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Clarity Independent School
"Refreshed learning that changes lives."
How We Match Our Curriculum to Our Children's Needs Through Our Pastoral Approach
At Clarity Independent School, we deliver an ambitious, high-quality, cumulative education to our children, which prepares them for the next stage of learning and future employment. However, we recognise that today's children are completely unique and like no other generation of children before! Many of the children referred to us by the different Local Authorities, experience significant difficulties managing their feelings and with self-regulation, and this can present their largest barrier to being able to attend school, enter the classroom with peers, and take part in active learning.
The experiences they have held and continue to experience, have meant that it has never been more important than now, to teach children about their feelings, and how to manage them, including building resilience, so that they can become active learners and healthy, successful citizens.
At Clarity, we have embedded learning all about our feelings, into our 5 'Unique Therapeutic Approaches' to our curriculum, based on researched, tried and tested methods of applying nurture and trauma perceptive principles into caring and educating children with social, emotional and mental health challenges.
How do we teach feelings through our Curriculum at Clarity?
We teach identifying, naming, and managing our feelings through
our Unique Therapeutic Curriculum Approaches:
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Sensory education - Using the well-researched Interception and
Zones Of Regulation Programmes to learn about how our bodies
feel when we experience certain emotions.
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Communication and Language - we teach the language of feelings, using pre-teaching and specific one to one wellbeing sessions to build a 'feelings vocabulary' so that children can express and label what they are feeling. "If you can name it, you can tame it!" (Dr Daniel Siegel, Psychologist.)
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Nurture - we look at the roots (possible reasons) behind observed behaviour and use our Early Prognosis Tool (Therapeutic Thinking) to form a personalised, tailor-made response plan, to meet the individual, unique needs of the child. We build strategies into the children's De-escalation Plans, and Therapeutic Plans, so that when strong feelings begin to arise, they are able to follow their well-rehearsed plan, to get to a place of safety, quickly to self-regulate. Each child has nominated safe places, people, strategies and equipment to help them feel safe at these times.
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Focus - When strong feelings arise, it is recognised that logic and reason are not able to be accessed by the person experiencing them. We teach the children how to follow their de-escalation plans in these instances, requiring muscle memory not cognitive thought, so once regulated they can focus on learning again.
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Coordination - We use well-researched, specialist Occupational Therapy strategies embedded into the timetable throughout every day, in addition to specific, individualised exercise plans, to make self-regulation as successful as possible.
You can read more about our 5 strand Therapeutic Approach in our SEND Policy and Accessibility Policy.
A Creative, Flexible, Interest-Driven Curriculum
Our curriculum is creative and flexible to allow for coverage of knowledge and skills gaps within a pupil's prior learning experience, that swiftly progresses them to their age-appropriate levels. It provides a breadth and depth across the curriculum subjects whilst incorporating the interests of the pupils and engaging their enthusiasm. Our teaching approaches include challenging the pupils to be ambitious in their learning, yet understanding their need for gentle reassurance and support.
Using our wholesome Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Environment to develop a healthy self-esteem and feelings of value
We promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development that includes promoting the Fundamental British Values (FBV) of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and respect and tolerance. This is intertwined in all aspects of everyday school life and is at the heart of everything we do.
Well-being is a key part of our curriculum and provision. We promote, encourage and support physical and positive mental well-being amongst our pupils. Pupils are supported to develop independent self-management skills through staff modelling and continual, focussed Well-being Programmes so that they can live long, happy and independent lives.
We endeavour to promote an environment where all of our pupils know that they are valued. We want them to learn to be assertive and ensure that their opinions are heard and valued.
We see Enrichment as an essential part of the curriculum which encompasses a broad range of experiences for pupils to share with their peers, their families and the wider community. Through exciting and memorable experiences, we hope to encourage natural curiosity and a love for learning.
Please find below the information regarding our Curriculum.
Click here to see our Curriculum Overview
Curriculum Statement
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KS1 Curriculum Overview
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KS2 Curriculum Overview
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KS3 Curriculum Overview
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KS4 Curriculum Overview and Qualification Pathways
KS4 Maths Curriculum Map
KS4 English Curriculum Map
KS4 Computing and Essential Digital Skills Curriculum Map
KS4 Science Curriculum Map
KS4 CPSHE + RSE Curriculum Map (Inc/ FBV)
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