Curriculum Overview

Our Curriculum Overview

Our curriculum 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.

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

A curriculum for all

All of our pupils follow a progressive pathway based on a range of assessments which are taken both on entry to the Academy and as part of an ongoing process. This allows them to access a bespoke curriculum based on their individual learning needs. We acknowledge that pupils’ needs and progression rates may change over time so our unique pathway is accessible to all pupils on a needs basis, allowing us to provide an engaging and developmentally appropriate curriculum at each stage of learning.

Our curriculum provides pupils with opportunities to develop core skills, extend their subject knowledge and to practice, generalise and apply these skills in real life and practical situations. For all pupils we will enable them to gain external accreditation of their learning at a level and in subject areas that are appropriate for them and which will prepare them for the next stage in their lives.

Formal Learners

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

"Semi-Formal" Learners

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.

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 formal, differentiated learning

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 on 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

"Personalised" Learners

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

Our Environmental Curriculum

The learning journey for our pupils sits not just with the academic but also way beyond the confines of classroom walls - we want our children to take an active role in regenerating our own green spaces and enjoying the wider world of wildlife around them.

From creating sensory gardens and spaces for quieter reflection through to areas that support local wildlife such as a bee and butterfly gardens, pupils are being involved from the planning stages through to creation.

Our intention is to make areas of our school grounds greener and wilder so lessons and learning can take place outdoors in beautiful and meaningful environments. Forging new links with external agencies and a unique partnership with Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust will see our pupils embark upon an incredibly exciting environmental journey!

Learning and playing outside is critical for our pupils, many of our families do not or simply cannot get the opportunity to play outside or visit wild spaces. Our Environmental Curriculum encourage nature to visit US so all the benefits to physical and mental health can be enjoyed as our pupils become closer to nature.

Our aim is to get children actively involved and have the opportunity to practice those personal and social development skills that come from being part of being part of a team. It links a love and learning of the environment with areas of science, geography. PHSE and RE whilst also allowing pupils to find things that interest them and further explore those ideas within a meaningful context.

Environment Studies at Cambridge Park Academy is now embedded into the learning journey – we are passionate in our belief that this curriculum will make a developmental difference in many ways to so many of our pupils.

Research shows us that for children with additional needs, spending quality time outdoors can help improve concentration levels, develop social skills and encourage independent exploration. We believe it is more than this, learning about our planet and what we can do to make a difference is critical in understanding a stronger sense of the world around us. Creating lifelong learning habits around recycling and supporting the natural environment will become embedded within our curriculum and as part of the wider school culture.

Learning for some pupils will lead to an accreditation, however, the focus is not on accreditation but rather the skills and knowledge that pupils will learn including being part of a working team, building positive relationships and nurturing a love for the natural world.

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

Curriculum Design

Students follow the Learning Pathways based on a range of assessments both on entry to the Academy and as part of an ongoing process, this in turn allows them to access a bespoke curriculum based on their individual learning needs. We acknowledge that pupils’ needs and progression rate may change over time so each pathway is accessible to all students on a needs basis, allowing the Academy to provide an engaging developmentally appropriate curriculum at each stage of learning.

Each step of the pathway provides pupils with opportunities to develop core skills, extend their subject knowledge and to practice, generalise and apply these skills in real life and practical situations. For all pupils we will enable them to gain external accreditation of their learning at a level and in subject areas that are appropriate for them and which will prepare them for the next stage in their lives.

The early years and primary curriculum flow into our secondary department to ensure smooth transitions and familiarity. At Key Stage Three and Four groups are taught by the class teacher for the majority of their subjects and gradually introduced to moving around the school with different staff and subjects as part of their transition to our Key Stage Four Curriculum. At Key Stage Four many of our students will follow an award curriculum including entry level English and maths, these may include a variety of awards chosen to suit our students whilst still offering challenge and engagement.

Subject areas generally follow a two or three year rolling programme and include a significant variety of exciting creative themes. We deliver our curriculum in a varied way to ensure pupils remember, make links, make predictions, plan ,think creatively, problem solve, show understanding and evaluate their learning.

Pupils re-visit learning and topics engaging in more challenging learning outcomes. This process ensures progression and embeds learning through repetition giving a real in-depth ‘mastery’ of understanding allowing generalisation which is a crucial skill for all of our pupils.

Curriculum Aims

The Curriculum is divided into four areas of learning:

The aim of our curriculum is 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
healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

All our children and young people 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

Using these four areas we ensure our students have access to a bespoke curriculum that prepares them for future life as part of Cambridge Park Academy and the wider world in which they live.

The curriculum can be seen as a journey that starts in early years and flows through to our 6^th form provision. The curriculum is planned as a continuous journey to ensure students develop and progress at each stage.

Ambitious – English Maths, science

Enterprising - ICT, Art, design, music, drama

Ethical - History, Geography, RE PHSE

Healthy, PE, Food, PHSE - outdoor learning and social skills.

If you wish to learn more about our curriculum please feel free to contact us.