An Introduction to the Calder Curriculum
The Calder Curriculum has been designed to meet the needs of our pupils with the most complex emotional wellbeing / behaviours. These are pupils who have been identified as having frequent and intense periods of distress or dysregulation and / or pupils who are not meeting their academic targets due to reasons associated with significant emotional and / or physical wellbeing support needs. They are pupils who are “More Complex learners” and have been identified through monthly interdisciplinary pupil of concern meetings as requiring even “More Personalised Learning” (Imray & Finchcliffe, 2014). They are pupils who require enhanced or enhanced plus provision at Perseid in order to remain sufficiently regulated to access their EHCP outcomes. These pupils require teachers to find varied and different pathways of teaching that best suit the individual.
All pupils will already have an Emotional Well-being Support Plan in place, will be identified as not being able to access the Perseid Curriculum in the usual way.
The Calder Curriculum offers a bespoke needs-led curriculum based on an individual’s preferences and motivations, consists of academically lower demand activities and is devised to maintain an optimum level of arousal. It offers a degree of structure (based upon the knowledge of the pupil), a balance of activities, has clear outcomes, offers some level of challenge (as appropriate to the individual) and has clear boundaries and expectations
The strategy follows a process of key interventions / strategies involving a range of professionals from the existing interdisciplinary team and focuses on developing provision that aims to elicit and maintain an optimum level of arousal and promotes motivation and engagement. The aim of The Calder Curriculum is to support the pupil in being ‘ready to learn’ by providing them with key strategies / skills and experiences that aim to support them to be engaged in their learning. Through this carefully planned research informed curriculum, basic needs can be consistently met and keys skills taught in order to facilitate further learning.
The Calder Curriculum learning primarily focuses on the following 6 key focus areas:
The six focus areas for the Calder Curriculum have been identified as areas that encompass the fundamental skills that our pupils require in order to engage in the learning process and support in their preparation for adulthood
These focus areas link to the pupils EHCP outcomes and are taught through ‘Learning Through…’ activities, that are on offer throughout the day, and discrete subject based lessons timetabled throughout the week. The rationale for the curriculum provision is identified in the medium term planning - intent, implementation and impact.
Wellbeing underpins all the Calder Class curriculum.
