Whatley Campus Curriculum
What is our intent?
Our goal at Whatley is to help all pupils become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens. We will provide a supportive and nurturing environment for students, following a bespoke curriculum which will take account of individual learning needs. This will be supported by close work with a range of professionals including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, CAMHS, mentors and educational psychologists.
How we implement this
In order to best meet the needs of our students and support current gaps in provision across Merton, we are following a GCSE based curriculum in Key Stage 4 with additional provisions in place for students whose needs may require different pathways. In the lower Key Stages students experience a range of subjects, specialist learning strategies and interventions to support their previous learning journeys and enable them to become an engaged member of the Whatley family. In particular this includes a range of research-led ASC strategies being built in to the school curriculum such as the SPELL framework, the TEACCH approach, zones of regulation and a range of visual supports. Our model progressively builds on routines and transitions as students move through the year groups supporting them to engage in learning and developing key life skills which are important for life beyond education.
Students in Key Stage 2, year 7 and year 8 are based in nurture classes, set up to allow a successful transition from primary to secondary school. Students are based in one classroom with one teacher for the majority of subjects. This is supported with input from specialist teachers across Whatley providing high quality teaching for subjects where specialist equipment and knowledge can increase learning potential, for example in science and food technology. Classes follow a broad curriculum covering key areas from the National Curriculum adapted to meet individual needs. We work with the whole child to help get them ready for their future including GCSEs and beyond. Students build strong relationships creating a family atmosphere where they can grow in confidence and develop their resilience. Teachers and support staff work to develop a deep knowledge of the individual child and use this to support their needs, enabling them to access learning consistently. Working with a range of in-house therapists and outside agencies supports this whole-child approach and ensures the curriculum is not purely academic.
Our three-year Key Stage 4 starts in Year 9 providing a longer period of time for students to absorb specific knowledge linked to their accreditation pathways. This supports many of our students who come to us having experienced inconsistent learning journeys. Students in this Key Stage follow a more mainstream model of education, transitioning between classes and working with specialist teachers. Learning is adapted to meet individual needs and a range of supports and interventions are in place to ensure all students can successfully access a full curriculum. All students complete accreditations in English, maths and science, and have a choice of specialist subjects including PE, food technology, art and computing. (This offer will grow as the school grows.) Students in Key Stage 4 continue to be supported by the therapy team and outside agencies to ensure a consistent offer to all students as we prepare all students for their future lives beyond Whatley.
Afternoons at Whatley consist of a wide variety of Enrichment activities engaging students in experiences related to the National Curriculum and providing opportunities to widen their horizons. These activities include sports activities, arts and crafts, music groups, cooking, gardening, computing, model-making and wellbeing opportunities among many others. On Fridays extra time is allocated to allow students to undertake activities in the local community and go on trips. Within these sessions students integrate with peers from other classes and year groups allowing opportunities for social and communication development.
We are fully committed to a child-centered approach at Whatley and feel that our nurturing model and family environment promote this at every opportunity allowing all students to succeed.