Curriculum

Pear Tree prides itself on having developed a curriculum that meets the extremely individual needs of all of our pupils. As the needs of our pupils is ever changing, so too is our curriculum, ensuring that we continue to strive towards our whole school community achieving the very best we can in everything we do. Our recent Ofsted report noted that “Leaders and managers have skilfully managed the evolution of a curriculum that inspires learning and supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development outstandingly well.”

If you require any further information about our curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact either your child’s class teacher or our curriculum lead and deputy headteacher, Rebecca Warnock.

Pear Tree School prides itself on providing a highly personalised curriculum to meet the unique needs of all learners, enabling everyone within our whole school community to achieve the best they can in everything they do. The learner is always kept at the centre of the teaching and learning process. It is not for the learner to change to meet the demands of the curriculum but for experienced and skilled practitioners to provide a flexible and responsive curriculum that meets the very individual needs of each learner.

Our whole school curriculum intends to…

• Enable every learner and member of our whole school community to achieve the bets they can in everything they do;
• Meet the very individual educational, health and care needs of all learners;
• Be inclusive of all learners;
• Ensure barriers to learning are removed;
• Develop skills for learning;
• Develop communication;
• Promote independence;
• Develop a love of learning and inquisitive mind;
• Expand learner’s Cultural Capital;
• Value and appreciate diversity;
• Foster an understanding and appreciation of Fundamental British Values;
• Challenge all learners;
• Be engaging and exciting;
• Develop self esteem and self worth;
• Ensure that all learners, no matter what stage of learning they are at, can and are making progress;
• Allow teachers and learners to take risks;
• Foster a growth mindset;
• Develop resilience and support emotional wellbeing and mental health;
• Prepare learners for each transition of their school life and for adulthood;
• To prepare and equip learners with skills to become valuable citizens within their community.

Our curriculum will never be an end product; it is constantly evolving to meet the needs of learners and to ensure that we offer the best curriculum for all. 

Please click on the links below to view the Intents of all of our curriculum areas:

Intent of the Literacy Curriculum

Intent of the Computing Curriculum

Intent of the MADD Curriculum

Intent of the Humanities Curriculum

Intent of the Science Curriculum

Intent of the Multi-Sensory Impairment Curriculum

Intent of the DT Curriculum

Our Early Years class follows the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. Teaching and learning focuses on the Prime Areas of Learning and Characteristics of Learning initially with a gradual shift to include the Specific areas of learning as children become ready. Learning is centred around child initiated and child led play with planned opportunities for focused, adult directed learning. The Early Years team plan weekly to take into account the interests and achievements of children.

Please click on the link below for more information on our EYFS curriculum.

EYFS Curriculum Document

Our curriculum aims to meet the very individual educational, health and care needs of all of our children and young people. The child/young person is kept at the centre of the teaching and learning process. It is not for the child to change to meet the demands of the curriculum but for experienced and skilled practitioners to provide a flexible and responsive curriculum that meets the very individual needs of each pupil. Adults are the facilitators of learning and it is key that all agencies work together in an integrated way to maximise the learning opportunities.

Our children and young people fall broadly into three categories of learning need and the curriculums have been developed to reflect these needs. Please click on the following links for more information on our curriculums.

Pre-Formal Curriculum Document

Semi-Formal Curriculum Document

Formal Curriculum Document

The post 16 curriculum is bespoke to meeting the individual needs of each student and their transition into adulthood. Each student has a personalised timetable centred around the options that they have elected to take for the academic year and as part of this, access courses at local colleges within their chosen vocational areas. All learners participate in learning about the world of work with formal work placements being provided to meet individualised needs and aspirations of those that this is appropriate for.

Alongside the Sixth Form curriculum, our learners may also need specialist provision in physio, OT, hydrotherapy, sensory integration, communication, rebound therapy and sensory learning. Within the Sixth Form we continue to adopt a multi-agency approach to meeting the teaching and learning needs of our learners.

Curriculum Focus

The curriculum is designed to prepare each learner for adulthood.  The personalised curriculum is responsive to the needs of each student and changes at the start of the academic year based on the vocational options that students make. 

The Sixth Form curriculum places an emphasis on independence and preparation for adulthood by developing skills for:  

• Employment and future options
• Healthy lifestyle
• Being a part of the community
• Life at home

Please click on the following link for more information on our Sixth Form Curriculum.

Sixth Form Curriculum Document

Our Compass Centre Curriculum is bespoke for each individual learner. Our Compass Centre pupils have extremely complex learning needs and barriers to learning. They need a personalised timetable that focuses primarily on the following areas:

• Communication
• Emotional Regulation
• Sensory Regulation
• Social Interaction
• Behaviour for Learning
• Functional Skills

Please click on the following link for more information on our Compass Centre Curriculum.

Compass Centre Curriculum Document

To view the latest curriculum mapping documents for individual curriculum areas, please click on the links below and download the relevant documents.

16-19 Study Programme

Curriculum Mapping -Art

Curriculum Mapping – PE

Curriculum Mapping – RE

Curriculum Mapping – History

Curriculum Mapping – Geography

Curriculum Mapping – Numeracy

Curriculum Mapping – PSHE, Citizenship and SEAL

Curriculum Mapping – 14-19 Delivery Model

Curriculum Mapping – Design Technology

Curriculum Mapping – Science

Curriculum Mapping – Modern Foreign Languages

Curriculum Mapping – Computing

Curriculum Mapping – Literacy

Throughout school, the emphasis is placed firmly upon maximising opportunities for every pupil so that each child accesses the National Curriculum at an appropriate level and that they have access to a much wider curriculum that meets their very individual needs.

Our wider curriculum reflects the diversity of needs of our pupils and is flexible so as to adapt to any changing needs of individuals. As a forward thinking school, we are always looking for ways to improve and extend our wider curriculum to ensure we meet the needs of our pupils. Our wider curriculum at present comprises of:

Sensory learning

Sensory integration

Rebound therapy

Aquatic curriculum

Swimming

Hydrotherapy

Postural management

Care plans

Physiotherapy

Inclusion with local mainstream primary schools, secondary schools and colleges.

Inclusion links with other special schools

College link courses

Work experience

Developing life skills in the community

Theme weeks/days

Learning for leisure e.g. outward bound courses, bowling, cinema, restaurant visits

Aesthetic and creative experiences e.g. performers, artists, shows, musicians

Residential school visits

School trips/holidays

Our careers curriculum programme is bespoke and highly individualised for each student and is tailored around individual need and requirements. In order to offer the highest quality careers guidance and provision for our students we have used the eight Gatsby Benchmarks as a framework. For more information on our careers programme, please click on the link below:

Curriculum programme and policy

Our Careers Programme Lead, Alex Haley, and our Careers Advisor, Anne Wallis, are happy to provide any more information on our careers programme on request. Please contact school if you would like to speak to one of them.