and for the contribution they make to social, emotional and behavioural skills.

Therapy: 

Gloucester House is a clinical/therapeutic provision with an integrated clinical CAMHS team. We aim to create a therapeutic milieu both in our day to day work with pupils and as a multi-disciplinary team.

Weekly Whole Team Meetings and Core Teams are a crucial aspect of our integrated approach and are used to discuss individual pupils and wider community Gloucester House issues. 

As well as this, children have their own therapeutic packages which may include: 

  • Psychotherapy 
  • Psycho social nursing interventions, e.g. gardening, cooking , messy play
  • SALT & OT interventions, group work & staff training 
  • Therapeutic groups
  • Family work 
  • Art therapy
  • Diagnostic & medication reviews with a consultant psychiatrist 
  • CYO IAPT interventions for anxiety, low mood, social communication, transition work
  • Parent/carer Work
  • Parent/carer & Child Work

Marking

Marking should:

  • support pupils to their next step
  • assess and inform planning and teaching
  • be part of self and peer assessment

By marking, staff demonstrate to the pupils that their efforts are valued – this gives additional purpose to their work.  If work is left unmarked, the child will not know whether the work is good, bad or indifferent and may lose interest or not produce work of such quality in future.  Parents/carers could also assume that unmarked work has not been looked at.  The Head Teacher and Curriculum Post Holders (CPHs) may assume that unmarked work of poor quality has been passed as acceptable

  • Marking is a crucial part of the teaching and learning process as an assessment tool and a way of identifying next steps

When to mark:

  • at least at the completion of a piece of work;
  • ideally, as the work is in progress with the child

How to Mark

There are times when a piece of work is such that a tick to show that it has been seen is sufficient.  Marking should be clear and specific, self-assessment or teacher marking slips can be used.    

Staff should know what they are marking for – accuracy, neatness, creativity, a specific grammatical point, targets and specific learning outcomes for lessons can guide this.   

  • Peer marking should be one form of marking that is used.
  • The traffic light system is useful as part of self-assessment or marking tool. 

Red – unable to do this

Yellow – needed help

Green – independent / found easy

  • Some mistakes may require written correction or relearning, but this should not be a long repetitive process, and the need for correction should be balanced by positive statements about the child’ efforts wherever possible. 
  • Marking writing – Marking is more helpful when specific. For example marking to the Learning Objective or key points in writing. Green highlighters can be used to highlight particular points of strength in the writing related or unrelated to the objective to encourage and give confidence. A few points can be raised through the yellow highlighter as EBIs (Even Better If). 
  • Abbreviations can be used – VF (verbal feedback); I (independent); M S(medium support); SS (Significant support)
  • It is helpful to offer coaching or marking ‘conferences’ with pupils to talk through your highlighted edits.
  • Pupils should be trained to read over their work either to themselves, to the teacher or to other pupils. Reading one another’s work can support own and each other’s development.  Discussion by pupils of each other’s work on a topic can be a valuable exercise in assisting language development, as well as increasing learning of the particular curriculum area. 
  • Some work will be verbally assessed, e. g.  Art, Music, etc.  Teachers should ensure that comments are constructive, aimed at helping the child attain a higher level and emphasising the good work already being achieved.  
  • Post it notes and photographs should be used by pupils and staff to record and evaluate pieces of work that are not written.
  • Where significant help has been given staff should annotate indicating what help was needed.
  • Pupils can mark own work or each other’s work in pairs, orally or using pencil and paper methods.
  • Some work should be marked offering the pupils specific feedback and providing either ‘next steps’ or ‘EBIs’ (Even Better Ifs). Pupils, support staff or teachers can complete the marking slips.
  • Pupils can be provided with ‘level up’ sheets to help them to know their own next steps and be able to take some responsibility/feel more confident for their own progress.
  • Marking and teaching will emphasise the importance of the editing process.

Homework:

Homework is not a statutory requirement however we do encourage pupils to take work home if they are in preparation for a transition to a new school. We also encourage pupils to take work home on Monday evenings for activity on Tuesday morning when the school is closed to pupils for staff development.  Homework can be made more regularly available to pupils upon parental request.

Assessment, Recording and Reporting (see ARR Policy for more detail). 

 All children are assessed in Maths, English, Science and foundation subjects using Solar.

  • Both summative and formative assessments will be built into mid and short term plans to support these and results used to inform future planning. 
  • Progress is reported to Parents/Carers, Head Teacher and Case Coordinators via Annual Reviews, Annual Reports, termly progress meetings. 
  • All children are assessed during their first 6 – 10 weeks in the form of Baseline Assessments
  • Every year WIAT standardised assessment is carried out for reading, spelling and maths
  • ‘Assessment for Learning’ is an ongoing central tenet to learning and teaching at Gloucester House.

Monitoring / Review: 

Both Deputy Head Teachers, the headteacher, the SIP, members of the Steering Group and the CPHs will monitor the teaching and learning of subjects within Gloucester House through the following methods: 

  • Lesson observations as in Gloucester House’s monitoring timetable – Monitoring of mid and short term planning. 
  • Monitoring of targets. 
  • Monitoring of children’s work. 
  • Monitoring of pupil progress.
  • Monitoring of assessments 
  • Moderation of books/assessments – monitoring of pupils records including electronic files, SOLAR assessments.
  • Monitoring of displays. 

The curriculum is kept under review and development through regular curriculum meetings with the Head Teacher/Deputy Head Teacher/ Curriculum Coordinator Class teachers.  

The wider curriculum is kept under review at SLT (Senior Leadership Team) and WTM (Whole Team Meeting).