Intent – Implementation – Impact

Bower Grove School is a special school for pupils who have  social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs, autism spectrum conditions (ASC), social communication difficulties,  and associated learning difficulties.  

Curriculum Intent

At Bower Grove School, every pupil follows an engaging, meaningful, and individualised curriculum. Lessons are designed to motivate and inspire, with planning centred on each learner’s needs. Research demonstrates that pupils learn best when learning is connected, practical, cross-curricular, and linked to reality. At each stage, our intent is to equip pupils with skills for their next phase of education and life beyond Bower Grove. Clear progression routes and carefully sequenced content allow pupils to build on prior knowledge and skills. We work closely with parents/carers to balance curriculum access with additional experiences that enhance core skills and talents, such as mainstream inclusion, catch-up programs, extra-curricular activities, pastoral or therapeutic support, or alternative offsite learning.

Pupils join Bower Grove School with their own individual learning needs. The school has taken account of recommendations of the Rochford Review (October 2016) in developing 4 different pathway approaches across the school; Main pathway, IMPACTS pathway, Bower Grove Connected and the Satellite Provision at Westborough Primary School. This approach ensures that each pupil can access a curriculum pathway that enables them to make the very best progress that they can. Pupils can move between the curriculum pathways as they develop and move through the school.  The emphasis is always to provide an accessible curriculum that enables pupils of all ages to develop behaviours for learning and skills for independence.   

Curriculum Impact

At Bower Grove School there are a range of measures used to evaluate the impact of the curriculum across all our learning pathways.   

These include:   

• Progress measures using formative and summative assessment. These are recorded formally using Bower Grove Assessment frameworks on Arbor and discussed with Senior Leaders at pupil progress meetings.  

• Monitoring of pupil well-being and engagement through staff and pupil self-assessment.  

• Deep Dives triangulating curriculum intent, implementation and impact.  

• Reviewing Sleuth behaviour data.   

• Monitoring of EHCP provision plan targets across all four areas of need.  

• Reviewing individual pupil support plans to assess the impact of strategies and interventions.  

• Reviewing attendance data.  

• Pupil surveys.   

• Parent surveys.   

• Observation of pupil engagement and learning during formal and informal lesson observations and learning walks.  

• Transition arrangements for Year 6 pupils attending ASC Satellite at West Borough Primary School.  

• Destination data and follow up calls to pupils, parents/carers to ensure transition to college, apprenticeship or employment has been successful.   

• Feedback from other agencies such as social services, Early Help, College, Employers.  

• Reviewing the impact of Safeguarding referrals, support plans and parental engagement.  

School governors monitor the effectiveness of our school curriculum. The Governors Pupil Development Committee are responsible for curriculum monitoring and take responsibility for different subjects and areas of the curriculum holding subject leaders and school leadership team to account.  

Curriculum Aims

Our curriculum aims to:

• Ensure pupils have the necessary behaviours for learning to enable them to access the curriculum.  

• Maximise pupil’s engagement by providing motivating and relevant learning opportunities.  

• Support outstanding progress across all areas of learning.  

• Ensure that all pupils have access to a broad, balanced, challenging curriculum based on the National Curriculum.   

• Adopt a personalised approach that allows staff to plan in response to a pupil’s individual needs and interests and consider any barriers to learning.  

• Promote pupils spiritual, moral, social, cultural and physical development in order to become responsible and respectful citizens.  

• Equip our pupils with an understanding of respect for Fundamental British Values.  

• Clearly identify progression pathways for children in Year 9 and above, including access to Further Education, vocational courses and work-related learning.  

• Provide pupils with access to accredited courses at Key Stage 4.  

• Develop independence and life skills through experience and activities such as cooking, travel training, residentials, work experience and the Aspire programme.  

• Prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experience of adult life to ensure they are well-placed to make a positive contribution to life beyond school.  

• Monitor and assess pupils progress for the purpose of ensuring outstanding outcomes for all.  

• Engage pupils in understanding how they make improved progress through Assessment for Learning.  

Research demonstrates that pupils learn best when learning is connected, practical, cross-curricular and linked to reality. At each stage of our curriculum, our intent is to equip our pupils with skills for the next stage of their education and beyond.

Curriculum Implementation

How We Measure Impact 

These include:   

• Progress measures using formative and summative assessment. These are recorded formally using Arbor. 

• Senior Leaders/Curriculum leaders work scrutiny 

• Monitoring of pupil well-being and engagement using the Leuven Scale 

• Monitoring the impact of Social, Emotional and Mental Health Interventions  

• Reviewing Sleuth reports of behaviour data 

• Monitoring of EHCP provision plan targets and trackers 

• Reviewing individual pupil safety plans to assess the impact of strategies and interventions 

• Reviewing pupil attendance data 

• Pupil surveys (for pupil voice) 

• Parent surveys 

• Parental feedback at EHCP reviews – completion of Section A form 

• Observation of pupil engagement during regular drop-ins, lesson observations and learning walks 

• Assessing the impact of transitions on pupil well-being at the start of the new academic year or following a change in class. 

• Destination data and follow-up calls to pupils, parents and carers to ensure post-16 transition to college, apprenticeship or employment has been successful. 

• Transition arrangements for year 6 pupils attending the Satellite at West Borough Primary School. 

• Feedback from other agencies such as social services, Early Help, local colleges and employers. 

• Reviewing the impact of safeguarding referrals and parental support and engagement.