Resource Base Curriculum

Transition Curriculum

Throughout our curriculum there is a strong focus on Social and Emotional skills which continues throughout the children’s time at the KV Resource Base. It is the core from which we expand our plans for each subject’s structure.

The Transition Curriculum supports our students as they join us, then grow and change as part of the community. We aim to Build Relationships and Understand the Individual through:

Getting to know you activities.
Play and team work practice.
Quiet time for reflection and processing.
Time for individuals to tell their stories.
Equipping emotional vocabulary to express thoughts and feelings.
Identification and practice using safe spaces and trusted adults.
Sensory introductions to classrooms and other spaces.

Core Curriculum

Children in the KV Resource Base will follow the National Curriculum, with lessons planned by the class teacher and differentiated to an appropriate level for the children in each class. Every day the children are taught;

Subject
English	One text will be explored per term to allow children time to get to know the text whilst producing different text types. Drama techniques will be used to engage the children to relate to the stories. Support to achieve individual writing goals comes from strategies including colourful semantics, cloze passages and personalised success criteria.
Maths	Using Ready to Progress Criteria, children will master each step before progressing to avoid “widening the gap”. Timely assessment will inform planning for the unit. Lessons will follow a Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract process.
Phonics	Phonics lessons (KS1) or Phonics recap (KS2) will be a part of every day. Children who are not at Year Group standard will receive explicit instruction during this time. All children will receive daily 1:1 reading support.
PSHE	Each term, children will address topics that fall in to one of four categories -Physical Health, Mental Health, Keeping Safe or Relationship and Sex Education.
Social Emotional Literacy Skills

Foundation Curriculum

As in the Primary National Curriculum, there will be opportunities to learn;

Science
History
Geography
Computing
Art
DT
Music
PE
RE
French at KS2.

For these Foundation Subjects, teachers will follow the same long-term plans as those followed by children in the mainstream classes. The curriculum subject overviews for these subjects can be found here: Kennet Valley Curriculum

Further to this, children will be provided with a bespoke nurturing curriculum, designed by teachers to meet their SEMH needs. Nurturing opportunities may include gardening, cooking, arts and craft, forest school, drama and other creative arts.

Every child will have a Support and Achievement Plan (SAP) with small-step targets based on needs identified in their EHCP, to help them reach their full potential, both academically and with their SEMH needs. We closely monitor the children’s attainment and progress to ensure targets are being met. If we feel extra support is needed, referrals can be made to other professionals in a timely manner.

Children will also have individual Therapeutic Plans which details their SEMH needs and supports adults in understanding how to help each child to regulate their emotions when necessary. We use ‘Zones of Regulation’ to help children develop skills and strategies to recognise and manage their feelings.

Social skills are a necessary daily learning intention as it is essential for pupils to learn to connect well with others, to build a sense of community, cohesion and belonging and to develop their ability to communicate their thoughts and emotions in a safe environment. We support children with their social skills through specific interventions and daily activities. We encourage the children to build positive relationships with adults and their peers, in the Resource Base and in the wider school community.

Timetables

All children in the Resource Base have an individual timetable, appropriate to their needs and stage of development.

This means the children are clear about what is coming next. When they have finished an activity, the icon is moved to enable a sense of achievement. This reduces anxiety and shows clear expectations.

Every morning we start our day by discussing how we are feeling. This is then repeated after lunch, ready for the afternoon. This is an important part of the day as we can address anxieties before they potentially escalate.