Our curriculum encompasses all that we say, teach and learn in the school; it defines the experience of our students and the environment in which they learn. It pervades all aspects of life at school including, importantly, the school’s ethos and environment and its partnerships with parents/carers and the wider community. Provision of a rich, inclusive learning environment where every learner is empowered to progress and achieve is fundamental to the curriculum intent at Belong School Devon.

The curriculum is the whole learning experience offered by the school. How students learn is as important as what they learn. Students are learning all the time and it is our responsibility to optimise learning opportunities throughout the school day.

Our Curriculum Model has two aspects. The curriculum model is designed to be balanced, challenging and relevant. It is also innovative and personalised, built around students’ individual needs and based on their ability and potential and ensures that all statutory curriculum guidance is delivered to all students.

Each student has timetabled lessons and a bespoke individualised curriculum consisting of our core curriculum and including of a wide range of additional activities. These activities and experiences are created and organised based around an individual’s specific EHCP needs and areas for development.

Learning starts as soon as the student arrives at the school site or a Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC) facility. Formal timetabled lessons take place in a range of subjects for all students in groups or individually. Mealtimes and social times contribute towards development of communication, social and interaction skills as well as the wider curriculum.

We believe that every child should be given the opportunity to experience life and lessons beyond the classroom walls as a regular part of growing up. These experiences expand the horizons of young people, opening their eyes to the wonders of areas such as art, heritage, culture, adventure and the natural world. Learning outside the classroom is about raising young people’s achievement through an organised, powerful approach to learning in which direct experience is of prime importance.

We ensure that more young people have access to these life changing educational experiences by providing support on the ground, facilitating the sharing of best practice and promoting the benefits of LOTC in raising attainment and aspirations, reducing truancy and re-motivating those who are disengaged from their education. Meaningful learning occurs through acquiring skills through real life hands-on activities. This is not only about what we learn, but most importantly, how and where we learn. It is about improving young people’s understanding, skills, values, personal and social development and can act as a vehicle to develop young people’s capacity and motivation to learn.

There is a wealth of evidence which clearly demonstrates the benefits for young people’s learning and personal development outside the classroom. Real-world learning brings the benefits of formal and informal education together and reinforces what good educationalists have always known: that the most meaningful learning occurs through acquiring knowledge and skills through real-life, practical or hands-on activities. All students at Belong School Devon have Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC) activities built into their timetables. Our highly personalised provisions mean that these span a range of activities for each student depending upon the areas for development identified for that student. 

Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) is taught within the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. Biological aspects of RSE are taught within the science curriculum, and other aspects are included in religious education (RE) at KS3.

RSE is also a core part of our provision, tailored to meet the need of the individual and forms an essential part of their learning. Students also receive stand-alone sex education sessions delivered by a trained health professional.

RSE focuses on giving young people the information they need to help them develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds including Families, respectful relationships (including friendships), online content and media, being safe and Intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health.

All areas of learning are taught within the context of family life taking care to ensure that there is no stigmatisation of children based on their home circumstances (families can include single parent families, LGBT parents, families headed by grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents/carers amongst other structures) along with reflecting sensitively that some children may have a different structure of support around them (for example: looked after children or young carers).

To find out more about Belong School Devon’s approach to RSE, please see our Relationship and Sex Education policy using the link below.