Curriculum Overview
Curriculum Overview
At The Meadows School, our curriculum places the child at the centre. It begins with the aims set out in each pupil’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and builds on a deep understanding of what each learner can already do. From this, we identify the targets and skills that will have the most meaningful impact on their lives.
We deliver a broad, rich, and stimulating curriculum that develops communication, confidence, resilience, self-esteem, and independence. These outcomes are underpinned by our school’s Core Values: Communication, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, Growth, and Wellbeing.
Our curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge, skills, and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We aim to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning that lasts beyond school. Pupils are supported to become confident citizens, fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
We define cultural capital as the essential knowledge and experiences pupils need to navigate the world around them and achieve future success. To support this, we provide enrichment opportunities such as educational visits, guest speakers, and immersive real-life experiences, both in and beyond the classroom.
Curriculum Intent
Our intent is to provide high-quality, personalised, and meaningful learning experiences that nurture essential life skills, independence, wellbeing, and success in school and beyond.
We aim to:
- Deliver holistic and individualised learning – recognising each child as unique and adapting teaching to their cognitive and developmental abilities.
- Prepare pupils for adulthood – through independence, self-care, social skills, communication, and emotional resilience.
- Promote community engagement – giving pupils opportunities to apply learning in real-world settings and develop active citizenship.
- Celebrate achievement – recognising academic, personal, and social success so pupils feel confident, motivated, and proud of their progress.
Curriculum Implementation
We achieve our intent through:
- Differentiated teaching approaches tailored to pupils’ communication styles, sensory needs, and EHCP outcomes.
- Pathway-based curriculum models aligned with developmental stages, focusing on engagement, cognition, and life skills.
- Personalised Learning Goals (PLGs) tracked through frameworks such as the Engagement Model and adapted MAPP.
- Embedding life skills across all subjects, with dedicated time for independence, emotional regulation, and functional learning.
- Regular real-world learning experiences, including community visits, enterprise projects, and work-related learning.
- Cross-curricular planning that enables pupils to apply and generalise skills across contexts.
- Celebration of progress in all forms — academic, personal, social, and emotional.
- Student voice and strengths-based approaches that build self-esteem and ownership of learning.
- Ongoing staff development to ensure teaching is high quality, reflective, and aspirational.
Curriculum Impact
We know our curriculum is successful when:
- Pupils make progress towards PLGs linked to EHCP outcomes and curriculum outcomes.
- Learners develop independence and apply life skills in everyday situations.
- Communication and self-expression improve through a range of accessible methods.
- Pupils can generalise learning across school, home, community, and work-related contexts.
- Students are motivated, emotionally regulated, and actively engaged in learning.
- Social interaction and meaningful community engagement are evident.
- Assessment frameworks and pupil voice show consistent progress.
- Diversity, identity, and inclusion are respected and celebrated.
- Pupils achieve positive post-16 destinations, supported by Preparation for Adulthood outcomes.
Our Quality of Education Lead is:
Theodora Papaspyrou
(Deputy Head Teacher)
theodora.papaspyrou@themeadows.sandwell.sch.uk
Click below to access the Curriculum Intent & Aims Summary Poster
