Our Curriculum
Our person centred curriculum is built around the individual. Our students have their own bespoke route through a play-based curriculum at KS1, three curriculum pathways at key stages 2-3 and preparing for adulthood curriculum from post 14 onwards. The development of life skills and future aspirations is a key learning objective throughout all years and is supported by a robust careers programme specially designed for SLD learners. We recognise the other features that develop rounded young people and have a special character curriculum that aims to develop our young people’s self-esteem, resilience and social skills, this is delivered through our house teams competitions that encourage students to work together to achieve points by learning about themes such as anti-bullying, charity and kindness. These are carefully linked to our Aurora values.
We are aspirational that students gain some form of formal accreditation inclusive of the Duke of Edinburgh award, functional skills, work skills and aspirational subjects such as horse riding and gardening. We make use of strategies that are appropriate to the individual. These may include, Sensory Integration, Intensive Interaction, TEACCH and Attention Autism teaching strategies to support our students.
We provide an integrated therapy approach, which is led by an experienced and comprehensive on site therapy team which includes Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapist, and Occupational Therapist. We have weekly Music therapist and Pet therapist provision.
Development of each student’s communication and self-regulation are a significant focus of support. In addition to students with traditional verbal abilities we support students who are non-verbal, pre-verbal and developing their verbal skills. We use a range of communication systems including Makaton signing, TaSSels, Symbols, switches, low and high-tech devices, such as eye gaze technology and communication books.
We have a high staff to student ratio and classes are small and personal – we know each of our students’ needs and potential and are able to employ the best strategies to support them in preparation for adulthood.
Classes are grouped according to students’ communication needs, academic levels and potential and sensory needs, cognitive understanding and compatibility. Age is taken into consideration within regard to age appropriate curriculum and resources.
