The Plus Programme transforms personal and educational outcomes through an outdoor curriculum tailored to the needs, talents and choices of each pupil. The core aim is to develop pupils’ personal development skills, autonomy and inclusion with a view to making these skills transferrable to the pupils’ main / home school, fostering greater success, development and integration outside of Silverwood. Promoting these successful outcomes is at the heart of the programme.
The curriculum is constantly adapting but aims to:
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Happens outdoors in inspiring, supportive learning environments.
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Focusses on the needs, talents and choices of each pupil.
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Enables pupils to make and own their choices, autonomously establish what they can achieve, assess their own risks and take positive control of their life and learning.
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Encourages extrapolation from this to pupils owning their own outcomes in their wider lives.
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Equips pupils with transferable personal development skills essential to engagement with education, society and the fulfilment of each individual’s aspirations.
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Offers pathways suited to the different stages, interests and needs of each pupil.
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Provides qualifications relevant to the pupils’ pathways and choices.
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Utilise forest school, animal care, horticulture, ecology and construction as ways to empower pupils to flourish.
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The curriculum is centred upon the Silverwood and universal positive human values of cooperation, courage, honesty, perseverance, respect and kindness as core extrapolative factors.
Alternative provision packages to engage, prepare and progress vulnerable students and those with SEN in a nurturing, rural, outdoor environment.
At our considerable outdoor provision, forest school and mini farm we strive for students to develop successfully beyond the classroom to develop life skills, enable transition to their next steps or prepare for adulthood. This is achieved through classical forest school learning, animal care, team building, traditional crafts, leadership and sport.
Our fully trained staff are experienced in gleaning the best for students of all needs profiles and would look forward to welcoming you.
All Plus Programme courses allow the students to access the amazing opportunities the outdoor learning environment at Rowde Campus offers and to thrive, learn and reconnect with nature.
Our rurally situated Rowde campus of 20 acres has a fully developed woodland learning environment, bespoke classroom facilities including a teaching yurt and a purpose build outdoor learning centre, plus access to many of the main school facilities.
Our school farm has a number of traditional agricultural livestock animals as well as smaller domestic animals to be worked with as part of the animal care aspects of the course.
We also have a fully equipped walled kitchen garden dating from the 1800s encompassing a Victorian greenhouse which provides the opportunity for developing horticultural experience as part of the program.
We offer three pathways for students depending their needs and key stage.
KS3/ KS4 provision
At secondary level we can cater for KS3 students offering pathways that include the John Muir Award and our own Tree Awards. These providing transitionary qualifications into either our KS4 provision or that of another provider.
Our KS4 qualification pathway offers the chance of achieving the WJEC Level 3 In Preparing for Work and / or the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award in addition to providing the transitionary and life skills for preparation for adulthood and success within the community.
Primary Provision
We also offer a primary pathway centred upon social and life skills in our forest school provision in addition to being a successful transition into our further offers.
“I know she loves the programme and it’s wonderful to hear how much she has grown already in a short space of time. Plus offers her so much.”
Parent
“It’s great because it is fun and I can do things here that I don’t do at my main school.”
Student
“It’s my best part of my week because I can help animals, learn about the woods and learn outside all day.”
Student
“I can’t praise the plus program enough, I look at what my son has done in a day here and it amazes me what he can actually achieve in the right environment.”
Parent
“I like getting to learn in a ‘non school’ classroom.”
Student
“I like coming here because of how nice and kind everyone is, I have made lots of friends and enjoy being with them outside.”
Student
As a bespoke alternative provision we are fully experienced in package costing related to different funding streams per student and would be more than happy to discuss fees or build costings for you.
We can also potentially offer a bespoke satellite provision with mobile facilities that can travel to a school campus or facilities in the local area to reduce travel costs for providers. Please contact us for more details.