Blue Pathway Booklet

The Blue Pathway Curriculum

An individualised, sensory curriculum helping learners encounter and experience the world around them

Curriculum overview Our Blue Pathway is pre-formal and aimed at learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Learners on the Blue Pathway require a high level of adult support for their learning, communication, personal care and health needs. Learners on the Blue Pathway learn through sensory experiences and progress may be in very small steps. Progress on this pathway is assessed against each individual’s EHCP outcomes, and progress towards engagement measures.

Blue pathway aspirations and values Learners on the Blue Pathway are sensory learners who require personalised learning and planned activities specifically focussed around each pupil’s EHCP outcomes. The environment in our Blue classes is nurturing, stimulating and supportive in order to promote confidence and exploration.

Once past school age, learners on the Blue Pathway can continue their personalised learning by transitioning to LINC 19-25, our adult education provision based on site. Beyond the age of 25, many learners on the Blue pathway are destined to access supported living provisions. Therefore, we strive to give our learners the opportunity to be able to communicate as independently as possible before they access these adult services.

Blue curriculum areas

The curriculum is divided into broad areas:

My Communication Responsiveness, interaction, intentional communication, preferences and rejection, choice making.

My Body Physiotherapy, fine and gross motor skills, whole body awareness, hydrotherapy, rebound therapy.

My Thinking Anticipation, Exploration, Contingency awareness, Object permanence, Attention building, beginnings of problem solving.

My Independence Personal Care and health, safe transfers and travel, encountering life skills and associated job skills, supported transitions to new settings.

My Play / Social development Shared attention, the encounter of play skills through interactions, encounter and explore toys or motivating objects, encourage social skills, encourage tolerance of others.

Topic Themes Topic themes run on a five year rolling programme. These give learning a clear context and help to maximise enjoyment and engagement.

Some Examples of these themes are:  Travel Through Time  Out of this world  Wonderful Water  Animal Kingdom  Green Fingers  Holiday Learning is based around key engaging texts. Learners also have Wow experiences for each topic, these include special visitors or trips out.

Therapies and interventions in Blue pathway

Hydrotherapy An aquatic therapy designed specifically to support a pupil’s physiotherapy needs. Proven to improve quality of life for pupils with respiratory conditions.

Whole body awareness This is a technique which helps students understand their own bodies and themselves in relation to others and wider contexts.

Develops self-awareness and promotes well-being.

Tac Pac This a sensory communication resource using touch and music to help develop communication and social skills.

Intensive Interaction One to one interaction between pupil and attentive adult whereby adult copies the sounds and movements of the pupil. Encourages communication and shared attention.

Music Therapy Music therapy utilises different musical styles, methods and instruments and allows students to express themselves and engage with the outside world in a unique musical language. It is a great communicative tool.

Rebound Therapy

Exercise therapy, which uses trampolines to provide opportunities for movement, therapeutic exercise and recreation for people across the whole spectrum of special needs.

Attention Autism This is an intervention model designed by Gina Davies, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.

It aims to develop natural and spontaneous communication with visually based and highly motivating activities.

AAC - Augmentative and alternative communication This includes Makaton, PECS, Communication books, Visual supports, timetables and social stories. We aim to have total communication classrooms.

Highfield Academies - proud to be part of the Active Learning Trust Highfield Ely Academy, Downham Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 1BD