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Curriculum Overview

Our Curriculum Model

Our curriculum is based on an approach which covers the following three areas:

Icon representing knowledge

1. Building Knowledge That Lasts

We focus on giving our pupils knowledge and skills they can remember, use, and apply — not just for exams, but for life.

Each subject area is built around a sequential model of learning, guided by Threshold Concepts — the big ideas that help students make sense of complex topics.

2. The Six Core Values

Our curriculum is a five-year journey shaped by six core values that support both social and academic development.

We look for every opportunity to develop skills enabling progression in being more resilient, communicating more effectively, reflecting more, going beyond borders, working independently and developing a more balanced response to setbacks.

 

Image to illustrate the Six Core Themes

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3. TAB: Teaching Acceptable Behaviour

We use the TAB approach — a relational, restorative, and reflective method for teaching what is acceptable beyond the school's walls.

It enables pupils to feel safe, to make the most of pastoral and therapeutic inputs, and to regulate, relate and reason.

An Inclusive Curriculum 

Our curriculum model above embodies the key elements of an inclusive approach to effectively educating young people with SEN.

In doing so, we are committed to developing young people who can effectively communicate, reflect, are independent, challenge themselves, respond to setbacks well and recover from them.

We deliver our inclusive approach via the following:

Picture of a engineer

Our 6 Core Values

  • Resilience
  • Communication
  • Going beyond borders
  • Reflection
  • Balance
  • Independence

These values are embedded in school and are identified in all subject overviews. They are also outlined in provision overviews, which ensures that they are highlighted in pastoral interventions and day-to-day interactions with pupils.

Academic & Vocational Curriculum

  • At TGS we offer a wide range of national curriculum subjects because we want our pupils to have the same opportunities academically as those in a mainstream school setting. We cannot offer the same number of subjects, but we are committed to teaching subjects (accredited and non-accredited) which prepare them for adulthood, enable them to access post sixteen education and /or employment, gives them increased social and cultural capital and enables them to access, gain and use powerful knowledge.
  • The core subjects we offer are Maths, English, Science, and ICT. All of these are GCSE and/or Functional Skills accredited.
  • The foundation subjects we offer are Art & Design, CDT, PE, Global and Food Technology. All of these are BTEC accredited.
  • The vocational subjects we offer are Motor Vehicle maintenance, Hair & Beauty, Construction, Sport & Leisure. All of these are accredited.
  • We deliver PSHEE and RSE across both key stages.

Our Behaviour Approach

  • At the heart of our behaviour policy are relationships, since they hold the key when helping pupils grow, heal, and self-regulate.

Pastoral Interventions & Enrichment

  • Pastoral care helps to create a safe and nurturing environment to support students to thrive both academically and personally. To break down barriers to learning which will in turn increase attendance, engagement, improve emotional literacy and reduce incidents of challenging behaviour.
  • Our interventions curriculum is designed to augment academic provision and personal development to provide a coherent, relevant, and effective framework for delivering positive pastoral outcomes.
  • We want each of our pupils (all of whom have an EHCP) to progress towards successful outcomes in targeted areas of SEMH. We can enable many of our pupils to use interventions as a springboard to develop the skills to learn in formal settings.
  • We offer a wide range of experiences and challenges that enrich our curriculum. This is to ensure that our students are inspired to learn outside of the classroom and develop the skills required for the world beyond their secondary education. We plan to whet their appetite and develop a love of learning something new which may not necessarily end up being judged by an exam or a piece of coursework.
In essence, we want to continue to strive for excellence in our academic, vocational, pastoral and therapeutic curricula.