We promote physical activity, emotional and social well-being and healthy lifestyles using an individualised approach that meets the holistic needs of the learner. Pupils are provided with rich and varied opportunities that develop skills as well as foster independence, self-esteem and emotional health. They are also helped to manage risks within a safe and supportive environment. Pupils learn to interact positively and safely, developing themselves as individuals and as part of a team or group, enabling skills such as collaboration and communication. Success is achieved, recognised and celebrated across the school community and beyond.
Learning is meaningful and enjoyable, developing real life skills that are transferable, increasing knowledge and experience. Pupils make healthy life choices with their diet, safety and positive relationships and know how to ask for help and voice opinions. The positive values and attitudes nurtured are the vital foundations for pupil’s life-long and life-wide learning, empowering their citizenship and preparing them for adulthood.
As a Values led school Silverwood has a deep commitment to the personal and social development of all pupils. These shared ideas are inextricably linked to the daily experience of pupils, staff and visitors to Silverwood School. Developing the understanding and skills for being active and productive learners within a community is at the heart of our school curriculum, as we recognise that such development is most successful when those values and attitudes permeate all learning experiences. We believe that each learner will be valued as an individual and will be enabled to develop intellectually, socially and emotionally within a caring, purposeful and flexible framework. In particular, SMSC education support the aims:
-
To recognise and value the qualities, abilities and dignity of each individual;
-
To provide a high quality and appropriate environment in which learners are encouraged to develop to their full potential;
-
To recognise that our learners need significant support, but to encourage the greatest possible independence of thought and action;
-
To promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of each learner.
Cooking begins as a holistic experience where pupils explore using all their senses, through a multi-sensory and immersive approach, building on or establishing their relationship with food. Within this curriculum outcomes are planned which are ambitious and aim to engage and motivate every learner regardless of their age or stage of learning. Opportunities to communicate are embedded throughout the curriculum.
Pupils basic knowledge and practical ability in relation to cooking and Nutrition is a vital life skill. It makes a significant contribution to teaching students ‘how to learn’ by promoting their potential in respect of developing ideas, planning, producing edible products and evaluating them. There are opportunities for pupils to be creative and they are encouraged to express their personal identity and individuality. This curriculum always celebrates diversity through a range of learning experiences.
Pupils are taught to stay safe by following kitchen routines, and are able to identify hazards. Pupils learn to appreciate that we live in an increasingly technological world with regard to the production of food, the way food is cooked and the overall impact of cooking and Nutrition on their daily lives. Sustainability and responding to environmental concerns around ‘food miles’ etc is also explored.
Practical opportunities to consider food for different occasions and managing a food budget and shopping are key life skills that are revisited throughout the curriculum towards independent living.
Life Skills provides an opportunity to learn skills and engage with real life experiences that will be essential for increased independence now and beyond school. Each pupil will be encouraged to achieve the highest level of independence possible and given the time, space and opportunity to initiate active engagement. Learners will be appropriately challenged, supported and celebrated for their achievements at all levels. The life skills curriculum teaches transferable skills that will give learners the opportunity to become an active member of their community and embed their learning in other settings. This will have a positive impact on learners’ lives outside of school and support families to achieve their own ambitions for their children.
Learners will be supported to develop skills that will play a vital role in their life outside of school, at present and in the future. This includes ensuring they have an active role in family life and are able to enjoy a range of meaningful experiences with their friends and family. Additionally, the life skills curriculum helps to provide the foundation for learning, enhance wellbeing and increase the opportunities available to learners after they leave school.
Life Skills will be unique for every learner and will be delivered on an individualised basis throughout the school day. Life skills is taught as a discreet subject but will also be embedded throughout all areas of the Silverwood curriculum in recognition of the fundamental impact this has on quality of life. Life skills will allow all learners the opportunity to self-advocate for their wants, needs and aspirations, achieve greater autonomy and achieve the highest quality of life.
Silverwood School believes outdoor and community learning are a pedagogical approach to delivering our broad and diverse curriculum. Outdoor learning and community is a cross-curricular area and draws from many other parts of the Silverwood curriculum while having the school’s values at its core.
Outdoor Learning and community aims to promote engagement and learning so our pupils can be actively involved in their own learning and develop respect for their environment and local community by allowing them to experience the world around them. Outdoor Learning and community will improve our students' social, mental and physical well-being. By embedding Outdoor and Community Learning in the curriculum we give our students regular opportunities to engage with their local communities, local environment and nature to provide experiential learning opportunities allowing pupils to respond positively to situations, challenges and responsibilities, to manage risk and develop the ability to deal with uncertainty.
Learning outside will provide a wide range of sensory opportunities and will also provide a bridge to higher-order learning while nurturing creativity and providing opportunities for informal learning through play and exploration. Through well-planned and curriculum-linked visits into the community, pupils will develop their independence, have the opportunity to be part of their community and make links to help prepare them for adulthood.
Silverwood’s PSHRSE Curriculum is essential to equip all pupils, whether pre-formal, semi-formal or formal learners, with the essential tools needed for living safe, responsible, independent and happy lives wherein they experience thriving and healthy relationships. There is a clear intent to develop the individual as a whole person through carefully planned, adequately resourced, bespoke lessons, which are tailored to the age and stage of the pupil. Developing pupils’ confidence in communication, decision-making and assertiveness is of great importance when preparing pupils for life in a complex social world. Pupils will engage and show courage whilst being navigated and supported by confident highly skilled teachers. Pupils will explore and develop their understanding of themselves and others as individuals. A whole school emphasis on honesty, respect and safety on and off line are golden threads running through all we do and teach. As a result, pupils will become confident, happy and important members of their immediate and wider communities.
All pupils, no matter their SEND condition, have the right to be sexual beings. It is inexcusable for any child to go through important
life changes/stage unprepared. Children with Special Needs are at increased risk of abuse. It is important that we provided quality scaffolding and support to help safeguard them.
Silverwood School recognises the entitlement of all pupils to receive Relationships and Sex Education, which is current, meaningful and relevant. Silverwood School promotes respect for diversity, promoting our pupils as global citizens. We encourage a sense of compassion and understanding of others, and a deep respect for human worth and dignity. We recognise and respect every member of the school community’s ethnicity, cultural and religious values and sexual orientation. The advance of modern technology brings with it issues of safeguarding and the school will address on-line safety in its various forms.
We are aware that parents need to know what their children will be taught at different ages and communicate and involve parents and communities to communicate clearly the nature of the school’s programme on Sex and relationships. We offer support for parents through our family support workers to ensure that they also feel they can have open and honest communication on these topics with their children.
More specifically, having regard for the uniqueness and special circumstances, all pupils and students have entitlements:
-
to receive information about human development, with facts being presented in an objective, balanced manner, appropriate to the age, stage, level of maturity and learning needs of the individual;
-
to knowledge about sexuality, with a structured framework of learning experiences designed to prevent unnecessary anxiety. This includes learning to communicate about sexuality and the development of appropriate language and vocabulary;
-
to consideration of and specific training for relationships building and socio-sexual behaviour in order to promote greater social confidence; this would include realistic information on responsibilities and expectations of personal relationships;
-
to information, advice and guidelines on inappropriate sexual behaviour (social, legally and culturally unacceptable), and all aspects of exploitation;
Our relationships and sex programme form part of the wider PSHRSE education provision at the school and topics are repeated and re-taught to aid retention of memory and long term understanding.
We have based this SRE curriculum on UNESCO’s | International Technical Guidance on sexuality education, and have adapted this by using documentation from the autism society and Down Syndrome Association with the help of INSIGHTS to ensure that it is relevant for all stage and age ages of our learners at Silverwood School.
Our dynamic PE and Dance curriculum supports all pupil’s health, well-being and fitness, providing vital foundations for life-long activity. Pupils are inspired to fulfil their potential and develop physically, using bespoke and multi- sensory approaches within PE and Dance lessons and across the entire curriculum. All Pupils will have opportunities to experience competition within school and the wider community throughout their Silverwood Journey.
They will develop knowledge, skills and understanding, building their confidence and competence delivered through a varied and inspirational curriculum. Pupils will experience enjoyment and challenge in order to promote independence and cooperation, through activities that reflect and reinforce all of the Silverwood values. Key life skills including leadership, communication, problem solving and teamwork are integral to every child’s PE/Dance experience, and will help to equip them for a healthy, active life.
