Currently, this pathway supports young people in KS2-4. Progress is monitored carefully and targets are designed to challenge and provide opportunity for progression back into mainstream. Placements on this pathway are always short-term and temporary. The intention is that our support will help pupils return to their mainstream schools in the future, supporting all stakeholders to support pupils with medical needs.
Our pathway aims to work closely with the home school, to offer a co-constructed curriculum, with the clear aim of meeting the educational and emotional needs of each pupil, whilst taking into account their medical needs and treatment plans, where necessary, following specific guidance provided by clinicians on an Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP). We aim to ensure that pupils’ health does not adversely affect their education.
In order to support re-engagement and reintegration with the pupil’s home school, the home school curriculum is implemented for each child through coordinated delivery mechanisms and regular communications between Raedwald and home school. It is therefore expected that home schools will ensure curriculum resources (that will facilitate pupil access) are shared in a timely manner each week.
In the event that home school curriculum is unavailable, specific aspects of the curriculum will be prioritised by Raedwald to ensure that pupils can continue to access examinations and are well-prepared for wider life. This will include a focus on the core academic subjects of Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science and statutory entitlement of RE, the curriculum will be heavily weighted towards delivering PSHE/RSHE and 1:1 Thrive to support their social and emotional development. This interim curriculum is short term and temporary and will be in place for no longer than 6 weeks.
A key aspect of the curriculum identity is the degree of flexibility and extent to which learning is planned and adapted in collaboration with pupils, their families, and the home school.
The curriculum diet and method of delivery will depend on the duration and nature of a pupil’s placement and treatment needs. The ultimate aim is to offer an engaging curriculum created in collaboration with pupils and their home school. The setting will use its best endeavors to minimise any disruption to a pupil’s education and ensure, where possible that the curriculum a pupil receives is in line with that of their peers.
Timetabling will be led by the home school, so that students are able to access lessons based at their home school. The emphasis of all sessions will be tailored to address the therapeutic, social, or emotional needs of the pupils. Regular opportunities to engage in a range of activities designed to support the building of relationships, confidence, emotional resilience, and self-esteem will be offered to pupils. The delivery of the curriculum is dependent on the pupils’ presentation. Timetable variations would be agreed in line with clinicians, home schools and families.
The Medical Needs Pathway uses virtual telepresence information technology, such as the AV1 Robot, to support learners to remain connected with their Home School curriculum; teachers and peers.
For pupils who are on placement with us during GCSE examinations, mainstream schools will make the exam entry and pupils can sit exams in their home school or a transfer arrangement (if all involved believe this would be most suitable for the pupil) can be agreed for them to sit exams at St Christopher’s as an alternative site. If this arrangement is requested, home school would be responsible for this application and any access arrangements.
Reading and the curriculum:
At St Christopher’s we have a strong reading ethos and reading for pleasure is actively promoted and celebrated. Pupils are offered a book on admission, and they are able to access daily reading sessions which focus on the study of a range of texts. For those who need it, phonics is taught using a systematic synthetic phonics programme, such as Fresh Start and Read Write Inc,. School staff and pupils are able to access reading and phonics computing applications.
It is important for pupils to have access to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts, drawing from the RT Readers for Life literature spine and associated lessons. Reading sessions are adapted to match the attainment of pupils and text study focuses on developing the comprehension skills of inference and retrieval. Every effort is made to ensure pupils access texts at an appropriate level.
St Christopher’s Academy offers placements on the Next Steps Pathway and the Engage Pathway.
More information about the Raedwald Trust Pathways can be found here.
Alternatively you can commission student provision under our Traded Services.