Curriculum Evolution

Our Curriculum Overview

Our 'Curriculum For All' at Cambridge Park Academy aims to provide rich and exciting opportunities for all students throughout their education. It has been designed and developed to build upon those aspects of education that are important for our pupils and which prepare them for adulthood.

Depending on their individual needs, abilities and aspirations for the next stage of their lives, students follow our Learning Pathways Model which is a highly adapted concept based around the more traditional 3 learning pathways of formal, semi-formal and personalised. Our pathway model encompasses the Fundamentals Curriculum, the Foundations Curriculum and the Functional Curriculum,

We are aware that all students progress and develop at different rates so our adapted curriculum pathways model is fluid and progressive to ensure it meets the learning needs of our students at every point of their learning journey.

Cambridge Park Progressive Pathways Model

Our Vision

“Our vision is to provide a learning journey that enables our pupils to flourish, thrive and belong as unique individuals. We want all of our pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and character to lead an exceptional life"

C – community

develop positive social relationships which are at the heart of our thriving school community.
develop positive links with the local community and promote flexible approaches to learning and social opportunities.
develop a range of skills, empowering our learners to become active members of the community.

A – achievement

provide a broad and balanced curriculum that allows individual learners to achieve.
recognise that each learner is unique and ensure that their individual talents are fostered.
ensure that all learners have opportunities to celebrate success, and are supported to reach their aspirations.

R – respect

provide an environment where everyone is equally valued and feels a sense of belonging.
encourage our learners to develop personal independence and an ability to respect the rights and views of others.
support learners to communicate their feelings and needs, to make appropriate choices and develop positive behaviours.

E – enjoyment

engage our learners in fun, exciting, stimulating learning opportunities.
nurture our learners' confidence and self-esteem by building the skills that allow them to function effectively in their community.
develop our learner's skills to make friends, form social relationships and engage in team work.

Our Curriculum Aims

Our Curriculum is underpinned by four key areas of learning designed to support its learners to become:

ambitious, capable learners, ready to face challenges in life, both at school and the wider world
enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work
ethical, informed citizens of Grimsby, Britain and the world around them
healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

We believe that wherever possible, our pupils should aim for aspirational yet developmentally appropriate curriculum goals supported by high quality and adaptive teaching to support the learning journey!

All of our pupils will be supported to develop as:

Ambitious, capable learners who:

enjoy challenge
build up a body of knowledge and have the skills to connect and apply that knowledge
communicate effectively in different forms and settings
are able to explain the ideas and concepts they are learning about
can use number effectively in different contexts
use digital technologies creatively to communicate, find and analyse information

Enterprising, creative contributors who:

connect and apply their knowledge and skills to create ideas and products
think creatively and enjoy expressing themselves through creative mediums
lead and play different roles in teams effectively and responsibly
express ideas and emotions through different media
give of their energy and skills so that other people will benefit

Ethical, informed citizens who:

find, evaluate and use evidence in forming views
engage with contemporary issues based upon their knowledge and values
understand and exercise their human and democratic responsibilities and rights
understand and consider the impact of their actions when making choices and acting
are knowledgeable about their culture, community, society and the world, now and in the past
respect the needs and rights of others, as a member of a diverse society
show their commitment to the sustainability of the planet

Healthy, confident individuals who:

have secure values and are establishing their spiritual and ethical beliefs
are building their mental and emotional well-being by developing confidence, resilience and empathy
apply knowledge about the impact of diet and exercise on physical and mental health in their daily lives
know how to find the information and support to keep safe and well
confidently engage in physical activity
take measured decisions about lifestyle and manage risk
have the confidence to participate in performance
form positive relationships based upon trust and mutual respect
face and overcome challenge
have the skills and knowledge to manage everyday life as independently as they can

The Functional Curriculum

Our formal learners are those pupils with moderate and other SEND identified needs such as ADHD, Autism and/or speech, language and communication difficulties.

For these pupils, the aim is to provide an adapted version of the National Curriculum which will challenge the Academy’s most able pupils to build on and extend their knowledge in core subject areas and additional subject specific areas.

Support pupils to develop and apply relevant academic knowledge to a wide range of contexts
Support pupils to become confident communicators across a range of settings
Promote personal, social emotional and cultural development
Develop functional adaptive life skills to promote independence
Promote active involvement in community experiences and provide cultural capital
lead to formal qualifications where applicable
support pupils into mainstream post 16 settings
Support learners to develop employability skills via vocational subjects

Aspects of this curriculum pathway use a range of methods and approaches best suited to the pupils’ learning and development needs including:

Focussed formal subject specific lessons for core subjects and other subject specific areas of the curriculum
An adapted National Curriculum offering differentiated learning
Formal lessons with opportunities to apply knowledge across a range of contexts
Experiential and concrete learning opportunities

Pupils’ accessing the more formal aspects of the curriculum are initially assessed using a range of in-house and professional assessments to determine their suitability. This provides the Academy’s most able pupils with a sequenced and aspirational curriculum that stretches their knowledge, understanding and skills.

Pupils’ progress is evaluated using the Academy’s in-house assessment tool which monitors their formal learning against a differentiated version of the National Curriculum. All pupils are expected to achieve formal accreditation in a range of subjects. In addition, the pupils' progress on their personalised outcomes is evaluated against the outcomes set on their Education, Health and Care Plan.

Our curriculum prepares these pupils for the next stage in their education, training and/or future employment.

Our learners will:

Be able to use “sticky knowledge” across a range of contexts and within employment
Achieve formal accreditation in core subjects
Demonstrate positive social relationships, within school, home and the wider community
Show a range of social, communication, interaction and practical skills, empowering them to become active learners and members of their community
Apply academic subject knowledge within functional literacy and numeracy skills
Develop confidence as learners and will celebrate their achievements
Be able to communicate their likes and dislikes, feelings, hopes and aspirations for the future
Have the ability to make friends, make active choices and develop a sense of belonging within the wider community
Engage in safe and healthy lifestyles

The Foundations Curriculum

Our semi-formal learners are those pupils with moderate to severe learning difficulties who may also have overlapping additional needs such as social emotional needs, communication and interaction needs and/or sensory needs.

Our aim is to provide broad, balanced and relevant learning experiences which equip and engage pupils with core subject knowledge, skills and understanding alongside structured, planned learning experiences which address their individual areas of need. Our Foundation's curriculum is underpinned by a reading spine, which drives the themes of learning each half term.

Support pupils to develop and apply relevant academic knowledge to a wide range of contexts
Support pupils to become confident communicators across a range of settings
Promote personal, social emotional and cultural development
Develop functional adaptive life skills to promote independence
Promote active involvement in community experiences and provide cultural capital

Aspects of this curriculum pathway use a range of methods and approaches best suited to the pupils’ learning and development needs including:

Focussed formal subject specific lessons for core subjects
A spiral curriculum that builds on and further develops “sticky knowledge”
A relevant, developmentally appropriate, aspirational thematic approach
Experiential and concrete learning opportunities

Pupils’ accessing the more semi-formal aspects of the curriculum are initially assessed using a range of in-house and professional assessments to determine their suitability. The semi-formal curriculum is comprised of two main elements:

Core subject lessons and topic lessons based on 'Understanding the Wider World'

Individual learning outcomes using personalised learning plans (PLPs)

Pupils’ progress is evaluated using the Academy’s in-house assessment tool which monitors their formal learning against a differentiated version of the National Curriculum. The pupils' progress on their personalised outcomes is evaluated against the outcomes set in their Education, Health and Care Plan.

Our learners will:

Be able to use “sticky knowledge” across a range of contexts
Achieve developmentally appropriate formal learning accreditation in core subjects
Demonstrate positive social relationships, within school, home and the wider community
Show a range of social, communication, interaction and practical skills, empowering them to become active learners and members of their community
Apply life skills and everyday functional literacy and numeracy skills
Develop confidence as learners and will celebrate their achievements
Be able to communicate their likes and dislikes, feelings, hopes and aspirations for the future
Have the ability to make friends, make active choices and develop a sense of belonging within the wider community
Engage in safe and healthy lifestyles

The Fundamentals Curriculum

Our personalised learners are those pupils with severe learning difficulties and complex needs, who need an individualised approach to learning. The pupils would typically have a range of overlapping needs, for example social communication difficulties, attentional difficulties and/or medical needs. The curriculum is available to pupils across all key stages dependent on need.

Our aim of the personalised curriculum is to provide personalised, holistic, broad, balanced and relevant learning experiences which equip and engage pupils with a range of knowledge, skills and understanding.

Support pupils to become confident communicators across a range of settings
Promote personal, social emotional and cultural development
Develop functional adaptive life skills to promote independence
Promote active involvement in community experiences and provide cultural capital

Aspects of this curriculum uses a range of methods and approaches best suited to the pupils learning and development needs including:

Multisensory approaches
Experiential learning
Concrete learning opportunities
Small step learning approaches with opportunities for practise in a range of everyday contexts

Pupils accessing the more personalised curriculum reflects pupils’ specific needs, interests, motivation and aspirations. The starting point for their personalised curriculum is based on the outcomes derived from their Education Health and Care Plans. Following initial assessment, pupils have a Personalised Learning Plan (PLP) which drives all aspects of curriculum delivery. PLPs are updated termly and each student is expected to complete 3 PLP cycles within their Annual Review period on a rolling schedule (this may not always follow the academic year).

We aim to support those pupils who are able to access subject specific lessons in the wider Academy at a developmentally appropriate stage. Decisions to support a student to access the wider school curriculum are based on a range factors, e.g. academic ability, attentional skills, communication skills and being socially and emotionally ready to take next steps

Our learners will:

Develop positive social relationships, within school, home and the wider community
Develop a range of social, communication, interaction and practical skills, empowering them to become active learners and members of their community
Develop life skills and everyday functional literacy and numeracy skills
Develop confidence as learners and will celebrate their achievements
Be able to communicate their likes and dislikes, feelings, hopes and aspirations for the future
Develop skills to make friends, make active choices and develop a sense of belonging within the wider community
Develop safe and healthy lifestyles

CPA Community Values

Whilst children will always sit at the centre of everything we do, we also recognise the value that our parents, carers, staff team and governors contribute to our wider school community.

Our community values are at the forefront of our decision making as we look to build a strong and sustainable culture of mutual respect and belonging for all of our stakeholders.

We expect everyone to:

Communicate openly and honestly
Treat one another with respect, dignity and kindness
Support, signpost and show empathy
Have professional pride in our school
Work effectively as a team
Place the child at the centre of every decision