Green Pathway Curriculum
Foundational learning at Highfield Littleport Academy
How do we identify students for the Green pathway?
• Students who are suited to the semi-formal pathway require a higher level of adult support for their learning needs, communication and personal care routines. They require sensory stimulation within their curriculum and scaffolds to their learning to aid development. Their learning will still be developmental and focussing on the areas of engagement.
• Learning should be broken down into golden threads which form the foundations for learning. There is some subject specific teaching in Phonics & Reading, Maths and English and there is a strong focus on engagement.
• Students are often working within the lower Pre Key Stage Standards.
• Green learner characteristics include:
• Some functional communication via gesture and eye contact
• Limited engagement
• Emerging levels of attention
Core areas of Learning in the Green Pathway
• The green curriculum has 10 key learning areas as shown below.
• Communication, Language & Literacy
• Story Makers
• Maths
• Wonderful Me
• Healthy Me
• Expressive Artists
• School and Beyond
• Music Maestros
• Natural World
• Independent Investigators
• Communication especially runs through all of the key learning areas and is a fundamental development tool essential to our students on the Green pathway.
• There is a strong focus on engagement within the areas of Exploration, Realisation, Anticipation, Persistence and Initiation. M Body
Core learning areas in the Green Pathway
• Creativity is a key element of our curriculum, which is used as a method to access learning for many of our students on the Green pathway.
• Students encounter sensory experiences through art and music and often use this to predominantly access learning.
• There is a strong focus on engagement recognising how well pupils are being engaged in developing new skills, knowledge, and concepts.
• In addition to the core skills there is a focus on children individual targets ensuring our curriculum pathways are responsive to each learner and builds on individual strengths and unique ways of learning.
The Green Pathway within whole school learning and the wider academy
Students learn according to progressive golden threads which form the foundations of learning and integrate with the other pathways.
Green Pathway Planning – Identifying Next Steps
• Learning is individualized and each student has their EHCP targets at the centre along with Green pathway outcomes to inform next steps.
• The Engagement Model is used as an assessment tool to measure how well learners are engaged in developing new knowledge and skills.
• The curriculum is constructed with foundations for learning built into golden threads which have progressive steps.
• These golden threads which form the foundations for learning are – Communication, Language and Literacy, Maths, Story Makers, Wonderful Me, Healthy Me, Expressive Artists, School and Beyond, Music Maestros and the Natural World. These threads are adapted in accordance to student’s interests.
Green Pathway Teaching Approaches
• Sensory Stories - Sensory stories convey simple narratives using a mixture of text and complimentary sensory experiences. Each section of the story (normally just a short sentence or two in length) is accompanied by a sensory experience to help bring the story to life. For example, in a story where a boat is crossing a sea, water spray may be sprayed. When telling sensory stories, it is good to incorporate all the senses where appropriate so touch, smell, sounds, taste and visual stimuli. Sensory stories are appropriate for all learners in school and enable them to access stories in many different ways rather than just auditory involvement.
• Attention Autism – Attention Autism is an intervention model designed by Gina Davies, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. It aims to develop natural and spontaneous communication through the use of visually based and highly motivating activities.
• Story Massage - Story Massage combines the benefits of agreed positive touch through the use of story, rhyme or song. The programme contains ten simple massage strokes that are easy to learn and can be used in different ways throughout different Story Massage sessions. It supports learning and communication through play and positive touch.
Green Pathway Teaching Approaches
• Sensology - Sensology’s aims are to wake up the five basic senses (see, hear, touch, smell, taste) and also movement related sensory systems: the vestibular (balance, head movements and gravity) and the proprioceptive (body positions, body mapping and planning movements). The senses are stimulated and introduced individually and a familiar song/rhyme is used to cue in the session as well as children looking at themselves in a mirror.
• Identiplay – this is a parallel play model which helps to establish a shared focus on activities and develops early play skills
• Intensive Interaction - This teaches and develops the fundamentals of communication, attainments such as use and understanding of eye contact, facial expression, vocalisation leading to speech and taking turns in conversational exchanges.
Learning opportunities are fortified in every moment of the day including lessons, playtimes, dinner, and trips out in the community including journey time. Social opportunities are maximised and there is a broad exposure to the world around them promoting essential skills for adulthood.
Green Pathway Assessment
• Teachers and teaching assistants assess learning through observations, photo evidence and collection of work. This is recorded through an electronic system Evidence for Learning which enables us to simultaneously assess against individual EHCP targets and the Green pathway framework which is based upon the Equals Semi Formal Framework to use a formative assessment cycle to plan the next steps.
• Progress is evidenced and progress is assessed on a 10 point scale but we recognise that this progress can be over a long period. The assessment information then feeds into regular pupil progress meetings between teachers and senior leaders each half term where we use a RAG system to show students’ progress for curriculum and individual targets.
• We use the Engagement Model to measure small steps of progress prior to securing knowledge and skills. Observations are replicated in different environments to identify what works best for the pupil. Equally, one assessment activity can assess the pupil’s development through more than one of the 5 areas of engagement.
Green Pathway Preparing for Adulthood
• We recognise that as students move into adulthood this is a time for significant change and students need to be prepared for this. Through our curriculum we aim to prepare students for this transition whatever age or ability.
• Learning is embedded within the curriculum but grouped under these four areas:
Independent Living – Feeding and drinking, toileting, real word experiences, cooking, understanding money, moving around independently, transport and road safety, independent living skills, managing time and money.
Community – Social interaction opportunities, team playing, developing friendship groups, staying safe, managing change.
Employment – development of English and Maths skills, real world encounters (fire stations, farms etc), exploring careers, meeting role models, personal interests, practical work experience opportunities.
Health – Development checks, statutory health checks, experiences of body change and development, puberty & sex education, diet and exercise, mental health and wellbeing.
Learning Values and Behaviours
• Our ethos of preparing students for the next step is underpinned by our six key learning values. Each area encompasses qualities we nurture and develop in our students on a daily basis. This varies from identifying the qualities by the adult and recognising this within individuals.
• Independence, Resilience, Thinking, Creativity, Team Work, Kindness
• All of these qualities are utilised in every day life. Through our teaching and learning we identify and practise these values so that students are able to recognise and being to apply them when they leave Highfield.
• Each value has an associated character to aid recognition and association.
Managing Behaviour on the Green Pathway
Here at Highfield Littleport we have a therapeutic approach to behaviour and are trained in Therapeutic Thinking.
We have formulated a behaviour curriculum which is based around our learning values so that we have planned and responsive teaching of behaviour, emotional regulation and emotional literacy appropriate to each learners level.
Green Pathway End Points
Outcomes for learners in the green pathway vary according to the individual progress they make in their time at Highfield Littleport through the curriculum frameworks and against their EHCP outcomes. However all students are entitled to leave with recognised qualifications. We aspire for students to gain qualifications in the following areas:
ASDAN Life Skills Challenge –Maths
ASDAN Life Skills Challenge – English
ASDAN Life Skills Challenge – Functional Communication
Students also have recognition of achievements through the AQA Unit Award Scheme at a level appropriate to their ability.
Green Pathway Transition
Learners in the green pathway are likely to stay on Highfield Littleport roll until the end of the year they are 19, unless there is an alternative placement that would suit the individual's needs better than continuation at Highfield. Accessing LINC 19-25 is an option that can be explored if the individuals needs could be best met there. Discussions on moving on begin at the same time as the learners in the yellow, purple and blue pathways, from at least the year 9 annual review.
Learners will transition on to a variety of placements according to the progress they have made and what provision there is available to move on to. Destinations could be specialist college courses at their local college, accessing a social enterprise, or a combination of both. Learners may move on to social care funded placements, and their EHCP is ceased if that is appropriate for the individual.