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Emerald Lodge

Ethos

Becton School will provide relevant teaching in line with the National Curriculum for pupils appropriate to both their emotional and educational situation. The curriculum is delivered by highly experienced and qualified teachers who are supported by a team of Teaching Assistants, Higher Level Teaching Assistants and Learning Mentors; this enables us to offer a high level of support to the young people. Alongside the subject sessions, there are therapeutic sessions such as Occupational Therapy, Art Therapy, Drama Therapy and other group therapies, such as group talking therapies for example. 

Upon admission, information will be sought from the young person’s mainstream placement regarding the prior attainment, attendance and targets. Education and Healthcare Plans and Individual Education Plans will be requested where in place. It is essential that all involved parties work in partnership in order to provide the best continuity of education and support for each pupil.

Each young person has a personalised individual learning programme designed in conjunction with them in order to address their academic needs whilst supporting their social and emotional wellbeing.

Educational Needs and Disability

The school is committed to meeting the educational needs of all pupils and children in our care. Therefore, the special educational needs of each individual are taken into consideration in the planning and differentiation of the curriculum, with due regard to existing Education, Health and Care Plans and any subsequent IEPs. If you have any specific issues about your child’s learning, please contact Mr. Jason Golden, SENCO.

For more information regarding the curriculum content of the subject-specific lessons, please see below.

Please note that the content offered to students may differ from the main plan below if specific gaps in learning are identified or if the student's host school has previously covered this material. In these cases, bespoke plans may then be put in place. 

Sample Timetable

English

Focus of schemes

The KS3 schemes scaffold students towards these same core skills of identification, comprehension, inference, synthesis and evaluation, as well as creative writing techniques and enjoying the pleasure of language. Use of historical context in analysis is focused on more at KS3. 

Autumn 1

Myth and Legend

  • Character
  • Narrative Structure
  • Themes
  • Setting
  • Creative writing
Autumn 2

Celebrations

  • Connotation
  • Analysis
  • Debate
  • Poetry
  • Non-Fiction leaflets
  • Characters in fiction
  • Context
  • Comparison
Spring 1

Poetry

  • Connotation
  • Author intention
  • Sonnet
  • Comparison
  • Composing
  • Focus on marginalised writers
Spring 2

Gothic Fiction

  • Genre
  • Short stories
  • Setting
  • Tropes
  • Themes
  • Use of language
  • Sentence structure
  • Character types
Summer 1

Persuasive Writing (Debate/Speaking & Listening)

  • Persuasive techniques
  • Speeches
  • Charity leaflets
  • Word and sentence variation
  • Creative writing
  • Argument, opposition
Summer 2

Film and Narrative

  • Media glossary
  • Camera angle
  • Director intent
  • Descriptive writing
  • Audience response
  • ‘Shorts’ evaluation
  • Film reviews

Maths

Our approach is to enhance pupils' enjoyment of maths by working to ensure they experience success. For pupils who have missed time in school or who have struggled to make progress, this may mean spending more time building up their knowledge of number facts and methods, with structured practice to help with long term retention. Pupils who are already more confident also spend time learning strategies to apply to problems and recognising when a particular strategy is required. 

Although pupils join us at different points, we structure the school year to provide the possibility for progression and some clarity for pupils as to what to expect and what they might have missed. 

We follow a KS3 plan from the National Curriculum using resources from MathsWatch, MyMaths, PixiMaths and WhiteRose Maths. The main aim of these lessons is re-engagement aimed at increasing confidence and 'filling in gaps' often from long periods away from education.

Autumn 1

Algebra

  • Solve one and two-step equations and inequalities
  • Solve one and two-step equations and inequalities with brackets
  • Inequalities with negative numbers
  • Solve equations with unknowns on both sides
  • Solve inequalities with unknowns on both sides
  • Equations and inequalities in other mathematical contexts
  • Formulae and equations
  • Rearrange formulae (one-step)
  • Rearrange formulae (two-step)
  • Rearrange complex formulae (Higher)
Autumn 2

Geometry

  • Know names of 2-D and 3-D shapes
  • Recognise prisms
  • Accurate nets of cuboids and 3-D shapes
  • Sketch and recognise nets of cuboids and other 3-D shapes
  • Plans and elevations
  • Find area of 2-D shapes
  • Surface area of cubes and cuboids
  • Surface area of triangular prisms
  • Surface area of a cylinder
  • Volume of cubes and cuboids
  • Volume of other 3-D shapes
  • Explore volumes of cones, pyramids and spheres (Higher)
Spring 1

Numbers 

  • Integers, real and rational numbers
  • Understand and use surds (Higher)
  • Work with directed number
  • Solve problems with integers
  • Solve problems with decimals
  • HCF and LCM
  • Adding and subtracting fractions
  • Multiplying and dividing fractions
  • Solve problems with fractions
  • Numbers in standard form
Spring 2

Geometry

  • Identify the order of rotational symmetry of a shape
  • Compare and contrast rotational symmetry with lines of symmetry
  • Rotate a shape about a point on a shape
  • Rotate a shape about a point not on a shape
  • Translate points and shapes by a given vector
  • Compare rotation and reflection of shapes
  • Find the result of a series of transformations (Higher)
Summer 1

Ratio and Proportion

  • Solve problems with direct proportion
  • Direct proportion and conversion graphs
  • Solve problems with inverse proportion
  • Graphs of inverse relationships (Higher)
  • Solve ratio problems given the whole or a part
  • Solve 'best buy' problems
  • Solve problems ratio and algebra (Higher)
Summer 2

Probability and Data

  • Single event probability
  • Relative frequency
  • Expected outcomes
  • Independent events
  • Use tree diagrams (Higher)
  • Use tree diagrams to solve 'without replacement' problems (Higher)
  • Use diagrams to work out probabilities 

Science

Curriculum Aim

In Science, our aim is to enhance pupils' enjoyment of the Sciences. Our curriculum at KS3 follows the National Curriculum and is taught in an engaging and interactive way, making the learning fun and ensuring that pupils experience success. We structure the lessons so that they are representative of learning in the pupil’s home school and support pupils to gain both the theory and practical skills that they need to succeed in the subject.

Curriculum Purpose

Our pupils join us at different points of the year and with different gaps in knowledge. Because of this, we teach core scientific principles essential for future scientific success. Over time, we can then understand a pupil's strengths and gaps in knowledge, and educate them based on their individual needs. Teaching around these core scientific principles allows us to stretch pupils' understanding and increase their cumulative science knowledge. We also engage pupils with practical activities, and it is usually possible for students to pick a science topic to study if they are interested in it.

When appropriate, we are also able to work with a pupil’s home school to mirror the topics they are covering, and prepare students for a smooth transition back to their home school.

Exemplar of Key Principles Taught:

Term Content Practical activities

Term 1

Understanding cells (Biology)

The particle model (Chemistry)

Forces (Physics)

Using microscopes

Investigating how water particles behave

Using Newton meters

Term 2

Elements (Chemistry)

Sounds (Physics)

Moving and breathing (Biology)

Simple chemical reactions

Making and drawing sounds

Creating model lungs and arms 

Social, Moral and Spiritual Education

The school functions within a community that provides a framework for adolescents to explore social, moral and cultural issues.  For most of the pupils who attend Becton, life experiences may have rendered them increasingly isolated both at home and at school.  It is within this context that the pupils at Becton are given the structure to look at issues pertaining to themselves, their family and friends, and the wider community.

RSE and PHSE

All Becton students are taught using a spiral curriculum approach, which is a curriculum that returns to the same topics over time. All lessons are aligned to the National Curriculum.

 The spiral approach to curriculum has three key principles. The three principles are:

  1. Cyclical: Students should return to the same topic several times throughout their school career;
  2. Increasing Depth: Each time a student returns to the topic it should be learned at a deeper level and explore more complexity;
  3. Prior Knowledge: A student’s prior knowledge should be utilised when a topic is returned to so that they build from their foundations rather than starting anew.

The curriculum approach uses 5 levels of skills across 3 different areas:

  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Living in the Wider World
  • Relationships

Staff will benchmark students on entry and will choose a level and subject according to the specific, bespoke needs of the students at that time. The choices will be made with liaison with the wider multidisciplinary team.

 

Humanities

The modules and content have been developed with reference to the National Curriculum guidance.  Topics have been identified to provide some degree of familiarity and to act as a vehicle for the delivery of the overreaching objectives.

Staff will benchmark students on entry and will choose a subject according to the specific, bespoke needs of the students at that time.

Autumn 1

One from:

  • RMS Titanic.
  • Jack the Ripper.
  • Winston Churchill.
  • The Black Plague.
  • Women and the Vote.
  • Natural Hazards.
  • Where appropriate, content provided by the mainstream school to support reintegration.
Autumn 2

One from:

  • RMS Titanic.
  • Jack the Ripper.
  • Winston Churchill.
  • The Black Plague.
  • Women and the Vote.
  • Natural Hazards.
  • Where appropriate, content provided by the mainstream school to support reintegration.
Spring 1

One from:

  • RMS Titanic.
  • Jack the Ripper.
  • Winston Churchill.
  • The Black Plague.
  • Women and the Vote.
  • Natural Hazards.
  • Where appropriate, content provided by the mainstream school to support reintegration.
Spring 2

One from:

  • RMS Titanic.
  • Jack the Ripper.
  • Winston Churchill.
  • The Black Plague.
  • Women and the Vote.
  • Natural Hazards.
  • Where appropriate, content provided by the mainstream school to support reintegration.
Summer 1

One from:

  • RMS Titanic.
  • Jack the Ripper.
  • Winston Churchill.
  • The Black Plague.
  • Women and the Vote.
  • Natural Hazards.
  • Where appropriate, content provided by the mainstream school to support reintegration.
Summer 2

One from:

  • RMS Titanic.
  • Jack the Ripper.
  • Winston Churchill.
  • The Black Plague.
  • Women and the Vote.
  • Natural Hazards.
  • Where appropriate, content provided by the mainstream school to support reintegration.

CEIAG - Careers Education Information advice and Guidance

The Becton School curriculum has a rolling programme that contains elements of the Gatsby Benchmark.  This involves session around ‘Enterprise’, progression routes, personal development, career research and presentation skills. In addition all pupils who are at a stage in their education where they may make a transition from school to college or sixth form have an individual session with the school’s personal adviser.  This is used to assess the need for further specific individual information, advice and guidance.

If you have any enquiries regarding your child’s access to CEIAG, or require individual additional advice regarding progression routes, please contact Tracey Curtis (Becton School) for further information.