Curriculum Statement and Organisation

We believe that each pupil has the right to learn within an environment that is caring, supportive, stimulating, enjoyable, age-appropriate and challenging. We aim to provide a rich, deep and demanding curriculum at levels appropriate to the developmental understanding of our students. It is the outcome of ongoing work at Mapledown, as the school has evolved over the years and is now catering for young people in Barnet with a wider range of needs. Our new curriculum was launched in 2021. Our aim as staff is to create highly personalised learning programmes so that pupils can excel, and as leaders and school staff, to keep the curriculum under constant review so that it continues to meet the needs of all pupils and celebrates all achievements.

The curriculum is designed to encourage pupils to be active participants in their learning, enabling them to achieve their potential and make progress by expressing preferences, communicating needs, making choices and choosing options that other people act on and respect. Pupils’ medical, physical and care needs are incorporated into their individual educational plans. The school has developed topic plans and schemes of work for each curriculum area, organised into four distinct pathways. There are links to the AQA Unit Awards Scheme as appropriate.

As our learners move through the school, and start their Post-16 journey, they are offered more vocationally-based opportunities, with an emphasis on Work Related Learning, access to Enterprise opportunities and links with local colleges and the local community. Alongside this, communication, functional literacy, numeracy and computing skills continue to be taught.

Our classes are organised in order that the environment and delivery of the curriculum meets the needs of the pupils as effectively as possible. They are grouped into learning needs areas (Learning Zones). The staff working in each area are trained in this area of specialism.

Learning Zone 1:

Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD - main site and @Whitefield Satellite)

Learning Zone 2:

Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC - main site and @Whitefield Satellite)

Learning Zone 3:

Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD - main site)

LZ4 - Mapledown@Copthall

More independent learners requiring a less specialist setting.